The night slowly journed into morning as the rays of the sun departed the darkness. It was already passed 7am when Gina decended from her room , all dressed up and ready for lectures.
Just when she approached the hall, she noticed her mother with Nanny Erica which made her pause in her tracks. That was definitely odd on Nina's side– she's usually out on her job before 7 . So then, what happened? Gina couldn't help than to wonder. But then, a voice suddenly invaded her thought.
“ Hey.. love, you're here– come on , join us for breakfast” Nina called. Gina instinctively sighed with displeasure as she resumed her steps. She wasn't just ready to meet her after what had happened the previous night.
Without any other choice, she chanced over to the dinning table where Nina was already seated and settled across her, avoiding her gaze.
“ Good morning, Nanny .” She said, casting her a gaze while Erica answered with a smile.
“Here you go – enjoy your meal .” Nina instinctively took over from Erica who was about to serve her. This made Gina glance up at her quite surprised with her attitude.
“ It's been awhile we had a meal together. Just want this to be special enough to bond our mother daughter relationship.” She allowed the words to trail as she saw the look on her face but then, Gina retrieved back to her plate without a word.
Nina's disappointed gaze spontaneously fell on Erica who’s lips curved into a meaningful smile.
“Go ahead...she might listen.” She signaled to which Nina nodded.
Just when she dived into her meal, Nina's voice invaded the silence hovering the table.
“Well... about last night–” She begun but then, Gina's words spontaneously cut in as she pushed back the chair, making a scrabbling sound on the delicate floor.
“ Ah, I feel like I suddenly lost appetite due to someone's presence.” She uttered with some sense of disdain as she jerked to her feet. She was cold and those cold, steel eyes were focused on Nina
“ I'll leave first. ”
With this, she snatched her bag from the chair and trod off as her mother's eyes tailed after her.
“ Hey, Hades– mind picking me up at the bus stop?” They heard her voice echo from the door. “Great..
see you in the next minute.” Her giggles faded with the shut of the door
Nina felt her heart ripped with pain. Erica who had witnessed the two instinctively went to Nina's aid as she trembled with silent tears.
“ You know I'm doing all this for her seek, right?” Nina cried and Erica tilted her head in response, her arms rounded her shoulders as she leaned over her from the back.
“ Give her some time– you know how these young ones take issues like this. She'll soon come around, huh?; just hung in there.” She consoled and Nina nodded, her tears refusing to drain out.
OXFORD UNIVERSITY
The hour and 30minutes lecture soon ended for Miriam with an assignments which was to be submitted in two days. With no much to do after class, she decided to set the ball rolling for her research project.
Headed out of the theatre hall, she went straight to the school's forestry which was much resourceful for her project. Although it had an essential role of creation, modification of habitats as well as economic segment and research; most students barely visit the venue which left the place extremely calm and quite.
Decided it was the best place for her project, Miriam hovered through the thick woods which was carefully arranged along the path. The trees lashed and crashed against each other like drum sticks in the hands of a giant as she explored the beautiful evergreen and refreshing environment.
She lifted her face, letting the light and shadow dance across her skin. Bees hummed in and out of the pennyroyal.
Miriam inhaled its minty smell and continued on, delighting in the sound of her feet sliding through the leaves without realizing she walked a little deeper than expected. Amazed by the hoary skyscraper tall tress and the orchestrated birdsong which came with it, Miriam's feet found it way on a rather dangerous pit which was covered up with dried leaves.
Left with no much time to react, she slipped into the unexpected pit. “ Arh, my leg...” She groaned in pain as she managed to adjust on her feet with the aid of the pit's wall.
Glancing up at the opening, she knew it was useless to shout out for help but then, she had to since that was the only option she could think of.
“Help !– Anyone there?... Please, help me.” Her voice echoed through the pit.
On several attempt, the result just remained the same. Miriam felt drained and famished with it passing second. Just then, it hit her.
“ Yes...my phone– where's it?; where did I keep it?” She instinctively rummaged through her bag and there it was. Her hands trembled as she dialed Leon's line , then to her mother and lastly her dad's but the network wasn't helping either. It felt like the world had suddenly given up on her.
Her legs went numb and she staggered to the ground. “ No, it can't be...not now. How am I gonna get out? It's already getting dark and this damn leg still hurt badly.”
Miriam felt hopeless and tears welled up in her eyes. “ Is this the end for me– am I gonna die, here? ” She stuttered as she curled into foetal, shuttered in sobs of which she finally dozed off without notice.
Seconds turned to minutes and then to hours without any sign of human. The forest was so dark with only the stars and fireflies serving as a source of luminaries. Shuffling noises from the pit suddenly startled her out of her sleep. That's when reality hit her– it was already night. She suddenly became restless and frightened.
“Help, please... Anyone– Help !”
Just then, she heard strange movements from outside the opening of the pit. “ Who's there?” She called but was answered with cold silence yet still the movement continued and this time, it felt closer.
“ I said whose there ? ” She trembled with fear
“ Could it a wild beast?” She thought of she instinctively withdrew into a corner of the pit.