I woke up still alive, hungrier than I've ever felt in my life. I looked down and all the careers were asleep. So much for 4 hour watches.
I looked around for a means of escape, when to the right of me, on the end of a branch, I saw a nest of Tracker Jackers. If only I had a knife to cut the branch down.
I looked down again and saw Cato's sword laid down next to him. If I could quietly climb down the tree and grab Cato's sword then I could cut the branch down.
I started my descent, trying my best to be as silent as possible. I reached the bottom and managed not to wake anyone up, I lifted the sword and started to climb again. At the top I used the sword to start cutting down the branch.
The Tracker Jackers started to become disturbed by the movement of the branch, they came out of their nest and a few started to fly around my head. The branch was nearly off, but I'd felt at least 2 painful stings from the Tracker Jackers. The branch finally fell, and the noise was unmistakeable, I looked down and couldn't help but smile at the careers freaking out and running.
Then I remembered that I had to leave too. The pain from the bites started to really sink in, the mixture of that and the hunger and I couldn't help but pass out.
CATO'S POV
I sat behind the rock, but could still hear the buzzing from behind me.
"CATO! CATO HELP ME" Glimmer was shouting, the girl from 4 was screaming as well. Not my fault they're too slow.
I looked at my arms and I'd counted 2 bites. This was not good, I needed to get to somewhere secure as I was sure to pass out soon.
I stood up and turned around to see the disfigured bodies of Glimmer and 4. Suddenly, Katniss landed in front of me, had she fallen out of the tree?
"CLOVE! MARVEL?" I shouted. No reply. Knowing them they'd probably run back to the Cornucopia, neither of them like being in the forest, neither did I really.
I had no idea what was going on with me, I looked at Glimmer's body and I felt nothing. She was dead. I felt nothing. A matter of minutes ago she was curled into me as we both slept. Growing up this is what we were told to feel, this is what I had always felt. But looking at Katniss, I felt like I should help her. Almost every inch of my body told me this was wrong, but one part of me told me this was human. Was this what other people felt? Was this why the tributes from other districts struggled to kill?
I grabbed Katniss by her arms and dragged her away from the Tracker Jackers, receiving another bite myself. I lifted her properly and threw her over my shoulder and started to run, I ran for what seemed like a long time, but in reality the poison from the bites had started to sink in and the forest around me had started to spin.
I found what seemed like a good spot to put her, I led her down and turned around, only to see… my Mom and Dad? These are just hallucinations Cato.
"You're doing the right thing Cato" my Mom's soothing voice almost sounded like a melody to my ears
"Cut her throat!" My Dad shouted
In the years of my childhood, before I was sent away to the academy, my father used to tell me and my brother's stories of brave men who volunteered to become tribute and would go on to win the games. He used to tell us of how the brave man savagely murdered every other tribute, even his own partner.
But my mother, she was always against the games. She'd never really say anything about it, knowing it would shun her from the community, but whenever I brought the subject up to her she would just say 'Killing is no way to live, Cato'. I could never understand, I craved blood, I craved my first kill, ever since I was 13 it was all I could think about. But now, I feel like I was finally understanding what she meant, through Katniss I felt like I was learning to live properly.
"Leaves Cato! Apply leaves to her bite's!" My mother said, pointing to a nearby bush
I ran to it and grabbed as many leaves as my dizzy mind would allow, walking back over to Katniss I applied them to her bites, she had 5. I stood up and turned around to look at my mother again, but the hallucinations had disappeared.
I took one last look at Katniss and ran towards the Cornucopia.
I barely made it half way before passing out on the floor. As I drifted into a reluctant sleep I heard the cannon start to go off, but didn't hear how many times.
"Katniss…don't. Katniss please don't…please don't die" I mumbled to myself as my eyes started to close.
"Cato?" Clove. I opened my eyes to see her body towering over me, not something that happens often. "Cato, how long have you been here?"
"I dunno, maybe an hour or so? I ran away from the Tracker Jackers but I couldn't keep up with you guys" I lied
"Cato, the Tracker Jackers were two days ago" she said staring at me like I was an idiot
"What!" I stood up
"Where's your weapon?" she asked
"Where's Marvel?" I replied
"He died, well, I killed him" she smirked
"Why?" Clove seemed almost taken aback by this
"I dunno, he was annoying. I didn't feel like I needed him anymore, the alliance was only temporary anyway." She scoffed
"Who else went while I was out?"
"Most people, the only ones left are you, me, the boy from 11 and the girl from 12" Christ, I'd missed a lot. "I thought that you'd be hunting 12, I came looking for you. I've got a load of supplies at the Cornucopia, you must be hungry"
Now that I thought about it, I was, thirsty as well.
We walked together back to the Cornucopia, inside there was fruit, meat, water, everything anyone could need to survive in the games. I sat inside while Clove took watch outside. Suddenly I heard a loud crash against the wall behind me and the muffled voice of what could only be the boy from 11.
"You killed Rue did you? She was 12! How does that make you feel? You feel tough do you?" he screamed
"CATO! CATO!" Clove was shouting my name, shit she must really be in trouble. I jumped up and ran out to where they were, but I was too late, the boy from 11 was brutally bashing Clove's head in with a rock.
He'd well and truly lost his mind, a smile on his face, he didn't even notice me there. Is that was I looked like when I was killing? I thought back to the boy from 12 and how happy his death had made me. Insanity was all I could think looking at this boy. Insanity. That was me.
I walked behind him and snapped his neck.
That's it, all that's left is me and Katniss.
Okay thanks so much for the reviews! I'll hopefully get Chapter 5 up by today!