Silenced

Yes, this chapter is shorter than usual. I'm sorry, I've been a bit uninspired at the moment, school's started again and I'm tired. Also, I do apologise if updates are a little bit more spread out from now on, I have mocks, hospital appointments, and homework, and I might be starting a part-time job soon. So my life is a bit mental at the moment, but I'll try to fit writing in!

This chapter contains Clato fluff. A lot of it. And at the end, there's some violence from Cato, which you were probably waiting for. I need to make his character less lovely, ahah. Well, enjoy!

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My eyelids flutter open and I see Pentha glaring at me. Wait, what have I done? Then I see Cato in the corner of the room, with his head bowed in shame. Cato, ashamed? I have to try not to laugh.
“What are you thinking? Both of you!” Pentha’s shrill words drum into my ears, snapping me to attention before I could even stifle a yawn. Damn it. I shake my head and look at Cato out of the corner of my eye. He smirks and pulls a face, making me smile a little. “Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?”
“Uh, we didn’t do anything.” Cato is still amused, and it broadens my smile even more.
“You were both in bed together! That’s not nothing!” She screams at him. I manage to butt in.
“Pentha, I was having nightmares. I’ve had them since I was younger. Cato just came in to comfort me.” I slide in with a white lie. Cato was comforting me, but not from nightmares. From the utter dread that we would both be dead soon enough. Or one of us. Neither of us could live like that, though; without the other. No, you’re being corny. Of course he can live without you. He’s managed it for ages, anyway. I remember his words last night and attempt disbelief, “You were different, Clovely. In training. At the reaping.” No. He was just trying to cheer me up. I shake my head again and turn to see that Pentha’s glare had softened.
“Well, as long as you’re not terrified of the Arena, I’m happy with that. Don’t get attached, though.” She gives me a knowing smile that doesn’t quite meet her eyes and strides out of the room without another word. As soon as she’s left, Cato and I erupt into fits of laughter.
“Well thanks for giving me a stitch!” I punch him playfully and sigh.
“Are you alright? Are you still trying to avoid me?” He grins and sits beside me. I smile as I feel his hot breath sweep across my face.
“Yeah, I’m fine. What happened whilst I was asleep?” I completely ignore his second question.
“Oh. She came in and saw me. And basically punched me awake and yelled at me for a bit. I can’t believe you didn’t wake up.”
“What were you doing that made her angry?” I ask, looking down.
“I uh, well you... you were sort of wrapped up in my arms, I guess. Don’t you remember?”
“I remember you talking to me for a bit, then I feel asleep. And since when do you cuddle with people?” I laugh and poke him a few times in the side. I may as well be friendly. Or more.
“Since you came along, Clovely.” I almost cease up. He called me Clovely. Again. It can’t have been a dream. He stares at me for a while, then starts to leave. He stands in the doorway to speak to me. “Oh, and I thought of something.” He smiles sadly and turns his back. I lean back into the pillows and feel my eyebrows crease my forehead. I try to track my mind back, I know he said something about that before, but when? Then it comes back to me. When we were on the train, and he shoved me into the wall and told me that I would win. It seems like a lifetime ago.
“Clove?” Hallien calls down the hallway, “Clove, you have training again today! You should be up now!” I sigh and throw the duvet back, slipping into what seems to be my routine.

“Here.” Cato holds out the knife I dropped. I smile a little and take it from him, not meeting his gaze.
“Uh, thank you.” Why is it so hard for me to talk? The butterflies well up in my stomach and rush their way up to my mouth, silencing me. I keep my eyes away from his, still. I don’t want to kill him. I don’t want the games. I keep changing my mind about Cato. I want us to have a shot at being friends. But he means more to me than that. So it's too hard to even attempt friendship. I’ll ruin it some way or another.
“You’re good.” He comments, sounding almost absent-minded.
“You’ve seen me before, Cato. Several times, in fact.” I choke up, trying to keep my words stronger than they might feel to me. I shake my head a little and finally look up. His eyes are the usual, sparkling blue. The kind of sea-blue colour. No, the sky. His stare softens and I feel myself falling into him. I trip and stop myself before I literally fall head over heels. He grabs my arm and stops me.
“I know, I know. But I can’t help admire your follow-throughs.” He almost laughs again. This odd, amusing, laughable Cato still seems exotic to me. Until he looks around and snaps back to his vicious, moody self. The one I know best. The one I saw every day in training, sawing through dummy’s heads like they were butter. I notice his body fall into the stance that is so easily recognisable, his ‘battle stance’. When we were younger, I saw him being taught how to stand like that, and would copy him in the corner of the room. Since then, I’ve manage to easily slip into the same stance. It’s loose, relaxed, but still strong enough.
“Call a Career meeting again, Cato. I have an idea.”

Glimmer, Marvel and Cato stare at me expectantly, and it almost stresses me to the point of stumbling over my words. I’ve never liked attention like this. Admiration is fine, but full-on staring, mixed with a kind of intense interest makes me feel uncomfortable and out of my depth.
“We watch them. The others. Search for skills we could pick up, techniques and weakness’. It might just give us some sort of advantage.” I tell them as we move our heads closer together, keeping the conversation private. Cato immediately breaks off and swings his sword around his shoulders. He gives a grim nod and starts to follow 12 straight away. I know that he’s just itching to kill them. Glimmer and Marvel share an odd, family-like smile, then wander off to watch some of the lesser tributes, like the ones from 7 and 9. I’m left looking for someone, and my eyes quickly pick out the redhead from 5. She doesn’t mean anything. She didn’t even make some sort of notion towards acceptance of her death at the reaping, which those from 5 often do. I stand at the archery station, just a few metres from where she’s tapping buttons on the edible plant station. I watch her fingers closely as she matches plants with possible additives for nutrient, and digestibility. I’m almost amazed before I remember that it’s probably her best skill; she’s most likely weak, without skill in weapons or speed. I nod and continue to admire her nimble fingers, trying to memorise some plants in case we run out of food. Which is very unlikely with the number of sponsors Glimmer will get. Mind you, 5’s manner is sly and shifty, and she apparently looked rather impressive in her chariot as well. She’ll probably get past the Cornucopia if I don’t get my hands on her first.

“Are you OK?” I look at Cato, the deep, black circles under his eyes shadowed even more by the light. He opens his eyelids and smiles a little.
“Yeah, I guess. Training’s taking a lot out of me, that’s all.” I rest my hand on his head, to find that it’s sweltering hot.
“Cato, you’re boiling! Should I get Hallien or Lysander and see if they can sort you out? Do you have a headache? What’s the matter?” I have the urge to shake him to get an answer out of him. He seems so steady and calm, it’s hard to believe that he could be ill.
“Like I said, training.” He murmurs, knotting his fingers into my hair.
“It’s gone by so quickly though! And you’ve never been like this before.” I quickly become oblivious to the rest of the living space and anyone who walks through it when he smiles a little, holding my face close to his.
“I guess I’m just nervous, then.” He sighs. I rest my hands on his shoulders. I’m nervous as well. For Cato. For my parents. For Lisbeth. But mainly just for Cato.
“You don’t need to be. You’ll win for sure, Cato.” I take in a quick, sharp breath. I’ve just given in to the fact that I’ll be dead in a few weeks. He has to win. He has to.
“No, I won’t.” He moves his mouth up to meet mine and starts kissing me softly, something I wasn’t expecting. The gentleness. The way his hands hold my face so carefully. The way his lips are chapped but smooth. I will never forget it. He pulls away and strokes my hair out of my eyes, and for just a couple of seconds, I forget that I’m going into an Arena full of kids trying to murder each other. I forget the Capitol, the cameras, the noise. All I see is Cato Kaeron and his slightly arched lips as he smiles sadly at me. “You’ll win. I promise, Clove. I promise that I’ll do everything in my power to save you. I can’t let you die.”
“No, no Cato. No! I can’t let you die either! I can’t! It sounds stupid and soppy and lame and weak but I just can’t let you die!” I cough out my words, feeling my throat close up. I can’t cry, not now.
“Like I said, I’ve thought of something. And that’s it. I’ve forgotten it, Clove! I don’t care about trying to hate you anymore! Because I can’t!” He starts to yell, digging his fingernails into the sofa arm. A snarl is starting to appear on his face. “I don’t hate you! I hate this! All of it! I can’t even do this anymore, you know? Training is taking so much out of me, because I know that you have to survive! Don’t you get it? Clove!” He stands up and screams his words, and I see the anger building in his chest and the hate burning in his eyes. He kicks a coffee table and it slides across the floor and into a wall. I sit curled up on the sofa still, not wanting to get in his way. I know what happens when someone does that; they usually get badly hurt in some way. His shouting is attracting attention, and I watch Hallien peer through the crack in the door. An Avox slips in through another, and I stare at her with panic in my eyes. Don’t go there, please. I wish harder than ever. I don’t want to see someone who’s already had enough pain in their lives go through more with Cato.
“Cato, calm down, please.” Lysander calls through the door, but all that comes back is a chair smashing into the metal panes. I almost try to stand up, but stop myself at the last minute. The Avox girl moves forward to try to stop him from causing more damage, but I see the fury emitting from Cato start to be aimed at her. He strides forward two paces and grabs her by the throat. Her mouth opens, a scream clearly trying to come out, but there’s nothing but silence. I see a horrible smirk start to appear on Cato’s face as a sickening crack echoes around the apartment. Another two Avoxes rush towards him, but are met with a table leg and a glass plate. Blood starts to pool up around them, and I feel my jaw unclench at last. I open my mouth and scream.

Reviews

[RachelKim]

Love this! LOVE you! Your soo talented!! Can't wait for the next chapter!!!