Chapter the Third

Iraella was seeing things that she never wanted to see again.
Hideous, disgusting creatures. Their faces were as black as ash. Their eyes were red as blood. Their teeth were brown and their bodies were scrawny and bony, as if they had never eaten anything in their lives. And they were setting fire to her house. To Baeddan’s house down the street. To old Mrs. Shaumas’s cottage. To her childhood friend’s musty shack. To everyone’s home. Iraella wanted to scream, but she let out nothing but a forceful sob.
In the midst of the madness, one girl-no, a fairy, was crouching on the cracked dirt ground as the creatures ran around her, laughing with hideous grins on their disgusting faces. Iraella knew who it was. Nasia. The fairy raised her head, and instead of that beautiful smile was a face of pain and anguish, tears making tracks on her face.
“Make it stop!” Iraella thought. Nasia turned her head sharply, as if she had heard something. Then Iraella saw what Nasia had noticed. Baeddan, trying to fight off one of the monsters. Iraella could see the ugly thing laughing, backing away, taunting Baeddan on. Then she saw that the creature was holding a small boy, squirming and crying. Iraella wanted it all to stop, to leave this awful place, to get out and get back to the comfort of her family. But it wouldn’t stop.
Although Iraella couldn’t hear, she could see Baeddan shouting at the monster, trying to angle his sword so that he wouldn’t hit the boy. Finally, Baeddan dropped his sword and made a daring lunge for the creature and grabbed the child. Then he ran. He ran until Iraella couldn’t see him anymore.
Nasia returned to her sobbing. “Do something, fairy!” thought Iraella, suddenly angered. Then it turned to sadness all over again. All she wanted was to go away.
And suddenly, it was all over.
Iraella opened her eyes and they weren’t burning anymore. She saw in front of her Baeddan’s face, full of tiredness and concern. She felt the warmth in Eamon’s rough hand. She heard Silera’s cries of relief. Nothing hurt. Everything was fine.
Iraella sat up. “Can you hear us?” Baeddan asked, now over beside Eamon. “Yes,” Iraella replied.
“Could you hear us before?” asked Eamon, concern in his voice. “No,” Iraella said, shaking her head. Iraella tried to keep her voice from trembling as she spoke. “I saw things, Baeddan,” she said, looking meaningfully into his eyes. “Creatures of dark, Nasia, you, houses being burnt down, Baeddan,” she paused to wipe the start of tears from her eyes. “Something is happening in the near future. Something horrible,” the girl shook her head. “I don’t know how, but we must stop it.”
The sheer emotion in her voice gave Baeddan chills. “I’m sure it was all just because you were feeling sick, dear,” Silera said, kissing her daughter’s forehead.
Iraella looked at Baeddan again, then at Eamon. Her father shook his head. “No, darling. I think you need some sleep,” he said.
Baeddan gave the slightest nod to show that he believed her, and Iraella smiled ever so slightly. At least someone understood.