So life is just progressively getting worse. FML.
Chapter 11
Selfless Sacrifice
"Clove, what have you done?" I heard a shaky voice from behind me. As I turned around, I expected the worse. A peacekeeper, Enobaria or Brutus, because with my luck I wouldn't get out of this one. Annie was standing in a casual floral dress, her arms wrapped around herself.
"Annie? What are you doing here?" I wiped my hands on my dress, seeing has how it was already soiled.
"I- uh" she rubbed her forehead but wouldn't meet my eyes. "I was at a bar with Finnick and we saw Cato."
"Where's Finnick?"
"He's still checking on Cato."
"Right." I stood there silently before bending down to pick up my knife.
"Clove. How could you- why would you- what gave you the right to kill them?" she had tears welling in her eyes. She just didn't understand. not at all.
"Annie, did you not see them. They had their hands all over me." I did my best to keep a level voice.
"Yeah, but you could have told them to stop."
"I don't think asking them nicely would have worked." I replied.
"Do you know what they do to people who kill other people, Clove? You could be in serious trouble, and I can't just let it go unreported." I could hear guilt in her voice as she opened her mouth.
"Annie, please, don't scream." I clamped a hand over her mouth. "Please Annie, you never saw this. Promise me you never saw this. I got mud on my dress and Cato walked me back to the train and we didn't go back to the party. Right?" Annie nodded her head as a couple tears fell.
"I'm sorry." she muttered and then let out a blood curdling scream. Cato appeared at the end of the alley.
"Clove are you ok- oh shit." he walked to me, pushing past Annie who was crying even harder now. "What happened?" he asked, cupping my face in his hands.
"Nothing"
"Are you hurt."
"no, I'm fine. C'mon Cato, we've got to go. We can't stay here." I pulled his arm.
"Where do you expect us to go Clove?"
"What?" I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to him. Normally he would be booking it out of the alley, running to stow us away until it was safe.
"It just feels like cheating."
"cheating? What the hell? How are we cheating?"
"We're cheating fate. Cheating death, even"
"Since when did you become a sentimentalist?" I asked accusingly.
"Clove, I'm tired."
"Are you drugged? What the hell is wrong with you Cato?" But I didn't have time to wait for his answer. I heard the Peacekeepers running towards the alley. "Whatever, you stay Cato. I can't cause this Nation anymore trouble than I already have." I noticed a ladder on the side of one of the building and climbed up.
"Clove?" I heard the voices calling through the night, but I did my best to hide. I knew they'd find me, question me, and figure out I had killed those boys. I sunk deeper into the shadows against the trunk of a palm tree. ""Clove!" the voice was more frantic. I tried to hide myself behind the tree more, but ended up just stubbing my toe and letting out a loud grunt.
"Shit" I mumbled.
"Clove, is that you?"
"Who is that?"
"It's a peacekeeper. Brutus and Enobaria are requesting you back at the train." so that's it. They were going to lure me in and try to get me to confess.
"Alright." It was dark enough by then that the blood on my dress looked more like mud.
"YOu alright Miss?" the peacekeeper asked.
"Fine" I mumbled as I walked back to the train.
When the cart door closed everyone was sitting in the living room with grim expressions. Well, not everyone.
"Clove, what the hell was going through your head when you ran off and- what the hell is on your dress? Is that blood?" Enobaria barked.
"Yeah." I shrugged.
"What?"
"I killed three boys in the alley."
"Wait. You killed them? Clove, that's impossible." Brutus stood up, suddenly taking a great interest.
"How? I have the blood on my hands to prove it. I even have the knife." I pulled out the knife and showed them. Herb gagged.
"Because, Cato told the peacekeepers that he killed them. He's being held in the Justice building until morning, and then he's being transported to the Capitol."