Here is the feast. I dreaded writing this! As you know I put it off for so long.
Clove`s POV
I cringe at the look on Cato`s face. Horror, sadness, and wild something Cato doesn't generally look. "You look deranged Cato" I say letting Cato know that I am there. Cato`s head shoots up and he stares at me, or past me. Somehow I feel like I'm not even there. "Clove" he says in a hoarse raspy voice, he must have been crying. "Clove...I I" he starts and pleading sad look on his face. "Cato its okay, you lose it sometimes I know" I say, telling him I forgive him though I`m not really sure if I do.
Cato starts walking back towards camp, expecting me to follow but I keep my feet planted to the ground. Cato turns back to look at me and the look in his eyes breaks my heart but I must be strong for myself and for him. 'Cato I need to be by myself tonight, to think things through" he stands there unmoving for a minute before he slowly nods. 'I'm not going to force you to do anything" he says before breaking into a jog and jogging back to camp.
I decide to face one of my ultimate fears and sleep in a tree tonight. Tomorrow is important and I will need to be invincible, meaning I have to get over my silly little fear. I pick a lower tree that looks like it has thick branches. "I thought you might want this" someone says from behind me making me whip around. Cato stands a little ways away holding my sleeping bag. I smile gratefully and grab it out of my hands before starting to climb my tree. I leave the sleeping bag on the ground as I climb, I will get Cato to throw it up to me. I climb as high as I can go and sit between 2 branches where I feel more secure.
"WANT TO THROW UP THE SLEEPING BAG" I call down to Cato who is bending over to pick it up. He grabs it and nods. Before stepping back and whipping it up into the air. I grab it and pull it over me, to nervous to move enough to get inside. I use is as a blanket and lay my head against the trunk so that I am still sitting up a bit. Then I try to slow my rapid breathing to go to sleep. It takes a while but it eventually works and I dove of into a dreamless sleep.
Cato`s POV
I watch as Clove lays her head down and closes her eyes. "I'm so sorry Clove" I whisper "I love you" and with that I turn around and sprint back to camp. I watch the silent dark trees as they whip past me. I didn't think to bring night vision goggles. They would have definitely helped in this situation. As I run I think about what I had done. Why the hell did I threaten Clove like that? My bubble had burst and it had just come out and I had made her run away.
I finally make it back to camp and I head for our tent. I am really tired and I need my sleep. I think about the feast tomorrow, about how Clove might actually think of going. I need to stop her, she doesn't need anything and going just for the sake of it is horrible. She could get hurt and I vow not to let that happen!
I crawl into the tent and lay down. Trying to push down my thoughts about what went on earlier tonight. I try not to think of Clove cooped up in that tree and I try not to think of what I would have done to her had she not ran away. She was smart enough to run away and I admire her for that but I don't admire the fact that I was the reason that she turned and fled into the trees. I silently slow my breathing and close my eyes trying to let sleep take me over. I plead for it to take me over. It takes sleep a while to come but eventually it does.
Clove`s POV
My eyes fly open and I am momentarily blinded but once it comes back I am screaming. I am at least 30 feet in the air sitting on 1 thin branch. I scream again fear rocking my body. "No" I say to myself 'I need to calm down if I am ever going to get out of this stupid tree". Breath I say over and over in my head as I slip the sleeping bag off myself, breath. I drop the sleeping bag to the ground and I swing my legs over so that my feet are facing the groud and I am in a position to make my way down the tree.
"Having some trouble" I hear someone call and I snort. "Leave me alone Cato I can do this by myself" I say while moving down the tree trying to hide my shaking body. 'You definitely look like you can do this by yourself" he says 'Well dying by falling is better than my boyfriend killing me" is say accusingly. I know that what I said was evil and I know I hit a soft spot because he is probably drowning himself in grief but weirdly I don't care.
Cato doesn't say anything else as I make my way to the ground, I even wonder if he is still there. After what feels like hours I finally reach the ground. "Congratulations I'm 100" Cato says when I turn around to see him leaning against a tree directly across from mine. "Well happy birthday" I say curtly before stalking off to go and wait for the feast to begin.
I hoped that I would shake him off and get rid of him but I would never be that lucky. I will always be a 3 leaf Clover I think with a chuckle. Cato used to always say that when I wasn't so lucky. He walks beside me as I make my way to the cornucopia. "You forgot your sleeping bag" he says while dumping it on my head. 'Cato why are you so obnoxious?" I ask while throwing the sleeping bag at a nearby tree as I walk. 'Oh I practice ways I can annoy you at night so that I get them perfect in the day" he says "Oh yea, I don't doubt that" I reply before breaking into a jog to try and get away from him.
Cato stays by my side jogging with me. "I don't think you should go to the feast Clove" Cato says suddenly turning serious. 'Yea why not?" I ask upset he thinks I can't do it 'Because you might get hurt" he replies like it obvious. "Cato I won't get hurt and you can`t tell me what to do" I add.
"Fine" he says just as we reach the edge of the woods where the cornucopia is. "Fire Girl is out there somewhere" I say while scanning the edge of the trees for any signs of her, "Clove our stuff will probably be together so let's work together" Cato says in a matter of fact tone. "Fine I will get the bag and Fire Girl and you get Thresh and Fox face" I say while turning to look at him. "But I want Fire Bitch" Cato says using a new name for her that I generally like. "Well Cato then we are not working together" I say turning again to peer out of the layer of trees and watch the cornucopia move and a table lift out. "Deal" Cato says while moving off to go and get Thresh or Fox face. I am about to move when I see a flash of red hair that I know too well, go by. She is quick as lightening and she snatches up her back and is in the forest before I can move. I hear Cato sprinting off after her.
I watch as a long brown braid goes by and heads for the table. I smirk and sprint towards her. She sees me and shoots an arrow at me. It goes straight for my head but I doge it and it lodges into my arm instead. I spit onto the ground and groan as I pull the arrow out of my arm. I let it drop to the ground before I charge for Fire Bitch again. I throw a knife at her but she dodges it and it scrapes her forehead producing a steady stream of blood. She shoots an arrow at me again but it veers off to the right I didn't even have to move. I laugh and charge for her crashing into her and pushing both of us to the ground.
I land on top of her and hold her to the ground like I held down Fox face when she attacked me. I decide to play with my victim and I get started. "Where's your boy friend district 12 still hanging on" I ask my voice sounding malicious. "He's out there now hunting Cato" she replies then she screams "PEETA". I jam my fist into her wind pipe cutting of my scream. I don't really believe her but I still whip my head around to make sure no one is there. No one is there so I turn back to her "Liar" I say a large grin on my face "He`s nearly dead. Cato knows where he cut him. You've probably got him strapped up in some tree trying to keep his heart going" I say with a smile, admiring my quick thinking. "What's in the pretty little back pack" I add "That medicine for lover boy? Too bad he will never get it" I say while opening my jacket to reveal my rows and rows of dainty blades. I open it so that she can see it hoping that she feels scared. I select a knife I haven't used before it had a sleek black handle and a curved blade.
"I promised Cato if he let me have you I would give the audience a good show" I say stretching the truth a little, I never promised Cato anything. She struggles to unseat me but it's no use I`m 3 times her size. "Forget it district 12 we are going to kill you. Just like we did your pathetic little ally...what was her name? The one hopped around the trees? Rue? Well first Rue, then you, then I think we`ll just let nature take care of lover boy. How does that sound?"I ask, you would think I would regret saying such things about a 12 year old but I really don't. I smile in pleasure as anger takes over her body features, I hit a soft spot. "Now where to start" I say while grabbing her face and turning it from side to side, inspecting it. I wipe the blood from her wound with my jacket sleeve; I have decided.
She tries to bite my hand but I grab her hair and wham her head on the ground. "I think..." I purr "I think I will start with your mouth" I say laughing in my mind, wishing Cato was here to see this. I teasingly trace the outline of her lips with my knife. "Yes I don't think you will have much use for your lips anymore" "Want to blow lover boy one last kiss?" I add maliciously. She spits blood and saliva at me making me flush with rage. I wipe my face with my hand. "Alright let's get started" I spit out.
I am about to cut her when strong arms pull me off her. I stare wide eyed at Fire Bitch who I now dangle above. I am flipped around and flung to the ground. I hit the ground hard and the wind is knocked out of me. I look up to see Thresh towering over me, in his hand is a rock at least the size of his hand.
Cato`s POV
I chase after Fox face as she sprints through the forest. She zig zags through the trees, leading me farther and farther away from the cornucopia. I know I shouldn't be this far away just in case Clove needs help but I think she is strong enough to last without me. Fox face is really fast and I have trouble keeping up with her but I still chase her. I need revenge because if she hadn't of escaped then I wouldn't of threatened Clove.
This last thought gives me power and I pick up speed that I never knew I had. I grab a spear and throw it so that it hits her in the leg and she falls to the ground. I kneel beside her and hold her to the ground with one hand. 'How did you escape huh?" I ask. "I`m too smart for you she replies with a little laugh.
"CATO CATO" I hear just as I am about to kill this girl once and for all. I break into a sprint running as fast as I can back to the cornucopia. "Clove" I yell running faster than I have ever run before. I hear a scream then silence as I reach the edge of the woods. I look to see Clove on the ground a dent in her skull, beside her lies Fire Girl and standing before them with a huge rock in his hand is Thresh. "CLOVE" I yell again not bothering to mask the pain in my voice.
Tears stream down my cheeks as I lean over Clove, still holding my spear in my hand. Clove is moaning her eyes wide with fear I have never seen on her face. I barely hear Fire Girl and Thresh, but I am aware enough to see Fire Girl sprint for the trees and Thresh sprint for the field. "Please stay with me Clove, Please don't leave me" I beg the tears coming silently down my face. "Cato" she croaks out followed by moan. "Yes" I reply fear gripping at me "Sing me to sleep" she replies softly, I can barely hear her. 'No Clove you are going to live, we are going to go home together" I say pleadingly. "Please" she croaks out. I nod and pull her into my lap.
Go to sleep
Clove please
And if you can't think of sheep
And try not to sneeze, ohh please
And know that I love you
And know that I care
But don't make me worry
About your dreams
Clove please
I sing tears rocking my body as I hold Clove in my arms. I watch as the light goes out of her eyes and she goes limp. I carefully run my finger over her eye lids and close her eyes. "I love you" I whisper before I lay her down and grab my spear in my hand. "I WILL REVENGE YOUR DEATH MY LOVE" I yell before letting all my sanity drain away and sprinting fir the field Thresh disappeared in.
I cried when I wrote this. I will tell you only one thing this is not the end of Clove!