Chapter 1

            "Ohhh..." 

            Hearing a sigh, Faith looked over her shoulder at her twin sister, Grace. On the other side of the garden, Grace had plucked a morning glory from the vines that twisted around the latticework at the top of the white wooden fence. She was standing at the edge of the curling cobblestone path that ran through the garden. She'd cupped the violet flower in her hand and held it to her nose. Standing there, in the dappled sunlight filtered through the blue-tinged leaves of the weeping willow above her, Grace looked absolutely angelic. Well, thought Faith, pretty near that, anyways. Her auburn hair flowed midway down her back in richly rippling waves - now, bathed in golden sunlight, it looked as if her hair was spun from threads of pure gold and copper. The blue satin ribbon atop her brow shimmered beautifully. Her pale blue gingham dress fluttered gently in the warm breeze, ruffling and unruffling as the zephyr toyed with the folds of the fabric. Her face poised upwards, looking to the sky, with the blossom held to her nose, and her fair face flushed pink, it seemed to Faith that Grace could pass as an angel any day.

            Grace seemed to sense Faith's eyes on her. She looked up and gave Faith one of her rare, starry, only-for-my-twin smiles. It was such a simple gesture, but Faith knew it to be a symbol of pure bliss. 

            Grace and Faith were mirror images of each other, but besides looks, the two were as different as could be. Faith knew herself that she was tenacious as a mule and just as headstrong. Looking back, Faith could recall with a grin all too many instances where she had proven much too daring and bold for her own good. On the contrary, Grace's name suited her perfectly. She was a child of nature, delicate and graceful and floating with the breeze, as quiet and wispy as a breath of wind - and just as easily deterred or discouraged. 

            And, of course, she was bashful. Grace always hid feelings of any sort inside of her own little heart, cautious of who she decided to reveal her feelings to. At times Grace's soft timidity drove Faith nearly out of her wits with impatience. But it couldn't be helped, so Faith learned to notice her more subtle signs of emotion instead of demanding for a more outspoken one. 

            She'd also learned that a smile was Grace's greatest expression of joy. 

            "What is it?" Faith inquired gently. 

            Without a word, Grace skipped lightly over to where Faith was sitting, and extended her hand to hold out the morning glory. The sight of the single flower brought back, for a brief moment, a thousand memories of growing up in this very place, and Faith glanced up at the garden around her. Her home.

            It was beautiful. The winding cobblestone pathway, worn and old from generations of use, ran in a maze of loops and rounds all through the garden. Dozens of trees, from solemn pines to weeping willows, gnarled oaks and rustling maples, stood high above the lower-growing greenery. They spread out their splayed limbs and branches to cast a cool, comfortable shade over the white lacy benches that sat under the trunks. Fountains of cheerily bubbling water and exquisite statues stood surrounded by blossoms. And in every inch of soil, in every spare corner, bloomed a thousand varieties of flowers. The garden was nearly bursting with fiery reds, deep purples, dazzling pinks, brilliant yellows, and so many more colors that Faith could not name.  

            The summer air and the warmth of the day seemed to complete it all - especially today. Today was the twins’ thirteenth birthday. Thirteen years of living together in the old Mayberry mansion and spending their hours in this very garden. The completeness of it all seemed to hold an everlastingness over everything - the trees, the flowers, the lovely white gazebo that stood in the heart of the garden, and the sturdy old house in the distance. Everything was eternally home.

            Faith looked back down.

            "It's a very pretty flower, Grace," Faith replied. 

            And it was. Though morning glories had always been among the twins’ favorites, this flower seemed to be overflowing with beauty and life. Its deep violet petals were rich and silky. It almost had a depth to it - a deepness in the luxurious purple of its petals. Gazing down, Faith nearly lost herself in her awe of its striking beauty, strikingly bold against her own pale dress. And along with the wonder and admiration, an uncomfortable feeling of foreboding crept over her skin. Despite the sun beating down, Faith shivered.

            It's just a flower, Faith chided herself fiercely. Nothing strange about it. All the flowers were beautiful. Of course she could expect this one to be beautiful, too.

            Faith knew deep inside that she was wrong. But she shut herself to it, and locked it at the back of her mind. It was their birthday; she'd better enjoy it while she had the chance.

            And it wouldn't do any good to scare Grace, either, Faith thought silently. 

            Just for a hint of a moment, Faith flashed a starry smile of her own to her twin, hoping that she would get the thank you message. In response, Grace gave a nearly imperceptible nod. Her gray eyes shone with happiness and she smiled once more - two smiles in a day. That had to be her personal record. Then Faith blinked - and Grace was gone.

            Well, that's like her, Faith mused. There one moment, and gone the next, larked away with the breeze.

            With a sigh, Faith stood up from where she had been crouching, in front of one of the wilting geraniums. She'd been pruning the bush, but the sweltering sun was climbing higher and the heat was reaching the unbearable point. Straightening her pale blue skirt - the same one that Grace was wearing -  she let the morning glory fall from her lap and flutter gently, slowly, down to the soil.

            Faith sighed, wiped her brow, and smiled. Then she called out, “Come on, Grace. It’s time to go in.”

            Then, almost against her will, she turned back. Looked at the flower, one last time today.

            It lay there, not wilted or folded at all. Just so firm and strong and dazzling - so dazzling that it seemed unnatural. 

            Faith felt once again that sense of dread... then pushed it away, and went inside.

Reviews

[Jasmine Thousand]

The descriptions at the beginning were really amazing. I had a clear vision of everything down to the checkers on her gingham dress.

One question-is Grace mute? She seems like it.
I love the entire thing. I think it ends at the right place, could be a bit longer, but overall amazing.

Great work!!!

~*Jasmine Thousand~*

[Artiste de Mots]

I have the same feeling about this chapter as the prologue. The vocabulary is wonderful, and the writing is very intriguing, but the names are off-putting.

[JadeForever]

wow! this was really good...i loved your descriptions in the first paragraph...you always were good at that! The twins Faith and Grace reminded me of Mary-kate and Ashley. I am like the beginning of this. But, maybe you should add more in this chapter then just a introducing kind of thing. I'm not sure if you get what I mean. But, either way I liked this chapter. :)