CHAPTER 2: The signs

I felt someone tugging my hand and turned to see Gwen staring at me with concern written all over her face, "What are you staring at?" she asked " Do you see that on the tree?" I asked pointing at the tree "See what exactly?" she asked looking from the tree to me.

I turned immediately and just as she observed, there was nothing there, had I been hallucinating or daydreaming? but it was the face that had haunted my dreams that had stared at me some minutes ago. I shrugged deciding that maybe it was the trick of the light.

Gwen and I parted ways and I headed inside the house which was already bustling with activities as my younger sisters helped mom prepare dinner. I greeted my mom loudly and before I could escape to my room, she came running toward me and began checking my body for heaven knows what.

"Mom I don't have your earrings" I protested

"Who cares about those blasted earrings, are you alright Lena?" She asked while pulling me into a hug

"She heard about you and Gwen going to the library" Suzy my immediate younger sister filled in

I realized that the news must have spread quickly and I was touched that mom was so worried about me that she asked about my well-being before her earrings. I gently pulled her away and smiled, " I'm alright Mom, we left before it happened".

She visibly relaxed and let me go then I hurried up to my room in dire need of a shower and a long rest. No sooner had I entered my room, when my phone started ringing and when I looked at the caller ID it was Gwen, I wondered why she was calling.

"Hey Poppy" I greeted her with her nickname which she earned due to her obsession with the character Poppy from one of our bedtime stories as kids.

"Lena I think we're in trouble" she whispered but I could hear the tremor in her voice, "what do you mean we?" I asked unamused , I wasn't having it if she had gotten in trouble and wanted to drag me into it.

" I just got home and grandma was outside yelling something, i couldn't understand what at first but when i got closer to figure out what it was about…she grabbed me and she was crying, she said to me 'Gwen what have you done, you have doomed us all by releasing that beast' I'm scared Lena, i know i sound crazy but remember the tale in that book about the bloodthirsty beast that massacred his kingdom to quench his thirst until those sorcerers locked him up??"

I was too stunned by what she said to say anything, "Lena!! are you there???" She asked frantically, "I am but I'm confused, what has the book got to do with your grandma?" I asked for lack of what to say.

"Don't you get it, we have released the beast!!" She yelled, "I don't remember seeing any beast nor did I unlock any cage" I joked "Think about it, the library was demolished after we left" she lamented "They probably used cheap materials," I said nonchalantly as I took off my clothes.

" You think I'm a weirdo right," she asked her voice breaking and I rolled my eyes "Why would I think that, we have been best friends for 15 years," I said stretching, "but you don't believe me!" she complained.

I stared out the window and watched the skies darken rapidly, it was going to be a stormy night "Lena I'm not lying, grandma said the world is doomed" Gwen whispered now "Girl get a grip on yourself okay, the world isn't doomed and you didn't release any beast" I scolded mildly.

The rain had begun and I could hear my siblings downstairs taking the drums outside, Dad and Josh my oldest brother were probably at work, I just hoped they made it home before the streets flooded "I'm scared Lena, Grandma never lies you know" Gwen said in a tiny voice.

"Elena! come help your siblings immediately" Mom shouted and I groaned, "Gwen I've got to go, calm down okay everything will be fine we'll find out in the news tomorrow what happened okay" I said to pacify her.

"Okay, goodnight Lena" she said "Nighty night poppy," I said sweetly before ending the call, I looked out the window absorbing the feeling of the breeze and rain combined, however, I noticed something on the fence at the far end where the beech tree stood.

I couldn't really make out the shape but somehow I felt it was looking at me, i mentally chided myself blaming my delusions on Gwen's phone call but I still needed to make sure because it could be a bugler trying to use the weather and chaos to steal something.

As I moved away from the window, I realized to my horror that I'd been naked, I wanted the ground to swallow me I mean how could I have been so stupid as to stand naked for minutes and think about my supposed bugler, if it had been an actual bugler I had just encouraged him to come over by standing naked with the wind in my face like I was some sort of fabled siren.

I hurriedly put on a gown and went to check the beech tree to convince myself that I was just being paranoid. As I approached the tree, for some reason it felt ominous which was strange since I practically spent my tomboy phase here, i stiffened my spine and went closer determined to confirm that we weren't in danger of someone breaking into our home while we slept.

My feet were getting sticky as they sank deeper into the soil softened by the rain, something ran past causing me to flinch, I flashed my torchlight around my feet to see the offending culprit but instead saw something more terrifying than whatever I could have possibly imagined.