When my father died

The longest night

I sat in silence.
     Tick tick, tick tick, tick tick
I herd the clock outside. I sat still looking down at my hands. Katniss was gone, lost to the woods for the night. I Didn't look up. I should go comfort my mother. I should but I don't. I will , I promise myself, I can do this.
       I look up, what I see surprises me. I wonder how long my mother has been asleep for? I just assumed she didn't want to talk, like me, just wanted to site in the silence of the night.
        I stay up, longer then I have before. I stay up because I can imagine sleeping. I stay up because I want Katniss. I stay up because as much as I don't want to admit it I'm waiting for my father. He should be walking through the door. He should of been here earlier. He should be here now. But he's not.
      And I'm not getting up to put a Blanket on my mother. I should... I should. But I sit.
       The door swings. Heavy boots come towards me. "Take the boots off" I say "we don't want to make the house messy" at  least not as much as our lives.
Katniss almost smiles. Or at least she would have if it wasn't this night, the longest saddest night. I finally get up to help her. I can't get my father but I've got her.
     "You should get some sleep" she says stopping me. " it's to late now, save your strength for tomorrow." I know I can't argue with Katniss so I crawl into bed. But I know I won't sleep. I can't sleep tonight. I just lie awake for hours until the sun comes up.