{Mockingjay's Daughter}

{Chapter 5}

{Chapter 5}

Ash and I stare up at the log home that Rory owns. After a week of preparations, we'd finally come out here to live. We had our few boxes of stuff next to us, and Rory was helping us take them inside. Rory's home was two stories tall, completely made of wood. It was a simple house, and seemed much too big for one person.

"What you guys think of it?" Rory asked, walking up behind us with his bag and a box from our house.

"It's really big." Ash said in awe, making me smile.

Rory went ahead of me and Ash, we followed. Rory swung open the front door of our new home, saying "Ta-Da!" as he did so. I peered inside, unsure as of what I would find.

The entry hall had a simple wooden floor and white painted walls. A picture of a Mockingjay hung on the wall above a small oak table. Stairs lead up to the next floor; I could see a bare hallway with a door to a room at the top. I ventured farther inside, to my right was the kitchen with only the necessities, to my left was a dining room with a long wooden table that could sit ten. I walked into the dining room, another arched doorway lead to what seemed to be a study with high bookshelves and a small desk in the middle of the room. The study had an archway to a living area with leather couches and a small fireplace that was stone cold at the moment. Beyond that was the kitchen again, so you could practically go in a circle around the house.

"Well, you guys like it?" Rory asked from the entry hall. I made my way back to him while answering with a simple "It's nice."

"Why's your home so big?" Ash asked Rory.

"Well, my mom lived with me for a while before she died, Posy lived here too until she moved out. To be honest I'm not sure why it's so big. There are six bedrooms and an attic. I think that's more than enough." Rory chuckled lightly. "Want to see your rooms?"

"Yea!" Ash bounced, making me smile a bit. I'm so glad he can actually smile; he hasn't since mom and dad died.

Rory smiled at my brother before waving us upstairs. There were six doors in the long rectangular hall, two on each long wall and one on the smaller ends of the hallway.

"You guys will have your own rooms eventually, but since the rest of the family is coming tomorrow for District Days it doesn't make much sense to settle in two different rooms just to be kicked out of it by relatives." Rory explained, leading us to a doorway at the very end of the hall.

He swung open the door to reveal a large room with wooden flooring and off-white walls. Two twin sized beds sat on either side of the room, both with thick red comforter blankets and fluffy white pillows. An oak dresser sat in the middle of the beds. Light streamed through a huge window that went from the floor to the ceiling.

"It's not much but-" Rory began.

"No no no, it's perfect." I interrupted him. "Thanks."

"Okay, then I guess I'll let you two just chill for a while. I'll call you guys down when dinners ready." Rory said, giving us a final smile before walking back out the door and closing it behind us.

I sighed, turning to look at the bedroom I was going to be sharing with Ash until Rory’s family left. I stuck my bags under one of the beds, not wanting to unpack just to have to move everything in a few days.'

"This isn't that bad of a place." Ash said, plopping down onto the other bed. "I like it."

"I would hope so, we kind of live here now." I say to my little brother. He looked at me, as if dazed.

"Mom and dad are really gone, aren't they?" Ash asked. I nodded sadly. Ash sighed, having already gone numb about it after being sad for so long. He took a deep breath, plastered on a smile, and asked "So, do you think Gale is going to come tomorrow?"

"Probably," I said, sitting on my bed. "I mean, he is Rory's brother."

"Is Rory like our dad now?" Ash asked. That was a very good question. Do we call him dad now, or would that be weird?

"I don't know..." I fingered my necklace. "Let's just call him Rory for now."

"Okay," Ash nodded, curling up on top of the covers of his bed.

"Ash?"

"Yea?"

"We're going to be alright."

"We better be."