You Are My Mockingjay- Watty's Finalist 2013

"You Are My Mockingjay"

Cato comes up to the drive way to Cloves house where he see's Grace coming out of the drivers seat.  "Hey!"  Said Cato who was half way out of his car door trying to get a view of Clove which he could not see.  "Is Clove in the house?"  Grace from what Cato could tell looked drained and tired from the previous days and was ready to fall to the couch and sleep for awhile.  

  "No she's not...she begged me to drop her off at Vinci Creek.  She said she just needed to get some fresh air for awhile.  So I told her I would pick her up in a hour or so."  Vinci Creek Cato says to himself as he realized that was the place they first had hung out when they were little.  Cato looks to the side of the road with his sun glasses reflecting off the sun.  He was curious why she wanted to go there and alone for that matter.

  Cato taps his hand on his dark brown hood of the car and looks back at Grace.  "Thanks!"  

  Grace slightly smiles at Cato as he drives off.  She then rattles her house keys in-between her two hands and walks to the front door to get inside.  Vinci Creek was a beautiful meadow like place filled with blossoms throughout the field.  It was one of the places in town people from all over could just come and escape to.  From it's flowers to the little critters and the fresh water creek that surpassed daily through.  It was a special place to many people especially to Cato and Clove.  Cato as he was driving up closer to the creek the smell and the sounds that passed through brought a small memory of that first day.

-Reflection of a memory-

"Come on Cato it will be fun!"  Clove and Cato had just met the day before and already were becoming very close.  For the fact they loved adventure made them more compatible.  

 "Where are we going"  He says as he leaps up and down through the weeds which Clove called it the trees of wishes.  

 "Right here to the tree of wishes."  She said gleefully pointing.

  As Cato neared it he looked oddly at her.  "Looks to be some old giant Oak tree if you ask me."  

  Clove was looking above the shaded branches as the sun light glistened through.  "Legend has it that if you make a wish not only will it come true but it's also safe where no one can take it away."  

  Clove looks to Cato who still looking.  "It can be our secret place too from wishes to secrets if you want."  Cato looks into Cloves eyes with a bit of a serious expression.  

  "Do you mind if I tell you one now then?"  He slowly admits.

  She stepped in a bit closer to show she was interest in him sharing.  "Sure." 

   Cato tussles a pile of dirt on the ground.  "Promise you won't judge me?"  Forcefully Clove shakes her head.  

  "I have a condition called diabetes, it's nothing to worry about as long as I eat right and check my blood levels  It's something were I have to make sure my blood doesn't go too high or too low."  Clove draws a serious look.  

"Could you die from it, if you didn't watch it carefully?"  

  "Yeah and if it becomes a close call to where it's too high I give myself these shots to bring it back down.  But I don't want people to think that I'm weird just cause of this, I mean I'm pretty normal other then that."  

Clove touches his shoulder with sympathy.  "Don't worry Cato your secret is safe with me and I promise no one will judge you just cause of that....you have my word, we're friends now and we always will be."

**************

  As Cato drives up to the parking spaces he could see Clove struggling to get through the grass.  To get a better view of her he opens his door, climbs out and shuts it.