Chapter 32

"Kill the baby"A voice whispers through the rustle.

Irye is now clutching her ears and screaming as she hears another voice in her mind.

"Let me come out"she hears the voice say. "Am the only one who can fight her. Let me come out"

"Leave me alone"Irye yells and begins shivering.

Her eyes change from black to aquarium then back to black repeatedly. Evie squats near her, hugging her.

Gerrard looks around frustratingly, holding a stick in hand while Mae and Claude stand back to back around Grams.

The baby keeps on crying loudly which catches Irye's attention. She suddenly gets up–Evie following–and walks towards Grams.

A gust for wind pushes her to the tree and she falls. From the pain, she tries getting up. She's been hit hard, making it a bit difficult to get up.

Just by hearing the tormenting cries of the baby, Irye forces a stand. She bends, holding her knee with a hand and her rib side with the other.

Once she raises up her head, she sees shadowy hands stretching to the baby. The baby cries louder as the hands reach him. Irye runs over and hits it away from her baby brother.

Her eyes now fully are black and a sense of confidence and strength ejects from her. She stands in front Grams like a legendary heroine and uses her ears to follow the shadows movements.

Her eyes closed and her movements are fast. She is not in control of herself anymore. She seems not like herself and the family notice it.

She's been hiding that side of her for some time. It's high time they found out. They gather closely around Grams. Evie is worried about what's happening but is also worried about the family's reaction now that they've found out Irye.

"Irye, what is happening?"Mae asks loudly.

Irye turns and Mean flinches, almost missing a step. She sees Irye black eyes and is fazed. Claude is startled as he also looks at Irye and sees those eyes watching them.

"How would she know? We should be focused on how to overcome this"Evie shouts back.

Irye doesn't mind answering or explaining herself to anyone since she is focused on one thing and that is protecting the baby.

Something then catches her attention. Someone passes by, movements too fast that they pass by her. Before she could turn, Grams is pushed and the baby leaves her arms.

The relatives watch in shock as Gerrard quickly slides under baby and catches him when the he almost falls to the ground.

Fortunately, he lands in Gerrard's outstretched arms. He sighs in relief, hugging the baby tightly. The others help Grams up while Irye gets hold of something.

The person in a form of a shadow screech in pain, struggling to get away from Irye's grip.

Irye pulls it by the neck out of the tree's shade and holds it in place on the floor as the shadow struggle on the ground. Evie and the rest look on in fear as Irye wrestles with the shadowy thing on the floor.

Somehow, they take turns and Irye finds herself on her floor clutching the hands of the shadow on her neck.

After some time of struggle, Irye manages to push it off her but then she is held back again and this time, thrown .

Irye hits a tree near the boundary and falls. She cries in pain as she forces to stand. The shadow thing walks over menacingly to the McVenus relatives.

Irye watches it and pushes herself to walk. She feels extreme pain but that's the least of her problems that moment.

Gerrard takes fearful steps back and Claude stands in front of him in a way to protect them. Evie wants to run over to Irye but is also scared of that shadow. She stays back, praying for Irye to be okay and be fast.

Claude is pushed harshly that he hits the ground and the shadow stretches to the baby.

As soon as it's hands touch the baby, Irye gets a grip on its neck and pulls it back. She pins the shadow to the ground by the neck as it screeches in an eerie way.

It struggles under Irye but she has no intention of leaving it alone. Suddenly the wind stops blowing and the sky clears.

Irye looks up at the sky clearing and the the shadow takes the chance to vanish into thin air.

Irye turns, feeling nothing in her hands and realises the shadow is gone. She stand up, aching all over.

She takes in a deep breath and takes her steps weakly. Evie notices and begins walking hurriedly towards her.

Irye's vision blurrs and she falls to the ground.

The sky is bright and the birds chirp on the trees harmonising together with the wind blowing through the trees and rustling leaves.

Irye wakes up with a slight headache. She touches her head as her vision clears from the long sleep she had. She looks around and sees her family sit under the tree with tired faces.

They seem to have not slept out of fear that the baby might be taken away or even worse, killed.

The weather seems a bit chilled and the trees are dry. Many leaves fall to the ground. Irye sits upright and Evie asks how she's feeling.

"Am okay"Irye answers. "What's wrong with the weather?"

"I know right?"Evie looks at Irye. "It changed this dawn. I think we are in Autumn now. The season changed just like the date."

Irye sighs."I think there's more to come on the way. We should be prepared for that."she says with seriousness.