Upon hearing some shuffle of footsteps outside her door, Iris immediately knew that the head maid had already locked her door as per her employer's instructions. Knowing that Iris let the maid be. She won't be leaving through the door anyway. There is a small window in her room to which she could easily fit to sneak outside. Of course, they knew she had a window in her room, but she was not that crazy to jump from two stories. Their two-story manor is still quite a height for a person to get seriously injured.
But too bad for them; Iris is a crazy kind of woman. That is a piece of cake for her. She is determined to be able to take a breath outside that household. Without wasting a second, Iris opened the window and snuck out quietly, standing and balancing on the window's ledge.
"Fuck them," Iris whispered as she jumped afterward without hesitation.
It was a lake that was surrounded by beautiful blooming flowers and glowing fireflies. It is also one of the safe places that she found when she was running away from home. Since then, whenever Iris was down, she would always visit the place and just sit and watch as the moonlight would shine the lake making it sparkle as small creatures would play on it. It was also a good place for her to pass time when she's in a bad mood or can't sleep.
Iris sat down on the usual place that she would usually sit as she once again gaze on the serene lake. Like she usually does. She just stared at it as she reminisced about the confrontation she had with his father. A lot of things were on her mind as she rested her chin on her knees while hugging her legs. She looked like a pitiful child as her blank expression converted into a melancholic one.
At times like this, she tends to remember the face of her mother that she accidentally saw in his father's office. Iris knew that her father truly loved her mother, but he chose his family over her mother. And when Iris' mother died after she was born, Iris' father would look at Iris as the one who killed his first love. The only reason that Iris was brought in the manor was to avoid rumors that he neglected his child. As a politician, that is a big no to him.
As she gazed on the calm lake, something then caught Iris eyes. She lifted her head and narrowed her eyes as she tried to get a better look at the floating thing on the lake. But she couldn't figure it out so she decided to get it. With her pants rolled above her knee, she decided to walk in the lake barefoot as she walked closer to the shining thing that was floating on the center of the lake. But before she could even grab the mysterious thing, Iris slipped which caused her to fall back in the water.
But the strange thing is that the lake suddenly became deeper as she fell in. It felt like she fell in a big ocean instead. Iris was panicking underwater upon finding herself struggling to swim after falling in this big amount of water from a shallow lake. If there's one thing Iris couldn't do it would be to float. At that moment, only one thing came into Iris mind as she stared at the moon above from underwater.
'Is this how I'm gonna die? Fine by me.'
—-------
When Iris was in the orphanage, the sisters attending the orphans would always worry about Iris' recklessness. Fearing that it might bring her serious troubles. Iris has always been the tomboyish type of girl. She loves wearing comfortable boys' clothing, would not be afraid to rough house with the other boys and has a strong personality. Iris always dismissed their warnings as she knew how to protect and defend herself. But at this moment, Iris knew that their signs would come true.
As she steadily but slowly sank underwater, Iris could feel herself getting heavier any second. Swimming was not her strong suit. She could do almost all sports ever known but not swimming. Iris covered her mouth and nose to prevent water from coming in as she started struggling from the lack of oxygen. Looking up at the surface where the moon could be hazily seen, Iris could only think of one person. Her mother.
'Is this how I'm going to die? Fine by me.'
Iris said to herself as her vision started to become hazy. Maybe this is the end for her. A place where no one knows, slowly dying in senseless death. Just perfect for her. If she fails, she will be with her mother on the other side. It is better than in that shitty household she is in.
With her lost hope, Iris finally closes her eyes and lets her body give in as she sinks deeper and deeper.
…..
Faint whispers of voices could be heard as Iris started to regain consciousness with her eyes still closed.
"What do we do? She's still not breathing!"
Iris slightly opened her eyes as blinding brightness greeted her vision. Her vision was still unclear and hazy, but Iris could still see the bright blue sky.
'Am I dead now?'
Iris asked herself mentally as her vision started to get more precise. But still, why can she still hear some voices whispering at each other. With her line of sight directly on the sky, a woman's silhouette appeared as she leaned in to check on Iris.
"She's awake! She's finally awake! Young Miss!!" The young girl exclaimed as she showed a relieved expression.
That said, two other females dressed in the same color as the first one then showed worried expressions on their faces. Based on their outfits, they looked like maids. They all touched Iris's arm and head, checking and ensuring she was okay.
Upon feeling their warmth, Iris knew that something was wrong. Is this what the afterlife looks like?
'Wait, I'm alive?... Seriously?' Iris asked herself once again.
Iris furrowed her brow after the females helped her sit upright correctly. Iris looked at each of their faces as she raised a question. "W-what…what happened?"
Iris asked faintly with her perplexed expression and tone of voice. Hearing that, one of the three answered immediately.
"You almost drowned in the river! Thank God someone saw you in time." She answered obediently as she wiped the tears on the corners of her eyes with a white handkerchief.
Upon hearing that answer, Iris froze as she hung her head low, not because she felt cold after being hauled out in the river. But by what the woman said.
'Thank God? THANK GOD!? Just when I decided to end my life, God helped me!?'
Iris mentally screamed, with her expression getting foul. Her fisted hands, supporting her body while sitting still, were shaking in anger. When she finally decided to end her life abruptly, she was saved? Iris always thought that she had rotten luck. And she's whether she's alive or not.
Glimpsing the dark expression on Iris's face, the maids became once again worried. "Milady… Are you perhaps feeling unwell anywhere?"
Another maid asked carefully with an anxious tone of voice. But because Iris's head was elsewhere, she didn't hear the question.
"Fucking hell. Is he playing a sick joke on me?" Iris muttered under her breath. Blaming God for her current situation.
Upon hearing the lady before they curse boldly without a second thought, the maids were stunned with their eyes widely staring at Iris.
"M-milady?" The first maid asked in disbelief, with her voice stuttering and shaking.
Unaware of her surroundings, Iris did not respond as her expression remained solemn, making the servants even more distressed than they already were.
"How's her condition?"
A manly older voice appeared out of nowhere, making Iris go back to reality. Iris turned her head around, looking at the owner of the vote. It was from a man in his 50's wearing a noble-looking robe, followed by a much older bald man wearing all white.
"Lord Einar!"
The three maids' in unison, called out his name with relief upon seeing his presence. They immediately stood and respected the man by leaning down and giving him a bow. On the other hand, Iris has a different reaction upon seeing the newcomer. She raised a brow, and her face remained stern as she stared at the new face.
Looking closely at everyone, Iris realized she didn't know any of them. The place they are in was also very new to Iris. To be exact, Iris doesn't even know the hell she was. The last thing she remembered is that she fell into a shallow lake on a late evening. Speaking of which, Iris knew that the small lake Iris always visited was below knee-deep. Then, how come she ended up drowning in deep water?