the girl who played with knives || clato ✔️

24

Clove

After an uneventful afternoon, we make our way back towards the cornucopia just before dusk, as instructed by Glimmer and Marvel. The walk is quiet and peaceful, but I wish there was some noise to drown out the uncomfortable silence between the three of us.

When we arrive, Glimmer and Marvel have sorted the weapons, food, and other supplies into three different piles. They've also started a fire and arranged several boxes around it to sit on.

I take the empty seat next to Peeta, and Cato sits beside me, with Marina on his other side, next to Glimmer, who's next to Marvel, who's next to Peeta.

Night has just begun to fall and the temperature is already dropping rapidly, which makes me thankful for the fire. I stare across the flames at Glimmer as she begins to talk, having positioned herself as leader.

"Okay, once we see the death recap we'll know who's still alive. Then we'll pick our targets and get to hunting," she says. I nod, as do the others. "And you," she points to Peeta. "Will take us to Katniss. She's our first target."

"Of course," Peeta says, then looks down. I study him for a moment. Why is he helping us? They're supposed to be in love.

I jump as the Panem anthem starts blaring. We all look up and spot the seal of the Capitol high above the treetops. The anthem ends and the spot goes blank for a moment, then lights up again with the face of the girl from 3. Marina makes a little noise. Though she didn't kill her- it was the boy from 5, who was later killed by Glimmer- she played a major part by crippling the girl.

Glimmer, Marvel, Cato and I are obviously still alive, so next is Jonah, his sea green eyes staring down at us. Cato shifts uncomfortably, and Marina makes another noise. I suck in a breath.

The boy from 5 is next, then both from 6 and 7. The boy from 8 and both from 9. I recognize the boy I killed and feel Cato's fingers barely grazing mine. I give them a tiny squeeze and pull my hand away, repulsed and numb.

The last is the girl from 10, then the Capitol seal reappears with a final musical flourish, the sky goes dark, and the chirping of crickets and rustling of leaves in the breeze resumes.

Nobody says anything for a few minutes. We just sit and stare into the fire, listening to the sounds of the forest.

"I still wonder if killing Jonah was the right thing," Marina says.

"Yeah, and you're not the one who actually killed him," Cato says.

"He was completely useless!" Glimmer shouts, flinging her arms around dramatically.

"He was just a kid!" I yell. My mind turns suddenly to Rosemary, not much older than Jonah. It could've been her. I push the thought away and focus on hating Glimmer for her ignorance.

"He would've dragged us down," Marvel says slowly, weighing his words. It seems he doesn't completely agree but wants to keep up the tough act. I mean, he killed three people in the bloodbath. "It was necessary." Necessary.

"I just don't see why we had to kill him," I say, glancing at Marina. Somehow I know she won't take that as an attack.

"If you want to win you're gonna have to kill some people!" Glimmer exclaims.

"It's barbaric!" Marina says, seeming to have rethought her previous arguments about killing Jonah.

"It's the Hunger Games!" Glimmer screams, ending the conversation. She's standing now, and breathing heavily.

I'm surprised by who talks first.

"Let's stop wasting time and go find Katniss," Peeta says.

"Okay, Lover Boy," Cato says and stands, as do the rest of us. We select our weapons-a few dozen knives arranged in my jacket for me- and head for the trees. If it was my choice, I'd have left a guard at the cornucopia, but Queen Glimmer decided no one would be stupid enough or desperate enough to try and steal from us, not on the first night at least. Maybe she's right.

Cato

We've been wandering around for several hours, led by Peeta and Clove, who say they saw which direction Katniss ran from the cornucopia, when Marvel spots a light up ahead. Clove, Glimmer, and Marina turn off their flashlights and Marvel and I lower our torches as we break into a run towards the light. There, in a small clearing, warming her hands over a fire, is a girl, I'm not sure from which district. 

"Please don't kill me!" The girl shrieks, her curly, light brown hair bobbing as she struggles to right herself. I put a sneer on my face- for the cameras- and hand my sword to Glimmer. I can't take this one. Glimmer gladly accepts the weapon and plunges it into the girl's stomach. Glimmer laughs and the rest of us follow suit, uttering our congratulations at her kill.

"Twelve down, eleven to go!" She cries out.

We pick through the girl's supplies, but there's really nothing there, so after a great deal of complaining from One we decide to move on.

"Better clear out so they can get the body before it starts stinking," I say, managing a fairly convincing laugh.

"Right," Glimmer grumbles.

"Yeah, okay," Marina says.

We turn our lights back on and keep moving through the trees. Then we stop in another clearing.

"Shouldn't we have heard a cannon by now?" Glimmer asks.

"I'd say yes. Nothing to prevent them from going in immediately," Marvel says, once again the voice of reason.

"Unless she isn't dead," Clove says.

"She's dead. I stuck her myself," Glimmer says defensively.

"Then where's the cannon?" Clove takes a step towards her.

"Someone should go back," Marina says. "Make sure the job's done."

Marvel nods. "Yeah, we don't want to have to track her down twice."

"I said she's dead!"

"Well, she's obviously not!" Clove shouts. "What does it matter? Just-"

"I'll go-"

"It matters that you're questioning-"

"We're wasting time!" Peeta shouts, silencing us. "I'll go finish her and let's move on!"

"Go on then, Lover Boy," I say. "See for yourself."

Lover Boy limps off, having received a blow to the leg in the bloodbath. We stay silent until he's out of earshot, then Glimmer says in a hushed voice, "Why don't we just kill him now and get it over with?"

"Let him tag along. What's the harm? And he's handy with that knife," Marvel points out.

"Besides, he's our best chance of finding her," Marina says.

"Why? You think she bought into that sappy romance stuff?" I ask.

"She might have. Seemed pretty simpleminded to me," Clove starts. "Every time I think about her spinning around in that dress, I want to puke."

"Wish we knew how she got that eleven," Marina says, sounding a little jealous.

"Bet you Lover Boy knows," I say.

Glimmer's about to say something, but the sound of Peeta coming back makes her shut her mouth.

"Was she dead?" I call out.

"No, but she is now," Lover Boy says. Right on cue, a cannon sounds. "Ready to move on?"

"Yeah," I say as we set off into a run, wanting to make it back to the cornucopia before morning.