Shadows of Redemption

Down at Cedar Grove, a peaceful town, hidden in the middle of the singing whispers in the park and rolling hills, lived twin sisters named Emily and Sarah. They were best friends from the moment they were born, they told each other everything, they had the same dreams, and they had the same bond between them that was so strong it was as if they were unbreakable. At present, it turns out that destiny played a cruel game with them.

One cool fall night when Emily was going back home on snowy trails after visiting the library, a silhouette stepped out from the dusk. Before she was capable of making a move, someone who was unseen to her, clasped her tightly and the cloth which was smelling so badly completely covered her mouth. Her surroundings became hazy as she was thrust into a void, only to wake up later in a small, windowless room.

Emily went through despair and horror every second due to the fact that she was incarcerated for many days on end and was deprived of her mental freedom. The chamber seemed to be devoid of any furniture, as the only things that Emily could spot were the old bed with a little amount of rust and the light bulb that could not decide whether it was going to be on or off. Her captor was not the type of person who talked much. He was always there in a kind of ghostly and silent way, which was why when he entered, he was the presence that terrified her the most.

However, it was not only the confinement that plagued Emily, but the visions as well. Despite the ongoing ordeal, she encountered numerous passing views of death- scenes where people were dying in terrible ways. She might have seen a car hitting off the road one morbid day, but also someone drowning in the ice-filled water in another. Each time she had one she would be left not only emotionally disturbed but also confused if she is losing her senses, shaken and baffled.

Yet, Emily had a flag to hold on, despite all odds, it was Sarah. The twin sister, her soulmate, whom she offended with a hot argument shortly before her kidnap. The conversation had been tough to say the least, with heat, jealousy, and hurt emotions, but Emily's memory was assaulted and filled with regret.

In the meantime in Cedar Grove, Sarah, who could not bear to give up, decided that she would commune the town through missing posters, organize search parties, and forever carried on with the belief that Emily would come back to them. Night after night, her head was clouded with endless screams and her pillows soaked with endless tears as she tirelessly prayed to god for Emily's return.

A few more months rolled by, and when the situation seemed beyond salvation, there was a sudden break. A neighbour could not help but notice the voice of a man who was apparently being maltreated from the next-door warehouse. The police stepped in and turned the place upside down, hence destroying the grim atmosphere; Emily was there at the backbone of the warehouse, weak, dismayed not to mention she was alive.

While Emily was in the hospital, Sarah on the other hand was almost always by her sister's bedside. The bonds between them could not have been closer; Emily's crack of the smile was more than enough for her sister. Emily's dreaded experience followed her all the time, the dark dreams and the torture she had to go through, but one thought was crystal: to apologize to Sarah.

In the quiet of Emily's hospital room, small sunbeams were playing shyly through the windows, and here she found the voice to say it. "Sarah," she whispered, her voice hoarse from lack of use, "I am so sorry. I was wrong to say what I said."

Sarah, with tears in her eyes, squeezed her sister tenderly. "Don't speak, Emily," she whispered, her voice stuttering with emotion. "It is not relevant now. You are in safety, this is all that matters."

Emily quite vociferous protested, her words insistent. "No, Sarah, I beg you. I need you to know how deeply I regret what I did. You have been my strength and my life. I was so... foolish."

It was a gulp by Sarah and then she said with sobs, "You are forgiven by me, Emily. I already did."

On those words, an unimaginable feeling peace surrounded Emily. She shut her lids, holding Sarah's heart but already aware that she had restarted being in the kind restorative place in spite of difficulties with Sarah's forgiveness.

Once again, the day broke into weeks and Emily started to recover slowly. The nightmares didn't completely disappear but Sarah was always there to help her with everything. Together, they worked out the consequence of Emily's experience, which made their bond even stronger.

However, as time passed by, Emily's health got worse. The traumatic experience had hurt Emily very much, and she was very fragile and weak. An early morning in the fall, an autumnal morning, surrounded by Sarah and their family, Emily took her last breath.

The leaves of the trees in Cedar Grove made soft whispers as Sarah stood by a replica of Emily's grave, her heart quite heavy with sorrow. She was sure that Emily had resolved her problems, no longer entangled by the specter of the past. While she was laying a single rose on the fresh ground, Sarah silently said her goodbyes.

"I am loving you, Emily," she softly said, her cheeks wet with tears. "Sleep easy, my sister, with the other angels."

The place, where she sat beneath the canopies of auburn trees, made it all known to Sarah that Emily had lastly been relieved – her request for forgiveness accompanied by a reestablished relationship and a love that surpassed all else especially death.