not without you | Cato Hadley

9.

Did Cato just saved my life? Impossible, but he did. I really thought he went cold on me. Sighing I walk around trying to find a water source. No luck though. Ive been looking for it the whole day and it got dark so finding a tree for me to sleep in would be the smartest idea.

Finding a tree with huge leaves that promised me to hide me from everyones eyes I started climbing it.  Sitting down as comfortably as it gets when you're supposed to sit in a tree I opened my backpack. I found a water bottle, beef strips, cheese crackers, rope, iodine, a sleeping bag, wire, some matches and sunglasses.  I take one cheese cracker but I don't dare to touch the rest. I will probably need it more in the future. If there is one for me.

Still hungry and thirsty I close my eyes trying to drift off, Ill worry about food and water tomorrow.

•••

I woke up at dawn, it has gotten colder over night. Cracking my neck I untied the rope. Moving is probably the best idea right now. Listening carefully if there are any tributes around I slowly got down. My throat is so dry I started coughing.

It is an advantage to wake up very early, most of the tributes are still asleep so I can search for water and food quicker.

Walking around the woods, listening to the birds chirping, hoping to find a river or a lake I can't stop thinking that I probably wouldn't even be here if not Cato. To be honest I don't know what to think, one moment he punches a wall, all mad at me and the other he's saving my life.

I wish we hadn't met. At least not like this. Now I just can't concentrate myself enough, I'm vulnerable.
All because of a boy I met few days ago. He probably regrets saving my life.

Walking around for 30 minutes or so I heard the sound of water. The sound when you're just about to reach a river. My eyes light up immediately.  I run towards that sound as fast as I can. Yet I have to get myself under control, for all I know the Game Makers did something to the water. So I pull out my flask filling it up to the top and put few drops of iodine. Now I will have to wait at least 45 minutes.

I could do something more useful in the mean time. Taking the wire from my backpack I make some traps which I set few meters from the water. Pretty well hidden so no tribute finds my food easily. 

I wonder how Perceys doing. He is still alive. But is he really. For all I know he could be injured, almost dead.  I still have to find him. Together we'd have more chances of surviving these stupid games.

After about half an hour has passed I can't hold myself back no more and pull out the flask.  The water has never tasted better in my life. I drank half of it pretty quickly. The second half rather slowly, enjoying it more. Then I filled it again, put some drops of iodine and waited. Finishing second flask I did the same for the third. And decided to keep moving down the river.

I haven't seen or heard any of the tributes yet, which is good but also made me even more nervous. I know how to protect myself. I always had to. But knowing I have no chance if I run into careers on accident have me chills.

The weather has gone hot. I started sweating so I took my jacket of. It's not good, the more I sweat and keep on moving, the more I lose weight. I can't afford losing even more weight because I am already thin. And still don't have any food.

Exploring the woods didn't seem as a very good idea so I decided to go back and check the snares. Tree of the five were empty but two of them had a rabbit.  It really could not have gotten better on the first day. I found food and water source, haven't run in to other tributes. Still haven't found Percey  but still.

The sun was setting already so I needed a place to sleep. Going a little deeper into the woods I found a tree that was pretty easy to climb into. Once I found a pretty comfortable position I waited for the faces of the dead to appear in the sky. I then realized I haven't heard a single cannon. The Careers are probably furious for not getting a single kill on the second day.  I smiled to myself.

A silent sound caught my attention. A light appeared 15 meters from me. It was a girl who just made a fire. How stupid of her. I decide not to say anything though. Don't need any unwanted attention just in case someone is lurking around. And so as announced the cracking of the branches the Careers stop there. The fear in the eyes of the girl was seen from 15 meters away.  The careers were laughing at her while she begged for them to spare her life.

Cato had this smirk playing on his lips. The same he had during the blood bath. It scared me. Yet I could not stop looking at him. How the light of the fire reflected on his face. Or the way his hair were messy and dirty.

"Stop it right now." I said to myself. Why does he have such an influence on me? I continued looking over to them hoping they'll leave soon. They started walking in my direction.

No no no, I thought. Please don't let them see me. They didn't, they walked passed the tree I was in. Laughing. Glimmer making jokes about the girl they just killed.  And the way she was looking at him.  Clenching my fist and my jaw I said silently yet angry.
"He's mine. "