Chapter eight

I watched as old Magritte walked to a sofa at the other side of the living room. 

The sofa was old and sunk down as she sat on it. 

Old Magritte was a very old woman but had widened eyes which reveals to people that she had obviously not been getting any sleep at all. 

Her clothes were old and had different miserable marks and holes all over. 

Her face had wrinkles and her teeth was hardly visible whenever she spoke because of the saggy lips she had. 

Her hair was made into a ridiculous looking bun and her feet looked like she had'nt visited the bathroom before. 

I can't even say any different for her house. 

I observed the house from within and it turned out not to be bad. 

Yes, the inside wasn't bad. It was actually worse.  

She hung things from the ceiling that looked like charms. It creeped me out more than the old barn. 

What does this woman do? Is she some sort of... I don't even know what to call her or this! 

So dirty and covered with different charms and pendants. 

"Sit over there." Old Magritte said to me. 

I shook back into reality and nodded at her. 

For a moment there I almost forgot I was holding a portrait and had questions I had to ask about it. 

When I saw the stool she had gestured to, I knew I couldn't sit on such a mess. So, I took out a cloth in my bag and spread it over the stool before sitting on it. 

"What did you just do?" Old Magritte asked me. 

"The stool was dirty." I replied her. 

"Remove the clothe and sit on it." She said. 

I got up and removed the clothe, folded it and put it back into my bag. 

I sat on the filthy stool and felt like I was about to puke. 

Yuck. 

If not for the fact that I really needed answers from her, I wouldn't be doing this. 

"So you wanted to know why people don't believe whatever I tell them?" Old Magritte asked. 

I had come for a different reason entirely but I guess this had also caught my attention when she mentioned it at the door.

Before I ask her anything I can at least find out if she is a reliable source of information.  

"Yes, I would really like to know why you say so." I replied her. 

"I see things." Old Magritte said. 

I looked at her and felt that she was being a little out of it. 

"Um okay." I said simply. 

"I don't mean that kind of seeing things." Old Magritte said. 

"I mean I see the supernatural. I see... Beyond the things a normal human can see." Old Magritte added. 

"What sort of things are you talking about?" I asked. 

"I see demons, witches, all that is in the dark and immortal realms around this place. This town is not what it seems. There is more that you do not know." Old Magritte said. 

At this point I felt a huge lump in my throat. 

This is really scaring me. What was I thinking coming to this place? This woman is crazy. 

But then again, if she can really see those evil spirits as she just said she does, then that means that she can help my situation. 

I'm not the brave hearted type and I'm so shocked that I have made it this far. 

"So..." I tried to speak out. 

"Tell me child. What are you here for?" She asked me. 

"Since you claim that you see beyond the normal human ability then I'm sure you can help explain and offer solution to my problem." I said to her. 

"Speak. Tell me what the problem is. 

This was the moment I revealed the picture fully to her. 

Old Magritte had noticed it in my hand before but I had kept the side with the girl's picture away from her view. 

Old Magritte looked away immediately she saw the picture of the girl and her wooden doll. 

"She!" Old Magritte exclaimed. 

"She! She only comes out for only the most delicate missions. She is one of the most high ranking demons under the unknown." Old Magritte responded. 

"What?! I mean yes, I know it's a demon but why is a high ranking demon after me?" I asked old Magritte. 

"That means your case is being decided upon in the underworld. You are being closely watched. They are monitoring your every move." Old Magritte replied. 

"What do you mean? I haven't wronged anyone before and I'm sure I've never had anything to do with demons that would connect me to them." I said.  

Fear was written all over my face. To hear this kind of information was definitely not what I had expected. 

I had thought that it was all a coincidence and all this was just out of my bad luck but it now seems the enter universe has turned its back against me. 

"What case? What are they deciding upon? Why me?" I kept firing questions at Old Magritte. 

"Beware child. The demon who's name is 'She' is a dubious and dangerous one. There is something you did that connected you to them not so long ago." Old Magritte answered. 

"Something I did? Like what? What was it I did?" I asked, looking more confused than ever. 

"That is what I'm going to find out now." Old Magritte said. 

Old Magritte made some noises and rolled her eyes to different directions. 

"You and your husband tried to make a baby at midnight on Halloween night?!" Old Magritte yelled. 

"No, we didn't. I remember the next morning after Halloween well. He told me that I was going to take a bath but I was so tired and ended up sleeping without my clothes on." I replied, looking at her strangely. 

"No! Your husband kept it secret from you. You had seen demons in the process and acted strangely at that moment. That is why he lied. He lied so you wouldn't remember your behavior that night." Old Magritte explained. 

Henry lied to me? But why would he keep the secret away that I am pregnant? 

It can't be. It just can't. 

Flashback... 

"Wait! Feed me the baby! You don't know what you're doing!" She screamed out in many voices. 

Flashback ends... 

The demon who had appeared to me in the middle of the road had mentioned a baby. 

Of course, how did I not note that? 

I'm so stupid. 

"Yes! Yes! Why did you do that?! Couldn't it have been a different night?! Why at the midnight of Halloween?! Why!" She shouted. 

My body shivered and I felt goosebumps all over my body. What have I done?! I just connected myself with demons and the evils of this town. 

My life is going to be such a mess! Heck! My life is already a mess! What am I going to do?! 

"You have brought calamity to yourself and the world! You are the chosen for the new born. The child of Lucifer himself will come into this earth in human form and you are the one it will happen through!" Old Magritte yelled. 

Tears welled up in my eyes and I let it pour out. 

What did she mean? Was I going to give birth to the devil himself? 

"How can I stop this from happening?" I asked. 

She could see how scared and I was and truly I am scared. 

I mean, which woman would be happy to know that she had a demon in her belly? 

"There is no stopping it now? What has happened cannot be reversed!" Old Magritte replied. 

I knelt down before her and begged her in tears.

"Please! There has to be a solution! Please! I beg of you!" I screamed out. 

"Young woman! You are wasting your time! The child in you can never be harmed no matter what you try to do!" Old Magritte said. 

I stayed on the floor still knelt before her. 

"There must be something that can be done! Please! Please help me!" I screamed again. 

"Get away! I said nothing can be done! A lot of demons will put you through he'll during this period of your pregnancy! You will suffer a lot of agony during that child birth. Be ready for the worst!" Old Magritte said. 

I didn't know what else to say. I just closed my eyes tightly and cried bitterly in my palms. 

This remains my destiny. To be tortured by demons all my life? 

But why did the first demon say she wanted to eat the baby and the second wanted I and my baby under her control? 

The first demon had called her the enemy of Lucifer.  

"But aren't those other two demons the enemies of Lucifer?" I asked old Magritte. 

"They are the worshippers of Lucifer and not the enemies. They had lied to you. But one thing is for sure, they can't harm the baby but they can feed on fear and also you." Old Magritte said in response. 

"How would they eat me and still not harm the baby? If I'm dead then how will the baby be birthed?" I asked. 

"I never said they would eat you whole did I?" Old Magritte said. 

I gulped and stared at her fearfully. 

"Then what do you mean by eat me?" I asked, obviously scared to know her answer to the question. 

"They will feed on different parts of your body when they feel like it." Old Magritte said.