The Lost Chance

Chapter Eighteen

[Clove's POV]

My whole body hurts. There's a dull, throbbing pain in my wrist. My head feels like it's about to crack. Every time I move my legs, a sharp pain races up and down my thighs and ankles. I try to open my eyes, but it seems like they're pasted shut.

So I just moan and groan like a dying whale instead.

"Clove, are you OK?" I hear Marvel's voice, disappointed. Where's Cato?

"Yeah, just feel so wiped out," I answered, my throat feeling like it's on fire. "Where's Cato?"

"Setting up defense mechanisms with a boy from District Three," he answers me and I feel him place a hand on my forehead, "Wait here. I'll go get a towel, and some healing salve,"

As if I could go anywhere, I thought.

Not a minute has passed, and I could hear Marvel's footsteps. I feel him place a cold towel to my forehead. He applies some salve to my wrists, ankles and behind my knees. 

Immediately, I could feel the salve working its magic. My head has cleared a bit, and whenever I move, it's not as painful anymore. I try opening my eyes, and I could. The first thing I see is Marvel's happy face hovering over me.

"Thanks," I mutter, keeping a hand on the towel.

"No problem," he says. "The salve came from your District anyways. It's for you,"

"Oh," I just say. "So what's this about the boy from Three?"

Marvel gestured around us. I couldn't see anything. Just land and land and land. Then I notice some of the land were dug out, and a little bumpy.

"Mines?" I ask.

"Yep. That's Three's specialty, I guess," Marvel grins, "Look, there's Cato,"

I force myself to sit up and look behind me. It's a struggle all right, but it's worth it. Cato seems tired, with dark half-circles under his eyes, and a big bruise on his upper left cheek. Behind him followed a timid, little boy, around fourteen or fifteen, and he was visibly shaking.

 "Feeling better?" he asks me, a huge smile on his face.

"Yeah, I'm good," I say, then eye the boy from Three, "You scared, little boy?"

He shakes his head. "Y-you're injured," he stammered, "Y-you can't hurt me,"

I give him a sweet smile, and force myself to stand up quickly. i get behind his back, and pin his body to mine. We're about the same age, and the same size, but he has fear. He isn't trained for stuff like this.

He tries to twist his body, but I quickly grab a knife from the inside of my jacket and press it to his throat.

"We're always injured, boy," I whisper to his ear, "But some just take the pain better than others do,"

I release my grip on him, and slide the knife back to my jacket. Cato gives a whistle while Marvel laughs. The boy from District Three just stands there wide-eyed and sweating. Cato grabs him by the collar and says, "See that? Your district will never win," he snarls, "You can't even figt off an injured girl,"

He releases him, none too gently, making him stumble and fall. Both of them laugh even harder, and I join in, but the moment I laughed too hard, my head felt like it was about to crack, so I sit down.

"Take it easy," Cato sits beside me. "Cool what you did to Three back there, but you're still hurt you know,"

"It's unfair how you and Marvel got to heal so quickly," I pout, and knit my eyebrows together.