Disclaimer: don't own anything but the blu-ray dvd.

Also not beta'ed, 'cause I can't find anyone to do it for me.

Hope you enjoy it! and that I have the guts to continue.

I have loved to the point of madness; that which is called madness, that which to me, is the only sensible way to love.

- Francoise Sagan

*

They'd been running for a while now, Murphy didn't know for how long, and Connor thought they were lost. He came to a halt and looked over his shoulder. Murphy stopped next to him and brought his hands to his knees, looking at the brown grass and earth under his feet. The air was thin and hurt his lungs. He panted and murmured something that got lost in the ruthless north wind.

Connor fell on the soft grass and watched Murphy.

"I can't see 'er Murph, we've lost 'er!"

Murphy tried to catch his breath to say something, but failed. His face was as red as a beet and his shoes were covered in mud.

"Ye 'av ter move more often Murph, oi can 'ear ye lungs, they're screamin'!"

"Ain't… funny… Con… We've been… running.. all time!"

Murphy sat down, careful not to sit in something that might or might not have been the remains of a crow. He looked around. Brown hills and more hills as far as the eye can see. The wind was dancing in the long grass, maneuvering around pointy, grey rocks. He saw a bird high in the air, preying on mice. The sky was a thick blanket of grey. In the far left storm clouds were gathering and he could see a faint curtain of rain. This was the big nothing.

Ma would be furious. They weren't allowed to go this far and Murphy still had to clean the shed and weed the small field next to their cottage, because he lied he'd done it yesterday. And it was probably dinner time 'cause Murphy's stomach rumbled.

"I'm hungry. I want sausengers. Or stew."

"My arse's freezin' aff."

"Ma will be so mad if she finds out where we are."

"I want ter go home."

"I'm thirsty."

Connor rolled his eyes.

"Oh shut the fuck up Murph. Ye complain al' the time. There's no adventure in ye!"

"Where are we anyway?" Murphy tried not to sound scared, but his brother knew him too well. That's what twins were for.

Connor stood up and pointed to the west, to a small square of green amidst the brown. Murphy could barely see it.

"There's Kelly's ol' field, so the village must be behind it."

"But that's miles away Connor, I'm so tired!" Murphy sighed deeply.

"Can't ye enjoy this? We've never been this far I think!"

"Well I want ter go home." Murphy stood up, with a crabby look on his face.

"I'm not going to carry ye."

"I'm not a baby!"

"Yer actin' as one."

"AM NOT!"

Murphy tackled Connor, smacking him on the face. Not too hard though, 'cause Connor was his brother and Murphy loved him. They rolled down the hill, fighting and laughing. Murphy lost.

"So, why did she want to strangle ye?"

Connor folded his arms and looked sternly, imitating how Patrick O'Sullivan's dad had looked last week, when they tried to steal potatoes from his field.

Murphy pouted his lips and looked up to Connor. He didn't like it when Connor interrogated him, belittled him like a baby.

"I pushed 'er away an' she fell down. Ain't me fault!"

"Why?"

Murphy looked at his shoes and stammered.

"She… She tried ta kiss me."

"Haha, what!?"

"DON'T LAUGH CONNOR, not funny!"

"Alright alright,", Connor sniggered.

They started to walk back to the village, which was at least one hour away if they kept it up. It began to rain and the earth was getting soppy. It wouldn't take long before they were soaking wet.

"Don't ye like 'er? Saoirse is the most popular girl in town! But I think that brother of 'er's a bit strange."

"Eeeww… I don't like girls Connor!" Murphy exclaimed and shuddered demonstratively. Girls were weird. Why would he need them if he had a brother like Connor?

"Why not? Ma's a girl!"

"No she's not!"

"Yeah dumbass, she is. Maybe a bit older, but still a girl!"

"Well I don't like girls. I only like Ma an' yer."

"That's silly."

"Yer silly yerself."

"Well Saoirse is a floozie anyway so glad she didn't got ter kiss ye! You might get cooties!" Connor stuck out his tongue and giggled, slapping Murphy softly on his shoulder.

"Eww Connor, shut yer bake!" Murphy had had lice twice and the thought of girl cooties utterly terrified him. He scratched his head involuntarily and looked at his nails.

"Ssst, I can hear the Church bells."

Together they counted the clock strikes. It struck six times, the wind carrying the low sound over the dead hills.

"Fuck! It's dinner time!" Connor yelled. "Hurry up!"

"Ma said yer not allowed to say fuck Con."

"Fuck ma!"

They began running. The rain made it impossible to see a thing and Murphy tripped over a rock and landed head-down in the mud.

"Ouch! Now me clothes are all wet." Murphy tried to stand up, but slipped again, the mud now covering his whole body and face.

Connor helped him up. "Ma will be so pissed. Come on."

"Stupid hills. Why didn't Ma live in a place with a stran'? Or somewhere warm?"1

"We should ask Ma if she'll take us ter the stran' once. When she's not angry anymore."

"And when I've done me chores. I hate feeding the chickens. They peck me legs."

"That's 'cause ye smell!"

"Bloody brother!"

When they finally reached the cottage it was getting dark. The guard dog was sniffing Murphy, licking his muddy clothes as they walked to the crooked wooden front door Ma constructed herself when a big hail storm had tore off the first one. There was no point in sneaking in through the bedroom window, like they usually did, because they'd missed dinner, which they never did. Ma was a brilliant cook, or so Murphy thought. But she could get so scary when she was mad. And unbelievably strong.

Before they could knock on the door it flew open, almost hitting Connor's head. Ma came out, fuming with madness, her long, curly red hair sticking everywhere. She wore her greasy cooking apron, the wooden spoon that Connor bended one time still sticking out of the left pocket, red from tomato sauce. Her posture fit the whole door. She looked absolutely terrifying. They both swallowed, looking at each other before looking at ma.

Quickly she grabbed Murphy by the collar and Connor's ear, pinching it hard. She swiftly dragged them in, screaming:

"WHERE THE HELL 'AV YOU TWO BOYS BEEN!?"

1 Stran': beach