Faith and Sin

Prologue

"Run Holly! Run!" My sister- my twin sister- Juniper yelled as we were running through the forest. Juni's matted chestnut hair flowed behind her as she searched the forest cautiously with her bold, ocean blue eyes and dragged me along behind her. I was doing my best not to trip over every root and stem as we ran.

I was scared. Which was a pattern for me. The weak one. Always scared of everything. Scared of getting caught by Namir, the demon chasing us. Scared of dying. Scared of being stuck. Scared of Juni abandoning me. Which would happen eventually, I'm sure. There are so many reasons I knew of to be afraid. I just wish I could be as brave as her.

I could feel the sweat build up on my forehead as I panted, trying to catch my breath. I couldn't help the exhaustion I was feeling. The Hunger. The Pain. The Pain in my body, but the greatest pain I was feeling happened when something sharp pierced my shoulder.

I gasped and fell to the ground from the sheer force of the object that was now in my shoulder. I could feel it draining all the energy and will I had left to keep going. "Holly! We can't- We can't stop right now. We have to keep going," Juni cried as she tried to pull me to my feet. I couldn't move. I couldn't take a single step, and it was taking all the strength I had to keep my eyes open.

"Just- go. Leave me," I managed from the exhaustion. "Leave you? I'm not going to leave you!" Juni cried. "You don't have to," I heard a male voice say. "Will, oh thank God!" Juni cried. I felt him pick me up and then flew me and Juni elsewhere. Then I felt my body be set down on the ground against a tree.

"Here, let me try to heal it," William said as he pulled the sharp object from my shoulder. "Was it poisoned?" Juni asked. "Yeah," Will frowned, tossing it. He attempted to heal the wound, but it wasn't getting any better. It was healing. "I- I can't, Juni. She's- The poison must already be in her heart," William desperately explained.

"It's okay," I replied as darkness clouded my vision. "NO! It's not! Try again," Juni frowned. I sighed as I felt the coldness of death chill my bones. "I can't, Juni. I'm so sorry," Will frowned after trying several times. "You can!" Juni tried to argue. "No. He can't. I'm already dead," I tried to tell her, "Juni, I- I'm sorry. It's okay. I can't keep holding you back, any longer."

"What are you talking about?" She sobbed. "I did it. It was me. All this time you were looking for Ian and Stacey's killer, and... it was... me," I admitted. "What? No! You were locked in the closet with me!" She frowned. "I know. You don't remember... For... good reason," I explained, growing more and more faint. "Holly, I-," "I just couldn't- I couldn't die, and let...you... continue to... hold back..." I managed.

"Holly," She cried, as I attempted just a bit more. I spoke so faint, I was moments from the darkness taking over, "I... I'm sorry... I love... Love you..."