Jondy curled up on the couch of her bare apartment, patting her cat Sasha
and drinking some coffee. * Stupid cable TV - nothing but stupid Christmas
specials, * she thought sourly, changing the channel. * I can either watch
over weight cartoon reindeer, or various wannabe singers sing the same
boring carols. Ned is looking good. *
It was Christmas Eve and nothing was looking very jolly for Jondy - she wasn't celebrating this year. Nothing to celebrate. Zack didn't come and take her out any more, she never saw any of her siblings (Zack hardly counts) and she had no friends.
Switching out the lights, Jondy made her way into her room and dropped her robe onto the floor and climbed into bed. Sasha leapt onto Jondy's desk and curled up in a ball.
Jondy tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep. Just as she dozed off, a light flooded her room. "Shit, Sash, the electricity must be stuffed up again," Jondy groaned, sitting up in bed. A little girl stood at the foot of her bed, wearing nothing but a military issue hospital gown.
"Hello," the girl said without smiling.
Jondy rubbed her eyes. "Eva?" she asked skeptically. "What on earth is going on? I knew I shouldn't have had so much Grand Marnier!"
"Jondy, it's me, Eva? You do remember me, don't you?" the child asked worriedly.
Jondy stared at her. "This is so cliched. Of course I remember you. This is all just a stupid dream, I have had too much to drink.again," she sighed.
"Just put on your robe, Jondy and shut up," Eva sighed. "You just talk far too much."
Jondy stood up. "Why do I need a robe?" Her current night time attire consisted of a pair of white socks, an ancient second hand 'Britney Spears' tank top and some turquoise and pink boxers. Nothing fancy.
"Because you'll get cold," Eva said slowly, as if she was talking to a small, exceptionally dumb child.
Jondy's robe was a long pale blue flannel thing, with huge, yellow daisy shaped pockets that Zane had sent her as a joke a few years ago. Jondy pulled it on and patted Sasha.
"Bring your pet if you must, Jondy, but please hurry," Eva snapped. Jondy slid the cat into one of the robe's huge pockets and turned to Eva.
"Okay, I'm ready," Jondy sighed, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"Close your eyes and hold my hand," Eva said, in a calm voice.
"I really have to lay off the alcohol," Jondy moaned as she reached for Eva's hand, squeezing her eyes shut.
As soon as Jondy was gripping Eva's hand, she felt an icy shadow fall over her; Jondy could hear her heartbeat, feel her blood turn to ice in her veins. She could feel the blood drain from her face and all she could see in her mind were bodies.enemies.people she had known.friends.siblings.
"We're here, Jondy," Eva called. Jondy was suddenly very aware that her feet were cold and very, very wet.
"Eva, you could have told me to wear shoes!" Jondy snapped, as she gazed at the snow surrounding them. "My socks are wet! Where the Hell are we?"
"The place we were born - Manticore. I brought you here to show you - to remind you - that Manticore is getting bigger and is still creating killing machines. Not everyone has a choice about how they celebrate Christmas, or how much Grand Marnier they consume in one evening or what they eat for breakfast. You forget, Jondy, about your past."
"Eva, how can any of us forget? We are haunted by it every day! I can even make friends anymore because of what Lydecker will do to them," Jondy exploded as Eva walked towards the building.
"Come on, Jondy. Only I can see you - no one else can," Eva called, walking through a stream.
Jondy stumbled after her, whinging about the current state of her socks.
Jondy didn't notice that Eva's spirit stopped. "Why are we stopping?" Jondy asked crankily.
"Look. They buried me there," Eva said in a quiet voice. "And there's Jack. And Jaime - she killed herself the day after the escape. She wanted to go so badly. There is Olsen - he died of untreated seizures. Mia - died of a bad game of Escape and Evade. Do you recognize these X5s, Jondy?"
Jondy knelt in the snow, shocked. "There's Kay, Estelle and Yvonne. How did they die? Jason, Kip and .I think it was Terry. And.why is Zack here?" Jondy leapt to her feet, horrified.
"Remember they captured him? They buried him alive," Eva sighed. "He climbed out and fled. Don't blame him - I would've too - I'm sure that Jaime, Mia and Olsen would've gone with you, too."
"How did the others die?" Jondy said dully.
"Estelle convinced Yvonne and Kay to escape at the very last minute - just as everyone was alerted. I watched the whole thing and tried to distract the dogs, but alas! Estelle was shot in the skull and Kay and Yvonne lost all confidence. Kay was mauled to death by dogs and Yvonne slit her own throat once she was caught and taken back to the barracks."
Jondy frowned.
"But, I remember little Jondy - you wouldn't recall these siblings, you were so very shy, Jon," Eva laughed. "Do you remember? You could barely say your own designation without whimpering to Zack or Maxie or Krit."
Jondy sniffed. "You know Max and I were younger. I was scared. Why is this important now? I get on well with Zack. when I see him."
"Don't you want to see Yvonne, Estelle, Kay, Jaime, Olsen, Mia, Jason, Terry or Kip? The entire X5 series was cloned, Jondy. You can see them again and remember they never had a chance."
Jondy shook her head. "No, Eva, I really don't want to see them - just take me home."
Eva snorted and turned around. "Don't show your ignorance. We have other places to be - don't you want to see your other siblings, Jondy? Max in Seattle, Zane in LA."
"I do!" Jondy insisted. "I just want some dry socks!"
Eva grabbed her hand and Jondy felt herself spinning and colour enveloped her and she appeared in a small flat.
"Here is Tinga," Eva whispered. "Her husband Charlie was killed recently - random shooting. She and her son Case are left alone."
Jondy watched the eldest sister help Case write a letter to Santa Claus, set him out some cookies and tuck Case into bed. "Love you, Case," Tinga smiled.
"Love you, Momma," he whispered. "Merry Christmas."
Jondy turned to Eva. "Was Charlie's death a random shooting or something planned?"
"It was planned - for someone else. Tinga loses her husband, Case loses a father and the world loses an innocent," Eva declared passionately.
"My god, if you were still alive, you could be an award winning actress, you possess enough exaggeration," Jondy rolled her eyes.
"Jondy, think about it," Eva snapped. "Tinga has no husband - only a half human half chimera child - she's going to have to protect him with no help. She is completely and utterly alone. She has a weakness."
"For crying out loud, Eva, no wonder why you and I never got along!" Jondy exploded. "You and Zack are on the same wave length! You have no idea how we - Zane, Max, Krit, Syl, Tinga, Marcus, Maya, Dem and I - have it. You died so we could have this life - a life on the Outside means weakness!"
Eva smirked irritatingly and vanished.
It was Christmas Eve and nothing was looking very jolly for Jondy - she wasn't celebrating this year. Nothing to celebrate. Zack didn't come and take her out any more, she never saw any of her siblings (Zack hardly counts) and she had no friends.
Switching out the lights, Jondy made her way into her room and dropped her robe onto the floor and climbed into bed. Sasha leapt onto Jondy's desk and curled up in a ball.
Jondy tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep. Just as she dozed off, a light flooded her room. "Shit, Sash, the electricity must be stuffed up again," Jondy groaned, sitting up in bed. A little girl stood at the foot of her bed, wearing nothing but a military issue hospital gown.
"Hello," the girl said without smiling.
Jondy rubbed her eyes. "Eva?" she asked skeptically. "What on earth is going on? I knew I shouldn't have had so much Grand Marnier!"
"Jondy, it's me, Eva? You do remember me, don't you?" the child asked worriedly.
Jondy stared at her. "This is so cliched. Of course I remember you. This is all just a stupid dream, I have had too much to drink.again," she sighed.
"Just put on your robe, Jondy and shut up," Eva sighed. "You just talk far too much."
Jondy stood up. "Why do I need a robe?" Her current night time attire consisted of a pair of white socks, an ancient second hand 'Britney Spears' tank top and some turquoise and pink boxers. Nothing fancy.
"Because you'll get cold," Eva said slowly, as if she was talking to a small, exceptionally dumb child.
Jondy's robe was a long pale blue flannel thing, with huge, yellow daisy shaped pockets that Zane had sent her as a joke a few years ago. Jondy pulled it on and patted Sasha.
"Bring your pet if you must, Jondy, but please hurry," Eva snapped. Jondy slid the cat into one of the robe's huge pockets and turned to Eva.
"Okay, I'm ready," Jondy sighed, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"Close your eyes and hold my hand," Eva said, in a calm voice.
"I really have to lay off the alcohol," Jondy moaned as she reached for Eva's hand, squeezing her eyes shut.
As soon as Jondy was gripping Eva's hand, she felt an icy shadow fall over her; Jondy could hear her heartbeat, feel her blood turn to ice in her veins. She could feel the blood drain from her face and all she could see in her mind were bodies.enemies.people she had known.friends.siblings.
"We're here, Jondy," Eva called. Jondy was suddenly very aware that her feet were cold and very, very wet.
"Eva, you could have told me to wear shoes!" Jondy snapped, as she gazed at the snow surrounding them. "My socks are wet! Where the Hell are we?"
"The place we were born - Manticore. I brought you here to show you - to remind you - that Manticore is getting bigger and is still creating killing machines. Not everyone has a choice about how they celebrate Christmas, or how much Grand Marnier they consume in one evening or what they eat for breakfast. You forget, Jondy, about your past."
"Eva, how can any of us forget? We are haunted by it every day! I can even make friends anymore because of what Lydecker will do to them," Jondy exploded as Eva walked towards the building.
"Come on, Jondy. Only I can see you - no one else can," Eva called, walking through a stream.
Jondy stumbled after her, whinging about the current state of her socks.
Jondy didn't notice that Eva's spirit stopped. "Why are we stopping?" Jondy asked crankily.
"Look. They buried me there," Eva said in a quiet voice. "And there's Jack. And Jaime - she killed herself the day after the escape. She wanted to go so badly. There is Olsen - he died of untreated seizures. Mia - died of a bad game of Escape and Evade. Do you recognize these X5s, Jondy?"
Jondy knelt in the snow, shocked. "There's Kay, Estelle and Yvonne. How did they die? Jason, Kip and .I think it was Terry. And.why is Zack here?" Jondy leapt to her feet, horrified.
"Remember they captured him? They buried him alive," Eva sighed. "He climbed out and fled. Don't blame him - I would've too - I'm sure that Jaime, Mia and Olsen would've gone with you, too."
"How did the others die?" Jondy said dully.
"Estelle convinced Yvonne and Kay to escape at the very last minute - just as everyone was alerted. I watched the whole thing and tried to distract the dogs, but alas! Estelle was shot in the skull and Kay and Yvonne lost all confidence. Kay was mauled to death by dogs and Yvonne slit her own throat once she was caught and taken back to the barracks."
Jondy frowned.
"But, I remember little Jondy - you wouldn't recall these siblings, you were so very shy, Jon," Eva laughed. "Do you remember? You could barely say your own designation without whimpering to Zack or Maxie or Krit."
Jondy sniffed. "You know Max and I were younger. I was scared. Why is this important now? I get on well with Zack. when I see him."
"Don't you want to see Yvonne, Estelle, Kay, Jaime, Olsen, Mia, Jason, Terry or Kip? The entire X5 series was cloned, Jondy. You can see them again and remember they never had a chance."
Jondy shook her head. "No, Eva, I really don't want to see them - just take me home."
Eva snorted and turned around. "Don't show your ignorance. We have other places to be - don't you want to see your other siblings, Jondy? Max in Seattle, Zane in LA."
"I do!" Jondy insisted. "I just want some dry socks!"
Eva grabbed her hand and Jondy felt herself spinning and colour enveloped her and she appeared in a small flat.
"Here is Tinga," Eva whispered. "Her husband Charlie was killed recently - random shooting. She and her son Case are left alone."
Jondy watched the eldest sister help Case write a letter to Santa Claus, set him out some cookies and tuck Case into bed. "Love you, Case," Tinga smiled.
"Love you, Momma," he whispered. "Merry Christmas."
Jondy turned to Eva. "Was Charlie's death a random shooting or something planned?"
"It was planned - for someone else. Tinga loses her husband, Case loses a father and the world loses an innocent," Eva declared passionately.
"My god, if you were still alive, you could be an award winning actress, you possess enough exaggeration," Jondy rolled her eyes.
"Jondy, think about it," Eva snapped. "Tinga has no husband - only a half human half chimera child - she's going to have to protect him with no help. She is completely and utterly alone. She has a weakness."
"For crying out loud, Eva, no wonder why you and I never got along!" Jondy exploded. "You and Zack are on the same wave length! You have no idea how we - Zane, Max, Krit, Syl, Tinga, Marcus, Maya, Dem and I - have it. You died so we could have this life - a life on the Outside means weakness!"
Eva smirked irritatingly and vanished.