Last Chance: A Clato Fanfic

Chapter 31: Relfection

President Snow murdered my parents. President Snow is furious with Cato and I for what we have done. 

I was foolish to think that even for a second things would be ok when we returned to 2. The reason he granted permission for Cato and I to live with one another would be because he is isolating me from everything I had.

He aims to strip me from where I came from and who I am to make a piece and product in the Hunger Games. The way I see it is, 

Oh you wish to be star crossed lovers? Have it your way. Now you have nothing left.

I realize this all sounds dramatic in light of me not really having much of a relationship with my parents my entire life, but you must understand. The games change you in a way you cannot understand unless you experience it personally.

Living in an arena under surveillance, scrambling for a loaf of bread for your only meal, watching your friends die, and taking the lives of children your age makes you a different person. It made me and it made Cato different.

We walked in as two lethal, skilled killers and left as scared children. What we are at the end of the day. 

This entire journey has been a whirlwind of emotions for me and although it may seem like it is over, I am no where near finished. Yes, I have officially moved into Victor Village with Cato and from now until the time we die, we will be dragged out of this house to board the train and be apart of the future games.

They will never allow us to forget our past, and they will never let us be free again. I keep repeating this to myself because I refuse to be at peace with this notion.

It doesn't matter how many times I say it, I will never be ok with how I was sold into a spotlight that will never grow dim. I will never be ok with how I have to take orders from President Snow that entail helping other children kill each other. 

"Kentwell?" a groggy voice says from behind me.

I tear my eyes away from the window in our living room and meet Cato's glistening ones. 

"Are you coming to bed anytime soon?" he asks.

I nod my head, "Yeah, soon."

Instead of returning to our bedroom, he takes a seat on the couch next to me. 

"You've been sitting here for an hour staring at the rain... do you want to talk about it?" he asks.

I sigh a deep sigh and let my shoulders fall into his lap. Having these deep thoughts and reflections with myself is exhausting. But it has all I have been able to do lately.

He runs his fingers through my long brown locks slowly. 

"I think we should do something," I say.

Cato stares down at me and raises his eyebrows. I've been making comments like this all week, still enraged that Snow is behind the repulsive murder of my parents. Glimmer. Marvel- the other tributes.

Not just from this hunger games, all of the tributes that have ever been drawn out of the bowl on Reaping Day. 

"We go on our Victory tour in six months. I think we should use the time to strategize and plan a way for us to get back at Snow. I don't know about you, but I'm scarred from these games and I don't want to help another pair of innocent kids through the process. They deserve better." 

"With our luck, whoever we get next year will most likely win because the kids in two are well equipped to win. Especially with a trainer like Dixon. It's like we're showing them how to win the lives that have now. And now we know, it's not really a prize, it's a punishment," he says softly.

"We have to stop looking at Panem as districts. It just means that next Hunger Games, the pattern will continue... unless we put a stop to it."

"That's going to be a tricky thing for District 2 to get behind. I can see the outer districts getting behind the cause. But people in our district, or even 1 and 4- they're not going to see uniting the districts and overthrowing The Capitol as a smart decision," Cato notes. 

"Yes, but if theres someone like Cato Hadley behind it, they might begin to change their minds a bit. You are a Hadley legacy, not someone people expect to lead a rebellion."

"Rebellion," Cato repeats the word that just fell from my lips. Rebellion.

Is that what this is? Our ideas sound more achievable without the dramatic r word in the mix.

"You mean like back to the Dark Days," his voice is practically a whisper.

"Not exactly. I don't think anyone wants war Cato. But we'd be rebelling to abolish the Treaty of Treason."

"The only thing I see coming out of this Clove, is a civil war-"

"Your freedom, your brothers freedom, victors freedom, innocent civilians freedom from having to sacrifice children!" I say, sitting up at once. "I say let's have at it. This is our chance! This is our chance to do some good a world full of such hate. "

"What about my family? What about my siblings? They weren't afraid to punish your family... I don't want them to punish mine."

There is clear fear in his eyes. Speaking from experience, I wouldn't want anybody to feel what I'm going through right now. Especially not Cato of all people.

"But thats the problem, Cato! We shouldn't have to fear their reign if we don't comply," I add. "You remember the feeling of our own alliance members being turned into mutts. I-I can't imagine someone as young and innocent as Minerva having to go through something like that."

Cato's quiet. It's apparent that the gears in his head are spinning and turning. 

"Ok. Where do we start?" he asks. 

His eyes look at me now with determination and confidence and I can't help but smile. 

"We start by boycotting the games."

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Last Chance: A Clato Fanfic.