Wolf under an oak tree.
Chapter 4

Iris Hendrix

“Aunty Ilis! Wake up! it's morning. Aunty Ilis!” Beatrice kept jumping on my bed and continuously shaking me, which eventually woke me up. “Good morning, Aunty!” Beatrice exclaimed, and she jumped right into my arms for a cuddle.

“Good morning, sugar pie,” I replied, and we were cuddling for a few more minutes before she wriggled out from my arm and got down from the bed.

“Aunty Ilis, mommy called you down for breakfast. And can we go hunting for treasure after breakfast?” she asked me with a cute pout on her face which prevented me from saying no.

Uh, how can babies look adorable all day long?

“Sure hun, let's go replace treasure after breakfast, so why don't you run along and wear something nice?” I asked her and the smile that formed on her face, made me forget about all my fatigue, and I wished that I would have a family like theirs one day. With a loving husband and beautiful children to care for.

“I will be back in an iffy,” she said before dashing out of my room, making me smile at her cute baby accent. After Beatrice left, I got up from my bed and went into the washroom to take a shower.

“Good morning, lazy people!” I announced, when I entered the kitchen to see my brother and sister-in-law, sipping a mug of coffee with Beatrice eating her cereal.

“Well, the only people who are lazy in this house are you and my husband. And thank God, that my daughter didn't get those genes from you.” Ada replied, and Cole and I glared at her.

“You don't know the value of sleep.” Cole retorted, and I nodded my head.

“Yeah, you should seriously take a few sleeping pills before going to bed because waking up at three in the morning, doesn't sound healthy to me,” I said.

“Yeah right, I only wake up at that time, while I was studying or if I have to do a project for work,” she said, and I shook my head before serving a plate full of eggs, bacon, and toast.

“So, where are you two going today?” Cole asked, which pricked Beatrice’s interest.

“Aunty Ilis is taking me on treasure hunting,” Beatrice replied merrily, and I nodded my head.

“Where are you planning to go, Iris?” Cole asked.

“To the woods. But don't worry, we are not going to go too deep.” I said, but I can see the worried looks on their faces which made me anxious, too. Why are they uncomfortable with that? I mean, I have been taking Beatrice there every time I come here.

“Why do you two look worried?” I asked.

“Its because there was this news on tv a few days back that there were sightings of wolves in the woods, and Mr.Emerson, who owns most of the property in this town, told that he has contacted the wildlife authority to check on it and till then we must avoid the woods,” Ada replied.

“Wait! who is this Emerson guy? And why is he so concerned about the woods? It is not like it's his property, right?” I asked.

“Well actually, he is the one who has bought the entire woods that is surrounding the town, so technically, it is his. But he was generous enough to let the people in town use it as long as they keep it clean and they do not harm any animals there. ” Cole said, and I nodded my head.

“This guy must be pretty old to have that much money,” I said, and Ada had a sly smile on her face.

“To be honest, Mr.Emerson’s son, Jace Emerson, is the one who is running the family business and taking care of all the property. And he is one handsome lad, if I wasn't married at the moment, I would have surely gone after him.” Ada replied dreamily, and I saw that my brother was getting jealous out here.

“So it looks like I am not good enough for you, huh?” Cole asked, and Ada shook her head before giving him a reassuring kiss.

“You will always be my soulmate, Cole. And I was just joking.”

“Okay guys, I think Beatrice and I will make a move now, and you two can get on with your own Sunday activity,” I said, and then I held Beatrice’s hand, and both of us made our way to the foyer where we put on our boots and grabbed our equipment.

“Goodbye girls, have a great day digging,” Ada yelled from the kitchen.

“You two have a great day in bed!” I yelled back.

“We will sister,” Cole yelled back, and I giggled before leaving the house and making my way to the car.

“Aunty Illis?” Beatrice spoke after some time.

“Yes, sugar pie, do you want something to eat?” I asked her while concentrating on the road ahead.

“No, I am not hungry, but didn't mummy say that spending a lot of time in bed is bad for our health, then, why are they going to sleep again?” Beatrice asked me.

“I was just joking there, sugar pie, your mummy and daddy are going to have tons and tons of work at home,” I said, and she nodded her before looking outside again. After fifteen minutes of driving, I parked my car in the parking lot, and we started walking uphill. I have always taken Beatrice deeper into the woods to dig her so-called treasure, but since now that we can't do that, I am taking her to higher grounds.

By the time we reached the top, both of us were panting, but the radiant look on Beatrice's face made the hike worth it. “Okay, so you dig in here, while I dig over there where there is a tree, alright?”

“Sure, aunty Ilis,” Beatrice replied before she took her spade from my hand and ran to start digging. And I made my way to the oak tree and started examining it. The soil in one part of the tree looked uneven, and it didn't look natural, so I took my spade and started digging it, didn't take me long before my spade hit something hard, and I quickly bend on my knees, and started dusting the soil. The excitement and the adrenaline that I get when I replace a relic is, what I was experiencing now too, but this time, I feel like whatever is buried inside is calling my name.

I pulled the object out from the ground, and it was a worn-out jewelry box.

Who would bury a jewelry box here?