Phoebe

She opened her eyes to utter darkness. She looked apprehensively for any source of light. There was none. She tried getting up only to learn she had been bounded to a bed. She writhed trying to rid herself of her restraints to no avail. She sighed before yelling for help.

"Is anyone there?" She squirmed again. "please help."

A light switched on out of nowhere but not in the room she was being held but outside. She saw the shadow to a door that the illumination had cast its shape.

"Can anyone hear me, please?"

She heard the knob of the door being turned. Someone was trying to enter. Still, for some reason, she didn't feel relieved but the contrary. She was even more terrified.

The door opened slowly to reveal the figure of a man standing at the doorway with a long slender object in his hand. He stood eerily for a while. She felt his eyes on her despite the fact she could not see them.

The moment he finally moved, she held her breath as though it would prevent him from being able to detect her. She opened her mouth yet she could not scream. Fear had made her mute.

He stepped slowly towards her. His hand still wielding the unidentified item.

He soon reached the edge of the bed and stopped again. Strangely, he looked away from her and looked to the right.

"Charles," A voice said from the darkness. The brightness of the light didn't reach the corner. But Phoebe recognized the voice. She knew that monotone and haunting accent. Feminine yet so void. It was calm but peremptory.

She was still unable to speak. Instead, she looked to her right and her eyes widened as the owner of the voice seemed to stand and walk to the path of the light.

She thought it would never be possible for them to meet again after those years under the rain but like the monster she was, she had come back to feast on her soul, and finish what she had started since her childhood.

The woman's face came to full view. The side of her face was exposed to the glow. She gaped at the familiar ghost from her harrowing past and finally found her voice.

"Mother." She said breathlessly as she let go of the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"Phoebe, my dear."

She remained quiet, not able to form a word.

"Why did you do it."

"Wha... what?"

"You hurt him, why?"

"who... a... are you talk... talking about."

"Jonah," she whispered her lips curved into an unnatural smile. "My grandson."

"No!" Phoebe cried out. "He is not yours, he was never yours, he will never be yours." Her vulnerable situation made it hurt all the more. They would make him one of them and destroy him

"Phoebe you don't deserve him," She reached out her hand and began stroking her daughter's face with the back of her wrinkled palm. "you let them hurt him."

Guilt shook through her body as she started to sob. Her mother was a demon but so was she.

"It's okay, dear." the old woman cooed "It's not your fault." She faced her daughter squarely. "You were able never to do anything right in past so what was to be expected?"

She hugged her weeping daughter before whispering into her ear. "I take good care of him for you," pulling away from the embrace. "he will be the best I could ever be and bring back our honour." She took her daughter's face in her hand, her grip becoming harsher and hurting her bounded daughter. "The one that you took from us."

She cackled as Charles seemly looked on at the mother and daughter.

☘☘☘☘

Phoebe jolted up from bed soaked head to toe in perspiration. It had been a nightmare. A nightmare that must never come to fruition. She thought looking at the table on her right containing white sheets and black chalk. She had to warn Jonah. He had to beware of the green snake in the green grass. Her mother.

☘☘☘☘

"She is not here?" Sarah asked bewildered.

She had come to the rehabilitation centre where Jonah's mother had been admitted.

"Yeah for the hundredth time," Kelly sighed heavily visibly annoyed. She was underpaid and stressed. Just two months here and she had enough already. This crazy lady had been here for almost thirty minutes pestering her about some Phoebe Douglas.

"What's the hitch?" Another staff in white called out.

"Steve, she keeps asking of a Phoebe Douglas" Happy someone had come to save her. "I told her that..."

"Did you say, Phoebe Douglas?" Steve asked as he reached the women.

"Yeah... wait you know her?" Kelly asked stunned.

"Steve Runt," putting out his hand out for Sarah and ignoring Kelly.

She took his hand in a firm handshake. "Sandy Colby." She flashed him a complacent smile. There was no way she was giving her real name. Only God knew how dangerous those people could be. They appeared well do enough to have spies. Especially if they were hiding something. Partially another reason was that this Steve seemed to be the sleazy kind of guy that would stalk the Facebook accounts of women he found attractive. That was something she could definitely do without.

The bastard! Always in heat, Kelly grimaced before quietly walking away. Leaving the two to talk.

☘☘☘☘

Sarah walked out of the building, her suspicions confirmed. The strangers particularly Jonah's "grandmother" had misled everyone. Phoebe was not an addict and in rehab. She was in a mental hospital and was a schizophrenic.