"Where is Darcy?" Mr Stevenson asked, his voice barely above whisper.

Joanne placed the glass of water on the table. "She's asleep" she replied as she sat down on one of the chairs.

Mr Stevenson looked at his wife, worry masking his face as he placed his hand on her's. "She'll be fine honey" he said.

Joanne sighed, "Brad..." She trailed off. She wanted to tell him what happened in the morning. How Harold tried to treat Darcy. How eager she was to see the effect. How eager she was to get her child back. How she was hoping for something good.

But she was scared, well, more or less a feeling of guilt had engulfed her. She took a deep breath, "you trust me right?" Her voice cracked a bit. Brad look at her for a while slightly confused at the sudden question.

"Of course I do!" He replied giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

She sighed exasperatedly, "Harold visited again, today" she looked up at Brad. He just nodded. Joanne had already told Brad about Harold's visit the other day and his occupation too. What she didn't tell was what Harold told about Darcy, thinking that Brad won't believe in it.

"Well he said that Darcy is not ill." Her tone was now clear and more serious.

"What do you mean?" Brad frowned.

"He said she's poss.. Under some kind of control" she could feel a strange pain building up in her throat. With another deep breath she mustered up the courage and spilled everything in front of Brad.

For a moment Brad was shocked but then he got worried. "I'm sorry... I should've told you about it beforehand" Joanne said slightly nodding her head to herself. Tears trickled down her cheeks silently.

"Joanne it's okay.. Please don't cry" Brad said slowly rubbing her back. Joanne wiped away her tears, yet more of them made there way down her cheeks.

"Is Darcy alright?" Brad asked. Joanne simply nodded. She looked up at Brad and a weak smile formed on her lips, "She's better"

***

Joanne was on her bed sleeping beside Darcy like the other day. And beside Darcy Brad was fast asleep. Joanne's face looked pale under the dim light of the bedside lamp. She looked tired and her eyes weary but the sleep was less likely to come by. She tossed and turned on her part of the bed but to no avail. She couldn't sleep.

It was almost after an hour or so when finally Joanne's weary eyes gave in and she drifted off to sleep. But even that sleep was short lived. She woke up all of a sudden to the sound of someone's cry. Her eyes were wide open. She looked around the room for the source of the low weeping sound covered in almost darkness besides the light of the bedside lamp.

She sat on her bed, cold sweat covered her forehead. She looked at Brad, he was sleeping soundly, the weeping sound had no effect on him. Then her eyes rested on Darcy next to her and like her father she was sleeping peacefully too.

"Let me go" she heard another low cry. She couldn't recognize the voice but this time she found the source. She turned her head towards Darcy to confirm it. "Please let me go" she murmured in her sleep.

Joanne was taken aback. All the colours drained off her face. Darcy never talked in sleep and the voice, the voice wasn't Darcy's. Harold's words came back to her.

"At night if you notice anything strange be brave, don't be scared... face it, trust me it can't harm you.."

Darcy's face was covered in sweat. Her small hand forming into tiny fists. She looked terrified. "Help me. Give me a way. I won't come back" those words escaped Darcy's lips rendering Joanne speechless.

Joanne couldn't believe what she was seeing and neither she knew what to do. Whatever it was it wanted to go away but for it it needed Joanne's help.

Joanne took a deep breath. How can she help?

She got up from the bed. It needs a way. These words played in her mind. She started walking towards the window. Her heart was beating fast in her chest. Her legs trembled in fear making her stumble a little here and there.

When she reached the window she looked back at Darcy hoping what she was about to do was right. She looked up at the holy thread tied across the window. She gulped and leaned upward to reach the thread.

With a deep breath she started to untie it. She untied it at one end and looked back towards Darcy. She seemed calm.

Joanne looked down at the thread, confused, because she thought the thread was being the barrier.

She looked back up and froze in her place. Her eyes widened as her heart dropped. A tall black figure stood by the bed near Darcy's feet. For a moment it didn't moved. Joanne didn't knew what to do. She looked at figure and then at Darcy in horror. She was about to rush to Darcy's side when the figure started moving making her stop in her position. It started walking, straight towards Joanne.

Joanne's could feel her heart pounding loud in her ears. It's pace quickened.

'...face it...It can't harm you...'

Harold's voice rang in her ears. As the figure reached her she closed shut her eyes and covered her ears with both her hand and crouched down. She heard a loud high pitched scream which faded in a few seconds.

And then all she could hear and feel was her heartbeat. Her chest rose and fell as she slowly opened her eyes and removed her hands from over her ears.

She hurriedly got up and tied the thread again. Her whole body was trembling. Tears streamed down her eyes as she leaned her back against the wall. She covered her mouth with her hand as more tears escaped her eyes.

She was completely shook. Finally her eyes rested on Darcy and she rushed towards her. She sat by her side and caressed her hair. She was fine. A wave of relief washed over her. She looked at Brad. She didn't knew if he heard the scream or the low cries but he really seem unaffected.

Joanne sighed. The fact that it was not a dream made her believe that powers beyond any explanation exists around us.

What she faced that night was something out of this world. Something that people can't really explain. She didn't knew if she was ready to face something like this again. But in between all these she realized she was stronger than she thought she was and now whatever it was, it left. She got Darcy back. She knew the next day she'll see a happy Darcy and she did.

It was over.

____________________________

So yeah it's over.😊
I would just like to take a moment and thank every single one of you who have read and supported this book all along and of course the person for helping me write her story.😁😁😘😘😘

I hope I did justice to the story. I am not a great author but I tried my best to convey the emotions and situation as it was. I'm sorry if it was not as everyone expected. 😔

But Thank you really very much for sticking with me bearing with me. I love you all!💖💖

So it's a goodbye. Hope to see  y'all soon. 😁😁