I Swear I Won't Forget You - 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤

Alone

I lean against a tree. It's getting dark, the sun is setting and it's getting cold. My cheeks burn from all of the tears. I watch the sunset from an edge of a cliff, it's the perfect view. I can even see the Capitol from here. The tall buildings just graze the horizon. It's truly beautiful. Cato's memory burns like fire. I don't know where to go now. Home? There is no home. There never really was. The cold pierces my lips as my breaths freeze in the air. I wrap my arms around my knees and sway back and fourth. I've lost who I am, who I want to be. I'm not the Capitol's puppet. I don't know what exactly will happen from here, but I know that I will be ready. I've been lost in my fantasies but now I'm trapped in reality again. I'm a caged animal, trying to break free. The bars are cracking, one, I escaped. Done. Now, I have to seek shelter, a roof over my head, something. Cato, the Capitol, and District 2 is not an option. A gust of cool night air blows over me. I shiver and lie on my side on the damp ground. I miss him.

~

         When I awake, I'm starving. I sit up and rub my hands together for warmth. I stand up and right after, I turn around and something is being wrapped around my head, like a bag. I scream and punch and grunt. Whoever put this bag on my head is either kidnapping me or suffocating me, it pulls tightly around my neck. I kick what feels like a leg and the grip around my neck loosens, it grunts, it sounds like a man. I grab one of the knives from my holder and hold it up for him to see. He lets go and I quickly pull the bag off of my head. It's Brutus.

"Brutus?" He looks at me as he recognizes me as well.

"Clove?" He raises his eyebrows. I nod.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in the Capitol." He asks. I put the knife back in my holder and try to relax from the sudden suffocation.

"Look, you can't tell anyone. I'm doing this for Cato." I say clearly.

"Oh, well you're gonna need a better hiding spot than that. I'm sure Enobaria would be delighted to have you at her apartment back in 2, Victor's Village." He extends his hand towards me.

"I don't know. If they find me, they'll never let me outside of the Capitol." Then something clicks in my brain, there's a District 2 hunting cabin about a mile into the woods. It's perfect for me to stay in.

"Wait, I have a place to stay but I do need some supplies." He nods and we start walking. I tell him everything that happened, everything. I explain that I'm the Savior, about Marvel, Cato, the wedding that I'll never have. But Cato hasn't left my mind since I left him. We walk awhile, then when we're close to District Two, I stay in the woods while he gathers the supplies I requested. It doesn't take him long, when he comes back, I'm really surprised. He's riding a small vehicle. He pulls up in front of me and I hop on the back.

"What is this?" I ask.

"It's called a four wheeler." He explains. I grab the jacket he got for me and put it on, it's a leather hunting jacket. It's very warn but it supplies warmth and that's good enough for me. The ride is bumpy but it goes up steep hills easily. I wonder if Cato has awoken from his trance yet, I wonder if he misses me like I miss him. I just wish I got the chance to say goodbye. As the cabin approaches in the distance, I feel safe. It's deep in the woods, it's not hunting season so I don't think I'll get any unexpected company any time soon. When he pulls up, I get off of the four wheeler and grab a blanket he supplied me.

"Oh, I also grabbed you a crossbow for hunting. There should be some weapons and arrows in the shack. If you need something or have an emergency, you can contact me on the line 57." He hands me a beeping black box.

"What is this?"

"It's a transmitter. If you hold down the button, you can talk to me. See," he takes the remote and presses a button. Then I hear something else turn on. He takes out another transmitter from his pocket. He says something into one and the voice escapes out of the other. It's amazing really, I take my transmitter and test it out for myself. It works.

"You can contact me from 8 a.m to 7 p.m." He says.

"Okay, thanks, Brutus." I put on a fake smile and walk to the shack. He pulls away and rides back to District 2. I've been hunting here for a while, I know the lock by heart. I dial it into the black, bolt-like lock and it opens. Without hesitation, I open the door and walk straight in. It's pretty big for a hunting shack. It's dark in here but I can see a box of matches on the table. I grab it and light an old candle that lights up the cabin. From the corner of my eye, I see a shiny silver box in the corner of the room. I know that box, Cato and I put our most special photos and memory items into that. I don't know if I can open it though, my heart yearns for him. I can't control my curiosity. I pick it up and sit in an old wooden chair, I slowly lift the lid, it squeaks as it opens. It's rusty. The first thing I see is a picture of Cato and I standing in front of our first deer that we shot, I remember that day like it was yesterday. Then I find note from Cato, it was one of the notes we passed in class.

It reads, 'You have something on your face'. I laugh.
Cato was always joking around and making me laugh. Then, I see a picture of me that Cato drew. I can't take it anymore, I slam the box lid shut. I miss him, I miss him so much. I slide the engagement ring off of my finger. I can still see his expression when I said yes, he never looked happier. Just as I'm about to put it back on my finger, I notice writing engraved inside the ring. It says 'I Love You.' A tear streams down my cheeks. Cato.