Chapter 19

It's a weekend and Bethel is seen in Irye's room.The day is bright and apparently Irye's downstairs together with the McVenus relatives watching tele. Well it's not as if she is watching,she just feels stuffy to stay in the room so she gets out to join them.

After the whole trouble with Blake,She hasn't contacted him yet and Blake is also waiting for her to call.

She sits on the sofa thinking about all that being recently happening. Whether she should set a space between her and her family also or stay by their side.

She exhales long, causing Evie to stare at her anxiously.

Seeing her lost in thoughts,Bethel takes it as an opportunity to sneak into her room.

Bethel stands,looking around to find something suspicious. She walks deeper into the room searching something that will conclude her suspicions.

She turns to go after not being able to find anything,when Irye's phone beeped. She stops and looks at the phone on the bed and figured she might find something in it.

She takes the phone and switches it on.

Irye who thinks there nothing important in it, decides not to put a lock on it making it easy for Bethel to open it.

She taps on the most easier way to find an information. She sees the name Blake and taps on it. Scrolling up and down,something catches her eyes.A message Blake sent.

"Hey"she reads"Are you calm now?"

"Hey, am fine now"Irye replies.

"Don't let it bother you okay. We'll find a way. Don't put the burden of what you did on yourself. Tell me when you feel ready to free yourself of it."Blake sends.

Bethel rolls her eyes thinking Blake is all lovey-dovey with Irye but something tags at her. She reads the message again.

"The burden of what she did" Bethel asks rhetorically to herself."What did she do?"she muses.

Curiousity killing her, she continues reading.

"I don't wanna think about that. Can we change the topic?"She reads a message from Irye.

"Ok as you say. But whenever you feel it coming, you should call me"Blake replies.

"Haaha! You think you can fight it. I mean the surge of strength I feel whenever it comes is unbelievable. You may get hurt."Irye writes.

The puzzles seem to fall in now but there's one thing she doesn't understand. What is that 'it' they are talking about. If it is dangerous when it comes then Anne must have experienced something painful.

She decided to go ask Anne. The moment she turns, her head hits a body.

As if time stopped to her,she freezes with her head bowed. She begins thinking of an explanation because she already knows who it is that is there.

***

The family sit enjoying the tv show and laughing their stomachs out,Irye feels bored still thinking about Mae's words.

Those she started to care for are scared of her. It's right if she is not around them to make them feel uncomfortable.

She thinks she should go out for some fresh air. She gets up walking to the main door when she remembers.

"Ah, I would need something to keep me company too."She speaks to herself.

She will need her phone if she wants to listen to music that moment. She turns and walk towards the stairs.

Evie in the midst of all the noise Grams and her cousins are making,still has eyes on Irye.

Irye enters her room only to see her step sister near her bed. She keeps mute since Bethel didn't notice her presence so she could get a knowledge of what she is doing in there.

She hears Bethel read quietly and asks herself questions while she begins to fume.

***

"What are you doing here?"Irye pretends not to know.

Her breath is low and her demeanour is kept between normal and changing anytime.She tries to control her rage reminding herself about Anne's encounter with her.

Her mother explained that it shares her emotions with her so she dares not to get angry.

"Am asking you."she speaks "What? Can't you say it?"Irye keeps her breath still.

"What is it to you? Can't I come in here?"Bethel voices out.

Well with hell with it. She's been caught already. Lying would just make her a coward so she chooses to be bold and face it. And also with the motive to annoy Irye so she would know what she and Blake were talking about.

"You may be born first but you don't belong here,don't you know?"Bethel says with a raised eyebrow.

"Daddy never acknowledged you since my time here so don't think you own this house or something."She shrugs purposely to make Irye livid.

Nonetheless,Irye keeps her cool, reminding herself for the thousandth time that she won't be a monster because of Bethel.

"Even your mom does not. Am I right?"She continues."So don't ask me what am doing in here. After all this will all belong to me later."Bethel chuckles, crossing her arms.

Downstairs, Evie who's been waiting to see if Irye will come back becomes bored of waiting and decides to go and keep her company.

She stops at Irye's door after hearing all the annoying words coming out from Bethel's mouth.

"You should get out before I lose my temper."Irye finally speaks trying hard to forget Bethel's words.

"You wouldn't want to leave with an arm,an eye and a leg because that's what I think I would do to you."her voice still low and calm."So....please stop and go..."

"And what if I don't?"Bethel cuts in.

She looks into Irye's eyes and sees something else.They seem to be begging not commanding.

Her demeanour changes. Irye would never beg no matter who you are. She's always been the carefree and nothing to lose type. Why would she beg her even if she is not saying it.

That would mean that she is hiding something that is very important.

These thoughts makes Bethel think she is on the right path to see the so called 'it'. She smirks and thinks of firing Irye up.

"For someone who's been abandoned by her parents, I don't think you should act sassy"She glares at Irye as she spits her words.

Irye could feel her own self falling deep into darkness. She could sense the surge and wishes for Bethel run out as fast as she can. Even if Bethel has insulted her enough to beat Bethel to a pulp, she wouldn't allow the other her to emerge.

Evie, outside thinks of budging in and doing Irye's job for her but keeps calm to see how Irye would react.

She prays dearly that Irye would just shut her step sister's mouth so she waits.

"Please"Irye's voice becomes shaky.

She is holding on a thin rope and walking on broken glasses now. She would lose her conscious self anytime.

"Just go away"Too late but she already lost it."You didn't listen baby girl"a heavy voice now speaking.

Bethel flinches at one glance at the pitch black eyes glaring at her. She walks back and steadily. Scared to her pants, she can't think of her plans anymore. She just wants to get away now so she plans on that rather.

Irye walks closer, anger exuding from her. She gets hold of Bethel who's trying to run away and raises her up by an arm.

"I told you an arm would come off."she says sinisterly and laughs before using her other hand to pull Bethel's lower half.

Bethel shrieks in pain and Evie rushes in.

Her eyes widely looking at the situation at hand.

"Irye."she calls "It's okay now. I bet she has learnt her lesson." Evie continues, walking to her.

Irye turns her head slowly to Evie and once Evie looks into her eyes, she freezes.