The Lost Chance

Chapter One

[Cato's POV] 

I woke up to find the sun glaring down on me.

Where am I ? I stand up and look to my left and right. Grass stretched out in every direction. The sky is as blue as my own eyes.

Right. I should have been training. How long have I been out? I pick up my sword and quickly run towards the training center. My body is in good condition, as always. The run shouldn't even have taken more than five minutes.

"Where have you been, Cato?" my trainer, Askew, glared at me.

"Sorry, I fell asleep," I put my sword down and begin to put on my armor.

"Asleep?" Askew walked towards me, "Cato, we can't afford you falling asleep in the arena! If I had known you'd grow up to be-"

"To be a what?" I stand up so fast, and point my sword to Askew's throat, "To be a guy who falls asleep so easily? Sorry, Askew. So sorry I've been a failure,"

I withdrew my sword, and take a deep breath.

Askew and the other District Two Careers around me slowly back down. They knew better than to try and comfort me.

Within seconds, I was hacking at dummies, cutting off their arms, stabbing their stomachs and chests, slashing off their heads.

"Is this a failure, huh, Askew?" I roared at my trainer, "I just fell asleep, that's all! No need to get all high and mighty about it. Besides, you should be honored you're my coach. You know why?"

Askew just made a squeaky sound. He's five years older than I am, and has supposedly won the Games. I forgot which one, but that hardly matters.

"Wh-Why?" He finally managed to stammer.

I grin, and slam my headgear so hard on the table, chips fall. 

"Because, I, Cato Obsidian," I say, my face full of pride, "Will be the 74th Hunger Games' victor,"

That night, I do more training but this time with a knife. 

I've been training for my whole life for the Games, but I'm still incapable when it comes to the knife. Unlike that dark-haired girl. I forgot her name, but I've seen her fight.

She may be small in stature, but she's wicked with the knives, and she never misses her aim.

I sigh, as I remove my own knife from the target.

Two years from now will be the 74th Hunger Games. It has already been scheduled ever since I was ten years old. I don't know who they'll pick as a Career from the girls, but I hope it wouldn't be her.

"Still not done?" a voice asks from behind me.

"Hey, Fausto," I nod at my brother. My brother is six years older than me, and won the 68th Hunger Games. He's one of the few people who could manage not to make me mad.

"You should take it down a little, Cato," he sits on our wooden bench, a bench we made together, "You're still sixteen. You won't be in that cursed arena for at least two more years,"

"Cursed? You hate the Games?" I sit down beside him.

"You haven't been there, Cato," Fausto's green eyes locked with mine, "It's hell in there,"

"But you won," I reasoned, "You brought honor to District Two,"

"I won because I was afraid of dying, Cato," he took my knife, and with one swift motion, he hits the bull's eye on the target, "In there, it's either you kill or you get killed,"

"We're Careers," I stand up to retrieve the knife, "We've been trained our whole lives for this,"

"But that doesn't guarantee our victory," Fausto sighed, "Someone will always be better, Cato. Never let your guard down,"

I examined the knife in my hand as I head back to him. Ever since Fausto came home, the day after he was interviewed on being the victor, he seemed mad.

He always carried a knife wherever he went, and he woke up screaming for us. After three years, he finally seems to have recovered, but something has changed. Before, he was arrogant, loud and more like me right now.

"OK," I try to throw the knife towards the target, "Do you think I'll win the Games?"

Fausto watches my knife miss the bull's eye by inches. We sit in silence for a few minutes. But I can't stand this.

I can't stand knowing my own brother doesn't have faith in me. As I get up to leave, he grabs my arm.

"Someone will always be better, Cato," he smiles, "And you're better than anyone. You better win the 74th Hunger Games for me,"