If Cato saved Clove

Chapter 7

*Clove's P.O.V*

Today I will enter the arena to fight to the death. I eat and drink water to stay hydrated and full so I will survive longer if we don't have food or water. At 9:00, Enobaria brings me to the hovercraft to take me to the arena. She gives me the final piece of advice.

"Remember, be yourself. Don't let the arena change you. Good luck Clove." She says.

"Thanks." I say. I get in the hovercraft where a peacekeeper makes me sit in a seat. A bit later, Katniss sits by me. Anyone but her I would be fine with. Glimmer sits across from me. I smirk at her, and she smiled in return. Cato sits on the opposite side of the room. He gives me a reassuring smile. I smile back. This was the moment I had been training for my whole life. A woman makes me extend my arm so she can inject a tracker. It hurts for a bit, but I suck it up. Glimmer helps in pain when the woman inserts the tracker into her arm. Weak.  She's definitely not built to be a career.

When we arrived to the arena 20 minutes later, I am sent into the launching room. I put my hair into a bubble pony tail, and Jinx gives me my jacket. It's made to reflect body heat. I say goodbye to Jinx, and step into the tube. When it begins to rise, I smile. Time for my date with destiny.

The sun blinds me when I rise into open air. Behind me is a forest. To the right of me is a lake, and to the left of me is a field. Glimmer is standing to the right of me, and the boy from 7 on the left. I set my eyes on a vest that has throwing knifes in the pockets. Those were made for me. I position my legs to sprint to them. When the gong sounds, I push off the platform and sprint as fast as I can towards the knifes. I have the vest on and half a dozen knifes in my hand before any other tribute reaches the cornucopia. I spot Katniss and the boy from 9 fighting over a backpack. I chuck a knife, killing the boy. He spits blood onto Katniss' face. Her eyes widen when she sees me. I throw a knife at her, but she blocks it with her backpack. I curse under my breath as she escapes.

I run back to the cornucopia. I kill the boy from 6 when I see him running away. I also kill the girl from 10 when she's picking up a sword. I see the girl from 9 about to stab Marvel from behind, and I throw a knife into her back. When everyone at the cornucopia who's not a career dies, we begin collecting supplies and bring it over by the lake. Glimmer bragged about how she killed one person. I laugh because I killed 4. Cato killed 3, and Marvel killed one. We killed 9. There were 11 deaths, so the other tributes took care of the others. I'm guessing it was most likely Thresh.

We begin hunting for tributes, when we find Peeta. He's limping, so he must have injured his leg somehow. Before Cato gives him a death blow, Peeta says something.

"Stop! I can help you find Katniss if you don't kill me!" He says.

"How?" I ask.

"Well, I know she's in the woods, and I saw one of her snares nearby so she has to be close. She is a good hunter too." Peeta says.

"Well. We could use him." Marvel says. Cato pulls me aside.

"Should, we take him?" He asks.

"What's the harm? We'll give him 3 days to find her. If he doesn't, we will just kill him." I answer. Cato turns around to face him.

"You get 3 days to find her. You try to run away or don't find her, you're dead." Cato says.

"Okay. Thank you!" Peeta says. We begin to walk. When it begins to get dark, I see a flicker of light in the trees.

"Cato! Look." I whisper. We sneak over to the light silently. Cato smiles as he walks over to her, the girl from 8. The rest of us careers walk around her.

"A good day to die, isn't it?" Cato says.

"Oh no! Please don't kill me!" She cries. Cato shoves a sword through her stomach, and we walk away.

"Shouldn't we have heard a cannon by now?" Glimmer asks.

"I'd say so." Marvel says.

"Unless she's not dead." Glimmer says.

"I know she's dead. I killed her myself!" Cato says.

"But she isn't dead. A cannon didn't fire!" Maria says.

"Guys! I know she's dead!" Says Cato.

"We're wasting time! I'll finish her off myself." Peeta says. When he walks away we begin to chat.

"Why don't we just kill him now?" Glimmer asks.

"We can't. He's our best chance of finding her." Cato says.

"Do you think she bought that sappy romance stuff?" I ask.

"She seems simple minded to me. Every time I see her spin around in that dress, I want to puke!" Cato says. Peeta begins to walk back from the district 8 girl.

"Did you kill her?" Maria asks. The sound of a cannon answers.

"Yep. Let's move on." Peeta says.