I've been trying to space these chapters out more, but I can't help but update! I love reading the reviews I get :)
DISCLAIMER: Unowned.
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"CAT! ARE YOU OKAY?" A faint voice called up from above her head. Cat's eyelids felt as if they were cemented to her eyes. She finally opened them, but hardly could tell they were open. It was so dark, opening her eyes made no difference. She jerked her arm in the air, making sure she was alive.
"W-wha...?" She asked. Coming to her senses, she jerked up, dust clouding her nose and causing her to sneeze. But, before she could let it out, a hand covered her mouth. It was cold with fair skin. Clearly a female hand, Cat could tell, by its long nails that gripped at the skin on her face. She could barely breathe, the hold on her mouth was so tight. She bit the hand, causing it to pull away in pain. She readied herself for a scream, when she felt a sharp pang on the nape of her neck, and slowly, everything started to fade...
. . . . .
"Do you see her?" Tori asked worriedly. Andre shook his head, leaning over the trap door. He examined the dark hole, when the door slammed shut, and he jerked back, shouting "Oh, my god!" He whipped his head around, and stared. Because, before him, was Jade's shadow. But no Jade.
"Jade?" He asked. Tori grabbed his shoulder and clung to his side in fear. Beck walked in and saw the two, dropping the cord he had been holding.
"Uh, guys?" He walked up to them, waving his hand in front of them, when Andre grabbed his shoulder and spun him around to face the body-less shadow. Beck reeled backward, almost falling into the trap door. "W-what's going on? Is this some kind of sick joke, because I'm not-" Instantly, the Jade-shadow started shaking her head. Beck grabbed Andre's shoulder to steady himself.
Jade pointed down into the trap door repeatedly. Beck nodded slowly. "You want us t-to go down there?" She pointed at him and nodded. Tori looked at Beck in shock.
"Hey guys, I found the guy from the catwalk, he said-" Robbie almost fell backward. "What is going on? Don't play with me, I'm a freak-pee-er!" He almost thought they were pulling a prank on him. He had begun to freak out when Cat fell in the trap door, so they sent him to find the guy on the catwalk for no reason in particular other than getting him off the scene. Andre shook his head at Robbie.
"J-jade, who did this to you?" Beck asked, ready to carve the name of the mystery man on his gravestone. Jade shook her head and touched her neck, signaling that she couldn't speak.
"She can't speak," Tori pointed out, making Jade-shadow roll her eyes.
Beck nodded. "Yup. That's Jade."
"I'm going to get Cat!" Robbie summoned up the courage and pushed past them, but found a shadowed Jade (who he still thought was his paranoid imagination) blocking his path. "What?"
She shook her head furiously, pointing at Robbie, then at the trap door. He tried to push her away, but his hand went right through her. He feared she would do something to him if he walked any further, and retreated. She tried to pantomime something, until a look of true terror swept over her. For behind them was a giant hand-shadow, grabbing each and every one of them and pulling them into the trap door, the door falling shut behind them.
. . . . .
"No one move, or Jadey gets it." A deep voice called out. The group sat up from their current state, laying on the cold stone ground, bruises covering their limbs. Except for Robbie and Cat. Cat's body was across the dark room, still deciding on consciousness. And Robbie was at the foot of Jade.
"Jade? You're back in your body!" Tori exclaimed. But Jade shook her head, as Jade-shadow stepped into the torch-light, her head down. Jade's face twisted into a smirk.
"Jadey's been a bad girl, so she gets a time out, Victoria." She smiled evilly. Jade-shadow just rolled her eyes, her hands appearing to be bound somehow.
"What's going on? Which one of you is Jade?" Beck asked angrily.
"And where's Robbie?" Andre asked. "And Cat?" At these words, Robbie Shapiro was jerked up by his collar by Jade – er – the non-shadow. He smiled weakly, but only for a moment. He cried out in pain as his wrists were twisted by Jade.
"Who are you?" Tori shrieked. Jade just chuckled.
"If you must know," She began. "I'm the 'ghost' of Marcus Trindle. You know, the man in your silly little play?" A deep voice rang out from Jade's mouth.
"And you're... in Jade's body?" Beck asked. S/he nodded slightly. That was all Beck needed to hear. "Get out of my girlfriend's body or I will personally-"
"What?" Marcus laughed. "Kill me? Beat me up? Cute, Beckett. And you could try it, too. If you don't mind hurting your girly-friend." He laughed, motioning to Jade-shadow. She looked up at him, fearfully trembling; something Jade didn't do. They must be telling the truth...
"Just leave her alone, freak. What do you want with her?" Beck's voice cracked. Andre patted his shoulder.
"Nothing, Beckett. Only Robbie." He answered him, looking at the terrified Jewish boy at his feet. He kicked him, getting him to stand up. "He is to be my personal body from now on. He's all I want. Other than to ruin your pathetic play and reveal the truth. That Red Dress is not only a master theft, but a murderer. I learned that the hard way, you should know."
"Wait, why did you put air quotes around the word 'ghost'?" Tori asked curiously. He walked up close to Tori and explained.
"Well, because technically, I'm not a ghost." He began. "I'm a shadow. See, after someone dies an unnatural death, as in murder and blame, they have an option to take form as their shadow, which, I did. There are few of them, really. Not all of them could muster the strength to keep living while dying. If you understand that..." He laughed. "The only purpose is to bring revenge to their killers. If not, they'll, well-" He shook his head. "No matter. Now that you know all you need to know, while I dispose of Miss West for her bad behavior, and ruin your poor little play, enjoy your sleep..." Jade extended her arm and fog clouded around them. No matter how hard they struggled, they eventually fell into a deep sleep.
. . . . .
A laugh awakened Cat from her battle over consciousness. She slowly sat up, noticing that torches had been lit. Someone's here with me. Who is it? Tee hee, this is like one of those horror movies Jade made me watch! Cat pushed the giggly thoughts away and tried to stay focused. She turned, and saw all her friends, sleeping. She was about to ask them what was going on, when something stirred in the corner of her eye. It was Jade! But, a very dark Jade! Silly Jade! She wore so much black clothes and make up she turned all-black! Cat thought. Hey, what does she want?
Cat inched toward Dark Jade slowly. "What's wrong, Jay?"She whispered, making Jade roll her eyes. She touched her neck, implying that she couldn't speak. Cat nodded and whispered "Charades?" Jade rolled her eyes, and motioned to Cat's pocket, which, as always, had a pencil and a Hello Kitten notepad tucked inside. Cat pulled them out and handed them to her, but they fell right through her hands. Cat jumped back at this, but Jade put a hand out to reassure her. She motioned her closer, and got Cat to pick up the pencil, poising it for writing. Dark Jade leaned over and traced lines on the paper, Cat following behind with the pencil. When she was done, several minutes later, Cat looked up at Jade naively. She rolled her eyes again and pointed to the notepad.
"Oh!" Cat nodded. She looked at the notepad, that read "You must stop Other Me. There is a ruby that controls her. Destroy it. Trust me." Cat nodded, though she all but understood. Another Jade? This must be a dream. But then, all her dreams ended with candy and unicorns when she saved the day, so, why not?
"Kay kay!" Cat giggled. But, as she turned to look for the ruby, she found something else.
Other Jade.
:O What will happen next? Can childlike, innocent Cat save the day? 6 reviews and I'll update!
Sneak Peek:
The ladder was an old wooden ladder, leaning up against the stone walls. When it received the blow, it snapped in two, slowly falling to the ground and shattering into thousands of wooden pieces.
And Cat? Cat was digging her nails into the stone slits of the wall, squeezing her eyes shut as her legs dangled in mid-air. Once she realized she was alive, she opened her mouth to assure Jade, forgetting the ruby that was clamped in her mouth. It fell to the ground and shattered.
