8.

Ester Leigh Fontaine's first day of big school goes well so as far as Chris can tell. He saw her as she entered school grounds and watched as she entered her new classroom for the first time. He seen her play during her morning break and during her lunch and he seen her twice in class as he passed by on the outside of the window as he moved by to attend to his duties. All appeared well and fine. The child interacted well with those around her, and nothing came out of the ordinary.

On day three of school some of the teachers, parents and a number of older students could not help but comment on how vibrant the flowering arrangements on and off the school premises are, some even speaking to an extent to speak of the arrangements inside the building going round by the reception area. Some comments speaking of the amount of growth which has occurred in some areas, it is unnatural they say but then again observations may not be fully correct.

Maybe memories are not they are thought to be. Maybe arrangements were always bright; maybe it's the new temporary groundskeeper but this sudden noticing of the floral arrangements both on and around the school premises is happening to so many people, both younger and older. Chris receives a degree of credit for it and has no idea of how to react to that. Of course, he looks after the arrangements though nothing he done brought about anything special.

What Chris does not see or hear are the odd comment or two directed at a possible relationship little Ester appears to have with some of those floral arrangements. It is quite unusual to see such a young child pay so much attention to plants and flowers. However, on day six of school Chris does observe taunts from some children, taunts directed at Ester.

Ester is upset by but doesn't respond to the taunts. She is shy and doesn't mix well with others. She seemed to mix well that first day but that changed. Trying to move away from her tormentors, the taunts turn physical as others begin to push and shove her about. It is only a matter of time until Ester is completely knocked over and then something happens that even with all that has come and gone already, if Chris didn't see it for himself then he most likely wouldn't believe it.

A temper is lost, and a rage builds within a four-year-old, the likes of which would normally be thought impossible for someone so young. There is so much control too despite the rage. Nearby floral arrangements begin to move and grow beyond belief, as if they were alive or have all of a sudden come alive ... becoming entities onto themselves. The movement is quick, the size is unnatural, and vines move to attack three of Ester's tormentors. People don't know how to react or what it is they can do.

Vines, large, thick, and strong grab three of those kids, by the arms first, then by the legs and then around the throats. Adults and older children do what they can, but the vines are thick, they are strong. Chris moves in quickly and does the one thing he can do. He sweeps Ester up off the ground and into his arms then begins to run, run off from the school grounds.

He does this not so much to protect Ester but to protect the other children and it actually begins to work. The vines weaken but only a little. The three children in the playground are still being strangled. The further away from the playground Chris gets with Ester, the weaker the vines become.

All floral arrangements soon return to regular settings. Two of the attacked children cough frantically and regain composure readily enough, the third is unconscious though is still alive. A hospital visit with a three day stay and all is well ... to a degree at least.

At home in the Fontaine family home, a conversation cannot be put off any longer ...

9.

It is late in the evening on the day when events at school had taken a serious turn. It is beyond Jim and probably more so beyond Chris that no authorities have come calling to the Fontaine family home. Surely such a thing happening is only a matter of time, if not in the coming hours and days then in the coming months or a couple of years at the latest. That is unless something else could be done first.

Maybe those in position to place blame are unaware of where that blame should be placed or as to if it can be placed at all. Maybe what has occurred is so odd and unusual that if an attempt to blame a child for it would seem far too ridiculous to be believed. Whatever is believed, no one comes knocking to the door of the Fontaine family home.

Ester is in bed sound asleep. Mum Estelle has joined Dad Jim and garden center employee Chris at the kitchen table. There are three steaming hot mugs of coffee on this table, one for each adult and not even one of those drinks are being paid any attention.

'Estelle ... honey' speaks Jim, 'you know we have a problem here, right? Forget whatever it is that comes through you, forget all of what is altered by your own presence, put aside any supernatural debate, how what is happening is possible or as to why it is happening, we know that Ester is a problem. Can you admit to that?'

Estelle looks at her husband and in her own way silently speaks, almost telepathically putting across her own question, 'what is it you expect me to say?'

'The power within our daughter, it is not natural and has been harmful as I am sure her ability is meant to be. As much as we wish she has been put on this Earth to help others, she hasn't. She is here to hurt, to cause harm and or death. Hell, one girl is already dead. There could have been three more deaths. We can debate too all we like to the fact that none of this is on our hands, but it is on our hands.'

Estelle remains silent as does Chris.

'Yeah, she is just a child but what will her future be like? How many more people will she hurt or even kill?'

'So ... what are you suggesting?' Estelle's silence finally broken verbally, 'what is it you wanna do?'

'I don't know. This is what we are here to discuss.'

'No, no, there is nothing to discuss. Ester is our daughter. She remains with us. We are not doing anything to her, we are not putting her anywhere, there is absolutely nothing to decide except possibly homeschooling her and the likes.'

'Ester ... love, is that what your heart tells you? Is it what your head is telling you? Chris, tell her what you saw.'

'It is true Missus Fontaine ...'

'Chris, you know better, call me Estelle ...'

'... Estelle ... it is true ... your daughter is of darkness. You must know this. I am sure you have known since before she was born, and you probably knew of something before you even knew you were pregnant. You may have known something of a shadow, or of a touch or even of both perhaps?'

Estelle looks at Chris as if she were completely lost and confused though at the same time, she knows exactly what it is that Chris is saying as she also knows what her husband is saying. Wanting to believe or not is a luxury that anyone can afford. She contemplates for a moment or two about what she should say next but before she does get to speak something else happens.

Indeed, things are about to take a turn and talk about supernatural. The chair Chris so happens to be sitting on is ripped from under him as if someone has grabbed the back two legs right close to the floor and pulled them with immense force. Since Chris, Jim and Estelle have been sitting at a table, Chris first clatters the table with his head and hands before crumbling to the floor.

Something then grabs Chris by the legs, both legs, right at the ankles, drags him clear away from the table and off towards the kitchen doorway. It is a shadow that has Chris, a shadow which lays flat on the ground apart what has reached up off it to grab his ankles. Both Jim and Estelle move up and out of their seats in reaction to what is happening. But what is it that has Chris? What does it want? And what can Jim and Estelle do about it?

The kitchen door opens, and Chris suddenly is no longer being pulled. That shadow. It's gone. Laying on his front with his legs closest to the door that any other part of him, Chris lifts his head and turns to see what may be beyond that door. It is clear from where Jim and Estelle are standing that Chris can see something but what it is, he sees Jim and Estelle can't be sure as they both have yet to move far enough along to see out into the hallway.

They move quickly to see. Just out in the hall close to the kitchen door, Ester is standing in her pajamas holding onto to her favourite stuffed toy.

'Mommy, mommy' the little girl calls out. 'The shadow man woke me ...'

The three adults look at one another, Chris from the floor from which he is yet to get up off from. It is in this moment that Estelle realizes that yeah, something will need to be done.