Yours [Prim/Cato]

Chapter 19 - Her

A reader asked for Cato's perspective from seeing Prim on Day Two, so this is it plus a continuation of that day in his eyes. Enjoy.

Cato's POV:

Four.

That's the number of tributes that I've killed since yesterday. With every stab, every snap of the neck, and every punch, a surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins, scary adrenaline that I couldn't get enough of. It made me feel free, like I was in control of this new world because the power rested in my hands.

We hadn't done much today. The lot of the Career pack was able to stay alive. We gathered all the supplies and piled them up at the pond we had found, knowing that it was the place where all tributes would end up. We'd already caught one tribute. She thought she could sneak up and get some water and then run away, but Marvel caught her as he was patrolling the area, and well.. she's no longer breathing.

Tributes were dropping like flies. It did nothing but make me happy because the quicker that they're gone, the quicker I can get out of here and go home to my mother and little brother. They probably don't like the fact that they have to watch me go on killing sprees. I wonder if dad is..

No, don't think about that.

It was time for our hunt for tributes, so we gathered our weapons and a few items of food and set out, leaving our lookout to watch our things. We had gotten the kid from Nine to watch everything, promising him that if he did a good job, we wouldn't kill him. It was obviously a lie. We're going to kill him when the Career pack (and Rose) are all that's left in the arena.

We went on our way, watching for any movements and listening for any sounds. I walked in the back of the group with Clove, and I was hoping and praying to the gods that we wouldn't run into Rose. I had overheard Clove and Glimmer making bets on who would find and kill her first. They didn't think I was listening, but I heard every word, and I planned to kill them the first chance I get for even thinking about hurting my girl. They made it seem like a hunt. I think part of their reason for speaking in that way around me was some sort of punishment for me liking Rose over the two of them. But they were too arrogant, too domineering, and too damn loud. I don't want a girl like that.

As for Rose, she did some real damage. Rose saw me kill, but I was the one hurt in the process. She told me that she was not afraid of me, nor was she ever going to be afraid of me. But when I killed that girl yesterday, Rose's face broke into the look of someone who watched their entire family be tortured and murdered. I could understand what she felt, a little, because I probably didn't look so great doing it.  But that didn't matter because no one does, her included. Rose ran away from me, and she took a piece of my heart with her.

My mind replayed her reaction over and over again until I felt myself being shoved.

I turned and glared at Clove, who stares up at me with confusion blended in her grey eyes. "What?" I snap.

"I said that Marvel heard some voices and he's going to see who it was," Clove answered, kicking up dirt and rocks as we walked slowly. I wiped my machete with the bottom of my jacket and checked the reflection, making sure it was clean.

"Oh," I mumbled. My eyes rose in search of Marvel, but he was long gone. We were probably following wherever he went, slowly, so that we could jump in to aid him with the element of surprise. The unlucky tribute probably wouldn't anticipate us jumping out of nowhere.

"Who do you think it is?" Clove questions, taking a step closer to me.

I shrugged. "I dunno." And I really don't care. I just want her to shut up.