Oona sat among the tall blades of grass of the bright, green Irish countryside. She looked into the dark gray sky, tears fell down her cold cheeks. Her home is falling apart because of her fathers condition and her mother says the food is running out. Oona twisted her bright red hair in her fingers. Oona remembered her fathers voice that morning, she remembered how he would stop every few words and breath slowly. Oona remembered that her father had gone unconscious yesterday when he had come home from the potato fields.
A raspy huffing sound floated into her ears from behind her. Jumping up, she turned.
“Hello?” She yelled. As her very own father came into view over the green hilltop, she gasped. The crisp winds blew her fathers hair around his face. His brow was covered in a shiny sweat and he held his chest tightly as he went on wheezing. Oona ran to her fathers side.
“Father!" Oona gasped, "Why are you here? Should you not be in the fields harvesting the potatoes?" She could sense that something was wrong.
“I...I...” His burly hand grasped harder at his sweaty chest. he started to sway where he stood. His already weakened knees suddenly gave way on the pathway of rocks. He fell to the cold wet ground. Oona fell to her knees beside him.
“Father?!” She started to scream frantically. She could feel his slowing heartbeat through his tan harvesting shirt. He reached up and took Oona's hand. He folded it onto his weakening heart.
“I knew this day would come.” He pulled her face close. Tears rolled down his face. Oona felt her heart twist in fear of what was happening. “I had a dream yesterday. In four years...there shall be...a famine." He touched Oona's warm, tearstained cheek. “You will go to the...ocean. You will leave..."
Oonas father lay on the path, breathing in slowly and calmly. "Father, stay with me, I am here."
"...Ireland in four...years. Eamon and Ailbe...your brothers...will follow in your footsteps.” He breathed in sharply and looked Oona in the eye.
“Daddy! Do not dare leave me. I need you! Please try to stay!” She cried into his hand.
“I love you child. You and your...mother are the stars...and the moon...to me. My sons are my...heirs. Let you all...prosper in...time. Tell your...mother I said... farewell and good luck. Tell her nothing...of my dream. I...love...you.”
His hand started to fall. His eyes started to close.
“No! Daddy, no! Don't you leave me! No! Please!!!” Tears streamed down Oona's face. They burned through her green eyes as she watched her daddy's soul depart. Shaking his shoulder she tried to wake him, though, she knew deep inside her heart, that he was gone.
“No,” She whispered to herself.
Leaning down to his ears she whispered “I love you daddy. Forever.” Kissing his cheek, and brushing the hair out of his lifeless eyes, she stood to go to Mama. To tell her mama how daddy was gone.
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