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12:19 P.M. Eimear Quinn's five-year old daughter has been found missing ever since the snowy day before the setup of the Galway Fair, the annual festival. She disappeared somewhere in Uillean Village, the largest village in Partime Quarter. She tried seeking help from the police. News about the missing girl quickly went public: the story was already on the news and headlines. That's how fast things worked. The daughter managed to escape her mother when she wasn't looking. She sighted a dog and followed it down a couple streets but then lost her balance on a hill and rolled onto an alley. The girl wasn't injured. She quickly got to her feet holding on to her backpack and stuffed bear. The little girl made her way, walking down street after street. She had no idea her mother would be going crazy just to look for her. She became tired from walking, and rested against a street light. Something suddenly landed on the top of her head. She looked up and something came down again. It was cold. More began to fall. Then it came to her: it was snowing. The girl quickly got to her feet and tried to find some shelter. All the shops down the avenue were all locked. Finally, she saw some boxes behind the Ristorante DeSimone. She scavenged through the garbage, looking for a big enough box to cover her, while making sure her bear was safe. |
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3:57 P.M. The little girl's clothes were torn and tattered from abuse of the box and concrete cement. Melted snow was dripping from the top of the box and seeping through the crevices. She was cold, and it was hard for her to sleep. She had no idea how much time had passed after she departed from her mother. The girl lifted the box off herself and took a look around. The sun was coming out, but she still shivered. From a distance she sighted a woman, wearing a gray sweater and a long red dress and boots. The woman glanced back and the girl quickly hid. After a second, the little girl followed the woman. She watched the woman enter a shop located on Rue Sant Valse. It was called "Maidin Aiseach". The girl peeked through the windows and saw the woman watching the television, and speaking with one of the employees. The little girl entered the shop, which was nice and warm. She took a seat at the shop's farthest end and, well, got comfortable. The lady whom the girl was previously following noticed her. "Hey, it's you." the lady said. Frightened, the girl quickly ran out the door. The lady shouted, "Wait!" Running as fast as she could, the girl accidentally bumped into a young blind man and his dog. "I'm sorry mister," she said. "That's alright," the blind man responded. The little one was puzzled at his appearance. "Can you see?" she asked him. "Oh no, I'm blind, those who are blind-sighted are the ones who cannot see anything at all," he cited. "Oh, " the girl said, "I like your dog." The blind man was delighted, "Thank you." The two parted. The little girl waved goodbye. |
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8:16 P.M. The fugitive fell asleep in the same place she had the day before. She still felt very tired, and hadn't eaten ever since she separated from her mother. It was noticeable how dark it was getting when she looked up at the sky. Suddenly, bursts of color erupted in the air: red, blue, green, orange, yellow etc. Then it came to her: they were fireworks. Grabbing her stuffed bear and backpack, she quickly made her way around the corner and couldn't believe what she saw. It was the Galway Fair. Booths, banners, music stages, and tents were set up everywhere. It was crowded and noisy. She turned around and saw a familiar face. It was her mother, Eimear. The little girl was too weak to walk any further. Her mother ran to her and picked her up, beginning to cry and cry. Why? Perhaps it was because she was just so happy to see her again. A couple police cars and an ambulance arrived soon with a news crew. A group of spectators gathered around them. One reporter came up to them. "The missing child has now been found," the reporter stated to all. "What is her name?" the newscaster asked Eimear. "Muireann," Eimear replied. "Muireann Quinn," said her daughter. She had finally found her. |