Chapter twenty six

"Girls I thought I told you to go to bed," Sara and Julie hear their father cry out from down the hall. "Don't make me come in there."

"We're sorry daddy," both girls cry out, slightly giggling as they lay back on Julie's bed. As Sara begins to drift off to sleep she pulls Julie close to her, cuddling up to her sister.

"Good night Sara," Julie mumbles as she snuggles up to her sister.

Sara smiles at her sister and closes her eyes. She can feel herself beginning to float through the darkness as she enters the shadow realm. When she opens her eyes she finds herself standing in a large meadow surrounded by wildflowers.

"Hey Sara I'm happy your back," Sara hears Olivia's voice and turns around cheerfully.

Sara hadn't known Olivia long but she had a feeling that the two of them were going to be great friends.

"Olivia its good to see you again," Sara runs over to Olivia, hugging her friend tightly. "So what are we doing here?" She becomes curious, looking around the meadow.

"Don't you think it's pretty here?" Olivia looks up at Sara and pouts slightly.

"Yes it's very lovely," Sara exclaims, giving Olivia a warm smile. "So what is that?" She looks towards the book in Olivia's hands.

"I need your help Sara. My father must never find this book," Olivia tells Sara, holding the book out to Sara. "Please you have to take it."

"What do you want me to do with it?" Sara wonders, taking the book of Olivia and looking down at it curiously.

"Will you take and hide it for me in the real world?" As Sara looks back at Olivia she can see the fear and worry in her eyes.

"Yes I will but please tell me what's wrong Olivia," Sara holds the book with one arm while placing her free hand on Olivia's shoulder.

"My father is trying to steal that book from my mom. If he has the book then he can break free from the shadow realm. If he escapes who knows what he will do once he is in the mortal world."

"Don't worry Olivia your father won't get this book. I will keep it safe," Olivia looks up at Sara, trying to give her a fake smile but she can't. There's something else bothering you isn't there?" Sara asks as she sees the fear building up in Olivia's eyes.

"Things are beginning to change in the shadow realm Sara. There is a man called Anubis looking for me. He is working with my father to get the book back," Olivia cries out, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. Sara takes her shirt sleeve and wipes the tears from Olivia's eyes. "I wish I could be back in the real world."

"Don't worry Olivia I won't let anyone get the book and I'm sure there is some way for you to come back into the real world with me."

"Its not that simple Sara. I am trapped here I can't leave until the spell that binds me to this place is removed," Olivia explains quickly to Sara. "And without my sister with me, no one can break the spell that binds us here."

"Well Olivia I'm going to help you. I will find a way to free you from this place I promise," Before she can say anything else she feels the darkness pulling at her. It surrounds her, pulling her away from the shadow realm. "Noo..." She cries out, sitting up in her bed.

She looks around, but Olivia was gone. She was back in the real world, laying on her own bed. She had no idea how she had gotten from Julie's bed to her own. She feels something in her hands and looks down to see the book Olivia had reach her. 'I have to hide this somewhere safe.' She thinks, starting to climb out of bed. Before she can move more then an inch, the bedroom light flickers on and she looks up to see her dad standing in the doorway with worried eyes.

"Sara what's wrong are you alright?" Jerry asks as he walks over to her bed. "I heard you scream and had to come check on you."

Sara looks up at him cautiously as she holds the book tightly against her chest.

"I'm fine daddy."

Sara groans, trying to slip the book under her covers before her dad could see it. He stops her though grabbing her arm as he looks down at the book curiously.

"What book do you have sweetie?" The curiosity rising in his voice as he reaches for the book.

"Daddy no don't..." Sara cries out, trying to keep him from picking up the book. He grabs the book anyway, flipping it over in his hands.

"Where did you get this?" His voice just above a whisper.

As soon as he opens the book cover he feels a jolt, like an electrical shock running through his body. He falls to the ground suddenly, shaking violently.

"Daddy!" Sara cries out, looking down at her father with fearful eyes. Jerry becomes still, barely breathing as he lays on the floor. "Daddy get up." Sara pleads as tears form in her eyes. Sara crawls to the edge of her bed, looking down into her father's eyes.

"Sara what's going on?" Sara hears Julie cry out sleepily. She looks over to see her sister sitting up in her bed still half asleep.

"Where did you get this book?" Her father demands. Sara glances back down at the floor where her father was just laying. She becomes frightened to see that he was no longer laying there. "Tell me now." He screams at Sara. She jumps when she feels him grab her arms. As she turns to face him, she begins to panic.

"Daddy stop, this isn't you," she cries out to him.

She begins to cry softly. Her father looks at her strangely, his face twisting up in confusion. For a moment he seems disoriented. After a moment his face relaxes and he pulls Sara out of bed.

"You're right about one thing this isn't your father anymore. Now come with me its time to get rid of the two of you," he cries out, walking over and yanking Julie out of bed as well.

He begins to drag the girls out of the room and down the hall. As soon as they are out in the hall, he stops. Standing in front of him, trying to stop him was Kendra.

"Jerry what are you doing?" She asks, looking at her daughters with worry. "Where do you think you are going?" She screams out.

He just looks at her and smiles. "Get out of my way."

He forces the girls onto the floor and shoves Kendra out of his way. He grabs the girls arms again and drags the girls down the stairs.

"Mommy help us!" Sara cries out, crying as Jerry drags her and her sister out the front door and into the cold darkness of night.

Kendra hears her daughters crying out for help as she stands up and runs down the stairs. As she reaches the front door she sees Jerry throwing Sara and Julie into the back seat of his car. Sara looks out the back glass, her hand pressed against the back glass as Jerry drives away with her and Julie.

"Sara what's going on?" Julie sniffles a little as she looks at her sister. Sara pulls Julie close to her, holding her tightly as she tries to comfort her.

"I'm not sure but I won't let anything happen to you Julie," Sara promises, rubbing her sisters back.

Julie stays snuggled up to her sister, afraid to let go. Sara turns her head and stares out the window, staring out into the darkness around them as they drive down the road. She had no clue how long they had been driving. The car begins to slow suddenly, coming to a stop in front of an old farmhouse. Sara's heart begins to pound against her chest as she starts to panic.

"Soon girls I will be free to walk in the mortal world in my own body," Jerry laughs, climbing out of the car quickly. He unlocks the back doors and drags Sara and Julie from the car. "Don't worry your sacrifices will not be for nothing." He continues to laugh as he ties the girls up.

"Sara I'm really scared," Julie tries to grab Sara's hand but Sara is to far away from her.

Sara can hear the fear in Julies voice and looks at the ground as she begins to cry.

"I know Julie but just try to remain calm. I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Sara promises, trying to make Julie feel safe. "Julie trust me please everything will be okay."

"It's almost time girls everything is nearly ready," Jerry smirks, opening the book and looking up at the sky.

Thunder begins booming off in the distance as lightning dances across the sky above them. The wind begins to howl, causing Sara and Julie to shiver.

"You can't do this we are your daughters," Julie cries out at Jerry. Jerry turns and looks at Julie with curious eyes.

"I told you once already your father isn't here right now," his eyes flicker up to the night sky as the moon begins to emerge from behind the storm clouds. "Ah now it is finally time."

He holds the book up over his head, letting the moonlight shine down on it. The symbol on the front begins to glow, dimly at first then brighter and brighter until Jerry has to look away.

"Daddy please don't do this!" Sara cries out, her voice comes out shaky and panicky as the book continues to glow.

Suddenly a flash of white light bursts from the book, hitting Sara in the chest. She falls to the ground, closing her eyes as pain shoots through her body. She can feel the white light burning through her veins. Once it has travelled through every vein in her body, she collapses to the ground motionless. Another burst of light erupts from the book and hits Julie, causing her to collapse on the ground by her sister.

"Finally now it is time to end this," Jerry pulls a stone dagger out from behind his back as he walks over to the two girls and bends down beside of them.

"Daddy please if you are there don't do this. You are stronger then this," Julie whispers, trying to raise herself up.

"Your father is weak," Jerry mumbles, lowering the knife towards Julie's stomach. "I'm sorry but I must do this so my family can be freed." He looks up suddenly as he hears the roar of an engine heading towards them. "I must do this now."

He begins to push the knife towards Julie's stomach.

"Our father is not weak," Sara seethes, anger rising up inside her.

The rope around her arms falls to the ground as she begins to glow. She looks at Jerry hatefully.

"And you will not harm me or my sister," she yells, beginning to glow brighter. Bluish white flames begin to engulf her. Jerry drops the knife and begins to back away slowly. "Leave us alone."

She sends a ball of white flames at Jerry. The flames barely miss his head but as he looks at Sara, she can see the fear in his eyes. She closes her eyes and let's loose a giant ball of light that envelopes all of them. Jerry begins to panic as the flames move closer and closer to him inside the ball of light.

"You cannot defeat me that easily," Jerry cries out to Sara.

As she opens her eyes the ball of light explodes, knocking her to the ground. Sara raises her head up slightly but Jerry was no where to be seen. She crawls over to where Julie was laying, silently praying that she was alright.

"Julie everything is alright now," Sara says as she unties the ropes binding Julie's arms together.

As her hand brushes Julie's she begins to feel drowsy. The last thing she hears before falling asleep was the sound of her uncles voice calling her name as he runs towards her and Julie.

~

Sara raises up and looks around the room cautiously. She could sense that there was someone else in the room with her though it was to dark to really see anything. She wants to move but she is afraid to. Before she can do anything she feels the bed drop slightly. Sara begins concentrating, willing a small ball of white flames to form in the palm of her hand. It quickly illuminates the room and Sara finds herself staring into Olivia's pale blue eyes.

"Sara how are you feeling?" Olivia wonders curiously as she looks back into Sara's eyes.

"I'm fine Olivia and I remember everything."

The flames in her hand begins to glow a little brighter. She looks up at Olivia not with hatred but with sorrow in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry to have brought all this upon you Sara, it's my fault for everything that has happened to you," Olivia tells her. She looks down as she begins to cry. "I'm sorry Sara, I can understand if you hate me."

"I don't hate you Olivia you were just doing what you thought would be best," Sara raises Olivia's head up with her other hand and smiles at her warmly.

"I know you are looking for your sister Julie and I know how you can get into Griffin's manor without him knowing. But once we rescue your sister you must help me rescue my sister Amber." Olivia explains to Sara, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Amber is your sister?" Sara asks Olivia curiously, raising on up on the bed. Olivia stares at Sara cautiously, watching the white flames burn brighter in Sara's hand.

"Yes she is, I thought she was still being held prisoner by Griffin," Olivia continues watching the flames nervously as they dance along Sara's hand. "Could you please put the flames out, I'll turn the light on." Sara waits until she flips on the light and then closes her hand, making the flames disappear.

"Griffin doesn't have your sister anymore. I met her before I came her. Me and my friend Lexi helped set your mom free from that mausoleum. I thought they were helping us but your mom handed Amber over to Anubis."

"How could my mom do that?" Olivia mumbles to herself. "Why would she just hand Amber over to Anubis?" Sara can see the hurt and confusion in Olivia's eyes and reaches out, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Olivia this place has changed her. I know she is your mom but she has changed," Sara pulls Olivia into a hug. "Don't worry I will help you get Amber back." Olivia leans her head on Sara's shoulder and sighs. Sara takes Olivia's hand in hers as she looks at her.

"Sara this place will change us all eventually."

"We will be out of the shadow realm long before anything like that happens to us," she shudders as she thinks about the ghoul that attacked her earlier. How was she supposed to tell Lexi she banished her mom.

"I hope so Sara, otherwise I fear what will happen to us," Olivia sighs and closes her eyes.

Sara sits there, wondering how Julie is doing. She hoped that Julie was alright. Olivia yawns and snuggles against Sara, her head still laying on Sara's shoulder as she drifts off to sleep.

"Soon Julie you will be rescued and we will all be out of the shadow realm."

Sara smiles at the thought of being reunited with her sister again. Olivia begins tossing and shivering in her sleep, falling back onto the bed. Sara looks at her, both curious and worried as she wonders what Olivia could be dreaming about. Sara begins to stand up when she feels Olivia's hand grip hers tightly.

"Sara is everything alright?" Sara looks up at the doorway to see Megan standing there looking at Olivia with worried eyes. "What happened to her?"

"I'm not sure she seemed pretty tired," Sara says as she watches Olivia tossing around on the bed. "She must be having a really bad dream."

"I wouldn't worry to much about it she done this the other night too," Megan says, walking over and sitting down on the bed by Sara. "You know she spent the whole night worrying about you."

"Maybe we should go and let her rest," Sara says as she stands up and steps over to the door.

Megan takes one last look at Olivia before she walks out of the room with Sara. As Sara walks into the living room she begins to think about Lexi, wondering where she ended up. She sits down on the couch wishing Lexi was there with her now.