(Book 2) Hayden Mackay and The Tears of the Maiden

14. Tears of the Maiden

"Son," my dad said, "I think we should end the topic here."

My dad too!

I just couldn't understand what they were hiding from me. I was so angry and frustrated that I couldn't stop shouting at both of them.

"YOU KNOW WHAT, I AM SO SICKENED BY YOU TWO, ALWAYS TRYINGT TO CONTROL ME. WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT'S SO BIG DEAL ABOUT..."

"SHUT UP HAYDEN!"

My mom shouted, stepping forward. I instantly stopped talking when I stared back at her teary eyes.

"I already told you that they are angry with me and they do not wish to meet me. Why don't you understand?"

"I'll understand once you tell me what had happened between you?"

"I am sorry," she said, "You are too young to know anything beyond this?"

"Too young?" I asked, raising my eyebrows, "Hello, I am almost thirteen."

"Yeah thirteen-year-old kid who still eats chocolates before dinner?"

"Wha...that is different."

"Hayden, that's it. You are grounded. And you are not spending time with your aunt this Christmas."

"You can't do that," I said, shocked. I was so looking forward for my aunt to visit. We already made so many plans for today.

"Of course I can," she said as my father started snickering, "You know why? Because I just did. Now go to your room."

Tyrell sneezed, dragging me back to the present. That was one of the many moments I had with my parents about this very topic. As much as I wanted to know about my maternal grandparents, I didn't think I was ready to know more about it, now that I was given a hint that she was a Thribhuvan.

Theodore Hanslay, Celina's uncle was taking us away out of the bar. Now that my mind was back, I found myself walking with others towards the adjacent direction of the entrance. Mr. Hanslay stopped abruptly and started kicking off newly piled up snow, as we all stood astonished looking at him.

"I wouldn't mind if you guys would give me a hand" he said.

"Give you a hand to do what, uncle?" asked Celina in a voice that would melt butter.

"To clear the snow from the basement door, It should be around here somewhere in the vicinity" he replied.

And soon enough after mucking around in the snow for a while, I was ready to give up, my fingers were really cold and turning blue. Celina hit pay dirt when she stumbled on it.

"Oh here it is, finally we all can get in." said Hanslay lifting up something like a iron grate cover, which had steps leading us downstairs into a long, dark tunnel.

We followed him through different turns. It was like a rabbit warren, dull, dank, dark and dimly lit with lamps. There were many passages branching off to the left and right, their destinations unknown. A sense of panic welled up within me. Left alone we would never be able to traverse this; we would be lost. I looked at Tyrell who looked back at me, he was as suspicious as I was.

"Are you positive, that he is your uncle?" he whispered at Celina.

"How do you mean?" she asked, with enough ice to cut him.

"I don't know," he said setting his jaw straight, "May be because we are trapped in a tunnel with no obvious escape route outside? Or maybe because this tunnel is VERY SCARY!"