The corpse of the past

Chapter 63: The funeral

Chapter 63

-Peeta-

Four days after I get released from the hospital, the funeral takes place.

Stella's funeral. Our daughters funeral.

No one wants to bury their child. No one should have to bury their child.

People are now gathering.

Haymitch, Annie, Finn, Felice, Pollux and Cassidy are here of course. Johanna and Beetee as well. Marcus is here of course, with his parents. Stella's friends are here. Stella's teachers from the school. The staff from the orphanage, and all the people Stella touched in heart during her fifteen years on this earth.

Fifteen. Fifteen years. She only got fifteen.

The casket is open. Stella is lying there. She's in a beautiful dress, and she's all fixed up, with big elegant locks in her golden hair. Her eyes are closed. It looks like she's asleep.

The priest comes up and stands in front of the casket.

"We've gathered here today, to say goodbye to Stella Mellark", he begins and now I allow my tears to escape my eyes.

This feels so final.

"Stella were a girl full of life and was taken away from us way too early", the priest continues. "Stella only got to the age of fifteen, some may have called her a young women, others a teenager, I call her a child. A child that were taken away from her parents. A child that didn't deserve this kind of cruel faith".

Everyone are crying, everyone are sobbing. One of all us here is not. Finn. Finn is not crying, Finn is not sobbing. Finn only stand by his mothers side, with a tight grip on her hand, looking at the casket with Stella in. His eyes are empty and hollow. He's wearing a suit. He looks serious, although he's face shows no emotions.

Finn is really breaking my heart to pieces. He looks like this because he told me that he have so much guilt inside of him. He were really angry at Stella before we found her dead. He wished that she could really disappear, because she never were home anyways. Then we found her. He feels as if it's his fault that she's dead.

"Sometimes God takes away those of his angels on earth, he loved the most", the priest says. "You've told me that Stella loved to live, she loved to dance, and to dance with a boy she saw as her brother, she loved her family, and she loved her boyfriend. Stella showed everyone she loved, how much she loved them, she were always happy and spread sunshine wherever she went, Stella was caring, and she had a big heart".

Before the funeral, Katniss and I went to a meeting, together with Haymitch. We told him, everything about Stella, who she was as a person, what she liked to do. It was hard. It was so hard. Talking about Stella when she's not here and alive anymore. When I'm not gonna see her walk through the door to our home anymore, hear her voice, or see her dance.

"Now it's time for you all to say goodbye", the priest says and nods to me and Katniss.

Katniss and I are sitting in the front, me first, then Katniss, beside Katniss, Haymitch, beside Haymitch, Annie and then Finn, then we have Pollux, then Felice with Cassidy. Behind me sits Johanna and then Beetee, still in his wheelchair of course.

Katniss and I are the first once to walk up and then Haymitch and then Annie etc.

I take Katniss hand and we slowly walk up to the casket, while a slow song is playing.

When we come up we put our roses beside the casket, and I feel Katniss hand slip out of mine as her legs betray her and she falls onto her knees, hugging the casket and crying her eyes out.

"Stella please come back baby", she cries.

My heart is ripped out of my body and it feels like someone tears it apart and then put it into me, leaving it to bleed and ache forever.

I pick Katniss up in my arms and carry her over to our seats, Haymitch passes us.

I sit down with Katniss in my arms sobbing against my chest and I rock her.

He puts his rose over mine and Katniss, and I see how he finally let his tears go.

He walks back and pats Annie's shoulder as they pass each other. Annie is holding a tight grip on Finns hand.

But now I see how Finn lets go of Annie's hand and he walks up to Stella's face.

"Goodbye Stella, you'll always be my sister", he says with a hollow voice and with his face still not showing any emotions and he puts his rose under her hands, he kisses her cheek and walks back to Annie.

Annie looks at me and I smile a small smile to her.

They walk back and then Pollux walks up with Felice and Cassidy.

After everyone have walked up and said their goodbyes, the priest comes up again.

"Now... We leave Stella to go on a journey where we can not follow just yet, goodbye Stella Mellark!"

Goodbye Stella, I will always love you.

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Hey guys, sorry for the boring chapter, but I hope you liked it a little bit anyways.

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-Josephine xx