Chapter 30

"Evie, check your phone."Irye says, her forehead creased while she looks at her phone.

"Why...what's wrong?"Evie asks, alarmed on what other trouble there is with the mysterious place they are in.

She switches it on and takes in a sharp breath. Her eyes widen and her mouth open.

The others curious to know what's going on with on theirs. Grams sits under the tree, careless of what's happening because she's had enough of all that. She is focused on nursing the baby. She has packed some milk since she hopes the baby be found. She wants to give the baby food before they take him home.

"What the heck!"Mae almost shouts, standing up.

"How can this be?..."Claude asks rhetorically. "It wasn't like this yesterday. How come it changed and is so..... strange?"

"Today's date should be twentieth of April...why does it say seventh of October?"Evie asks. "And the year is more shocking. Why are we in 2000 instead of 2017?"

"Right.. am not the only one seeing this right?"Irye tries to confirm. "I don't think it's a problem with our phone. It's more like a problem with this place."

Gerrard paces."It stops our time and makes us live back in time. Is this place some kind of time wave disguised as a forest?"

"Wait...today's date is seventh of October, 2000."Irye makes them look at her.

"Well that's what our phones say. What are you getting at?"Evie says.

"It's...my date of birth."Irye continues.

Evie takes in a sharp breath "That's right...it is. But has it got something to with this place?"

"Am not sure. The Month, Year and Day are all too similar... they are the same to say it has nothing to do with this place."Irye answers.

"So then it really has got something to do with you...right?"Gerrard asks.

Irye shrugs and stands up. She leaves under the tree shade.

"I wonder why my mom and her husband decided to come here in the first place."She says in a low tone. "Why were they found dead outside the boundary where no one can return once they enter? Their tent is here together with my baby brother which means they were here."she adds, looking at her step brother sleep in Grams arms peacefully.

"The question should be how they got outside the boundary when it traps you here."Gerrard corrects. "Could it be that someone brought them out? If so then who did. That person might be the only one to help us go home."

Irye walks to the boundary and touches it. Somehow, she feels attracted to it. As if it's pulling her. She takes off her glasses and contact lens to take a good look at the boundary.

Maybe those still black eyes of hers might make her see something she's never seen. She moves more closer that her body touch the boundary.

As if she is being pulled into it, she becomes startled and take some steps back. She looks up at the bright sky, squinting her eyes from the effect of the sun.

"What else could there be?"she asks herself. "Is there any clue for us to be able to go home?"

"Irye"someone taps her and she hurriedly puts on the glasses. Her contact lenses fall.

Not wanting to make a suspicious call to whoever taps her, she doesn't mind to search for it. She turns slowly to the person.

"Gerrard...what are you doing here?"she asks out of nowhere.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? We are all gathered there..."Gerrard points. "Except for someone."he smiles sarcastically.

"Oh...I was just wondering why this boundary is here and why all these things are happening."Irye rubs her shoulder, looking at the boundary.

"Can you see the boundary?"Gerrard asks getting serious.

Irye scoffs. "What are you saying?. It's right there. Can't you see it?"

"No I....can't"Gerrard answers.

"Wait, what?"Irye asks, ready to laugh but the look on Gerrard's face spells seriousness.

She pulls back her smile."Are you serious? You...you really can't see it?"

Gerrard nods."You can ask any of them if they see it too. Am sure they also don't." He calls Claude. "Unless I touch it or it pushes me back when I try going out, I won't know there is a boundary. All I see is the path we came from. It's like there's nothing there."

Claude comes. "What's up? What you guys doing here?"

"Can you see the boundary?"Irye asks.

"The boundary? Well... do you see it?. What makes you think I will see it when you don't?"Claude answers.

"You also don't?"Irye sounds surprised.

"What is wrong with her?"Claude asks Gerrard.

"She sees the boundary."Gerrard tells him.

"What?!"Claude shouts. Gerrard covers his mouth quickly so he doesn't catch the other's attention.

Too late as Evie becomes interested in what going on there.

"You mean you really can see it?"Claude the same question Gerrard asked. "I don't even know where it starts from unless I try going through and it pushes me."

"I told her that but she doesn't believe"Gerrard tells Claude.

"Do you know where it begins from?"Claude asks and Irye nods.

She points it and holds Claude's hand towards it. He feels it and open his mouth widely.

"This place is really connected to you. It has something to do with you."Claude says.

"What has got to do with Irye"Evie cuts in, standing behind the three.

They turn to her, watching her walk towards them.

"Hey....chill. Overprotective heroine"Gerrard teases. "We are just trying to figure out things here"

Evie laughs. "You better be...because I won't wait a minute to crash your bones if you dare say anything ill".

They tell her about Irye being able to see the boundary and somehow, she doesn't seem surprised. She just pretends not to know anything about it.

"But won't you take this off?"Gerrard cuts in after a while of chit chat.

He points the glasses Irye is wearing.

"I don't want to...I guess am getting used to it."Irye says.

"What the heck are you saying"Gerrard stretches his arms to her.

She takes some steps back only to be pushed back by the boundary. Gerrard luckily gets hold of her glasses and removes them.

Evie turns to Irye in worry. She looks at her eyes and takes in a sheep breath, pointing at them.