Holiday of Passion and Pain

Hillow, home sweet home

***

15 YEARS AGO

Though knitting was fun, Miranda hated being forced to sit alone in her room, knitting only goodness knows what. The sight of the blue sky was amusing to her, and the sight of people singing at a festival cheered her up. She didn’t just wanna watch it, she wanted to participate in it. She wanted to play with her friends, and push wooden carts while watching the old men sing old folktales.

“Miranda! Miranda!” Ryan's voice yelled at her window, throwing pebbles. She grinned knowing what time it was. It was time for her call. She gladly stuck her head out of her window, and placed her finger on her lips, gesturing to him not to make too much noise.

“Mum is at home,” she said with a hushed voice.

“The others are waiting, let’s go,” he whispered to her, pointing behind him. Though she was on the second floor, she could hear him pretty well.

“Aren’t we singing at the festival?” She asked, pointing towards a crowd of people singing and dancing.

“No, today is swimming day, remember?” He reminded her.

“O!” She recalled and nodded immediately. “I will beat your butt!” She stuck out her tongue before hurrying to get a rope from her bedroom.

“Are you sure you do not want to ask Mrs Druel for permission?” Ryan showed a sudden concern from nowhere.

“I have done this one million times, they never catch me,” she rolled her eyes, before tying the rope to her window pan. “Ready to catch me?” She asked.

Ryan held up his feeble hands, though he was scared. His eyed her in anticipation, moving back and forth like a robot, before grabbing her as she jumped to the ground.

“Thank you, strong boy,” she said with a smile. She turned back to the rope which was now dangling down the window.

“Will you just leave it there?” He asked.

She shrugged and hurried out of her compound, grabbing his hands. Ryan wasn’t so confident about her plan, but his thoughts were the least of her concern. The most her parents would do when they see the rope was scold her and seize it. Then she would look for another and another…or just retrieve it where they hid it. Alright, she must admit she was mischievous and she never denied that.

Sneaking past commoners who danced and sang to their heart content, Miranda snuck some velvet muffins into her gown pocket. Ryan’s eyes widened in shock unaware she could do such a thing.

“Miranda, you can’t just steal…”

“You hush it! Okay?” She eyed him in irritation before they jolted into the woods. Then, their footsteps sounded across the abandoned forest.

“You do unspeakable things, you know,” Ryan was perflexed.

“It wasn’t stealing, Ryan,” she rolled her eyes and took a bite of one of the muffins. “It is a festival. Families bring out pastries to share with other families. Have you forgotten?”

Ryan did forget and his heart mellowed with relief. Well, perhaps he judged her too quickly. Guilt took over his expression as he eyed Miranda with an apologetic look. Miranda smiled and stuffed a muffin into his lips anyway.

“Quite whining,” she tapped his chest. “I am not angry with you.”

He took a bite of the muffin and jogged behind her.

“Perhaps when we go back, we can do that again,” he felt hyped. Soon they were at the waterfall. Their favorite place in the world. The sound of the water splashing against a rock, caused instant calmness. Two other kids were already waiting for them dressed in their swimsuits. Her female best friend Suzy and her male close friend George.

“You two had to come late as usual,” Suzy said with a disappointed look.

“Ready?” George asked with a smile eyeing Miranda and the rest of the guys. Then his eyes caught sight of the muffins, causing a grin to spread across his lips.

“O! Miranda, you know me too well,” he jolted after her. Miranda hid the muffins behind her and stepped back gesturing to him to stop.

“You calm down, George. Relax,” she waved her hands up and down with her widened round eyes.

“Come on, you know I love muffins,” he mumbled like a child.

“And so does everyone else here. You aren’t special George Finn,” she hissed and pushed him aside rudely. “I will give Suzy first and then you.”

George rolled his eyes in disappointment.

“You know I am the oldest, right?”

Miranda didn’t give a damn.

“Go whine to your cruel mother about it,” she hissed before handing Suzy a cookie. Suzy thanked her with a smile. Finally satisfied with what she had done, she turned to George and handed him his.

“Happy now?” She asked.

“Hurts a bit that I am not a priority but okay,” he munched on the muffin anyway.

“Enough with the small talk, let’s get swimming,” Ryan announced, already dressed in his swimsuit. The water was very cold that evening, and Miranda enjoyed the view of the calm current.

“Do you have another muffin on you?” George whispered into her ears causing her soul to almost jolt out of her body.

“You freak!” She slapped his chest in anger.

Her other two friends laughed and she threw them pissed stares.

“Really?!” She nagged stomping her feet to the floor.

“George, stop scaring her, please,” Ryan pleaded to George who backed away from her.

“Fine, whatever,” George got bored anyway. She hadn’t felt more relieved than ever seeing the guy stand a few miles away from her.

“Creep,” she insulted under her breath and pulled off her gown to reveal her singlet and inner trousers. “Alright! Ready!”

They all align beside each other before the water, before entering the slightly deep water, splashing water on each other. The fun never seemed to end, and their laughter echoed the abandoned spring. They weren’t allowed to be there and they knew it. No one trusted the safety of the spring, nor could they vouch that the kids were safe. But what do the kids care about? They danced around the puddle of water, laughing a heartfelt laughter. At least that was before Ryan brought a competition.

“Who can breathe underwater the longest?” He asked with a smirk.

“I can,” Miranda said impulsively.

“Miranda, you recently learned how to swim,” George reminded her. “I taught you like last week. Relax.”

She rolled her eyes nonchalantly.

“What do you care about, George? You took swimming lessons your whole life, but can’t even enter the deep side of a pool,” she mocked.

Suzy exclaimed with an o, before shutting her lips in embarrassment. George eyed Miranda in anger before turning away from her.

“What a loser,” he mocked.

“You are the one who is a coward,” she argued back.

“Will you guys chill?” Ryan was getting patient.

“No, I am not going to chill,” Miranda shut him off. “George is such a coward. He whines like a child.”

“Watch how I beat you in this,” he challenged.

“O! Whatever, let’s see who ends up crying,” Miranda hissed before turning to the rest of the guys. Soon, they’d made their way to the deeper portion of the spring and plunge themselves in. They were barely two minutes in, when Suzy plunged herself out gasping for breath.

“Alright, I am done. This is crazy,” she laughed.

Ryan got himself out too, and soon Miranda did. She couldn’t hold her breath in for that long, and her lungs weren’t built up enough for that. They all turned towards the direction George plunged in and waited for him to come out. He hadn’t.

“George, it's enough now,” Miranda gave in in defeat. “I accept you are a great swimmer. Come out now.”

There was no response. George wasn’t saying anything. The kids stared at each other in shock.

“George?” She called in tension but there was no response. The rest of the kids were getting restless now, and the sun slowly set behind the hills. “George… George!”

There was silence now. Her heart throbbed against her chest and her body began to tremble in fear. Her eyes began to water and she felt extremely scared. O! God! His family would kill her. What had she done?

They all screamed in fear as the water remained still and there was no movement. Tears flowed down Miranda’s eyes as she beat the water unaware of what to do. She’d challenged him. She’d pushed him beyond his limit.

“George!” She screamed, feeling her heart pound against her chest. “George! Where are you?! Please say something.”