Life is Precious
Hermione's Tenth Birthday
The day was coming to an end. There were unwrapped presents strewn about the living room floor, dirty paper plates with frosting smudges, and party favors everywhere. The guest had left a few hours ago and everyone was exhausted, well everyone but Hermione and her seventeen year old half-sister, Mia. They were sitting in the family's backyard half way up the biggest tree they could climb. Their legs dangling off the branch, lost in thought as they look up into the stars. This has been a great day, nothing could ruin it.
"Happy Birthday Hermione. How does it feel to be ten?" Ma asked her little sister.
"I don't know, I haven't been this age before." Hermione stares off into the distance, the wind blowing a cold breeze past the sisters. "I think we should go inside, it's getting cold at night now." Mia nods her head and is starting to climb down the tree while Hermione continues to look at the stars waiting for Mia to move.
"Mia, do you think heaven is real?" Hermione asked her sister. She was lost in thought, star-gazing. Hermione and her half-sister sometimes get into these deep conversations about life, love, or even politics. Their parents would try to join the conversations, but the sisters were so far out of their league they stopped paying attention. It's not that their parents weren't smart, they are well educated people. The talks the girls had were really intense, especially for children their age. Their parents knew the girls were intelligent, but felt Hermione was something special. Mia on the other hand, she was smart but couldn't stay out of trouble. After losing her father when she was thirteen, she rebelled, got arrested, and was incarcerated more times than she can count. As well as being a high school dropout despite being incredibly intelligent.
Mia stops climbing, looks up at her sister, "I don't know. I would like to think so." Mia starts to climb down the tree just under Hermione. "Why don't you start climbing down, ok."
Hermione places her hands on each side of her and shimmies her body down. Her body was halfway leaned over the branch when her hands slip. She tries to bring her nads back up to grip the branch but the bark has worn away to reveal a smooth surface. Next thing she knew she was falling head first towards the ground unable to slow or stop the fall.
Mia looked back up just as she fell and tried to grab her. "AAAHHHHHHH!" Hermione screamed as she fell, there was a loud thud and a sound of something snapping, then ….. nothing.
"HERMIONE!" Mia yelled as she jumped the rest of the way down. She quickly but cautiously approached her sister. When she saw her crumpled body, her head pivoted at an angle that it should not, Hermione's eyes were open, glazed over, not focused on anything.
"Hermione, please! Come on lil sis, breath for me." Mia is sobbing hysterically trying to coax Hermione to show any sign of life but it's no use….
She's gone.
"Nnnnnooooo! This can't be happening." Mia's hands are shaking as she strokes Hermione's head. She brings her head up, looking towards the back door of the house. "Mum! Dad! Help me!" Mia screams towards the house.
Their parents come running out. "What happened?" Her father asked as he ran up and kneeled down next to Hermione on the other side of Mia.
Her mother is standing next to Mia . "Mia, what happened?" She grabs Mia by the shoulders and stands her up, she was shaking her by the shoulders. Mia is crying too much to speak clearly.
"She… fell."