After the Turning [c o m p l e t e d]

Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Intruder

Angie

“Hush little baby don’t be afraid

Mama’s going to buy you a mocking bird...” Hollie sang.

She had Angie cuddled up in her loving warm arms again, like she was her child. It was to help keep the nightmares away. Angie realized that they weren’t so bad if Hollie hugged her to sleep, so she asked her to do it every night.

The little one’s consciousness slowly faded away as she sang. Her eyelids started to feel heavy and soon they were shut. She felt a tender kiss on her forehead. “Goodnight sweet,” said the lovely voice. In Angie’s subconscious state, she could feel Hollie leave her. The demon made quiet steps and shut the door behind her, allowing the girl to sleep soundlessly.

There were no dreams. Angie’s sleep was just emptiness and darkness. But that was what she preferred; at least it wasn’t the monster’s face—anything was better than the monster’s face. The girl sighed as she rested. Her face was calm and serene.

It was a cold and dark night, which gave it an ominous overtone. But Angie told herself that nothing was wrong and Hollie would protect her. The girl tried to remain strong, as long as Hollie was by her side. She believed that it was for her father; that she wasn’t allowed to make him worry so that he could find peace with the stars.

However, this night was not safe, as a dangerous presence lingered. It had awakened Angie from her dreamless sleep.

“Wake up sleepy head,” a stern voice said. It was definitely not Hollie’s—it belonged to a man.

Angie opened her lazy eyes. He was a blurry figure at first, but soon she realized that something was amiss.

Her body shot up and she backed away from the intruder. “Who are you?” she said. “H-Holli—“

The man covered her mouth and placed a finger to his lips. “Shh, keep quiet. I’m not here to hurt you.” He gave her a smile. It was a fake smile that hid a sinister motive hidden behind it, but as a young innocent girl, Angie did not find anything suspicious about it. “I’ll keep my hands off you if you promise to be quiet okay?”

The girl consented by nodding her head. Her eyes were still widened with shock. The man removed his hand slowly, ready to cover her mouth again if she dared try anything funny.

“HOLLIE—“

His hand was over her mouth in less than a second. “Be quiet!” He was soft, though he sounded threatening at the same time. He emitted a soft growl. 

Angie whimpered, but did not utter a single word. She stared blankly at the man, and a tear escaped her eye. Her lower lip quivered slightly.  

“I’m here to be of help my little one,” he said. “I have some information that you might like to know.”

The girl remained silent.

“You shouldn’t trust Hollie,” he said.

The girl replied with a low timid voice. “She takes care of me.”

He stroked her cheek. “How gullible; you see, you shouldn’t trust everybody that is nice to you. People are never truly how they appear.”

“I want Hollie.”

“Oh shut up about her already.” The man let out an annoyed sigh. “She’s been lying to you all this time.”

“I don’t trust you.”

He smiled. “Ah, the little girl learns fast. Let me tell you a secret.”

A feeling in her chest told her that she didn’t really want to know what the secret was.

“You should trust me because I tell you the truth,” he said.

“Leave me alone.”

“I know who killed your father.”

 Angie gulped. She never liked to talk about her father’s death. It made her shiver.

The man leaned closer, cornering her against the wall. “She probably talked to you just a while ago; I bet you were being played around her fingers like a baby.”

Her heart sank. She couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t possible. “Hollie wouldn’t...”

The man chuckled. “No it’s not Hollie. Take this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple vial. It was no larger than his thumb and had a slimy dark liquid inside. He grabbed Angie’s hand and placed it into her palm. “You can have your revenge.”

She held onto the vial carefully, not certain about how she should handle it. “What is it?”

“It’s poison,” the man said. Angie dropped the bottle onto the bed immediately. “Don’t worry, it only works on demons.” He picked it up and put it into Angie’s grasp again. “Take care of it. You’ll need it. If a demon drinks the whole thing he’ll pass out.”

“I don’t want it.”

The man grinned. “The person that killed your father is called Evelyn; some other people call her Jane. You will be meeting her soon.”

“Take it back.”

“Use this against her if you want your revenge. Leave the rest to me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Angie said. Tears began to trickle down her eyes.

The man whispered into Angie’s ear. “Don’t trust any of them; I’m here to help. Hollie sides with your father’s killer. She will hurt you.”

“I don’t believe you. Just leave me alone!” Angie sobbed. She choked on her breath. The man was tormenting her slowly, and she didn’t know how to deal with it. She wanted to call for Hollie but she was afraid that he’d punish her.

The man placed two fingers on her forehead and murmured something. It was in a language that Angie couldn’t understand. A faint golden light shined from his fingers before dimming down.

He brushed his hands together. “Now that’s settled. I just protected your thoughts.”

“Protect my thoughts?”

“I hope you do well with your task. Remember; don’t tell anyone, something bad might happen.” The man let out a deep wicked chuckle.

There was a huge gust of wind. Angie blinked her eyes, and when she opened them, the intruder was gone.

“Hollie!” she finally dared to shout. She looked at the little vial. It was a weapon; a dangerous weapon. Angie tucked it under her pillow, hoping to forget about it quickly. But the thoughts of revenge lingered in her mind.

I know who killed your father... called Evelyn... use this against her...

The door slammed open and Hollie came rushing in. “What is it Angie? Is something wrong?” Her brows were knitted into a worried pattern. Angie opened her arms and Hollie hugged her. “Are you okay?”

Angie shook her head and began crying loudly. “Somebody came.”

“Was it another nightmare?”

“Maybe,” Angie tightened her grip over Hollie. “It was just like a nightmare.”