Ignite The Flame Within | Cato Hadley X Male Reader | Vol. 2

9 ~ Killing Us Slowley

Gravel crushes beneath my boots as I briskly move across the surface. I dodged people as the flow of workers was coming from the opposite end of the street, everyone wearing grim or tired expressions after a long day of work in the forests.

I stop for a moment and stand up on my toes, perching my head up in an attempt to see over the crowd. My eyes scan the tops of people's heads, searching until I set sight on Sky. His brunette hair was damp with sweat and powdered with a bit of sawdust. I shout his name and almost on command, his head shoots up, lighting up with a smile as he spots me.

The both of us begin running toward one another as we try our best to work our way through the crowded street. We make it halfway and I quickly rush into his arms, wrapping mine around his neck as he tightly secures my waist. "You're back!" He shouts with excitement. I laugh, my hands rubbing circles into his back before I pull away.

"Yea! I came right over to see you since the station is nearby," I say. The two of us stand in silence a moment longer before Sky steps forward, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and leaning down to my ear.

"Don't make any reaction they're watching," He whispers while stepping in front of me and hiding me from the sight of the group of peacekeepers that began to disperse amongst the crowd. "I have to talk to you about something I found while you were gone. I can't say anything here. Let's go to our spot. Just follow me and look calm."

He shifts around me till he stops at my side, arm still over my shoulders as we attempt to blend with the crowd. I could feel the pounding of my heart beating loudly in my chest. I suck air slowly while trying to calm myself. There were a lot more here than there usually were. I hadn't worked in the forests long, only a year or two before the games, but I knew it wasn't this heavily guarded the last time I had worked.

Large trucks stamped with the Panem emblem lined the edges of the streets with soldiers dressed all in white watching us. Their faces were covered with helmets so we couldn't look back into their eyes, and also to hide their expression. It only made them feel less human and more unpredictable. Like at any second, they could pull their gun up and let a rain of fire down on all of us.

Sky pulls me along quickly. The two of us duck our heads while passing through. We were lucky enough not to get pulled aside like some of the other people there.

Based on what was happening it looked like they were searching for someone. They were only pulling aside women, yelling "clear" when they realized it wasn't who they were searching for. My guess was a rebel or someone who tried to run away.

Once we make it far from the crowd, I finally dare to speak again. "Aren't you worried they'll have extra guards at the walls if someone did escape?" I ask as we step into an alleyway behind one of the lumber storage buildings.

He shakes his head and pursues in front of me with confidence. "They'll be guarding the outer gates at the edge of the forest. If anyone did try to escape through the inner walls, which as we know is easy, they'd still have to make it past them anyway so no, I'm not worried."

We took our usual route to the wall, and as Sky had said, nobody. Not even a single guard was in sight.

"Told you," He mutters under his breath before letting out an amused gasp as I playfully hit his shoulder. "Come on, I'll give you a lift up."

He runs forward to the base of the wall before he gets down on a knee, his hands folded together to create a platform. I lay my hands on his head and step my right foot on him. After finding my balance I push up, Sky slowly lifting me till I can reach the top of the wall. He grunts as he pushes me higher. "Alright, I got it!" I yell while throwing a leg over the edge of the stone wall.

I reached my hand out, grasping onto him and pulling him with all the strength I had. He reaches the wall and can pull himself up much easier than I am, throwing me a cocky smile in the process. My eyes roll before the both of us leap off, landing in a soft pile of snow.