The Liar and The Lover || Clato

The Victor

Clove's POV

The sound of the hovercraft was deafening. It immediately appears after the last cannon resounded the arena.

"I'm a Victor now." I muttered to myself, tears still falling from my eyes. My knees were shaking as I stood up, my hands filled with blood.

Cato's blood.

A peacekeeper guided me into the hovercraft. It feels so surreal, everything. And for the last time, I catch a glimpse of the arena. Lots of questions flooding in my head. What happens next? What happens to the fallen tributes back there? I should be happy right now. I was triumphant. I'm going home. But I feel so desolated, so weak. Tears still streaming down my face. I close my eyes, hoping to get some sleep, hoping the nightmare ends.

Or maybe the worst is yet to come.

~ ~ ~

"Clove dear, I'm so glad you're back! We are overwhelmingly proud of you." Enobaria, my mentor, greeted me with a tight embrace. "I'm sorry about Cato, we've done what we can do to make you both go home." she whispered.

I smiled faintly. "I was favored by the odds."

"Tomorrow, you're scheduled to have an interview with Caesar and President Snow wants to meet you. On the next day, you're going home dear."

"I'm going home?" I asked.

"Yes. You are. They've been waiting for you, their new Victor." the way Enobaria said it was heartening.

"Go get some rest now. You have lots of things to do tomorrow."she said before closing the door.

As I collapsed in bed, tears started to fall from my eyes again. Was it happiness? guilt? or just pure sadness? I can't say. But my heart aches for no reason. I need someone to comfort me and tell me that everything's alright, but I got no one.

This is what you want, and now that you got it why are you acting so distressed? You're a Victor now, Clove. Why are you regretting all the choices you made? There's no time for that. It's too late.

I was devoured by my thoughts. I wanted all of this.

Do you?

Yes.

Maybe I do, or so I thought.

But why doubt now, Clove?

I don't know.

You do know it, you're just afraid of admitting it.

I groaned in frustration. I wanted everything to be placid right now. I wanted to clear all my thoughts. But memories of the game haunts me and I don't think it'll leave me.

[Flashback]

The moment Cato was hit by an arrow. Clove, with a knife in her hand rushes headlong to Katniss. There she wrestled her on the ground, Katniss was struggling to get away but Clove was so infuriated, she used her brute force.

"You're not going anywhere this time, no one's going to save you now, girl on fire."

Katniss was completely defenseless. Clove raised her knife in the air. "You're no longer aflame, and I'm afraid it's going to be extinguished right now." with that, her knife was struck on Katniss'chest, she was gasping for air as she chokes in her own blood.

~ ~ ~

I was awakened by the knocking on the door.

"Clove? Are you awake now?" asked Enobaria.