The problem with Marvel is out of the way, too.
Lover Boy's friend shot him. Marvel killed her little ally, the girl from Eleven, though. And Cato killed the boy who was supposed to keep watch at the supply pyramid.
There had been a fire and we were gone to hunt the ones who'd set it when Katniss blew up our supplies. We'd left the boy there to keep watch, and she blew up the whole pyramid in front of his eyes! Cato and I ran back as soon as we heard the explosion. Marvel stayed in the woods, searching for other tributes.
When we reached our camp, Cato realized immediately what was going on and didn't hesitate to break the boy's neck. Then we headed back to the place where we left Marvel. We heard a cannon shot and, shortly after, another one.
Marvel was gone when we arrived. They showed his picture at nightfall, along with the little girl's.
That leaves me with an overly aggressive Cato. He couldn't wait to hunt down Katniss and Lover Boy, and the giant from Eleven who's also still alive. Apart from them, there is only the red-haired girl from Five who will be easy to kill.
I had to convince Cato to find a new hideout first, at least for the night. We gathered all the supplies that weren't destroyed and searched for a place to sleep, but ended up in the underbrush at the edge of the woods. I was tired and Cato thought it was better than nothing, because we could observe the open terrain and see whenever one of the other tributes crossed it. I doubt that one of them will, though.
We agreed on taking turns with the watch. Cato let me sleep first and woke me after about three hours.
And now I'm sitting here, trying to keep my eyes open. Nobody's crossed the open area yet. I can see nothing but the shapes of trees in front of a starless sky.
We'll start hunting down the others tomorrow. Cato thinks we should search for Lover Boy first, because he must still be hurt from their fight. Even under the influence of tracker-jacker venom, Cato has certainly inflicted some grave injuries on him. He must be weak; probably hiding out somewhere and waiting for his strength to recover.
I think Katniss will be the next, and then Five. Thresh will be the hardest one to kill, in my opinion. He's quite strong and he must be angry because Marvel killed his District partner. Another thing we learned at the academy: Strength and anger is a mixture that shouldn't be underestimated!
"Never underestimate your enemies", I whisper into the darkness.
Careers often tend to deal frivolously with their opponents in the arena, and that's been their doom more than once. I don't want to die because of my arrogance. I need to stay realistic if I want to win.
Does Cato know that, too? Sometimes, I think he's too sure of his victory. I've tried to warn him, to remind him of the words we were told at the academy, but he didn't listen. His arrogance is what defines him, what makes him the person he is, but it can still be dangerous. I just don't want him to die in shame.
If the night weren't so dark, I would probably spend most of my time watching Cato instead of the open area in front of me. He's sleeping a few steps away, cuddled up on a thick layer of leaves, his head resting on the backpack we always carry with us. He's breathing calmly, and somehow that's more soothing than anything else here in the arena. More soothing than the silence of the night or the fact that we're both still alive.
Things don't stand too bad for us, do they?
Eighteen dead, four to go. And then Cato. The final moment moves closer and closer. I've already made my decision: I need to kill him. I'm not happy about it, but it's a burden I need to take.
Maybe the pain will fade as soon as I'm over it. When everything's over, when Cato is dead and I am crowned victor of the 74th Hunger Games, maybe I won't remember a thing. I will live in glory and fame for the rest of my life and be an example for all the tributes that come after me.
Maybe Cato will be gone and forgotten as soon as I've left the arena. I really hope that it will be like this. Otherwise…
Otherwise, I'll think about him day and night. I'll think about the moment I cut his throat with a knife. That's what I figured out to kill him, because it won't make him suffer. He'll be dead immediately.
Why does this moment have to come? Why does it have to be here this soon?
"Never question the act of killing", I repeat another rule from the academy to calm myself down. "Never fear it."
"What did you say?" a sleepy voice murmurs from behind me.
"Cato." I turn and find him straightening up on his leaves. Did he know that I've been thinking about him? Did he feel it?
"We're on the home stretch and I tried to remember some rules that might be important… you know, to win", I explain.
Cato sighs. "Why don't you simply forget about those rules?" he asks. "They're stupid, anyway."
"But they help you win", I reply. "There are only six of us left, Cato. We can't risk making any mistakes now."
"And is it a mistake not to follow the rules? I don't think so."
I don't answer. I don't have the strength to discuss with him right now, so I just stare into the darkness and wait until Cato lies down again.
In this moment, the Claudius Templesmith's voice booms through the arena, making Cato and me cringe in surprise. "Attention, tributes!" he calls out. "There's been a rule change."
My eyes meet Cato's, but it's like we're looking right through one another. I'm too eager to hear Claudius' announcement to be distracted by the grayness of Cato's eyes now.
When Claudius' impressive voice goes on, though, I just can't trust my ears. Did he really say what I think he did? Did he say that… two tributes can win the Games if they're both from the same District?
My vision sharpens and I look at Cato; I look at him like I've never done before.
Cato and I, both from District Two. This feels too good to be true.
I hear Claudius' words echo in my head. He said it. He said we could both win, together.
This is awesome! I mean, it would be awesome, if it were true. But part of me just doesn't want to believe it.
Everything about this announcement seems like a trap. Why would the Gamemakers want both Cato and me to win? Why would they want us to be happy?
They should've enjoyed that last decisive battle between the two of us. That's what they call amusement in the Capitol. That's what thousands of citizens want to see!
I raise one eyebrow at Cato, asking him silently if he's heard the same, and if he believes the words to be true. He nods.
In less than a second, I am lying in his arms, my head resting against his chest. I feel Cato's arms around my body, feel his steady breathing and the vivid beat of his heart. I feel his lips close to my ear, whispering: "We'll be victors, Clove! Both of us."
I also feel Cato's hand wandering down my back, and suddenly I can't help but think of Glimmer. Isn't that what Cato did with her when he was "having a bit of fun"? When they were talking, before the interviews, his hand did exactly the same.
For a moment, I'm tempted to pull back from his embrace and shove him away. I could tell him that I'm not the right person to have fun with, because I like him way too much for that.
But I don't.
All that matters is the announcement, the declaration of our victory.
Cato and me. I can hardly trust those words, but if he does…
"We'll set off at dawn", I whisper into Cato's chest, just loud enough for him to hear. "We'll find them and kill them and then we'll go home."
And we'll live together in Victor's Village. We'll be neighbors for the rest of our lives. We'll have all the time of the world to get to know each other. Who knows how things will end up between us?
"Four of those little weaklings against the two of us", Cato states. Even though I can't see his face, I can practically sense the smile on his lips. "They won't stand a chance! It'll be as easy as stealing a lolly from an infant."
"Of course it will." I smile brightly at the thought of our victory.
Everything will be okay. More than okay, after all! I couldn't have imagined better Games. Well, without Glimmer maybe… But she's dead. In less than a year, she'll be forgotten. And I'll be living next to Cato for as long as I live.
After what seems like an eternity, Cato pulls away from me, his eyes steady on mine. There's a spark in them I've never noticed before.
"Should I go on with the watch?" he offers. "It's your turn resting now."
I nod, even though I'm probably too excited to find any rest. But I'll need it for our hunt tomorrow.
It'll be our big day. Maybe we can kill all four, and tomorrow we'll already be on our way out…
I feel like I'm at the reaping again; like I'm waiting on stage, watching Cato as he climbs up with that impressive smile of his. I feel like I could embrace every single person in the crowd.
"What are you thinking about?" Cato wants to know. "You're grinning all the time –"
"Nothing!" I say quickly and lay down on the leaves. "Good night, Cato."
"Yeah, sleep well." Cato takes his place a few feet away with his back on me. As I position my head on the backpack, the conversation we started before the announcement pops up in my memory and I have to smile once again.
"Cato?" I murmur with my eyes already half shut.
He turns around. "What?"
"Do you still think it's a mistake to follow the rules?"
He sighs and shakes his head, but apart from that, I don't get an answer. And I'll probably never get one.