Revenge is a dish best served cold.

It was a winter night. Snow was everywhere. I was in a party, with my old friend, Paul. The richest woman in the town had invited us and other many neighbours to have dinner in her mansion.

Her name was Karen. She was an old and friendly lady. She never mentioned the amount of money she had, but everybody knew that she was very rich. Karen lived with her new husband, Brian Green. But there was a strange legend related to Karen.

Twenty-five years ago, she had a beautiful daughter, her name was Miranda. Her hair was blond and brighter than the sun and her eyes were green, like the leaves of the healthiest tree. She was the happiest and prettiest girl in the town. Everyone liked her. But suddenly, two years ago, she completely disappeared. Karen was extremely sad and she panicked several times. So every single person in the town started to look for her for days and for weeks, but they never found her.

The dining room was enormous, just like the table in it. It was extremely long and there was only one chair at each end. Karen sat at one of those ends and I sat at the other one. The table was so long that I could not see her properly. There was a great window behind her. The time passed and a blizzard started to cover the garden with snow.

The time passed and people began to leave. But I did not leave. Paul asked me to wait for him while he was going to the toilet. I waited and waited. The time passed slowly, but it passed. Everybody, including servants, left the mansion. but I did not. I had to wait for Paul. While I was waiting I fell asleep on an armchair.

 More or less ten minutes later Paul woke me up. "I am sorry. I got lost. This mansion is enormous! I could not find the toilet, and then, I could not find the way back!" He said. "There is something more I have to tell you. Doors and windows on the ground floor are blocked. But do not worry, Karen says we can sleep here for this night." And then we went to sleep.

At three o'clock in the morning Paul woke me up and he took me to the Greens' bedroom. "This is a great opportunity for us," he said. "Why?" I asked. I was very confused and a little afraid. There were not any lamps in the corridor and I could hardly see anything. It was also quiet. I could hear my own heartbeat. But he ignored me.

He opened the door very very slowly. Then, he quickly took a knife from his pocket and killed Karen and Brian Green. I was shocked. Meanwhile, in the garden, a hand came out of the snow.

"What have you done!?" I said - another hand came out of the snow. "Are you serious?" He said - a very pale face came out - "Now,  we are going to be rich," - and now, the whole body came out.

Paul started to search in the wardrobes and cupboards in the bedroom. A door on the ground floor opened - while he was putting some jewelry in a bag, I stood looking at him. I could not move - the body went upstairs.

"Do I really know you?" I said - it crossed the corridor. He answered "What are you looking at? Have you seen a ghost?'' He started laughing, but his laugh did not last too long. He dropped the bag and the knife. He opened his eyes and his mouth. Just at that moment lightning lit the room. I turned round and I saw her.

Her hair was blond and brighter than the sun and  her eyes were green, like the leaves of the healthiest tree. It was Miranda! But now she was not smiling. Her body was cold. It was as white as snow. But her eyes were like fire.

Paul immediately knew what Miranda wanted to do. She wanted to kill him. Pretending to escape, he opened a window and jumped out. When I looked out of the window he was not moving. There was a spot of blood near him. He was dead.

I turned round and I saw Miranda looking at me. The blizzard became even stronger. The lightning sounded louder. The whistle of the wing was painful and so strong that it could break the windows. I could see anger in her eyes. I could smell my own fear. I was so afraid that I could not move. Terror paralyzed me.

Then, she turned round. She left the room. She crossed the corridor. She went downstairs. She opened the door. She left the mansion and disappeared in the snow. Then, Paul was dead. Then, revenge was served and Miranda could rest in peace. Then, there was silence.

David Pender Villalvilla.