2 chapters in one day again! I just couldn't wait to write this, I was so excited. I hope you like it! Xo

Cato Vindisi

Chloe has been out ever since she fainted last night. I've moved our camp down by a small stream so I can use fresh water to care for her.

Her fragile body is coated with a thin layer of sweat and her lips are still stained crimson… from when she threw up blood. That worried me; was she going to be okay? Or was it just that Marvel's death scarred her?

My question is soon answered when her eyes slowly open… the whites of her eyes are yellow. Why are her eyes yellow? "Cato…" she starts choking and I hit her on the back. "I'm so hot! I'm burning!"

I hold her hair back while she vomits more blood.

What's wrong with her?

Chloe DeBenedetto

I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO DIE.

That's because I probably will - very soon. Whatever this sickness is, it's turning my world upside-down. How will I live when I'm turned frantic with disease? "Cato," My voice is so wobbly and weak that he has to bend down to hear it. "Strike me with your sword…"

"No!" Cato almost shouts. "How could you even say that?"

Tears. "Please," I choke out. "I don't think I can go on much longer. And I'm just slowing you down. You can win -"

"Attention, Tributes!" Claudius Templesmith's voice drills in my ears. "I'd like to cordially invite you to the Feast!"

Cato shakes his head. We're not going.

"But wait, you may think about declining my invitation…" Claudius goes on, "but there is something you desperately need… That is all. Happy Hunger Games!"

"I'm going," Cato stands up, "you need medicine."

"I'm coming with you," I grab his hand and practically beg him to pull me up off of the floor. He does.

"No, Chloe. It's too dangerous! Look at you, you can barely hold your balance!" Cato scowls.

"No!" I screech. "I'm going with you. We can even kill a couple while we're there. Please let me go with you!"

He places his hand on my back, nearly knocking me over. He's right. If I go, I'm going to be killed. But if he goes, District 11'll kill him…

No. What am I saying? Cato is the strongest person in the Arena. He could easily kill Thresh. Or…?

"Fine," I whimper. "But what if you don't come back…"

"Chloe, stop worrying. I'm coming back to you," he looks into my eyes and I melt.

"One last kiss," I place both of my hands on his shoulder and jump, wrapping my legs around his waist. Our lips meet, and for those couple minutes, I completely forget that we're in the 74th Hunger Games and that Cato is risking his life to get me medicine for this illness.

"It won't be our last, I promise," he smirks. "Now let's find you a place to stay until I get back."

After searching for about fifteen minutes, we find a cave big enough for about three grown adults, but not large enough to totally stand up in. Cato places me in there and I motion for him to come in for a second.

"One last, last kiss before you go," I smile like a little kid and he chuckles. We're both on our knees and I tangle my hands in his dirty-blonde hair, inhaling his scent. I moan, a grin plastered on my lips, the sickness temporarily gone.

His tongue in my mouth, finding mine, feels like heaven. He pushes me forcefully on the foliage-covered floor of the cave, pinning my hands above my head. I reach for the zipper of his jacket, then he pulls away. "Not now."

"Fine," I sigh, disappointed. "Your coming back, Cato. Your coming back as soon as you possibly can."

He nods, genuinely smiling for real. "Wait, Cato," he turns around, his azure blue eyes hinting curiosity. "I love you."

"I love you too." With that, he crawled out of the cave and started sprinting towards the direction of the Cornucopia.

Wait, he loves me? No one in District 2 EVER said love until they came of age. Feelings distracted you from training, so my parents, along with most other parents of District 2, forbad it.

I let him take a ten minute head-start and then I drag myself out of the cave as well. My knees buckle, my face burning with fever, but I have to do this. Cato needs backup; he can't do this alone. I regain balance on every tree until I finally make it towards the open field.

On a table, there are three draw-string bags, for Districts 2, 11, and 12. I notice that little girl from 11 run out of the woods and grab her bag. My head is spinning, but I have to do this. For Cato. I have to help Cato win. I select an almost dainty-looking knife from the inside of my coat, and aim… aim… pull back… and whiz! I send it flying towards the girl, Rue, and it misses.

I never miss.

She's alert now, her head darting around, looking for the thrower of the knife. Great. I've blown my cover. I select another one and hurl it at her, and this time it hits. Right in the upper arm. The pain in my abdomen is back, but I ignore it best I can. I run towards the little girl, straddling her, knees on her arms.

"Where's Bakerboy, huh?" I ask her, my eyes focusing and then zoning out, obviously sick. "He's doing alright?"

"Peeta… is hunting Cato. Peeta!" she shouts, and I punch her in the windpipe so she can't say any more.

"I hate to kill children," I tell her, removing the knife from her arm. "But this time, it's beneficial."

"Peeta!" Rue yells, regaining her voice again. "Peeta, help! Thresh!" It's too late for her; her fate is already sealed. I take the knife and slit her throat, quick and easy, since I did feel a bit bad about killing a twelve year old. The drilling headache is back again.

"Chloe!" Cato hollers, a good distance away.

"Get our bag and -" I shout in his direction.

"You killed the girl!" The big, burly brute from 11 picks me up by my knotted hair and stands me straight. "You killed the little girl!" he repeats.

I start hysterically crying; the headache, the fear, everything in these Games just isn't fair. "Get away from me!"

"You killed the girl! You die now!" his skin is like dark chocolate, though not as inviting.

"No! No! It wasn't me!" I beg him to believe me, but you can't take back what your eyes have seen.

"I saw you!" he roars. He's holding me up by my neck and I'm coughing, coughing.

He sets me down for a second. Can I run? No. He picks me right back up by my waist.

I close my eyes.

Cato Vindisi

"Chloe!"

Thresh, our biggest competitor, is holding her up and about to slam her into the onyx Cornucopia -

I'm racing towards her, faster than I've ever run before.

Run faster, Cato! Damn it!

It's happening.

Her breakable little body smashes into the black obsidian cubic Cornucopia.

"CHLOE!"

Crack. A noise that turns my stomach inside-out.

Thresh gives me a glare, and promises we'll be battling soon. But not now. He picks up Rue's dead body and hurries into the woods.

I'm approaching the Cornucopia at one-hundred miles-an-hour and when I finally get there, I lean next to the sweet little seventeen year old Chloe DeBenedetto.

"Chloe…" I whisper, the whites of her eyes more yellow than ever.

"Cato…" she cries, "I should have listened to you…" I wipe her tears away, as I've done many times before. There's a faint dent in her skull, but that's just a minor problem.

"I'm so stupid!" I try not to cry in front of this dying girl, but I can't hold back the tears.

"Stop, Cato," she whispers. "Sing to me. Please?"

In a moment, he will realize it's futile. Chloe can't be saved.

I'm choking on air.

"Every moment I share with you…" I begin, going soft. Why is she dying?

Because I let her. "I know God heard my prayer."

She weakly presses a finger to my lips and answers the old District 2 lullaby. "Anytime that you've lost your way, I will find you I swear."

"If your heart ever feels alone, and the world doesn't care - you don't -" I continue singing until she joins in.

"You don't have to call out to me, 'cause I'm already there…" she weakly hums.

"I don't want you to go to heaven, Chloe," I lightly sob. "I want you to stay here with me!" I take her hand in mine.

"I'm already there, Cato. I'll be watching you," her voice cracks again and more tears spill out of her eyes.

"I love you, Chloe."

"I love you even more," she tells me softly. "One last, last, last kiss."

I bend down and peck her lips. Her hand goes limp in mine - and the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest stops.

Her cannon fires.

I'm telling you right now that this story IS NOT OVER. I literally cried while I wrote this!

DEATH REPORTS

DISTRICT 2 FEMALE [CHLOE DEBENEDETTO]
Slammed into the Cornucopia by Thresh

DISTRICT 11 FEMALE [RUE GARDENER]
Throat slit by Chloe DeBenedetto

Death toll: 21 (3 Tributes left in Games by end of fifth day)