Alright, we're done. For now. I hope you liked it as much as I did.

I own all things and please enjoy. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

-Love Galala

Cato, my friend

Part 9

-Errol's View-

It had been a few months since the Hunger Games, and a few months since Cato was killed. I can remember it too clearly, with such horrifying detail I still wake up shouting his name, and begging for someone to save him. I didn't get to say goodbye, that's what scared me, all I did was cry. I sometimes think that if I had been stronger maybe he would have been too, but I don't waste much time thinking about it. When Cato was killed and the sound of the cannon confirmed his death everything around me crumbled, I screamed and sobbed loud enough to shake all of district 2. I wanted them to hear, I wanted the world to know what it had taken from me, they had taken Cato, they had taken one of the few things I had cherished.

The depression of losing someone you love isn't like a numbness, its not something that takes ones life away and leaves them empty, it is a pain, an awful searing pain that burns the body to the point of death. All my anguish and despair burned my soul, my body was in so much pain to move or to speak caused even more pain. That's what the despair was, that's what it felt like to have Cato ripped away from me. I prayed for numbness, to feel nothing and become still forever, but to picture him, to see Cato in my heart lit the volatile mix of emotions inside of me, and the pain destroyed me repeatedly.

This cycle of pain and healing and destruction continued for about a month, probably longer, but it ended, it ended quietly and without warning as Cato himself. He was just sitting there, at the foot of my bed. In a wine colored shirt that hugged him in all the right places, and white jeans. He had never looked so good, not just appearance wise but he seemed so peaceful, he was smiling like I had never seen before, it was like joy embodied.

"Hey." He said turning towards me. He move from his position at the foot of the bed and shimmied next to me. "Hey." I said wiping some dried tears from my face. He laid next to me and put his arms behind his head. "Am I insane or something?" I asked him. He looked at me and inspected me for a few seconds. "Well, you're not as sane as I would have hoped. Whats wrong with you?" He said with a disappointed look on his face. I just kept looking at him, he looked so real, I wanted to touch him, to see if he was nothing but a dream, but I feared touching him would make him disappear. "You...you died. I didn't take it very well." He just kept looking at me and I did the same. "Get up." He said. I didn't move, I just kept looking at him. "I cant." I whispered. "Get up Errol!" He yelled. He rose from the bed and stood in the middle of my room. "Get up I said!" He barked again. I finally got up, for the first time in a long time, I got up and looked at him.

"Get you're scarf. We're going." He moved through my open window and motioned me to follow him. I grabbed my scarf and didn't bother to put on shoes. The sunlight blinded my eyes and I saw it was noon. Cato jumped to the next building across from us and stood waiting for me. I tried to follow him but it took me a while, seems like I had been sitting still for too long. Eventually I got the hang of moving again and started to follow him. We raced like old times, jumping, running, feeling the warm sunlight on me again, I looked ahead and saw Cato leading me all around the city. We came to a tall building and Cato immediately started climbing it like a pro, faster than I had ever seen him and faster than I could ever go. It was like he was climbing straight into the sunlight. He vanished as he reached over the tower, and I finally reached the top to see Cato was gone.

I finally realized where he had led me. It was the station tower, the place of our last real meeting. I looked out over the city, the place we had grown together, the place that Cato loved more than I ever could, but I finally felt some relief. I would never be the same as I was before, no I wouldn't, but I would try to be better. I closed my eyes and breathed the fresh air that was only available high above the city. I cried for Cato one last time, and climbed off the station roof, finally ready to go forward.

-Two Years later-

I kept making the rounds like always, Reed wouldn't be happy if I took too long but I always liked to make him wait. He would have everything ready for our date tonight and longing always did make the heart grow fonder. After my deliveries I headed from the mail hall to return my bag when Bacchus, my manager gave me a letter. "What's this?" I asked. It was a red envelope sealed closed with a red sticker. "You don't remember?" He said in his usual gruff voice. "You gave it to me about three years ago, you said to give it to you today." He finished and trotted off back to his work.

I opened it and instantly remember what it was. It was just a reminder, signed by Cato and myself, that it had been three years since we had buried our last time capsule, and it was time to dig it up again. I held the letter for a few moments, trying to soak up everything the letter meant. I had moved forward like Cato wanted me to, I realized that when someone loses someone they love they have one of two options, either keep going on with their life or follow their loved ones in the next world, but Cato wanted me alive, he wanted me to live and fall in love again.

I rushed to Cato's old house where both his parents still lived. After it had come out that Cato and I were close friends his parents payed me a visit. It was awkward and tense but all of us knew Cato would have liked it. After his death I began to visit them frequently, his father warmed to me quickly but his mother always kept her distance, not that she was ever cold or mean, but we never really connected.

I knocked on their door and they welcomed me in, after explaining my letter they allowed me into their backyard to dig up our capsule. I remember the spot exactly, to the edge of the yard under the sapling. I dug up the box quickly and touched its smooth sides. It was an old tin box with chipped red paint. I unlatched the lid and immediately felt a wave of memories hit me. I pulled out a few notes we had passed in class, pictures we had taken around the city, tapes of music we had listened to when it was cool, and a wristband Cato had gotten for me as a birthday present. I sat under the tree with all of our items sprawled out around me. Looking at them and remembering what they had meant to both of us. Finally I saw something taped to the bottom of the box. It was a piece of red paper folded into a square. I unraveled it and saw only a few words scribbled onto it in black ink.

"Before the end I couldn't tell you, but in the end I think I finally can. I love you Errol."

-Cato, your friend.

I stared at the note for a few seconds before folding it back up and pressing it to my chest. I could feel my tears going down my face but my smile was overshadowing any pain. I collected everything into the box and gave it to Cato's parents. They could take what they wanted and give me the rest, but I kept Cato's note with me. I ran home and slipped Cato's note into my window frame. It caught the sunlight and reminded me of my dream with Cato those years ago. I smiled as I kissed my finger and touched the note one last time before I slipped from my room.

"Goodbye, Cato. I said it while you were here, I said it when you were gone, and even as I move forward without you I can say it again. I love you."

-Errol, your friend.

Let me know what you think about a new story with Errol and Cato in the hunger games, I have a few ideas but I love it when people contribute.

-Galala