Power Over Me ↦ Cato Hadley

xxx. repetitions

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲

─── repetitions

          𝕮ato's body slumps down beside me on the lawn, both of us looking out across the Victor's Village as we hear the shouts and cries of the other victors, echoing around us.

"He's punishing us." Cato whispers, as water seeps into my trousers, damp mist clutching onto every curl in my hair. The fog is growing dense now, like it's trying to suffocate us as I take short breaths. I feel like I can't breathe. "He's making sure we know he still controls us."

"Fuck!" I scream the word, startling Cato as he sits next to me. He's watching me, I know that, as I tug at the roots of my hair. We go silent again, our breaths coming out in clouds of smoke, before I rock back on my heels and stand up. Cato follows, watching me. "I'm going to be reaped."

"Mitzi, stop th-"

"I'm going to be reaped, my name is going to be pulled." I tell him. "This is all too much of a coincidence for it not too. He needed a way to get us back into the games, to get us into a place where he could show that he had the power and we're both over eighteen. The only way to get us back was to change the rules. I will be reaped. He thinks that this is my fault, he will drag me back. Don't you dare volunteer."

"What?" Cato's eyebrows furrow. "What kind of idiotic idea is that? If you get reaped, I'm going with you. I'm not leaving you in there."

"One of us needs to live. I will be reaped because he thinks all of it was a way for me to rebel. I know why I pulled those berries out but he seems so paranoid, that he's going to ignore all the signs that show we love each other and instead, just focus on the fact that it's been taken as a sign of rebellion."

"I'm not letting you go in there alone."

"Cato-"

"Don't ask me to do that. Don't ask me to sit back and watch as you go into that arena." Cato shook his head, eyes tearing up. "I can't do that and I won't."

"Cato, please." He shakes his head as I sigh. Cato is stubborn and I know that he won't listen to a word I say about it. His mind is made up now, and I can not change it. "So we're going back in."

He nods, as I reach for him, pulling him into a hug. He grabbed onto me, his fingers digging into my back as he took a deep shaking breath.

"We can't stay like this." I whisper in his ears. "I know that we said we wouldn't cause issues, but I can't keep doing this. I can't do this. What happens if I live and you die, or vice versa? Every year, we'll be reminded of who we lost. We have to get out."

"Mitzi, you're suggesting rebellion." Cato pulled back as I looked up at him. "We could be killed."

"I'd rather rebel than risk you dying." I placed my hand on his cheek, running my thumb along Cato's cheek as he leant into my arm. "We have to, Cato. It's our duty."