Clato : Till forever falls apart

Chapter 27 - snows mannor

My heart beats rapidly in my chest. I'm never going to stop playing the games. And as long as the cameras are on I have to act, act like that arena was the best thing that ever happened to me. In a way it was. Without the games I don't think I would've realised the gravity of the suitation panem is in. Now I need to block everything but where I came from out of my head. The dress. It's to help push the image that I'm a warrior. Every little thing will be orchestrated to confirm the story the Enobaria told me to play. I can't show up the capitol that would be dangerous for everyone I love. They demonstrated their power in the arena when they sent them mutts. I don't plan to misjudged what they can do.

The anthem blares above me and I can hear Cesar flickermans voice. I wonder if the capitol gave him lines and questions. I wonder if he understand the situation. Cheers erupt as the prep team are presented. The cheers go up gradually as each new member of the team are introduced. I can hear people chanting Enobaria and Brutus' name. I haven't seen Brutus since before the games. I want to see him. I wonder if Brutus has warned Cato in the same way. He must've.

I step on the plate knowing it's my que to get onto the stage. It starts immediately pushing me upwards. The stage is like an assault on my senses. The roar of the crowed in deafening and the light blinding. I look into the crowd and notice a few of them have re-created the hairstyle I wore in the arena and the hair style I wear now.

And then I look to my left. A few steps away is Cato. He wears an armless gold suit and his muscles seem to have re grown, he looks as healthy as ever. I want to hug him, launch myself into his arms. But I can't even smile at him. We make eye contact. Brutus must've told him because he doesn't smile etheir instead we walk to our separate seats there both plush red like blood. There is normally only one seat here so the chairs are pushed tight together we share the centre stage. we sit close only the arms of the chairs separating us. We stare purposefully into the audience. Waving at them and smiling, like we did in the first interviews. Winning over the crowd . The crowds scream our names. Not quite like the chant for Brutus and Enobaria. But it's weird to hear all this strangers calling for me. I suddenly feel self conscious in my tight dress. Of course I'm silver and not gold like Cato. In their eyes Cato will always be the winner. His bigger and the odds were always more in his favour in the sense he had the capitol appeal more than me.

My body aches to look at him. Just a quick glance. But I don't want to risk it. Enobarias warning the first "Dont let them see" and the one just beneath the stage. She's never stopped playing the games etheir. I think of her image of her teeth. Her teeth. I rember the new holes in my ears where jewels come from. She got her teeth filed in the time from the games to this interveiw. The capitol just did it. She didn't have a choice. They'd be no time to have a choice. I rember the districts going wild when she ripped out the last opponents throat with her bare teeth. I'd watched the re-runs of her games religiously. I now realise she was showing them mercy. There where no options other than Beat them to death. She gave the second place tribute an easy way out.

I wonder if anything of a similar nature happens to Brutus. I rember him cheering at every cannon. Even in the spot we were now when they repeated the games to us he cheered for himself watching the kills.

Yes the spot we are now. We're going to have to watch the games again. Several weeks condensed into a small 3 hour movie full of all the highlights from this year. All of panem is required to watch it. Cesor calms the audience talking directly to them. They whoop in response. He doesn't address us once. We sit sternly facing the audience. Cato grins when he catches people's eye which makes them squeal. I could never imagine my self having the same effect. Cesor makes a few more comments and then it's time to watch the highlights.

The room darkens and the seal flashes onto the screens around us. I want to cling to Cato. I shoot a glance at him and we catch each others eye for a second then look away. He knows .he defiantly knows the danger we're in. Walking through the gym where the 22 other tributes once trained was enough. And now I have to watch each of them die again. I think back to Brutus over joyed reactions and wondered how he did it.