Author's Notes: All characters are copyright of Ziska Ames. The concept
of the Night World belongs to L.J.Smith and is not being used in anyway
to raise money.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Laughing Planet"
'Jendra's Story'
Recorded by Ziska Ames
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 1
Jay looked up from the body. "Tsk, tsk. You should have gone
with the older girls who don't carry knives. Not like they'd have the
guts to use them." Jay shook her hair out of her eyes and bent down.
She wiped her bloody knife off on the man's clothes. She was kind of
surprised at his appearance. He was clean shaven and wore a suit. She
looked at the man's wedding ring.
"Bet you married the girl with the biggest breasts." She said.
She shrugged her shoulders and stood up carefully slipping her knife
back into it's hidden pocket in her shirt. "I'm sure your wife will
really miss you." She announced spitefully to the room, "Her lies
'Jack'. Clean-shaven married man with a wild side. And a stupid side.
Gross. I can't believe you wanted little old me."
Jay left the body sprawled on the small bed and went to the
door. She pulled it open slowly and looked out into the hallway. It was
empty. She slipped out of the room quietly and shut the door. She
turned around and flipped the sign on the outside to say 'Open.'
Madame isn't going to be happy about this. I'll have to clean beds for
a week.
Jay walked into the hallway and headed towards the front of the
'hotel.' She knocked softly on the office door and opened it without
waiting for a response.
"You killed him, didn't you?" The voice was low and husky. The
woman looked up from her romance novel to match Jay's fierce gaze. "He
paid a lot for you. Can't you just be like the other girls?"
"I'm sorry, Madame. You know I don't like that stuff. Can't I
just make money the way I always do?"
"The people you rob from the street don't have enough money.
That or you don't bring it all back. Are you with holding my money,
dear girl?" She growled out the last sentence.
Jay stood her ground though she was shaking inside. "Of course
not, Madame."
She sighed and rubbed her brow. "I'm sending you away. I can't
take care of you any more."
Jay swallowed. Away? Where would she go? She had no living
family.
"If that's what you want, I will leave, Madam."
"Good. Get out." The woman looked at her book and ignored Jay.
As if I'm gone already.
Jay turned and left the hotel quickly. She took only her
clothes and the knife hidden in her jacket lining. She dropped her head
for a moment then looked around. Where was she going to go? She was
stuck out on the streets in Chicago with no money. She quickly lifted
enough money from passing people to buy her a bus ticket to anywhere.
Jay boarded the next local bus that came along and rode it to
the station. There she purchased a ticket for a place called
Bloomington, Indiana. It'll take all my money, but I gotta get out of
here.
Jay stared out the window. She had to admit the countryside was
beautiful. The trees stretched over the horizon, fading from a
brilliant green to a dark dusk blue as the sun set. The sky was
streaked with pinks and purples of all shades. I can start over. She
mussed in her mind. I'll get a job, an apartment, and I'll finish
school. Yeah. I'll get my diploma and go from there.
Jay was 16, meaning she would be in her junior year. Only two
years. I can handle that. I spent five with Madame.
Jay stepped off the bus and looked around. She spotted a motel,
the Southern Winds Inn, and quickly booked a room for the night. She'd
go job hunting in the morning. She didn't need to worry about school at
the moment. It was July and school didn't start till late August.
Sleep. All I want is sleep.
Jay collapsed on the bed and drifted into a soft slumber.
Jay walked down the street with the Ad Sheet in her hands. The
local newspaper had informed her of a job opening at the Laughing
Planet, a gourmet restaurant. She couldn't cook, but maybe they needed
waitresses. She stepped into the colorful building and smiled.
The walls looked like someone had painted them by throwing
buckets of paint at them. One wall was covered in photos. She looked
around and noticed a girl with short green hair wearing an apron. She
was lounging behind a bar top and talking to another girl. Jay
approached them slowly and heard a little of their conversation.
"Rob is so excited, Kory. You should have seen him. He
literally jumped out of his chair. He definitely wanted you to do it."
The girl sitting down tossed her shoulder length brown hair back and
smiled at the other girl.
"I'm glad. I was scared. Thanks for telling him for me. I
didn't have the guts." The green haired one said. She smiled broadly
and reached back to tweak one of the tiny pigtails in her hair. She had
two and the long hair in front that didn't reach the pigtails was held
back with barrettes. Green ones. "Oh, I think I have a customer. Hold
on, Kelli."
The green haired one turned to Jay and smiled a 'you're a
customer' smile. "Hi, welcome to the Laughing Planet. Can I help you?"
"Actually, yeah. I'm Jay and I heard you had a job opening."
"Oh, yes!" The girl's smiled stretched into a true genuine
smile. "I'm Kordia. But most people call me Kory. Hold on. I'll go get
the manager." She turned and quickly left.
Kelli turned to her and smiled. "Hi, I'm Kelli. Are you new in
town? This place is pretty small and I don't think I've seen you
around." She offered a hand for Jay to shake.
"Yeah. Just got here last night." Jay shook her hand and sat on
a stool next to her. A man appeared next to her and smiled.
"Hello. I'm Mr. Abrams. Kory told me you were interested in the
job."
Jay nodded and stood up.
"If you'll follow me, I'll interview you in my office." Jay
followed Mr. Abrams to his office. He was a tall man with short brown
hair and nice brown eyes. Probably in his late twenties. Jay guessed.
Five minutes later Jay emerged the new waitress of the Laughing
Planet. Kory smiled and waved when she saw her. She and Kelli had been
joined by another girl with long brown hair.
Jay approached and held up a new apron. "I got the job."
"That's great!" Kory exclaimed. "Oh, this is Chris. Chris, this
is Jay, our new waitress."
"Hi." Chris said. She pulled up a chair and sat in it backwards.
"Welcome to the team. I'm a weekend chef."
Jay reached her hotel room and flopped on the bed. Not bad for
the first day. Three new friends and a job. Jay smiled. She'd never
really had friends. It was a new feeling, but one she liked. Kory had
even offered for her to live with her in Kory's apartment. Kory had
moved out of her parent's house when she turned 16 and was living just
down the street from them now.
"In case I'm in dire need of food, they're right there." she
had explained with a giggle.
"Hmm... I think I'll take her up on that." Jay reached for the
phone and dialed the number Kory had given her.
"Hello?" Jay heard a voice on the other end that was definitely
not female.
"Umm... hi. I'm looking for Kory? Do I have the wrong number?"
Jay asked nervously.
"Oh, no. Not at all. Hold on a minute." She heard the guy pull
the phone away from his mouth and yell, "Hey, Topaz! It's for you!"
"Don't call me that! You don't know who's on the phone. What if
they heard you?"
Jay heard the phone being traded and smiled.
"Hello?"
"Topaz?" Jay asked with amusement.
"It's his nickname for me. He's a little strange."
"I am not!" Jay heard in the background.
"Yes, you are! You should be proud!" Jay laughed out loud at
the playful bickering she could hear.
"Sorry about that. Rob can be such a dork. Anywho, this is Jay,
right?"
Jay was a little surprised that she could tell it was her. "Uh,
yeah. Look I was thinking, I'd really like to take up your offer of the
room in your apartment."
"Really? That's great! Well, it'll be a hundred dollars a month,
which is half the rent. You can come on over whenever you want."
"Okay, I can come now."
"Alright. Here's the address." Kory told her the address. They
said goodbye and Jay went to check out.
A Week Later
Jay stepped out of the building and headed for Kory's little
yellow car. "So, did you get in?"
"Yep. They accepted me."
"That's great. Chris, Kelli, Rob and I all go to South. You'll
love it there. Maybe you can be in the marching band with us?"
"That sounds cool." Jay said. She had just signed up for high
school. She sighed. She was really going through with it and she had
loved every minute. She had met Rob at the apartment. He was nice
looking with reddish hair --dyed, as Kory had told her-- and light blue
eyes. Jay had become good friends with Kelli and Chris. And living with
Kory had been a lesson in patience. The girl could not keep things
clean. Jay had whipped the apartment into shape. She had thought of
taking on Kory's room, but after one look had agreed that it was fine
the way it was. She just couldn't handle that tornado.
Kory revved the engine and headed to the Laughing Planet. They
got paychecks today. Jay's first real paycheck. She was excited. I'm
gonna have money that I didn't steal.
Rob, Kelli and Chris were all there. It was Saturday, so Chris
was working. Kelli and Rob were just hanging out. Shane, Rob's younger
brother, walked in soon after they arrived. Jay had met him earlier in
the week. It appeared this was a tight group of friends.
And Jay was quickly being submerged.
Jay heard the door open and shut. Kory had come in really late.
She looked at the clock. 12:15. Her stomach rumbled. "Well, I'm up.
Might as well have a snack."
Jay got out of bed and padded into the kitchen. She flipped on
the light and screamed. "What happened to you?!"
Kory looked up startled. Her hand clenched a blood stained
paper towel and her lips were impossibly red. She quickly turned away
from Jay. She clutched the sink and hunched her back as if to hide
herself in the empty kitchen.
"Oh my god. Were you attacked?" Jay walked up behind Kory.
"No." Kory's voice sounded strange, as if she was having
trouble talking.
"Kory?" Jay touched her shoulder. Kory whipped around. Her
mouth was open and she was panting. Jay stared at her mouth... and the
long teeth coming from it.
"Oh my god... oh my god! You're a... a..."
"Vampire? Yep. I think we need to talk." Kory said with a
grimace.
Jay nodded and walked to the living room where she collapsed
onto the couch.
of the Night World belongs to L.J.Smith and is not being used in anyway
to raise money.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Laughing Planet"
'Jendra's Story'
Recorded by Ziska Ames
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 1
Jay looked up from the body. "Tsk, tsk. You should have gone
with the older girls who don't carry knives. Not like they'd have the
guts to use them." Jay shook her hair out of her eyes and bent down.
She wiped her bloody knife off on the man's clothes. She was kind of
surprised at his appearance. He was clean shaven and wore a suit. She
looked at the man's wedding ring.
"Bet you married the girl with the biggest breasts." She said.
She shrugged her shoulders and stood up carefully slipping her knife
back into it's hidden pocket in her shirt. "I'm sure your wife will
really miss you." She announced spitefully to the room, "Her lies
'Jack'. Clean-shaven married man with a wild side. And a stupid side.
Gross. I can't believe you wanted little old me."
Jay left the body sprawled on the small bed and went to the
door. She pulled it open slowly and looked out into the hallway. It was
empty. She slipped out of the room quietly and shut the door. She
turned around and flipped the sign on the outside to say 'Open.'
Madame isn't going to be happy about this. I'll have to clean beds for
a week.
Jay walked into the hallway and headed towards the front of the
'hotel.' She knocked softly on the office door and opened it without
waiting for a response.
"You killed him, didn't you?" The voice was low and husky. The
woman looked up from her romance novel to match Jay's fierce gaze. "He
paid a lot for you. Can't you just be like the other girls?"
"I'm sorry, Madame. You know I don't like that stuff. Can't I
just make money the way I always do?"
"The people you rob from the street don't have enough money.
That or you don't bring it all back. Are you with holding my money,
dear girl?" She growled out the last sentence.
Jay stood her ground though she was shaking inside. "Of course
not, Madame."
She sighed and rubbed her brow. "I'm sending you away. I can't
take care of you any more."
Jay swallowed. Away? Where would she go? She had no living
family.
"If that's what you want, I will leave, Madam."
"Good. Get out." The woman looked at her book and ignored Jay.
As if I'm gone already.
Jay turned and left the hotel quickly. She took only her
clothes and the knife hidden in her jacket lining. She dropped her head
for a moment then looked around. Where was she going to go? She was
stuck out on the streets in Chicago with no money. She quickly lifted
enough money from passing people to buy her a bus ticket to anywhere.
Jay boarded the next local bus that came along and rode it to
the station. There she purchased a ticket for a place called
Bloomington, Indiana. It'll take all my money, but I gotta get out of
here.
Jay stared out the window. She had to admit the countryside was
beautiful. The trees stretched over the horizon, fading from a
brilliant green to a dark dusk blue as the sun set. The sky was
streaked with pinks and purples of all shades. I can start over. She
mussed in her mind. I'll get a job, an apartment, and I'll finish
school. Yeah. I'll get my diploma and go from there.
Jay was 16, meaning she would be in her junior year. Only two
years. I can handle that. I spent five with Madame.
Jay stepped off the bus and looked around. She spotted a motel,
the Southern Winds Inn, and quickly booked a room for the night. She'd
go job hunting in the morning. She didn't need to worry about school at
the moment. It was July and school didn't start till late August.
Sleep. All I want is sleep.
Jay collapsed on the bed and drifted into a soft slumber.
Jay walked down the street with the Ad Sheet in her hands. The
local newspaper had informed her of a job opening at the Laughing
Planet, a gourmet restaurant. She couldn't cook, but maybe they needed
waitresses. She stepped into the colorful building and smiled.
The walls looked like someone had painted them by throwing
buckets of paint at them. One wall was covered in photos. She looked
around and noticed a girl with short green hair wearing an apron. She
was lounging behind a bar top and talking to another girl. Jay
approached them slowly and heard a little of their conversation.
"Rob is so excited, Kory. You should have seen him. He
literally jumped out of his chair. He definitely wanted you to do it."
The girl sitting down tossed her shoulder length brown hair back and
smiled at the other girl.
"I'm glad. I was scared. Thanks for telling him for me. I
didn't have the guts." The green haired one said. She smiled broadly
and reached back to tweak one of the tiny pigtails in her hair. She had
two and the long hair in front that didn't reach the pigtails was held
back with barrettes. Green ones. "Oh, I think I have a customer. Hold
on, Kelli."
The green haired one turned to Jay and smiled a 'you're a
customer' smile. "Hi, welcome to the Laughing Planet. Can I help you?"
"Actually, yeah. I'm Jay and I heard you had a job opening."
"Oh, yes!" The girl's smiled stretched into a true genuine
smile. "I'm Kordia. But most people call me Kory. Hold on. I'll go get
the manager." She turned and quickly left.
Kelli turned to her and smiled. "Hi, I'm Kelli. Are you new in
town? This place is pretty small and I don't think I've seen you
around." She offered a hand for Jay to shake.
"Yeah. Just got here last night." Jay shook her hand and sat on
a stool next to her. A man appeared next to her and smiled.
"Hello. I'm Mr. Abrams. Kory told me you were interested in the
job."
Jay nodded and stood up.
"If you'll follow me, I'll interview you in my office." Jay
followed Mr. Abrams to his office. He was a tall man with short brown
hair and nice brown eyes. Probably in his late twenties. Jay guessed.
Five minutes later Jay emerged the new waitress of the Laughing
Planet. Kory smiled and waved when she saw her. She and Kelli had been
joined by another girl with long brown hair.
Jay approached and held up a new apron. "I got the job."
"That's great!" Kory exclaimed. "Oh, this is Chris. Chris, this
is Jay, our new waitress."
"Hi." Chris said. She pulled up a chair and sat in it backwards.
"Welcome to the team. I'm a weekend chef."
Jay reached her hotel room and flopped on the bed. Not bad for
the first day. Three new friends and a job. Jay smiled. She'd never
really had friends. It was a new feeling, but one she liked. Kory had
even offered for her to live with her in Kory's apartment. Kory had
moved out of her parent's house when she turned 16 and was living just
down the street from them now.
"In case I'm in dire need of food, they're right there." she
had explained with a giggle.
"Hmm... I think I'll take her up on that." Jay reached for the
phone and dialed the number Kory had given her.
"Hello?" Jay heard a voice on the other end that was definitely
not female.
"Umm... hi. I'm looking for Kory? Do I have the wrong number?"
Jay asked nervously.
"Oh, no. Not at all. Hold on a minute." She heard the guy pull
the phone away from his mouth and yell, "Hey, Topaz! It's for you!"
"Don't call me that! You don't know who's on the phone. What if
they heard you?"
Jay heard the phone being traded and smiled.
"Hello?"
"Topaz?" Jay asked with amusement.
"It's his nickname for me. He's a little strange."
"I am not!" Jay heard in the background.
"Yes, you are! You should be proud!" Jay laughed out loud at
the playful bickering she could hear.
"Sorry about that. Rob can be such a dork. Anywho, this is Jay,
right?"
Jay was a little surprised that she could tell it was her. "Uh,
yeah. Look I was thinking, I'd really like to take up your offer of the
room in your apartment."
"Really? That's great! Well, it'll be a hundred dollars a month,
which is half the rent. You can come on over whenever you want."
"Okay, I can come now."
"Alright. Here's the address." Kory told her the address. They
said goodbye and Jay went to check out.
A Week Later
Jay stepped out of the building and headed for Kory's little
yellow car. "So, did you get in?"
"Yep. They accepted me."
"That's great. Chris, Kelli, Rob and I all go to South. You'll
love it there. Maybe you can be in the marching band with us?"
"That sounds cool." Jay said. She had just signed up for high
school. She sighed. She was really going through with it and she had
loved every minute. She had met Rob at the apartment. He was nice
looking with reddish hair --dyed, as Kory had told her-- and light blue
eyes. Jay had become good friends with Kelli and Chris. And living with
Kory had been a lesson in patience. The girl could not keep things
clean. Jay had whipped the apartment into shape. She had thought of
taking on Kory's room, but after one look had agreed that it was fine
the way it was. She just couldn't handle that tornado.
Kory revved the engine and headed to the Laughing Planet. They
got paychecks today. Jay's first real paycheck. She was excited. I'm
gonna have money that I didn't steal.
Rob, Kelli and Chris were all there. It was Saturday, so Chris
was working. Kelli and Rob were just hanging out. Shane, Rob's younger
brother, walked in soon after they arrived. Jay had met him earlier in
the week. It appeared this was a tight group of friends.
And Jay was quickly being submerged.
Jay heard the door open and shut. Kory had come in really late.
She looked at the clock. 12:15. Her stomach rumbled. "Well, I'm up.
Might as well have a snack."
Jay got out of bed and padded into the kitchen. She flipped on
the light and screamed. "What happened to you?!"
Kory looked up startled. Her hand clenched a blood stained
paper towel and her lips were impossibly red. She quickly turned away
from Jay. She clutched the sink and hunched her back as if to hide
herself in the empty kitchen.
"Oh my god. Were you attacked?" Jay walked up behind Kory.
"No." Kory's voice sounded strange, as if she was having
trouble talking.
"Kory?" Jay touched her shoulder. Kory whipped around. Her
mouth was open and she was panting. Jay stared at her mouth... and the
long teeth coming from it.
"Oh my god... oh my god! You're a... a..."
"Vampire? Yep. I think we need to talk." Kory said with a
grimace.
Jay nodded and walked to the living room where she collapsed
onto the couch.