The corpse of the past

Chapter 59: Taking care of everyone

Chapter 59

-Willow-

So. Stella died? But why? I mean is it like Mama thought? That Stella had been murdered? That's awful. Who would do that to a fifteen year old?

"So she ... Died?" Rye asks.

"It seems that way", I say a bit hollow. I never thought someone in our family could have been murdered, never gave it a second thought.

I've heard about murders in the bigger and richer Districts, but never in twelve, it's so small.

"You really think Aunt Stella got murdered?" P.J asks horrified.

He's breathing really heavily.

"P.J calm down", Julie says and puts a hand onto his. "We kind of knew already that something had happened".

P.J calms down and carries Savannah from Julie into his arms  and hugs her tight. This is really hard for him.

"But who murdered Auntie Stella?" Annie asks carefully.

"We don't know that yet Ann", Katniss says.

"I know Kat, but still, who would? And why?" Annie says.

Yeah. That's what I wonder as well. Why? I mean why? She was just a teenager. Why would anyone want to kill just her?

I'm about to say something when Damian comes back, with a tired but happy smile.

Everyone looks at him.

"Anyone want to meat little Haymitch Junior?" He asks.

"YES!" Annie and Katniss yells.

Damien laughs.

Katniss and Annie runs up to Damian and grabs his hands. He walks with them and they laugh.

"We have another cousin!" Julie laughs and jumps up on her feet.

"Savannah you're a big sister now", P.J says and stands up.

We all stand up and I grab Hunter's hand and rest my head on his arm as we walk.

Mama and Papa had such a hard life. I mean yeah, I kind of knew that already, Mama was poor and almost died of starvation, Papa got beaten by his own mother daily, they were in the Hunger Games two times, Papa being hijacked and they lived and lead a rebellion that changed whole Panem. That was really hard, but then to lose a daughter ... Did they really have to suffer more? And then a couple of years after that, they suffer again, watching Rye and me in the Hunger Games, Mama being kidnapped and tortured so much that she lost her memory ... I don't think anyone have suffered as much as Mama and Papa.

"Baby please don't think about that right now", Hunter says.

"But I just ... Even after everything Mama and Papa went through, they had to go through something even worse ... To lose a child", I say and look up at him. "I mean can you imagine to lose either Julie or P.J?"

Hunter looks away.

"Stop it!" He says, keeping his tears away.

"I'm just saying, imagine how they must have felt, and even so they got up on their feet and tried to have a good life, they got us, but they still suffered, I think their life got good after Fiona died. They were over fifty by then!" I say. "I can't believe how strong they really were, I can't even imagine to lose Julie or P.J".

Hunter says nothing.

"Baby please say something", I beg.

But he doesn't. He only hugs me as we enter a room where Sunny is lying very tired in a bed.