CLOVE POV
But I don't die. Someone attacks Thresh from behind. He drops me against the horn and crumples to the ground. I stare in astonishment, first at Thresh, then at the person standing behind him who's now walking towards me and offering me their hand.
"I really should stop saving your life," Glimmer says as she yanks me up. I look at the Capitol arrow in Thresh's back as the cannon blasts, filling the area with noise.
That was it. One of our biggest competitors, taken out by Glimmer. I scan the clearing. The horn is empty, Katniss has disappeared, and I'm trying to take in what Glimmer has just said.
"What?"
Glimmer winces as she pulls the arrow out of Thresh and thrusts it back into her quiver. "It was me who carried you out of that fire near the start of the Games."
"You carried me out the fire?" I stutter, still in disbelief that I'm alive.
"You're a lot lighter than you look," she says.
"But... but I thought it was Marvel... or even Ember, but you?"
"Yes, me. Now, we're in killing range of every tribute left in the arena. We should move," she says. I don't question it.
Ignoring the throbbing aches left behind from Thresh's hold on me, I quickly run to take the two backpacks labelled '1' and '2'. Glimmer takes the one labelled '11' from Thresh, and without looking back, we race into safety.
As we break into the trees, Cato and Marvel immediately race up towards us. Being back in the trees brings instant relief,
"What the hell were you doing in there?" Cato yells. "Katniss got away!"
"Oh, looks like I'd forgotten to kill her, since Thresh almost smashed my head in," I say sarcastically.
"What was that, Clove? You tell me to leave you alone, so you can get yourself killed? You're crazy!" he snaps. I want to shout back, but the tone of his voice isn't filled with arrogance like it was before. It's desperate.
I'm not going to argue back, but Marvel steps in between us nonetheless. That must be a matter of habit. "Wow, guys. You've just made up, are you really going to start arguing? Katniss is gone, so, nothing we can do. Ok?"
"Ok," I say. Cato looks wounded.
"So what do we do now?" Glimmer says.
I shrug. "There's only us and 12 left."
It's something I know nobody wants to hear, and I'm right. The three of them are silent for a moment.
"Can we come with you back to the lake?" Glimmer asks.
I glance at Cato, who frowns back. That makes no sense. Doing that would be like asking the Gamemakers politely to pitch us against each other.
Marvel shifts awkwardly on his feet. "Maybe we should just go," he says quietly, and I'm about to nod, but Glimmer speaks up again.
"No," she snaps, the volume in her voice insistent. It's the first time she's ever spoken up in the group, and she's commanded silence. "I'm being serious. I like you guys. We can't leave this arena together. Maybe it's silly, but finally we could spend time together as a group, without you two fighting and without Marvel and I hating each other, and it could be normal for a bit. I want to have that experience. I don't want to die scared and lonely, I want to be with you guys."
When she's finished speaking, I can't help but empathise with the innocence in her manner, in her whole person. And it's not childish, although that was how I perceived her before. No, she's peaceful, forgiving, she's everything the Games and I are not.
"Ok," I answer. Cato looks apprehensive, but Glimmer's eyes light up, filling me with a friendly warmth. "It's a good idea. We're about to die anyway, what does it matter?"
"Fine with me, then," Cato agrees, and Marvel nods. Just like that, we head off to the lake, my feet treading the familiar path without me having to think about it.
The rest of the night is the best I've had. Not just in the arena, or in the Capitol, my whole life. We went to the lake, and it wasn't awkward, and we didn't fight, we just talked. About home, about our lives, about the differences.
And for once it wasn't painful.
Nobody mentioned that two of us, maybe all four could die at any minute. Nobody mentioned that we were still in the Games. Nobody mentioned we could be attacked at any moment, and I didn't want them to. We laughed. It was like we were normal teenagers, and like the shit in my life had never happened. We fell asleep after finishing up all our food and cuddling up to each other, my head on Cato's chest.
GLIMMER POV
I wake up beside the lake remembering our final night of actual normality. Clove and Cato are still sleeping, wrapped up in each other. The sun is well up.
"Marvel," I hiss, shoving him.
"Hmm?" he says tiredly, looking up at me with half-opened eyes.
"We should go," I say. The night is over, and we had a good time. But that's it now. I take one more look at Cato and Clove. It is going to be the last time I ever see them.
Marvel takes a look at his surroundings and gets up. "Are you sure we shouldn't wake them up?"
I shrug. "Maybe we should. I don't know where Twelve are."
Marvel looks at Clove, curled up under Cato's arm, a peacefully happy look on her face. "I take it back," he says. "If that was me, I would never want to be woken up,"
I smile and lean in for a kiss, brushing my lips lightly against his. "Lets go," I say, taking his hand and leading him away.
It takes a long time to get ourselves to the cave again. We chat about one, about what we would do together when we get back there as victors. I want to share a house. It would be cuter that way. And now I've got Marvel, I don't want to let him out of my sight.
We get to our cave and crawl down, but something's wrong. I can see a silhouette of two people, one lying down, and immediately I think, twelve. This is bad. I don't want a fight, not now.
Marvel's seen them too, and he whips his head around at me, motioning towards the cave's entrance as I hear the two other people in the dark stirring. His eyes are wide, and his hand is already pulling out a spear.
He wants me to leave. But I can't. I can't let him fight both of them alone. I shake my head and pull an arrow out of my quiver.
I'm ready. I killed Thresh to save Clove, and I can do this to save Marvel. I take a deep breath and prepare the bow.
But it's too late, because Marvel's got a knife in his back.
YOU ARE READING
Careers Have Feelings Too | CLATO | GLARVEL |
Fanfiction"The thing is, I didn't expect to be like this," he says. The sunlight bounces off his golden hair, and it seems as if it's glowing. "Didn't expect what?" He smiles coyly, and all at once he seems more sure of himself than ever before. "I went wro...
