When the moon was full in the sky, Lily went to Clara's house. The air was heavy, almost thick, with an insurmountable feeling of dread. She could feel the weight of energy in the air, an oppressive burden that seemed to weigh upon her chest. Clara's son, Oliver, lay sleeping in his room, his brow furrowed as if trapped in a nightmare.
"Stay close," Lily said to Clara as she stepped into Oliver's room. The faint glow of a nightlight cast shadows that danced along the walls, creating an almost surreal environment.
Lily stepped up to the bed and laid her hand on Oliver's forehead. He stirred but didn't wake. "I'll need you to trust me," she whispered, focusing her energy on the boy. "I'll protect you."
She started repeating the incantation with each breath. Her voice was even and steady: Shadows swirled like restless spirits, flickering round the room. She seemed to conjure a sheath of light around Oliver, something that would contain him inside a protective cocoons that will push away the night falling within.
While that was happening in the room, the temperature had quickly dropped and icy winds swept out the nightlight in the room. The icy blast sent Lily's heart a racing as she could spot the shadow figure coming in to take shape at foot of the bed. Lily believed that this one was both darker and nastier.
"You think you could stop me?" the darkness hiss in its dissonant chorus of whispers. "This child is mine!
The shadow lunged at Oliver, but Lily had other plans. She released her energy into a hard wall of protection, letting the power of her past build her words. "I demand you leave!" she commanded in a voice alive with the strength of her elders' spirits.