THE CURSE OF SPRING

Six years ago 

The girl ran as fast as her legs could carry her, the sound of barking dogs and shouting propelling her forward. She mentally berated herself for walking so far from her home. Miss Emily had warned her time and time again, but she was looking for different flowers for her collection and she had already picked and pressed all the ones which grew within the orphanage grounds.  

She darted between trees, trying to find the best route - but she'd never been his far before and she didn't know the terrain. She couldn't go much further, her heart thumped against her ribs, her lungs burning with every breath she took. 

The girl pushed her pale blonde hair from her face, surveying the area as best as a fourteen year old could, but nothing looked familiar. She regretted the letter she had written in her diary to Wynter where she complained that life was so boring within the orphanage. At least boring things didn't try to kill you. 

The sound of barking dogs seemed to be getting nearer, spurring her into action again. Her feet beat the ground in a steady pace until she found herself at the edge of a river, the water flowing deep but sedately. 

There was no going back - not if she wanted to remain out of the clutches of the military and their team of sadistic scientists. She was going to have to swim. She considered removing her shoes before she leaped into the water, but quicky rejected that idea.  No ways was she running over the rocky terrain barefoot. 

"Halt! Stop right there, young lady!" came the call from a uniformed man, his voice harsh and his demeanour indicated that he was used to being obeyed.  

Without a second glance, the girl dived into the water, holding her breath underwater. The current was stronger than she'd anticipated, pulling her quicky away from the man and his associates who were gathering on the bank. 

One. Two. Bullets flew past her as she remained under water.  Three. The blinding pain which shot through her leg caught her off guard and she let out a silent scream, the air exiting her lungs uncontrollably. Water flooded her mouth and she fought to push herself to the surface, but the water was strong and as soon as she made it to the surface she was pulled under again.  

The brief gasps of air made her lungs feel as if they were going to explode. Dark spots distorted her vision and she could hear her own heart beating in her ears.

"This is the end," she thought to herself. "This is how I'm going to die, and I never even got to tell Wynter that I loved him." 

It might have been silly teenage love, but it felt as if it could stand the test of time.  She used to dream of the day when their curse would be broken - when they no longer spent three quarters of their lives asleep, only waking during their specific season.  How she longed to experience a season other than spring, she knew Wynter had felt the same way about the winter season. 

He had written about it in the diary they kept, writing in it while they were awake so that the other could read and add to. It was his words that she had fallen in love with at first, the way he described every little part of winter as if it were pure magic. She had longed to experience it with him - yet now she was going to die, and he would never know how she felt. 

Her blood seemed to freeze as water flooded her mouth once again, she felt her foot hit the river bed and she kicked up as hard as she could, trying to get back to the surface. A sharp pain assaulted her head as it hit a rock, her vision blinded by bright stars before it turned into pitch black.

And she felt nothingness consume her. 

She didn't feel her body being pulled from the water by strong, rough hands. She didn't feel the water being expelled from her lungs as she was given CPR. She didn't hear the relief in the voice of the man who saved her when she breathed. 

The first thing she was aware of was waking up in a warm bed, her head throbbing as the sound of someone moving around the room stirred her from her blissful slumber. 

"Ah, you're awake," came a gruff voice before a middle aged man dressed in black jeans and a leather jacket came into view. 

He had an earring in one ear and she could see the hint of a tattoo climbing up his neck. His knuckles had tattoos on them too. She wasn't sure if it was the tattoos or the long beard which made him look intimidating, but his appearance was belied by his kind eyes which looked down on her questioningly. 

"You alright there, love?" 

She tried to respond but her throat was dry, her voice coming out in a cough. He walked to a pitcher of water and poured it for her, helping her to take a sip.  

"Thank you," she finally managed to say softly.  

He smiled at her, his whole face lighting up as his eyes crinkled in the corners. 

"My name's Jay, I own this place." He spread his arms to indicate the room - although she was pretty sure he meant more than just the bedroom. "What's your name?" 

She felt her heart sink as her mind came up empty - she had no memory prior to waking up a few moments ago. She rubbed her forehead, hoping it would help pull things into place, but it didn't.  

Her voice quivered and she felt tears prick her eyes as she responded honestly, "I don't know."