**Warning- Cato uses some very strong language, so be wary, please.**
It's the middle of the afternoon on day seven, and three more tributes were gone, Thresh, Marvel and Mandy. I had no idea how they were killed, but I was happy that it wasn't done by me or Cato.
I feel guilty, because even though I'm sad that they're gone, I'm also happy because it's making thing's easier for me and Cato to go home. They were only helping our situation, and making it better.
Marvel was an okay guy, and I never really had the chance to experience him, so I couldn't say much about him other than he was an okay guy.
I was pretty sad about Thresh. I didn't know him much at all since he didn't speak to anyone other than Rue, but he still seemed like a nice guy. I think that when he found out about Rue's death, he must have been so upset about it. Thresh was so sweet to her and he seemed so calm when he was around her.
As for Mandy, I didn't really know much about her, other than I killed her district member and she was hurt pretty bad about it. My thought was that maybe Thresh came in contact with the Careers and tried fighting them all, and he had gotten to kill Mandy but the others got him.
So, there are only four of us left: me, Cato, Peeta (who Cato calls Peter because he really 'doesn't give a fuck'), and Clove. I was a little afraid, because I felt like today was going to be our last day. Cato has been talking non-stop about getting Peeta and making sure he's really hurt for what he did. I tried to calm him down on the Peeta situation, but last night, I had another nightmare about him and Cato went completely ballistic missile once I calmed down. He said that I started screaming in my sleep and that I thrashed around in his arms, kicking and punching him away.
Right now, the Capitol was drawing the remaining four of us to the Cornucopia. Last night, Cato and I slept and when we woke up the next morning after he was able to calm me down from my bad dreams, all of our supplies, with the exception of a few of our weapons, were gone and the Gamemakers were blaring on the speakers that we could get all of our things back at the Cornucopia.
So, that's where we were headed, to the Cornucopia to calm the harsh rumbling in my stomach for some food and some water. Cato was quiet, still revelling in the anger of me screaming to be left alone by Peeta's beast like claws and sharp teeth. He also wasn't talking to me because I tried to convince him to leave Peeta alone. I kept asking him not to torture Peeta with all the scenarios that he kept explaining in graphic details, but it only made him angrier.
Instead of talking to me, he gripped my hand way too tightly and literally dragged me with him to the Cornucopia, nose flaring and eyes bugged. He was stomping like he was type of giant ogre, ready to prey on his next victim.
I was really scared. I know that Cato told me he was going to get us both out of here, and I don't know what he did to make sure that happens, but we can't guarantee that neither I nor he will be killed in the midst of all the chaos. I just didn't want it to come to Cato leaving me alone in this arena, or at all. If he died and I survived, I don't know how I would be able to cope without him. He has been the source of all my happiness and support for the past two weeks. I don't want to leave him, and I definitely don't want him to leave me.
"Cato? Can we please stop for a second?" I asked after he pulled my arm for the umpteenth time. If he pulled one more time, I was sure that my arm would be dislocated and he would be walking with it instead of me.
Cato stopped walking and turned to look at me. "What? What is it?" he asked me, scanning my face.
"Um," I stuttered, "I'm just- I'm, uh.. I don't know," I sighed. I released my hand from his and ran it through my completely tangled hair. My fingers got caught and I had to yank them out.
Cato frowned down at me and stepped closer. "What's wrong?"
"I'm just scared," I admitted to him. I was scared of what could happen, and I know that we need to do it to finally be free, but I'm so scared that something bad is going to happen. I can feel it in my heart.
"Scared of what?" Cato's voice softens, like it always does when he speaks to me.
I shrugged, turning away from him so that he wouldn't see me cry. I was so scared to lose him.
"Scared of what, Rose?" he asks, forcing me to look at him.
I shrugged again, not really knowing how to explain myself. Back home, whenever I wanted to talk to someone about whatever I was feeling, I could only talk to Maggie because she was the only person to ever understand. But now that I'm here, there was no Maggie, and there wasn't anyone to understand my thoughts and not judge me for having them.
"Tell me," Cato pushes.
"I'm scared about what's about to happen when we come in contact with Peeta and Clove," I tried to explain. I couldn't fully process my words to come up with something that Cato would understand. Everything was just confusing.
"Nothing bad is going to happen," Cato reasoned. "I'm going to finish off Peter and Clove and then we can go home. It's that simple." He shrugged like it really was that simple.
I rolled my eyes at him and then regretted it as he stared down at me coldly. "It's not that simple," I mumbled, avoiding making eye contact with him. He was already angry enough, and rolling my eyes would be something that would make him even worse.
"Yes, it is that simple."
"But what if one of us gets hurt in the process?" I finally tell him. I cross my arms again and stare up at the giant guy in front of me with a pout.
Cato scoffs and stares into the direction of the Cornucopia. "We won't," he claimed, swinging his large blade back and forth. He was being dismissive, like he knew something that I didn't.
"But you can't guarantee that," I retorted, rolling my eyes again. He wasn't looking, so he wouldn't be able to see it anyway. And I'm starting to get a little frustrated, so I don't think I would really care if he did see it or not.
"Kitten, I promised you that I would protect you, and that we would both get out of here. Now, I know that I didn't own up to that promise, obviously," he says, motioning to the injuries I've gotten, "but, this time, I promise to you, with all of my heart, that we will both get out of here."
Cato grabs one of my hands with his and kneads them together. When he stares down at me with so much attention and speaks in a serious tone, I know that things really are serious and that he most likely means every word that he speaks, so naturally, I would believe him. I do believe him, but I'm still scared that something bad is going to happen.
"Do you believe me?" Cato asks after the long silence that fell between us. He uses his fingers to push my chin up and focus my eyes on his as he searches my face for any source of backing out.
I nod my head once. "I believe you."
"Okay. Well why do you still look like you're not sure?" he asks, dropping his hand from my face.
My lungs release heavily and I tear my eyes away from Cato's face. "I just don't want to lose you, that's all," I mutter under my breath.
Cato smiles slightly and traces his fingers over my hot cheeks. "You won't, I promise." He leans down and pecks my lips softly and wraps his free arm around my shoulder so that we could finally finish our walk and get out of here, like he first promised me all those days ago before we even made it to the arena.
Cato rubs my back under his huge jacket that he forced me to wear. I wasn't cold, but being Cato, he didn't take no for an answer, so I was wearing a jacket that literally swallowed my whole body. To take my mind off of the uncertainty in my brain, I asked Cato questions about himself, which he surprised me by answering them all.
His favorite food: Salmon.
Favorite sport: Running
Favorite day of the week: Wednesday
Favorite eye color: Blue, like mine (yes, I did blush)
Favorite season: Winter
Favorite song: Willow's Kiss
Favorite time of day: Night time
The Cornucopia came into view and my body tensed as we stood at the edge of the forest, scanning the area for any signs of Peeta or Clove. Slowly, on the opposite side of the forest, I saw Peeta emerge and eye me and Cato cautiously. Clove walked out seconds later, standing to our left and assessing both me and Cato and Peeta all at once. She looked angry, really angry, as her eyes constantly landed on me. We didn't make any moves towards one another, just stood there silently.
"Don't worry, Kitten. We're surviving this," Cato leaned down and whispered into my ear. He placed a kiss on my lips, like it was the last one he would ever give me, and rubbed my cheeks softly.
All of a sudden, a fire broke out in the forest behind Peeta, and then another behind Clove, and then I'm being pushed to the ground by Cato. I turn to see a forest fire breaking out behind me and then both Clove and Peeta are running towards me and Cato from both directions. Cato jumps up, charging toward Peeta, and tackles him to the ground like a panther.
Clove gets to me and I duck beneath her punch and elbow her in her back, causing her to fall down to the ground. She turns around, propping herself up on her elbows, and stares at me shockingly.
"You little bitch!" she yelled. What's a 'bitch'?
Clove lunged herself at me and successfully places her heavy body on top of mine, pinning me down onto the cold grass. I struggle from underneath her, trying to kick her away from me. I was able to hit her in the gut which sent her toppling over and back onto the ground. I scurried to my feet and pulled a bow out of my quiver, running backwards so that she wouldn't be able to attack me again.
Clove moved to get back onto her feet and I lodged the arrow perfectly into her leg. She screeched in pain and stayed down while I pulled another arrow and let that one fly into her other leg so that she wouldn't be able to move again. I would have killed her, but I was too worried about Cato and whether or not Peeta was beating him or he was beating Peeta. I'm guilty to say that I was hoping Peeta was under Cato's wrath, but it's true. I'd rather have Peeta hurt than I would Cato.
I left Clove crying on the ground and ran around to the other side of the Cornucopia to find my knight and help him if he needed it.
I found him pounding mercilessly into Peeta's face, and I felt my body sink in guilt and pain. Peeta was pleading for him to stop, but Cato showed no signs of letting up.
"This is for hurting the only girl I've ever loved!" Cato yelled as he threw another punch into Peeta's already bloodied and bruised face.
Oh.
The only girl he's ever.. Oh!
Oh my..
"You motherfucking son-of-a-bitch!" he yelled again. There's that word again.. Now I know it's a bad word. A word that Clove used to explain me. Well, that's mean.
"Cato," I called to him.
"Pussy! Why don't you hit me like you hit her?!" he roared, hitting the already unconscious Peeta even more.
"Cato!" I yelled this time. He still didn't stop.
"Cato?!" I screamed so loud that it hurt my lungs. I just couldn't watch him hit Peeta anymore. By now, I couldn't even recognise Peeta's black and blue face anymore.
Cato's face snapped towards me and he looked completely insane, totally off his rocker. His breathing was harsh and ragged, and I couldn't see his green eyes anymore. All I could see was black. His face was red, too red.
"Cato," I breathed, taking a step toward him. He stared at me like I was a stranger, someone that he didn't even recognise. "Cato, stop. He's had enough," I plead.
Cato looks from me to Peeta underneath him with wide eyes before he shakes his head once and raises his fist to land another blow onto Peeta.
"No," Cato says, "he deserves this."
His hand connects to Peeta's face and I jump and cower in fear of him. Cato wasn't with me anymore, he was in the distorted world that resides so deeply inside his head.
Cato looked right into my eyes as he hit Peeta again, and when he saw the fear and pain on my face, he stopped immediately. Cato jumped off of Peeta and stood in front of me, frowning down. Slowly, the marble green of his eyes reappeared and he turned back into my Cato.
He reached his hand up to touch me and I jumped back. Peeta's blood was stained into Cato's hands.
Cato closed his eyes as if in pain. "You're scared," he whispered, opening his eyes, which were now red.
I nod, my lips shaking too much. "I asked you to stop, and you didn't," I told him, making sure to stay back.
"I'm sorry," he apologised.
I nodded again, not saying anything to him as he stepped closer.
He finally reached an inch in front of me, and then he fell to the ground.
Clove emerged, crawling on her knees, and I look down to see three knives stuck into Cato's back.
No..
No..
No!
I pulled an arrow and killed Clove without the flutter of my eyelashes and her cannon sounded.
I fell to my knees and pulled the knives from Cato's back, watching as his body winced in pain.
I turned him over and watched as he took slowly and steady breaths.
I placed my hands onto his cheeks and forced him to look at me. I could tell that he was already fading away. He was leaving me and I wasn't ready to accept it.
"Cato, please. Please, don't leave me," I pleaded to him. I rubbed his cold cheeks, trying to bring some heat and life into them, but it just wasn't working.
"I'm sorry," Cato croaked. One of his arms wrapped around my body limply and he rubbed my back like he always did to calm me down. This time, it didn't work. It made things worse.
"No," I cried. Tears pooled into my eyes and fell down onto Cato's cheeks. "You promised me," I whined as I choked on my tears.
Cato nods slowly and wipes my tears. "I know I did."
"Then you can't leave me!" Cato's blood was beginning to soak into the grass and turned it a dark red color.
"I won't leave you," Cato told me while shaking his head. "I'll always be in your heart."
"But I want you to be with me foreal."
Cato's breathing got slower and he was struggling for breath. "I will be."
I nodded, taking in his words and trying to accept what was happening. Cato was dying in my arms, and there was nothing I could do about it. He can't be saved, not by me, or the Capitol, or anyone. He was leaving me when he promised he would stay forever.
I leaned down and kissed his cold lips and he returned it weakly.
"You said that I was the only girl you've ever loved," I laughed, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. I wanted to make his last moments the ones that I would want to remember forever, not ones of me crying and looking a mess with snot running down my nose.
Cato smiled weakly and nodded.
"Did you mean it?" I asked hopefully.
Cato nods slowly as his breathing became shallow. I could feel him disconnecting from my heart. He had become a part of it, and I felt his half slowly slipping away from mine. Our puzzle would no longer be one in a few seconds. His half would be missing.
"I.. I lo-"
A cannon sounds as Cato takes his last breath.
And then he is just gone.
He was going to say that he.. that he..
My tears don't stop, and I don't think they ever will stop from this moment on.
Cato is gone.
I feel the half of my heart that he had being ripped from me, making me numb beyond compare.
All the pain came crashing down. First, my dad left me, then I was ripped away from my mother and Katniss, Peeta was ripped away from me by the Games, and then Cato.. Cato was..
I can't even say it.
He is just gone.
I give him one last kiss, but this time, I don't get one back.
My tears blind me and I force myself up onto my shaky legs. I have to get out of here, away from Cato's lifeless body and go home.
I stagger over to Peeta and kneel down beside him, pulling one of the knives that Cato was taken by out and positioning it over his heart.
"I'm sorry, Peeta, but I have to go home," I told him, even though he was so unconscious that he probably couldn't hear me.
I slowly pushed the knife into his heart and his cannon sounds.
I fall to the ground in pain and relief.
It's all over.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the winner of the 74th annual Hunger Games, Primrose Everdeen!"
I don't feel like a winner. I feel like I've lost everything.
Please, don't hate me. I literally cried writing this (no bullshit).
I really encourage you all to keep reading and not stop because of what happened, because Cato promised to be with her forever, and I have a feeling that he will be in her heart forever.
Vote, comment, share, follow and thank you so much for reading.
Cheera. Laters, baby.
Myesha xx