Hey there, my fellow writers and readers.. :) Well, here's a new JCA oneshot I cooked up as kind of a birthday gift to me today. Basically, I was looking at my music collection on my Windows Media Player, and saw Haunted, the title of a song by the band Evanescence; it was then that I thought it'd be good for my next fanfic. Chow is such a cool character, and he looks so hot wearing those black clothes and the yellow sunglasses. Plus, if he had gotten the Mark of Tarakudo on his leg (which was the same one Jade had gotten on hers in the Season 2 episode Queen of the Shadowkhan), he would've gotten the title of 'Prince of the Shadowkhan', if you will. Another thing about Chow is that he reminds me of James Dean in that way as well, because they both wear black clothes and are quite good-looking.
I also like the Season 2 episode Tough Luck — especially the part at the beginning.
It opened at a rock concert in Cleveland, Ohio. Chow was playing the drums, Shadowkhan and Ratso the guitar and Valmont the cowbell, while Shendu was a stage prop. Finn then swooped on stage as the leader, and he won over the crowd.
Then, all of a sudden, Jackie jumped down from a Section 13 helicopter and punched him in the face for no reason besides "You are off key."
Finn woke up screaming and panting. He decided this had gone too far, and planned to quit the Dark Hand to survive (as well as start his own crime syndicate). He left his house, wanting to tell Valmont his decision — but then decided to wait until it was morning to do so.
This time, when I was watching my favorite parts of the 2002 film Queen of the Damned, I could hear Haunted playing in the background as I imagined a scene in a fic where Chow haunts Jade Chan — something along the lines of in her dreams (or something similar to that). Then, I was reading this cool story called Cruel Christmas by LilyHellsing (who, from my perspective, is a great writer). (Plus, I liked the part where Jade is kidnapped in the first chapter, as it was both creative and inspiring.)
So with that, this is what I came up with. Hope you like it! :)
Disclaimer: Genius John Rogers owns Jackie Chan Adventures. The lyrics to Bring Me to Life and Haunted by Evanescence, as well as the quote by Lestat de Lioncourt (from a Vampire Chronicles novel by Anne Rice) belong to their respective owners. I own the fanfics that I cook up from time to time.
Haunted
I can't help being a gorgeous fiend. It's the card I drew.
~Lestat de Lioncourt
How can you see into my eyes like open doors
leading you down into my core
where I've become so numb
Without a soul
My spirit sleeping somewhere cold
until you find it there and lead it back home
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
before I come undone
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become
~Evanescence, Bring Me to Life
It was almost sunset in San Francisco, California. 11-year-old Jade Chan, her golden brown eyes glowing with excitement and her chin-length onyx hair blowing in the wind, was heading home. She was quiet, and, at the moment, preferring to listen to her thoughts. This was saying something, as she was usually conversing with herself in a whisper. Her mental conversations usually revolved around magic, fantasy, imaginative flights and school. The last one — school — was one that she disliked for two reasons.
First of all, she preferred to go on an adventure, travel all over the world and be a travelling girl (or a wanderer, to be more precise) instead of being in school, sitting in a classroom, learning about things she wasn't really interested in or doing homework. For instance, why would she want to learn about places such as the city of Paris in France, New York City in New York, or even Hollywood in California? She had been to those places, after all, so she knew what was in those places, and that there was lots of sights to see, too.
The second reason was one she knew all too well. Every time she would try to talk to someone — usually her classmate Drew or the rest of her peers at school — about the talismans, the Shadowkhan ninjas and the magic she had encountered on her adventures with her archaeologist uncle Jackie, nobody would listen to her. She knew about magic and demons, as she had seen such things with her own eyes.
But every time she tried to tell someone about it, all she would earn in return was a scathing look, as well as scoffing and being laughed at, teased and taunted. In Jade's eyes, that really hurt — it not only hurt physically, but also her feelings, her emotions and her soul.
"Magic? Ha! There's no such thing as magic!"
"Go find someone else to talk about this so-called magic to, you freak!"
"Yeah, right! Ninjas and magic talismans? Oh, please. In my opinion, that is such utter nonsense! In case you did not know, little girl, that stuff has never existed!"
Jade gently bit her lower lip as she remembered all those responses she had gotten whenever she had tried to tell the story of her adventures.
But now, however, she decided not to talk out loud with herself. She felt that today would be a good day for her to give her mouth a rest and let her thoughts do the talking.
"Home", to her, was an antique shop belonging to her uncle Jackie's uncle (who preferred to be named Uncle) called "Uncle's Rare Finds".
As usual, she was deep in thought, but also watching where she was going. It was a talent she had developed herself — without any help, of course. After all, not all talents needed another's assistance in order to be watered and helped into full bloom in a plantlike fashion.
After Jade opened the door and then closed it behind her, she then looked around.
"Hello?" she called out. "Jackie? Uncle? Tohru? Is anybody here?"
Her voice rang throughout the house and echoed off the walls. When neither Jackie, Uncle or Tohru would answer her calls, she then realized that the place was empty.
Shrugging her shoulders, she then took off her backpack and put it on a chair, and then headed to the stairs.
"Jade... Oh, Jade..."
Jade froze just as she stepped onto the first step. The voice... it was so familiar.
Who, she wondered, would say her name in such an... odd manner? She wasn't sure...
That is, until she turned around.
Then her eyes widened half in fear and half in suspense. Her throat closed up as she felt — and sensed — the tension (and something else, although she couldn't tell what) in the air around the room.
Standing there, leaning on the door-frame with one arm propping him up, and his right hand in his pocket, in all his black clothed, yellow sunglasses-wearing, James Dean-like glory, and also wearing a smirk that would quite possibly or probably put Satan himself to shame, was...
Chow.
Jade tried to say something, or ask him how he got into the house without her knowing about it, but she didn't have time. Before she knew it, her golden-brown eyes registered surprise as she saw something flash through the air, glimmering like a wand or a beam of light (usually gold or colored green, like the ones she'd seen in her dreams sometimes), and then felt something — a blunt object — make painful contact with her right temple. As her golden-hazel eyes closed and she felt herself fall into blackness, she knew one thing — she wasn't sure if, from this moment on, her life would change. And she wasn't sure if it was to be permanently or maybe just a few weeks.
Before the pale eyelids covered her hazel eyes, her last thought was Oh my goodness! I've been knocked out by none other than Chow, the former Dark Hand Enforcer and so-called ex-criminal!
Chow then walked over to where Jade lay on her side, bent down and put two fingers of his left hand against her neck, checking for a pulse. There was one; so far, so good. He then pulled his fingers back and grinned, satisfied. At least he hadn't done too much damage when knocking her out. For now, she was still alive. To him, that was the important thing.
"My apologies, koi, but it had to be done," he said softly, and then bent down, picked her up bridal-style and quietly carried her out of the house.
**Evanescence**
~~Haunted~~
Long lost words whisper slowly to me
Still can't find what keeps me here
When all this time I've been so hollow inside
I know you're still there
Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Fearing you, loving you
I won't let you pull me down
Hunting you, I can smell you – alive
Your heart pounding in my head
Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Saving me, raping me, watching me
Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Fearing you... loving you
I won't let you pull me down
Well, I think I'll leave this as what I call ‛ambiguous' — meaning that I'm leaving the ending for this oneshot as kind of open to my readers, and the phrase "The End" just isn't enough for a writer like me some of the time. Usually, a writer has to leave the ending of a story up to the readers.
Anyway, nice feedback is very much appreciated, of course. :)