Chapter 1

Kelly blew at a rather old and worn-out book. Dust particles flew all over the room. Gently, she brushed the remaining dust off. She gazed at the book. Her brother's favorite book. The Bible. The Holy Bible. Holding it, she felt something stirring inside her but she tried to ignore it.

She glanced towards the door quickly. Her brother-Matthew- never really liked her to be in his room. She held still for a moment, listening. The stairs almost always creaked if someone was coming up. But since she heard nothing, she turned her attention back to her father's Bible.

This Bible was special to her. Her father had brought it with him when he was at war. None of them had believed that the Bible would ever return back to the family once they had heard that he died. But a close friend of his had managed to reclaim it, knowing how long the Bible had been passed down from generation to generation in their family. From father to son. And, here it was. And there was more to the story. Like how Matthew said he was going to keep the Bible in his room. Some pages were torn and a little ripped out, but mom had taped the pages back together. Matthew could no longer use it, and so, he had a different one, which was, right now, downstairs lying on the coffee table. Kelly thumbed through the Bible, smiling as she saw familiar passages.

" Kelly? What are you doing in here?"

Kelly jumped up, frightened. She whirled around and came face to face with Matthew.

" Matthew!", Kelly exclaimed.

Matthew glanced at her. Then, his eyes traveled to what she was holding in her hands. His eyes widened.

" Kelly! What are you doing?", Matthew asked, taking his Bible away from her.

" I…I was just looking. I'm sorry Matthew! I just couldn't bear to…I haven't seen it in a long time".

Matthew stared at her for a while. Then, he shrugged his shoulders and said, " Well, I guess it doesn't matter much".

Kelly nodded and looked down.

Matthew rested an arm on her shoulder and added, " I'm sorry I yelled at you, Kelly. I didn't know you cared that much of father's Bible".

" Leaving it in your closet collecting dust wasn't the sort of treatment I would give to it, you know", Kelly replied, a small twinkle in her eyes as she glanced at her brother.

Matthew paused as he took in what his sister said. Then, he nodded and scratched his head, pondering over something.

" I think I understand what you are trying to get at, Kelly", he said.

Kelly waited.

" I don't think I could ever let go of it", he started, and Kelly's hopes died down, " But since you've made an excellent point, why not run down to the kitchen and ask mom whether she would mind if we placed this Bible in the display case?"

Kelly glanced at Matthew in surprise.

" Are you serious?", she asked.

Matthew smiled down at her and said, " Others will want that, I suppose".

Kelly grinned widely at Matthew and gave him a short hug before she rushed out of his room and tore down the stairs.