The Games We Play

The Alliance

That explains my Grandmother's off episodes. She had her children die in national tv; four went in and only one came back. If that happened to Grandmother, what more happened to my Grandfather who's, apparently, at fault.

"He killed himself, Clove." Magdalena shook her head. She stood up and turned the tv off. "Now you know."

"Why did you..."

Magdalena shrugged, "It was my life or his. I didn't have a choice."

I was repulsed by her words. Of course she had a choice! She could have died along with him if she had any dignity at all. I wouldn't have killed off my brother if given the chance. Unconsciously, I stood up and walked away.

Magdalena wasn't a hero. She was a murderer. Suddenly, living here doesn't seem so right anymore. I had to go away.

I had to...

My pace went faster, I changed from walking to running in a matter of seconds. My heart was pounding so wildly in my chest. My hands shook with a feeling I never felt before. Truth hit me right in the face. The Games suddenly doesn't seem so wonderful to me unlike before. It was a punishment where children are forced to kill each other and I...

I...

I will be forced to do the same.

I will be a murderer like Magdalena.

"Clove?" I kept running even though I heard someone call me. I ran. I continued running and the voice kept on calling, "Clove!"

When I stopped, I was standing by the edge of a meadow, which was overlooking a mountain which before, was used for quarrying. I struggled to catch my breath, sweat from my forehead running down and mixing with my tears. I balled my hands into fists and screamed so loudly that birds flew away from the trees they had perched on.

"What the hell is wrong with your sanity now?" Cato's drawling tone came behind me.

No matter how much I wanted to insult him, I couldn't. I wasn't in the mood to see anybody. "Leave now, Cato. Leave me alone."

"You can tell me." He said softly.

I whipped my head angrily towards him, "Why the hell would I even do that?" My tears caught him off-guard. He probably wasn't expecting me to show emotions around him, I didn't expect it too. "Why do you care?"

Cato stared at me then leaned on the lone tree near me, "We're all we have soon so better start getting comfortable." He shrugged then raised an eyebrow, gesturing for me to continue. I walk towards him, not breaking our eye contact. He moved slightly, as though waiting for me to attack him. I don't. Instead, I tell him everything.

"And now," I sobbed. My forehead was on the tree bark, and my fist hitting it almost routinely for about the past hour. "I don't think I want to go in the Games." I say this in a whisper, "I don't want to kill anyone."

"Didn't you say you want your freedom?" Cato interrupted me, "Then go. You don't have family in the Games, you can go into a killing spree without worrying about touching anyone who really matters to you." He shoved his hands in his pockets, "I never expected this from you."

I lifted my head from the tree, "You think I don't feel?"

"Not that." Cato frowned deeply, "Worrying about killing. I expected you to cry before, and although I never see you do so, I know you cry. You're a girl." He sighed, "I didn't think you'd worry about being a murderer."

"Oh and you don't? You think it'll be easy killing people?" Tears ran down again. God. I'm so emotional right now that I don't even try and stop it.

Cato shook his head, "I never said it would be easy. It's just, when you have to, you will." He slid down the bark and crossed his legs, "I need to do this, Clove. I don't want to go because I'm struggling to get away from my parents, no. I'm doing this so I stay with them, longer and," He bit his lower lip and groaned. "Easier."

"What?"

"You're lucky, you know. You live an easy life. all you need to do is to train." He started off his story, "I..." Cato paused, his eyes on the sky, "I had been working ever since I can remember. I used to spend long hours in the factory." I shook my head, not knowing what it was so he explained, "It's where the stones from the quarry get shipped off to the Capitol. Ram saw me one day. He told me I had potential. I was strong and he said he'd helped me but in one condition."

I gasped, "You're on scholarship." Children, who were not well off, were usually under some kind of program where they were expected to train and excel. They will receive financial support from Victors, anonymous ones, according to the grades they receive from the trainers. They were provided for, given enough for a month to get by. I know a few trainees who were this program, there were a lot of them who withdrew due to the intensity of practice they went under.

"Basically." Cato shrugged his shoulders. "I trained harder than anyone I know, probably even more than you ever did. I jumped from weapon to another, when I know how to handle them, I moved to another. For a few years, the support wasn't enough. I wasn't good enough for the trainers, so I wasn't good enough for money." He paused to breathe deeply, "There were times that I wouldn't eat just so my siblings would have enough."

His expression went from thoughtful to angry, "That's why I wanted to beat you so badly. I received a list of trainees I had to beat, each one corresponds to an amount." I couldn't believe what I was hearing, "You were on the top."

"My mother's your benefactor." I realized. No one would test me like that. Not Lyme. Or Brutus. Or even Enobaria. Just Magdalena.

"Does it matter?" He turned to me. After what I told him, I was already having some deep-rooted anger towards her anyway. It wouldn't change a damn thing. "Now that I have a chance to be Victor, I'll be able to give my family an easy life."

I understood now. I understood why he was also so open about the thought of me being an ally after Spade's plan. If he has me as an instant ally, he'd have a much bigger chance of winning. Or even if it wouldn't be him, his family would be secure for a year.

"Cato," I spoke, wiping my tears with the back of my hand, "We'll give them a good show, won't we?" My eyes met his. For a moment, I thought he'd think my plan is stupid.

His lips slowly turned to a grin, "We'll give them a finale they will never forget, Clove" That day, we formed an alliance.

A real one.