Chapter sixteen

Terri begins walking down the hall towards her bedroom. As she starts to walk past Sara and Julie's room she stops. She hesitates as she reaches for the doorknob. She pushes the door open slowly not sure whether Sara and Julie are still asleep or not. She quietly steps into the room only to find that Sara and Julie are still fast asleep on the bed. She begins to worry a little as she makes her way across the room to them.

"Sara, Julie," she whispers as she stands next to the bed. She is answered only by silence. She stares down at the girls worriedly.

She reaches her hand out towards Sara getting ready to touch her shoulder when a hand suddenly grabs a hold of her arm. She jumps slightly as the hand grasps her arm tighter.

"Don't!"

She hears Lexi's voice and turns around startled. She hadn't even heard Lexi walk into the room.

"Lexi what are you doing?" Terri turns and looks at Lexi as she feels Lexi's grip tightening around her arm. "Ouch Lexi you're hurting me. Let go of my arm."

She tries to pull her arm free but Lexi's grip is to tight. Lexi's eyes seem distant and out of focus as Terri looks into them.

"Lexi," Terri whispers as she continues staring at Lexi.

Lexi shakes her head and blinks several times as she tries to figure out where she was at.

"What happened?" Lexi shakes her head in confusion as she let's go of Terri's arm. Terri rubs her arm as she looks into Lexi's eyes. "I'm sorry Terri."

Lexi frowns as she sees the dark red handprint around Terri's arm.

"It's okay," she gives Lexi a warm smile as she rubs the red handprint. "It will eventually go away."

"What were you doing in here?"

"I was on my way to bed and wanted to check on Sara and Julie. I thought that they would have been awake by now," Terri sounds worried as she speaks. "Why did you say don't when I started to touch Sara's shoulder?" She wonders, looking at Lexi curiously.

"I don't know exactly I don't even remember walking in here," Terri stares at her worriedly. "I just remember hearing this strange voice in my head as I started to walk past their room." She explains, looking towards Sara and Julie momentarily.

"What did this voice sound like?" Terri becomes suspicious as she continues to worry about her friend. "What did it say to you?"

"The voice was that of a woman's and she told me that Sara and Julie are trapped in the shadow realm. She told me that we need to help them but if we touch them we will be trapped there as well." Lexi explains as she looks back at Terri. "That's why I must have said don't and grabbed your arm."

"It looked like you were in a trance or something Lexi."

Terri begins to walk with Lexi out of the room but before they get halfway across the floor a strange whitish glow begins to fill the room.

"Sara and Julie need your help," a woman's voice floats towards them as they turn around, trying to shield their eyes from the light. "You must find a way to save them."

"Mom!" Lexi cries out in surprise as she recognizes her moms voice. "I thought you were dead."

She begins to cry as the light begins to dim as she finds herself looking up at her mom.

"I am dead sweetie I wish I could change that but I can't. We will be together again one day but for now you must find a way to save Sara and Julie."

Lexi reaches out without thinking to hug her mom but her arms just pass through her moms body.

Terri feels helpless as she watches Emily's form shimmer. "How can we help them?"

"You must find a way to break the spell that is trapping them in the shadow realm."

Lexi tries hard not to let any more tears fall from her eyes as she looks at her mom.

"How?"

Emily's image shimmers again and she begins to disappear. "Use the spell book."

"Mom!" Lexi cries out, unable to keep the tears held back any longer. "Please don't go yet."

"I'm sorry Lexi I wish I could stay longer sweetie but I must return to the shadow realm." Emily starts to fade away. "We will see each other again." Her voice whispers around the room as she disappears.

Lexi just stares blankly at the spot where her mom was just standing as tears run from her eyes.

"Lexi," Terri begins, unsure what to say to her, trying to comfort her friend. Lexi turns and wraps her arms around Terri, laying her head on Terri's shoulder as she cries, soaking Terri's sleeve with tears. "I know how it feels to lose a family member." She rubs Lexi's back gently as she speaks.

"Thanks Terri I'm glad to have you as a friend," Lexi's voice cracks as she sobs softly into Terri's shoulder. "I don't know what to do, I miss my mom so much and seeing her now just reminded me that she is no longer here." She quickly dries her eyes and looks up at Terri. "At least your sister wasn't really dead she is still here. My mom is gone for good she is never coming back."

She begins to walk away but Terri stops her.

"Look Lexi I really am sorry that you lost your mom. Now I'm not going to pretend that everything is going to get better right away. It takes time to heal from something like this. It will take time for you to get over losing your mom." Terri pulls Lexi to her and hugs her tightly. "I will always be here for you."

She looks into Lexi's eyes and smiles, then she does something that neither of them expect. She leans in and gently kisses Lexi.

I don't know why I just did that. She thinks as she breaks the kiss suddenly, blushing.

"I gotta go," Lexi runs out of the room, blushing as she runs down the hallway. Did Terri really just kiss me? She thinks as she leans against the wall. Why did she do that? She closes her eyes as she thinks about Terri kissing her.

"Why did I enjoy it?" She wonders out loud, her eyes still tightly shut.

"Enjoy what?" She hears Chris ask her suddenly, interrupting her thoughts.

She was so distracted by her thoughts that she hadn't heard him approaching her. She blushes as she looks at him awkwardly.

She blushes and looks away quickly as she pushes away her thoughts. "Nothing."

He sighs as he looks towards the bedroom door. "How is Sara and Julie doing?"

Lexi looks towards their bedroom and realizes the door was shut. She didn't remember opening or shutting the door when she ran out of the room.

"Are they awake yet?"

"No they aren't awake yet, but they aren't just asleep either."

She looks up and sees the confusion on his face from what she had said. She quickly explains everything to him. The visit from her mom and the warning that she had given to her and Terri. She tells him about how her mom had told her to find the book of spells and help Sara and Julie. She even tells him how she had felt after her mom had disappeared and how Terri was there to comfort her. The only thing she doesn't mention to him is how Terri had kissed her suddenly.

"So if you touch either one of them you will become trapped in the shadow realm with them?"

Lexi looks at him, puzzled by the expression on his face.

"Yeah you're not thinking of doing it are you Chris?" She sounds alarmed as she looks at him. "Are you seriously thinking about it Chris?" She looks at him, waiting on him to answer her. He just smiles at her. "You can't Chris we need you here."

"I have to Lexi. I have to try and save them," Chris reaches for the doorknob to Sara and Julie's room. Lexi grabs his arm and looks at him with saddened eyes.

"Chris you can't go into the shadow realm. If you do you will become trapped there as well," Lexi cries out as he pushes the door open.

"Look Lexi this is just something that I must do," he cries out as she lets go of his arm. He walks into the room and over to the bed. "I know I can save you." He whispers as he reaches out towards Sara's shoulder.

Lexi hesitates by the doorway, staring after Chris.

"Chris wait..." She calls out, running across the room after him.

She reaches out and grabs his arm just as Chris touches Sara's shoulder. They both collapse onto the floor fast asleep. Lexi starts to panic as she begins to be enveloped in darkness. She feels her heart racing as she begins to fall, spiraling through the darkness. After what had seemed like hours she feels herself on solid ground once again.

"Can you get off of me please?" Lexi hears Chris ask.

She smiles slightly before standing up.

"Sorry," Lexi climbs off him and reaches down to help him up. "Why did you have to touch Sara's shoulder now we're both trapped here." She shivers as she looks around. They were standing in front of Mason county high school but something about seeing it in the shadow realm made Lexi shiver with fear. "Why did we get brought here?" She wonders out loud as she starts to walk towards the school building.

"You didn't have to grab my arm Lexi. I told you that this is something I must do alone," Chris looks at her coldly as he passes Lexi and walks on ahead of her towards the entrance of the high school.

"I was trying to stop you!" Lexi yells at him as she tries to catch up to him.

He doesn't wait for her to catch up to him though. Chris walks on through the open doors and disappears from her view. By the time she makes it to the entrance of the high school, Chris is nowhere in sight. She enters the high school cautiously, trying not to make any noise.

What is going on with you Chris? She thinks as she starts walking down the long, dark hallways.

A loud crash just ahead of her causes her to stop suddenly and press herself up against the nearest wall scared. She listens intently for any other sounds. After hearing nothing else she creeps along the wall until she reaches the corner and sees a locker door laying on the floor but there didn't seem to be any signs of Chris or whatever else might have torn the door off anywhere around her.

"Lexi is that you?" She hears a voice behind her and jumps, slightly startled. It takes her a moment before she recognizes the voice. "What in the world are you doing here?"

Lexi turns around and smiles as she sees Sara.

"Sara it's so good to see that you are okay," Lexi exclaims excitedly as she runs over and hugs Sara, glad to see her. "I tried to stop Chris from touching your shoulder but he did it anyway. I grabbed his arm to try to stop him and we both fell asleep suddenly. When we arrived in the shadow realm he started acting differently. He said there was something he had to do alone and then he came in here."

"Chris is here too?" Sara sounds slightly excited that Chris was in the shadow realm too. "Where is he at now?" She looks around the hallway, hoping to see him.

"I don't know he came in here but by the time I walked into the high school he was already gone. I heard a loud crash and that's when I seen where a locker door had been pried off. I was about to go check out the locker when you startled me." Sara seems a little disappointed and looks at the ground. "Okay come on let's go try to find him."

They begin walking down the hall. Sara stops suddenly as they begin to pass the open locker.

"Hang on Lexi this is Terri's locker. If Chris pried it open then I wonder what he was looking for in her locker?" Sara wonders out loud as she sees that everything in Terri's locker had been gone through. Why would someone take anything from Terri's locker? She wonders as she begins to look through Terri's things, trying to see if anything was missing.

"I don't know is there anything missing?" Lexi asks as she begins to look around worried.

She can't help but to feel like they weren't alone, like someone was watching them from the shadows.

"No I don't think so but I'm not sure. It's hard to tell in all this mess though," Sara begins to sift through the books and papers.

"Sara can we please get out of here?" Lexi suddenly feels a cold breeze against the back of her neck. She shivers, but not from the cold air. She shivers from the fear beginning to creep up her spine. "Please Sara."

"Okay Lexi let's go," Sara whispers, they walk back towards the entrance quickly, almost running towards the double doors.

"Sara wait!" Lexi grabs Sara's arm and makes her stop. She looks towards the entrance with fear in her eyes. Sara follows her gaze to see what had Lexi so frightened. "Isn't that Thomas I thought he was killed by our father."

Lexi stares at Thomas, wondering why she was seeing him in the shadow realm.

"His spirit is trapped her along with everyone else that our father has killed including your mom Lexi."

Sara watches as tears begin to form in Lexi's eyes. It hurts Lexi every time she thinks about her mom and how she wouldn't ever get to be with her in the real world anymore.

"How do you know all that Sara?" Lexi wonders as she looks at Sara curiously. She remembers the visit from her eyes quickly.

"Because your mom tried to help me and Julie earlier," Sara goes on to explain how her and Julie were in trouble and then Emily was suddenly there behind them. "She explained everything that is going on."

"My mom visited me earlier and told me that I had to find the book and save you and Julie," Lexi pauses as she stares at the entrance, shivering slightly. "Sara we need to find another way out of here."

She becomes frightened as a second figure approaches Thomas.

"Quickly follow me," The girls hear a voice behind them and jumps. "Sorry girls I didn't mean to scare you."

Lexi smiles as she turns around and sees her mom, running over and hugging her tightly. "Mom!"

Lexi feels tears of joy forming in the corners of her eyes and running down her cheeks. Emily reaches up and wipes them away gently.

"Come on follow me."

Emily begins to walk deeper into the school. Lexi glances at Sara, slightly unsure of what to do.

Is that really my mom? She thinks as her and Sara begin to follow Emily through the school.

"Sara I don't think that's my mom," Lexi whispers as they follow Emily around a corner and down another hallway.

"Why do you think that's not your mom?" Sara looks over at Lexi curiously, waiting on Lexi to continue.

"I don't really know how to explain it but I know that she just isn't my mom," Lexi tries to explain to Sara. "Let's just go out the side entrance up ahead." Lexi whispers, looking up at the door ahead of them with a dimly glowing exit sign hanging over it.

"Okay, lets just hope there are no more surprises waiting for us outside."

As soon as they start to pass the door, Lexi shoves it open and they run outside, sprinting across the parking lot. Sara glimpses back and sees Emily standing in the doorway looking at them hatefully. Her form begins to shimmer as Sara and Lexi disappear from sight.

"I am very disappointed in you Amber," a voice hisses from the darkened hallway behind Amber.

"Griffin."

Griffin shakes his head disappointed as he approaches the girl standing in the doorway. Emily's form is gone, replaced by another girls. She looks like she can't be but around thirteen years old.

"All you had to do was lure them to me."

"It's not my fault they figured out that I wasn't Emily!" Amber tells him, her long black hair moves slightly even though there is no wind blowing. She turns and looks up at Griffin with her sad, bright green eyes. "I'm sorry daddy."

She looks down at her feet frightened.

"You are my daughter I could never harm you. I should have known they wouldn't have been tricked so easily," Griffin stares out into the darkness as he speaks calmly. "We will have them soon enough though. There are much worse things being set free in the shadow realm besides me to fear." He laughs to himself as he places an arm around his daughter. "We will be free to walk in the mortal world once again soon."

Amber places her head against her dads chest and sighs. "It's been so long since we were even in the mortal world it's probably changed so much."

Amber sighs again as she closes her eyes. Griffin looks down at his daughter and smiles.

"Come on we need to go check on Julie. Once we have Sara as well we will finally be free."

Amber sighs as they start to walk back into the high school. "Can't we just walk there please I hate shadow travelling. It always makes my stomach upset."

Amber pouts as they step in the middle of the gym. She feels the darkness closing in around her and sighs, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. As she begins to fall she clutches her stomach, trying not to get sick as she spins around and round in the darkness. As soon as she feels her feet touch solid ground again she falls to the ground. She feels herself suddenly being picked up and looks up towards the manor in front of them.

"Don't worry sweetie," Griffin mumbles calmly to Amber as she tries to speak.

She didn't know where they were. The house Griffin normally took her to was not the manor in front of them.

"Daddy, where are we?" She whispers as she begins to feel scared.

She begins to feel drowsy as she looks at her daddy.

"It's okay, everything is going to be fine. Take her up to an empty room and lay her down she needs to rest," Griffin orders the person carrying Amber. "Oh and don't forget to lock the door I don't want her disappearing."

Amber looks up but doesn't recognize the man holding her. He doesn't say anything as he carries her into the manor. Once he lays Amber down on an empty bed he locks the door and leaves to go find Griffin. He finds him standing at the end of the hallway standing in front of Julie's temporary cell.

"Where is my sister!" Julie yells as she tries to run at the door.

An invisible barrier keeps her from escaping the room however. She slams into it and is knocked to the ground.

"Will you stop doing that you aren't going to get free that easily," Griffin steps through the invisible barrier into the room. "Your sister will be captured soon enough." He reaches down and grabs her by the arm, yanking her back up to her feet. "Get up."

"Let go of me now!" Julie yells as she tries to yank her arm free from his grip.

He looks down at his hand, suddenly letting go of her arm, a searing pain running through his hand.

Griffin backs away from her slightly. "How did you just do that?"

He sees a red burn across the palm of his hand where he had a hold of her arm. Julie looks down at her arm baffled. She shakes her head slightly.

"I don't know..." Julie begins as she looks at him. "Do not touch me again or it will be worse the next time Griffin."

Her voice sounds different as she speaks, harsher and more dangerous. Griffin steps back through the barrier as he looks at Julie slightly terrified. Her arms begin to glow brightly at first. The glow begins to move all over her body as she hovers above the floor.

"What's happening to me?" Julie cries out as she floats towards the entrance, reaching her hand out to touch the barrier keeping her held prisoner.

The barrier flickers for a moment but stays in place, keeping her held prisoner. Preventing her from escaping.

"I'm not strong enough yet."

Julie's voice comes out harsh again almost like she is two completely different people. She suddenly collapses on the ground fast asleep, completely drained of energy. Griffin takes one last look at Julie before he slams the door shut.

"Arthur I want you to keep an eye on her. If anything else happens let me know immediately. I must hurry we don't have much time left." Griffin locks the door and reaches the key to Arthur before walking back down the hallway. He stops long enough to peek into his daughters room before heading to his study. "Now time to find Sara and end all of this." He says to himself as he sits down behind a large wooden desk and pulls out an ancient looking map.

Now where are you Sara? He thinks as he stares at the map.