Chapter 18 A Tragic Awakening

As she walked through the echoing Hall, Julianna wrapped her arms tightly around her slim figure to keep from shivering. The cold hit her like daggers, but she had to keep moving, she knew that their lives depended on fast thinking and quick moving.

Though she had no idea how she was going to defend herself, she was after all, only human. Despite the frightening unknown, she kept telling herself over and over in her head, 'be brave', and as far as she knew she was being brave.

The path in front of her made her stop in her tracks as it was a little different from what she expected. There were three passage ways. Whatever way she decided to go, she hoped it would be the right one. Her brother's and Marcus's sister's fate depended on this one choice. It was an insanely intense pressure, stronger than any she had felt in the past. At first she tried using hers and Joshua's mind tricks, since they were twins, and were close growing up, they had an almost telepathic connection where they could communicate. Despite trying her hardest, she picked up absolutely nothing.

That meant one of two things. The first thing it could mean was that she was on Layla's trail and not her brother's. The second thing it could mean, and she prayed with everything she had that this was the incorrect meaning, was that whatever had taken Joshua, had already killed him. Just the thought made her want to cry. But she knew she couldn't. Not now, at least. Pushing all uncomforting thoughts to the back of her mind, she quickly decided on the passage on the right hand side and almost broke into a run as she rushed past every flickering candle, every empty plant pot, and every little worn away detail on the trail.

Very quickly she came across a locked door, not the slightest bit similar to the one at the front of the castle. Looking around to check for guards, or any kind of trap, she saw no sign of anyone, or anything around.

Strange.

She thought. Attempting to unlock the door. She pulled and pulled at the grimey lock, but with her normal human strength it was no use. Wiping her hands off on her clothes, she used what little force she had left in her after this extremely long adventure, and all of her fighting rage in one powerful swinging kick. She spun around swiftly, and gave the door an almighty kick. With a blast the lock that was holding the door shut flew off and landed with a clanging sound on the floor and the door swung open. What she saw inside the room was horrifying. Unable to control herself, she let out an ear piercing scream, falling to her knees besides the gruesome scene.

****************

As he defeated the last of the guards, Marcus heard the echoes of a female scream. It was a scream of horror and fright. Instantly, he knew who the scream belonged to, and he began to hurry even more.

Using his strength, he broke the lock off the door and kicked it open. At the far end of the room he had just unlocked, he saw Joshua, bound by chains. He rushed towards his best friend but stopped dead in his tracks when he got close enough to get a proper look.

Joshua looked different. His eyes, usually a cat-like green, were a demonic red and coming from his lower back, was not one, but seven fox-like tails. Marcus's eyes widened in shock.

"J.. Joshua..?" He stammered, hoping that beneath the looks, that his best friend was still in there.

"Marcus.... help me." The blonde boy croaked, his voice hoarse.

"It's okay I'm here to help. But.... what's going on?" Marcus asked, confused.

"I don't know... I tried to fight them off, I really did but then I started getting sick again, they were about to kill me in some sort of sacrifice to the devil but then my eyes changed and these tails just sprang out of no where. They muttered something about fox demons and chained me up here." Joshua explained, the exhaustion plastered in his voice.

Not knowing how to respond, Marcus quickly snapped the shackles off of his friend's arms and legs and helped him up.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, examining Joshua, trying to ignore the tails that were still out.

"No... I don't think so." Joshua replied, stretching out to loosen his muscles.

"Good. We have to hurry. Do you know where they took Layla?" Marcus asked as they exited the room.

"I'm afraid I didn't see. I would have helped her but there was too many of them. I couldn't fight them Marcus I am so sorry." Joshua pleaded.

"It's okay. It is not your fault. Don't worry we're going to find her. She's going to be okay." Marcus replied, feeling determined.

With that they took off back through the hall, and back down the staircase. After a little hesitation, Marcus decided to bring Joshua with him up the staircase that Julianna had taken, and immediately darted up them. He was desperate to get to her after hearing her scream.

Running along the hall they reached the room where Julianna was still on her knees. She looked wrecked and it wasn't clear to them, exactly why.

"Julie.." Marcus stated from behind, not quite far enough to see what had her so scared.

"Marcus.... oh Marcus, I'm so sorry, I couldn't stop them. I was just so scared and I froze. I'm so sorry" She cried, running into his arms.

"Sorry for what Julie?" He asked, but before she could reply Joshua made a huge gasping sound. Up until that point neither Marcus nor Julianna had noticed that he had moved from the door way.

"Marcus..." Joshua called out, shining the torch light from his phone onto what he had now discovered.

"What?" Marcus asked, turning his attention to Joshua, looking at his face, then following the torch light to horrific scene that was being illuminated. It was then that he saw what had made Julianna so upset.

On the floor, in a massive pool of blood lay his sister, Layla. Her eyes closed, her body stripped of all clothes except her underwear and a massive hole in her chest, where her heart should be.

Marcus froze. In that moment he couldn't think. Couldn't speak. His eyes remained on the body of his sister. He could hear Julianna's sobs and Joshua calling his name trying to bring him back to reality. But he heard them as though they were the other side of a tunnel in the distance. He couldn't move, yet a series of tremors started in his body that soon turned into a violent shake. At first he couldn't feel a thing. Numb. Like this was all just a horrible dream and he would wake up back in his bed. But as the shock wore off, reality set in. He had saved his best friend, but he had failed to save his sister. She had been killed, and it was all his fault. Suddenly his vision went blurry and his legs gave way, he landed with a heavy thud on the concrete floor,? and everything around him faded into nothing.

"MARCUS!" Joshua yelled.

Julianna's sobs just became more hysterical.