Clove's POV
The cold morning air cuts through the holes in my clothes and causes my teeth to chatter. Cato wraps his warm arms around me as we camp out in the dense brush on the outskirts of the field where Claudius Templesmith instructed us to be at for the Feast. My teeth continue to chatter and he rubs my arms as quietly as he can, trying to heat my skin through my sleeves.
"You're going to give away our position," he whispers in my ear playfully. I can't help but smile, but this is no time to get soft. This could mean the difference between victory and death. No distractions.
It's very early and I still have my night vision glasses on, but as the morning progresses I find my vision starting to become fuzzy and I remove them. Cato does the same. I open my jacket a little bit to double check that my knives are all where I want them, the ones I plan to use on the left side of my jacket, easy to reach; my less important ones are on the right side of my jacket. But I never know when I might need to use them.
"So it's settled," I whisper, trying to keep my teeth still. "I go for Katniss and you can have Thresh. Whoever see's the ginger first gets to kill her. "
Cato nods and smiles. I give him a brief kiss and then scan the field once more. It's so quite. All the wild life creatures are just now starting to wake up and yawn in their own way, in chirps, chatters, and snapping twigs that continue to make me more and more paranoid of other possible tributes, mainly Thresh. I'm so thankful that Cato will take care of him for me, though I don't doubt we might miss the chance to kill him or the ginger.
But today, Katniss dies, no mistaking it. No flaws, no mess ups. It has to be a kill. The sun is just barely peaking over the horizon and through the trees when the ground begins to rumble. Cato and I exchange glances and take our positions to leap up and run when we need to.
In front of the Cornuciopia's golden horn, the ground separates and a circular table rises up from beneath the arena. There are four backpacks set neatly on a pure white table cloth, as if this were a true feast with food laughing and dancing. Far from it. I see ours. It's one of the largest ones and all black with the number 2 on it. It sits next to another large one with an 11 on it. Then a mediums-sized green one with 5, and then the smallest orange one- so small I can barely see it- with a 12. It has to be medicine.
As soon as the ground closes underneath the table, a sweep of red hair appears from the Cornucopia and sprints to the table, snatches the green back pack and darts off to our far left.
"Holy shit," says Cato. "It's the ginger. What- what do we-"
"Go after her!" I hiss, starting to shove him off. "Before she gets away. Go!"
Cato nods and goes around through the bush behind me to chase after the ginger. I know either Thresh or Katniss will be going next. Most likely Katniss. Thresh might try to take her backpack, and I for sure would take it, so she has to go next.
Just as the thought has entered my mind, I see her. She is sprinting for her life, and Lover Boy's life no doubt, towards the table. Now's my chance! I leap from the brush and dash to a good distance and then fling my first knife at her. She must have seen it coming because it would have hit her if she didn't use her bow to deflect it. Why did she bring the bow? She can't even shoot-
Twang! The bowstring rings out in my distant ears and I turn at the last second before the arrow hits me straight in the chest. Instead it lodges into my upper left arm. I grit my teeth and let out an "argh!" before falling to one knee. Damn it, she can shoot a bow. Where the hell did she learn to do that? I never saw her at the archery section in training.
There's no time to contemplate that though. I have to move. She's almost to the table! Just as she turns from snatching up her orange bag I hurl my second knife through the air straight at her head. She turns just enough to where it doesn't lodge into her skull, but it catches just above her right eye. I can already see the blood gush from the wound, and she is partially blinded. She reloads her bow and releases the string, but it flies five feet to my left.
Idiot.
I thrust my elbows out and slam into her. We both go down hard, but with my on top of her. I push my knees down on her arms and shoulders. She's flat on the ground; blood still flows down her face, into her eyes and mouth.
This is it. I finally get my chance. What I've been waiting for the entire Games. Might as well make a good show out of it.
"Where's your boyfriend, District Twelve?" I say tauntingly. "Still hanging on?"
Katniss pastes a snarl over her bloody lips and she snaps, "He's out there now. Hunting Cato." Wait, really? "Peeta!"
Damn it, he's here? I might be able to kill him while pinnning Katniss down. I punch her square in the throat, halting her scream. I glare at her then sit up and look around. Where is he? I'm more paranoid than aver. Where, where, where is he? He can't be in a position to fight, much less walk.
After a moment, I don't see any disturbance in the trees. I almost laugh out loud, but it's all I can do to just grin down at her attempt to buy time.
"Liar," I say. "He's nearly dead. Cato knows where he cut him. You've probably got him strapped up in some tree while you try to keep his heart going." I can see the hurt and anger fuse in her eyes; she truly hates me right now, might as well have some fun. "What's in the pretty little backpack? That medicine for Lover Boy?" I grin slyly. "Too bad he'll never get it."
I'm having too much fun. I tear my gaze away from Katniss who is trying to hold back a frightened expression. I open my jacket wide enough so she can see all my knives. None of the ones I put on the left side really seem to do anything for this situation. Good thing I brought the lot of them. I pick one of my smallest ones, honestly my favorite. It's actually a scalpel with a light curve at the end.
Why not show some District 2 spirit?
"I promised Cato if he let me have you, I'd give the audience a show," I say, twirling the scalpel around in my fingers skillfully. She seems to panic and tries to unseat me. Her skinny little body is no match for me.
How's that for muscle, bitch?
"Forget it, District Twelve," I say, shoving my knees into her shoulders. "We're going to kill you." A little thought pops into my head that I could have fun with. "Just like we did your pathetic little ally… what was her name? The one that hopped around in the trees? Rue?" A twang of pain crosses Katniss' face. "Well, first Rue, then you, and then I think we'll let nature take care of Lover Boy. How does that sound?" She naturally doesn't answer. "Now where to start?"
I take the edge of my jacket and wipe the blood from her cut and the rest of her face as roughly as I can. I then take her chin in my hand and tilt her face side to side. Where to slice first? She suddenly tries to bite my hand, but I snatch the root of her braid and pull her head back, smashing it into the ground.
"I think," I say softly. "I think we'll start with your mouth."
She clenches her jaw as I trace the profile of her lips with the edge of the scalpel. She stares me down, anger burning in those grey irises of hers. I can't help notice how pretty her eyes are. Too bad I'll be gouging them out soon.
"Yes, I don't think you'll have much use for your lips anymore." I purse my lips and say mockingly, "What to blow Lover Boy one last kiss?"
Katniss suddenly spews a mouthful of saliva and blood in my face. My face heats up with anger. That bitch!
"Alright then," I say, raising my voice. "Let's get started!"
I wipe the blood from my face and am just about to slice open her lip. I don't notice it before it's too late. A huge shadow behind me, and then a big meaty hand roughly grabs me and yanks me off of Katniss. Another hand wraps around my waist and the other clenches my throat. I scream as loud as I can. Suddenly my captor grabs my shirt, flips me around and I smash into the ground.
I struggle to gain breath because it has been all but knocked from my lungs. I look up and see the sun shine on the brown skinned giant that towers over me. The light reflects off his bald scalp.
Thresh.
I'm trembling now, and I recoil backward when he speaks loudly.
"What'd you do to that little girl? You kill her?" he booms. I try to crawl backwards away from him in desperation.
"No!" I squeak out. "No, it wasn't me!"
Thresh's face hardens and he says, "You said her name. I heard you. You kill her?" His eyes widen for a moment and he stomps a huge foot towards me. "You cut her up—like you were going to cut up this girl here?"
"No! No, I-" My eyes watch Thresh as he bends over and scoops up a huge rock from the dirt in one hand. My blood runs cold.
Now I'm the helpless doe. I scramble back as fast as I can and scream, "Cato!" My voice breaks into a shriek. "Cato!"
Cato's POV
By the time I heard Clove's first scream, I had almost caught up to the ginger, but there's no way I'm keeping up the chase now. I sprint back towards the Feast. There is a louder deeper voice that can only be Thresh.
Damn it, why did I leave her there? My legs are burning as I run as fast as I can. I burst through the trees onto the field, just close enough to hear Clove shrilly cry out, "Cato! Cato!"
There she is, flat on the ground. Thresh towers over her with an enormous rock in his hand.
Oh God, oh God!
"Clove!" I yell back, reassuring her that I'm coming. I'm coming to save her.
But I'm too far away, and now I've tripped over a stray weed that weaves its way around my ankle and I smash into the ground. I watch helplessly as Thresh quickly kneels down, grabs the front of Clove's shirt, pulls her up and bashes into her temple with the rock.
"No!" I groan, furiously trying to pull the plant from the ground. Clove's head isn't bleeding. Maybe he didn't hit her that hard.
Thresh starts talking to Katniss who was on the ground this whole time. He says something to her that I can't hear. The rock is still in his hand.
Yes, do it! Kill her!
His arm lowers and he drops the rock to his side.
No! Pick it up and kill her!
It's too late. Just as I snap my ankle free from the roots, Katniss scrambles to her feet, the orange bag around her arm, and sprints in the opposite direction. Thresh picks up his bag, and then snatches up the one that belongs to Clove and me, but it doesn't even phase me.
"Clove!" I cry out. She doesn't respond. She lies lifelessly on the ground.
Oh, no, no, no!
I sprint towards Clove and am vaguely aware of Thresh disappearing into the plain of tall grass. As soon as I reach Clove, my worst fear is confirmed. Her skull is severely dented in and all that escapes her lips is a light moan of pain, her eyes gloss over. I fall to her side and gingerly pull her up into my arms, careful not to jerk her neck incase her spinal cord was damaged. At first she doesn't look at me, then her eyes weakly meet mine.
"Oh God," I moan. "Clove, no. Stay with me. You'll be fine."
Her moan does down. Her arms lay at her side. She isn't moving at all, only her eyes.
She's paralyzed.
Tears spring to my eyes.
"Come on Clove," I beg, my voice breaking. "Please don't do this! Don't leave me! Remember we were going home together!"
Her lips barely move as she tries to speak, but I push my finger down on her mouth to keep her from talking. Tears spill over my eyes now. I don't even give a damn if the Capitol sees.
"No, Clove, please." I grab her cold hand. "Just look at me. Don't die, please! Stay with me."
Her beautiful eyes glass over with a foggy purple, death seeping into them. I hold her to my chest, giving into heaves of sobs. She takes a deep struggled breath, opening her mouth a little.
"I..." Her voice is barely a weak whisper. "...love…"
Her lips quiver as the breath leaves her lungs and she goes limp, her eyes still locked ahead into mine, open, but completely dead.
"No," I breathe. "No please, stay with me."
My head dips and touches to her forehead, my tears drip on her face.
And then the canon fires.
A/N: Just to clarify, this was not my favorite scene to write. The next chapter will be. I almost cried while writing this.
Haha, in a morbid twisted way it's kind of funny because my other two fanfictions, the last chapters I updated, someone has died in both. And all these chapters I have the mindset and goal to make you cry. I'm just killing off characters left and right!