This is where I switch it up, and the story continues from Cato's point of view. Thanks to the people who reviewed :D it's what keeps me going.
Once again, Disclaimer: Sadly, sadly I don't own The Hunger Games or Cato and Clove, the lovely Suzanne Collins does. But I wish I did D;
An anxious feeling creeps through me as I wait for Thresh to make his appearance. It's been nearly three hours now, give or take, and I'm beginning to wonder if he'll ever show. Whipping my head in several directions, I search for him, feeling an urgency for him to come. Maybe we miscalculated where he would be? But she was so sure this is the route he would take. Clove. Thinking about her, alone at the feast, makes me more nervous and anxious to fight Thresh and get back to her…so where is he? I'm ready for him. Shaking my head, I roll my eyes, and, partially for the cameras, I begin to toy with my sword. I draw it from the sheath and twirl it in my hand a few times before lashing out at the air. I make the doubtful, worried thoughts running through my head unreadable in my expression as I have a brutal battle with an imaginary Thresh. Questions begin to taunt me 'What if Thresh is already there and Clove is in danger?' 'What if you don't get Katniss?' 'What if she dies because you let her go there alone?' what if, what if, what if. I strike out, lodging the sword in a tree this time. I struggle for only a moment to pull it out, and right as the metal slips out of the wood, I hear the faintest scream and I freeze up. For a moment I think it's Clove, but why would she be screaming? I smirk as I realize, that must be Katniss. Clove has probably got her down, showing her what we do to people who show us up, and harm us. I twirl the blade again, then slide it back into the sheath, picking up my spear and going to sit down. I feel pretty good about today, relaxed as I assume my waiting for Thresh, until I hear my name being screamed. The voice is undeniably Clove's, and I take off without a second thought. "Clove!" I call back, running as swiftly as my legs can possibly carry me, and just hoping I get there in time. By the volume of her voice, she's far away. As I run, desperation to reach her driving me forward, I smack into trees and bushes, but I could care less. I hear her scream for me again, her voice so full of fear, longing, desperation. The same desperation I'm feeling to get to her. My face is red now I'm guessing, I'm out of breath, and my ribs are starting to cramp, but I keep running. Faster than I ever have. I'm closer now, so close I can see the clearing. My spirits rise for only a moment, until I see a sprawled out figure on the ground, along with two other moving figures. "Clove!" I call out again, pain filling my voice as I know it's her lying there, and I realize I'm too late. I keep running, a whole new wave of desperation driving me forward.
As soon as I reach the clearing, my legs feeling as if they'll never move again, my eyes show me what I've only seen in nightmares. There she is, the only person who ever bothered to care about me, lying on the ground, motionless, soundless, almost lifeless. "Clove!" The sound escaping my mouth is a strangled cry, something I've never heard push past my lips before, and then I feel my body jerking forward without permission, proving my earlier thought incorrect. No matter how tired I feel, I've now discovered, there is nothing that could stop me from reaching her at this moment. No tribute, no Gamemaker interference, no injury, nothing. The human need for her to survive overpowers everything else. I barely keep a hold on my spear as my world spins around me, crashing down like a building hit in the cross fire of a war. "Clove…" I've reached her now and I feel the sensation of falling as my knees give out and I make contact with the ground near her. The spear drops from my hands and for a moment I just sit there, leaning back on my legs, not believing what is happening. I stare at her body for a long time, hearing nothing around me, seeing nothing but her, and feeling confused? Peaceful even? Because of course this is a dream. I mean, there's no way this is real, no! I refuse to believe it! Only a few hours ago she was smiling up at me, saying goodbye. Goodbye…goodbye to head to the feast. The feast with Thresh, who I was supposed to keep away, but I didn't. Dread fills me and I blink, only now seeing her as she really is. A huge dent in the corner of her forehead, she's completely unresponsive and the only sound she is making is a tortured moan of pain.
"Clove…" I mutter again, leaning down and touching her cheek gently, still thinking maybe this is all fake, some joke, that of course she's just sleeping or faking, right? "Clove, wake up…" I hear my voice as a small child's would sound, still in a daze. I cannot fathom the truth of what's going on. "Clove!" my voice raises and I shake her gently, panic flooding over me, my heart beat quickening and my breathing becoming unsteady. I watch the rapid rise and fall of her chest and bend over, bringing her up into my arms and holding her, desperation filling my voice as I try to get a response out of her. "Please…Clove, please answer me…" Nothing. I shake her gently in my arms again, gulping "Clove…Clove!" I need something, anything to just wake her up! This cannot be happening, she has to be okay…I can't… "Clove…please I can't live without you, I can't handle this world without you here by my side to help me through it!" No response. I watch as the rise and fall of her chest slows down, and breathing starts to become a challenge for her. Her breaths are shallow, and slowing down. I feel a few tears slip down my cheeks as I realize I am truly losing her. I'm losing the girl who kept me sane through training, who kept me from harming myself when my father would abuse me, the girl who pushed me so hard to be the best person I am, the girl who I promised myself I would keep safe…the girl I will never forgive myself for failing to save. Her name is choked out now "Clo-" I can't even finish it as a small sob escapes me. I've never felt more desperate as I set her down again, my breathing rapid and almost as shallow as hers is becoming. I look down at her, tangling my hands in my hair and pulling it as I stare down at her helplessly, her dark hair pooled around her as it was the other night. She lays there peacefully as she does when she sleeps, she could be asleep and I would believe it, if it weren't for the pained sounds she makes, mixed with my own. "Clove please just wake up…" I'm begging now. I need her. "Please stay with me, don't leave me here alone!" I let the feeling take over, let my surroundings melt away as all I care about is getting her to respond, to laugh it off and tell me she'll be fine like she usually does. A few muffled sobs get out with my breathing, and I lean down, pulling her up to me, hugging her close. I realize how limp her body is, how her breathing has all but stopped, the way her head cranes back unless I hold it up, and another sound escapes me. One I've never made in my life, never thought I could make. I find myself unable to speak as tears now blur my vision completely and sobs choke me as I try to draw in breaths, which are sharply rejected.
A cannon goes off somewhere, but I refuse to acknowledge it, refuse to hear it. I kiss her forehead gently, now able to choke out simple words "Please…" I bring my ear to her chest, willing it to hear a heart-beat, but nothing is there, just the slight sound of blood throbbing in my ears. I lose it, not knowing what to do and letting my body shake, letting my sanity, or rather what's left of it, slowly slip away. "No…no, no, no!" I pull her up and kiss her, pressing my lips shakily to hers, although I know it's no use. "Please, Clove!" I sob, watching my tears spill onto her face and rolling down her cheeks as if they were her own. Nothing happens. "Please…" I beg again, kissing down her face and ending up burying myself in her body, crying, shaking. I keep my face in the crook of her neck as I hold her to me, unable to stop the feelings welling up inside me. Weakness, denial, regret, guilt, loss, desperation. All of the feelings mesh together, and as much as I try to stop them, the sobs still wrack my body, sounding choked as they force their way out of my throat.
She's gone, the one thing that ever truly mattered to me, and it's my fault.