----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Laughing Planet"
'Topaz's Story'
Recorded by Ziska Ames
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is where the saga gets more Night Worldish. I have bad stuff
happen.
*sniff*
Big thanks to everyone who's reviewed this fic!!
Chapter 2
"We have to leave. Now. Go to my apartment." Topaz said when
she got to the table. Everyone was getting ready to go and looked at
her like she was crazy, till they saw her face. She was ashen and looked
like she was going to be sick. They all nodded and started drifting
discreetly to the parking lot in twos and threes.
"Maybe I should drive." Jendra said when she and Topaz reached
the old beat up station wagon. Topaz climbed into the passenger's side
with a nod as her only response.
"What's wrong?" Jendra asked as they left the school behind.
"I'll tell everyone when we're at the apartment." she said as
she stared at the slightly crumpled piece of paper in her hand.
Jendra just nodded and headed out onto Walnut Street.
They were again seated in a circle. Topaz was snuggled into
the crook of Jonquil's arm on one of the absurdly ugly couches. Jendra
was sitting next to Noki on another. Lapis and Vanax were sitting on
the third couch. Jade was sprawled on the floor completing the circle.
"Spill." Jade said once everyone was seated.
"I got a note. It's... bad. To say the least."
"Do you want one of us to read it?" Jonquil asked softly.
"No, I will." Topaz pulled the note out and unfolded it slowly.
She smoothed it out before clearing her throat.
" 'Topaz,' " she stopped and looked up. Everyone's face had a
different measure of shock displayed. They certainly hadn't expected
this note writer to know Topaz's real name. Lapis curled up in the corner
of the couch and held a pillow to her chest.
" 'I know all about you and your little group of friends. I know
about the night world and that you are a vampire. I know all your real
names. And I know about the illegals. For your crimes against my family
and me and for the safety of this town, I'm going to kill you.' It's
signed 'Jaecar.' "
"That means 'Hunter' in German." Lapis said softly as she
clutched her yellow throw pillow tighter. "We're being hunted."
"What do you mean 'hunted?' And what are illegals?" Jendra asked
after a moment. Confusion was evident on her face.
"You are. You, Vanax, and Jonquil are illegals. You aren't
registered with the night world and we didn't have permission to make
you. You're illegal. Basically, it's breaking a law and the punishment
is death." Topaz said softly with very little expression.
"Death... for who?" Jendra squeaked.
"Everyone involved. All of us here." Topaz said quietly as she
slowly folded the note and gently placed it on the rosewood side table
to her left.
(((HELP!!!!!))) Topaz grabbed her head and fell to the ground.
Jonquil and Jendra also slapped their hands over their ears. The telepathic
scream was horrible.
"Oh god. Abrams. They got Abrams." Topaz gasped. She stumbled
up from the dusky gray carpet and ran to the door heading for The Laughing
Planet.
(((Hold on. We're coming. Just HOLD ON!!!))) Topaz drove frantically
wrenching the wheel when she came to a turn. Jendra and Noki clutched
the door handles in the back while Lapis used her legs to brace herself
in the front seat. Jonquil was following closely in his Oldsmobile with
Vanax and Jade.
(((I can't...))) Abrams' voice was fading to nothing as Topaz
slammed the brakes on in front of the Laughing Planet.
She jumped out of the car and half stumbled, half ran up the concrete
steps to the blue restaurant doors. She ripped them open and stopped on
the threshold.
It was terrible.
Blood covered the walls and tables. It was obvious that there
had been a fight. There were no bodies, though, so Topaz assumed they
had been carried away. Her mind calculated the scene coldly, like the
hunter she was, as her heart screamed for her to go to Abrams' side.
She looked around franticly searching for him. When she saw him,
she half wished she hadn't. He was pinned against the wall with a huge
stake through his stomach. And a silver sword imbedded in each arm. Topaz
ran to him and pulled out the protruding implements. She barely caught
him as he slipped.
She laid him down gently on the now red floor. "Was it Leah? I'll
kill her." She said fiercely as he gasped for breath.
"It... wasn't... Leah. I didn't... know the... girl. She said...
to tell you..." He started coughing franticly. His light brown bangs flopped
slightly in front of his eyes as he weakly coughed up even more blood.
"It's okay. Calm down. What did she say?" Topaz urged.
"She said... that... she's going... after Zak... next..." He slowly
slipped away as Topaz sobbed. Jonquil put his hand on her shoulder; silent
tears were running down his cheeks. Topaz stood up slowly allowing Abrams'
hand to drop lifelessly to his side. She turned around slowly to see the
rest of the group huddled together crying.
"We have to get him out of here before we call the police. They
can't see his body." She gestured to the mummified corpse. It had shrunk
and grown leathery and yellow. Jonquil squatted down and scooped the body
into his arms. They left the Planet after Jade placed an anonymous call
to the police.
They took the body to the cemetery and buried it quickly in a
small groove of ash trees.
As they were walking away Topaz was deep in thought. " 'She's
after Zak next.' But that's stupid. He's in New York. Is she gonna go
all the way to New York to kill my brother?" her brow furrowed. "Well,
I guess he's safe. That's good." Topaz smiled slightly, relieved by this
train of thought.
They reached the cars and Jade drove Topaz's while Lapis went
with Jonquil. Topaz unlocked the door and entered the apartment slowly,
dropping her keys on the hallway desk. She looked up to see a young man
with longish blond hair sitting on the couch reading a magazine.
"Zak!" She shrieked. "Oh no... oh no." She collapsed into a ball
on the floor. Zak threw his magazine down and ran to her.
"Topaz? Are you okay? What happened?" He looked up at the rest
of the group confused.
"A hunter got Abrams." Lapis said. She knew Zak already, as did
Jade.
"What?!" Zak shot up. He had Topaz gently cradled in his arms.
She sobbed into his shirt as he put her on the couch. "What happened?"
he asked no one in particular.
Lapis handed him the note that was sitting on the table. He read
it, reread it and then put it down slowly. "So, 'Jaecar' killed Abrams.
Why? He's not a renegade."
"But he helped us. And we are illegals." Jonquil said as he sat
down. Zak looked around noticing the new people in his sister's group.
"Hi. I'm Jendra, made vamp."
"Vanax. Made shifter."
"Jonquil. Made vamp."
"Noki. Shifter."
"Hi, Zak." Jade and Lapis said together. Zak nodded at them all.
"Zak. Lamia. So why did she flip when she saw me?" he stroked
her hair softly. She pushed away from him wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Abrams said 'Jaecar' is going after you next. But I thought you
were in New York, safe. Why aren't you in New York?!" She screamed the
last and looked at him furiously.
"I came back for a visit. I haven't been home in three years."
he said softly as he stroked Topaz's hair. She sighed and hugged him
properly.
"I'm glad you're here, Zak. But you have to leave. This Jaecar
got *Abrams*. He's good, Zak, you know that. He's outwitted Hunter! If
Jaecar can get him, she can probably kill most night worlders. She could
get you! I don't want you to die." she gripped his blue flannel shirt
desperately as she practically pleaded with him. He gently released her
hands and smiled at her gently.
"I'm not gonna die. I'm staying at Mom and Dad's. No one gets
past them. You know that." Zak said with a reassuring smile.
"Yeah. I guess you're right." Topaz smiled, still a little worried.
Three Days Later
The doorbell sang a merry song in Topaz and Jendra's apartment.
Jendra was at the store, so Topaz pulled herself off the couch, leaving
behind her bag of Fritos, and opened the door. Then, she screamed.
Zak, or at least what used to be Zak, lay stretched length-wise
in front of the door. His hands were bound behind his back with twine
and there was a stake in his heart. His hair flopped in front of his
face, and when she pushed it back gently, his eyes were wide and staring.
Topaz fell to her knees next to his lifeless body and sobbed.
Jendra found her half and hour later clutching Zak's head to her
chest. Topaz looked up at Jendra.
"He's dead. Jaecar got him too. She got my brother." She continued
to mumble to herself as she gently stroked his limp hair and ran her
hands over his eyes, trying unsuccessfully to close them. Jendra kneeled
down and gently pulled Topaz's hands from his head. She noticed a piece
of paper pinned between the stake and Zak's clothes. She pulled it off
and read two words as she helped Topaz stand up.
" 'Next, Todd.' " Jendra said. She looked at Topaz and slowly
turned her around and half carried her into the apartment. "Come inside."
She left the door open as she called Jonquil. He showed up and took Zak's
body to the cemetery while everyone else was filtering in. When Jonquil
was back after placing Zak next to Abrams, Jendra told everyone about the
note.
"Does anyone know a Todd?" She asked.
Lapis shrieked, jumped up and ran out of the apartment. Jade slowly
turned to Jendra and said, "Todd is one of Lapis' brothers."
Jendra, Noki, and Vanax went after Lapis. Jonquil and Jade stayed
to watch after Topaz who was still crying.
By the time they got there it was too late. Lapis was hunched
over her brother's body, crying hard. He had been a witch like her. Jaecar
had killed him using an iron poker from the fireplace. There was another
note.
Over the next week Jaecar struck three more times. She killed
Lapis' other brother, Jade's sister and Noki's older brother. Soon, there
were no more siblings left to die.
"So who's next? There was no note with Noki's brother. Is she
gonna start killing us? Or our parents?" Jade asked perplexed, tired, and
annoyed. Nobody had gotten much sleep and now, Jaecar had broken her
pattern. There was no note with the last body and no sign that she had
been there. Noki's brother had been killed by 'falling' on to a wooden
chair and shattering it. A piece of wood 'happened' to get lodged in his
body.
There was a knock on the door. Everyone stared at it for a moment.
Every time someone knocked on the door in the past week there had been
a body outside. Topaz moved slowly as the person knocked again. She gripped
the handle and opened the door to reveal the mailman. He was holding a
large box. After signing for the package, Topaz put it on the table. There
was no return address and she was afraid to remove the plain hemp string
and open it.
Eventually Jonquil leaned over and untied the string. Taking a
deep breath he opened the package. It looked empty. He shifted through
the Styrofoam and came up with a long, golden lock of hair. He handed
it to Lapis. Her specialty was seeing things in objects or fire. She clutched
the hair tightly. Her mouth opened and her eyes closed. Her face became
expressionless as she spoke in a voice that wasn't hers. That seemed to
come from far away. It was clear and low pitched, but obviously feminine,
as it filled the silent room with sound.
"I see a young woman our age. Her hair is long and gold. It falls
to her waist. Her eyes sparkle brightly. She smiles and I see her teeth.
She is a vampire. She speaks to me. 'Help me.' She says. She is sad now.
And scared. She's begging me to send help, to send her cousin, Topaz."
Lapis slowly let her eyes flutter open and placed the hair on
the table. Topaz slowly picked up the hair. "This is Thora's hair. I'm
sure of it. Do you think Jaecar has her marked as the next victim? Is
she going after my cousin now?!"
Topaz was outraged. She wanted to lash out, to kill. "I'm going
to find this Jaecar person, and I'm going to kill her. But first, we
have to go to Thora. She may need help." Everyone nodded.
"We'll go with you." Vanax spoke for everyone. "We can go in the
morning. Right now, I think sleep is a good idea."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
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Unfortunately, it is not that easy to sneak off campus.
As far as I know, Lapis can't speak German, but someone had
to translate!
Abrams is right up there with Dubie for coolest teacher. He
doesn't really manage The Laughing Planet, all though that is a real
resturant. Awesome place. Not sure why it is the name of this saga.
I HATE LEAH JOHNSON!!! I HATE LEAH JOHNSON!!!
It was so hard to kill Abrams. But it was necessary. *sigh*
Yeah, I have a brother named Zak. No, I don't wish he was dead.
Yes, he does live in New York. He's gonna be a chef! He's just Zak
cause I couldn't think of a Night World name for him.
Of course, we all believe that nothing can defeat our parents!
Yep, Kelli has a brother named Todd! And Chris has a sis named
Nicole! Oh, Noki is made up along with his brother. Jendra's made up,
too, but she didn't have any sibs anywho.
Yep, Thora's based on a friend too. But she isn't my cousin.
Well, that's it for now! 'Member to e-mail and tell me if you
like this kind of AN.
JA!
Ziska Ames
"The Laughing Planet"
'Topaz's Story'
Recorded by Ziska Ames
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is where the saga gets more Night Worldish. I have bad stuff
happen.
*sniff*
Big thanks to everyone who's reviewed this fic!!
Chapter 2
"We have to leave. Now. Go to my apartment." Topaz said when
she got to the table. Everyone was getting ready to go and looked at
her like she was crazy, till they saw her face. She was ashen and looked
like she was going to be sick. They all nodded and started drifting
discreetly to the parking lot in twos and threes.
"Maybe I should drive." Jendra said when she and Topaz reached
the old beat up station wagon. Topaz climbed into the passenger's side
with a nod as her only response.
"What's wrong?" Jendra asked as they left the school behind.
"I'll tell everyone when we're at the apartment." she said as
she stared at the slightly crumpled piece of paper in her hand.
Jendra just nodded and headed out onto Walnut Street.
They were again seated in a circle. Topaz was snuggled into
the crook of Jonquil's arm on one of the absurdly ugly couches. Jendra
was sitting next to Noki on another. Lapis and Vanax were sitting on
the third couch. Jade was sprawled on the floor completing the circle.
"Spill." Jade said once everyone was seated.
"I got a note. It's... bad. To say the least."
"Do you want one of us to read it?" Jonquil asked softly.
"No, I will." Topaz pulled the note out and unfolded it slowly.
She smoothed it out before clearing her throat.
" 'Topaz,' " she stopped and looked up. Everyone's face had a
different measure of shock displayed. They certainly hadn't expected
this note writer to know Topaz's real name. Lapis curled up in the corner
of the couch and held a pillow to her chest.
" 'I know all about you and your little group of friends. I know
about the night world and that you are a vampire. I know all your real
names. And I know about the illegals. For your crimes against my family
and me and for the safety of this town, I'm going to kill you.' It's
signed 'Jaecar.' "
"That means 'Hunter' in German." Lapis said softly as she
clutched her yellow throw pillow tighter. "We're being hunted."
"What do you mean 'hunted?' And what are illegals?" Jendra asked
after a moment. Confusion was evident on her face.
"You are. You, Vanax, and Jonquil are illegals. You aren't
registered with the night world and we didn't have permission to make
you. You're illegal. Basically, it's breaking a law and the punishment
is death." Topaz said softly with very little expression.
"Death... for who?" Jendra squeaked.
"Everyone involved. All of us here." Topaz said quietly as she
slowly folded the note and gently placed it on the rosewood side table
to her left.
(((HELP!!!!!))) Topaz grabbed her head and fell to the ground.
Jonquil and Jendra also slapped their hands over their ears. The telepathic
scream was horrible.
"Oh god. Abrams. They got Abrams." Topaz gasped. She stumbled
up from the dusky gray carpet and ran to the door heading for The Laughing
Planet.
(((Hold on. We're coming. Just HOLD ON!!!))) Topaz drove frantically
wrenching the wheel when she came to a turn. Jendra and Noki clutched
the door handles in the back while Lapis used her legs to brace herself
in the front seat. Jonquil was following closely in his Oldsmobile with
Vanax and Jade.
(((I can't...))) Abrams' voice was fading to nothing as Topaz
slammed the brakes on in front of the Laughing Planet.
She jumped out of the car and half stumbled, half ran up the concrete
steps to the blue restaurant doors. She ripped them open and stopped on
the threshold.
It was terrible.
Blood covered the walls and tables. It was obvious that there
had been a fight. There were no bodies, though, so Topaz assumed they
had been carried away. Her mind calculated the scene coldly, like the
hunter she was, as her heart screamed for her to go to Abrams' side.
She looked around franticly searching for him. When she saw him,
she half wished she hadn't. He was pinned against the wall with a huge
stake through his stomach. And a silver sword imbedded in each arm. Topaz
ran to him and pulled out the protruding implements. She barely caught
him as he slipped.
She laid him down gently on the now red floor. "Was it Leah? I'll
kill her." She said fiercely as he gasped for breath.
"It... wasn't... Leah. I didn't... know the... girl. She said...
to tell you..." He started coughing franticly. His light brown bangs flopped
slightly in front of his eyes as he weakly coughed up even more blood.
"It's okay. Calm down. What did she say?" Topaz urged.
"She said... that... she's going... after Zak... next..." He slowly
slipped away as Topaz sobbed. Jonquil put his hand on her shoulder; silent
tears were running down his cheeks. Topaz stood up slowly allowing Abrams'
hand to drop lifelessly to his side. She turned around slowly to see the
rest of the group huddled together crying.
"We have to get him out of here before we call the police. They
can't see his body." She gestured to the mummified corpse. It had shrunk
and grown leathery and yellow. Jonquil squatted down and scooped the body
into his arms. They left the Planet after Jade placed an anonymous call
to the police.
They took the body to the cemetery and buried it quickly in a
small groove of ash trees.
As they were walking away Topaz was deep in thought. " 'She's
after Zak next.' But that's stupid. He's in New York. Is she gonna go
all the way to New York to kill my brother?" her brow furrowed. "Well,
I guess he's safe. That's good." Topaz smiled slightly, relieved by this
train of thought.
They reached the cars and Jade drove Topaz's while Lapis went
with Jonquil. Topaz unlocked the door and entered the apartment slowly,
dropping her keys on the hallway desk. She looked up to see a young man
with longish blond hair sitting on the couch reading a magazine.
"Zak!" She shrieked. "Oh no... oh no." She collapsed into a ball
on the floor. Zak threw his magazine down and ran to her.
"Topaz? Are you okay? What happened?" He looked up at the rest
of the group confused.
"A hunter got Abrams." Lapis said. She knew Zak already, as did
Jade.
"What?!" Zak shot up. He had Topaz gently cradled in his arms.
She sobbed into his shirt as he put her on the couch. "What happened?"
he asked no one in particular.
Lapis handed him the note that was sitting on the table. He read
it, reread it and then put it down slowly. "So, 'Jaecar' killed Abrams.
Why? He's not a renegade."
"But he helped us. And we are illegals." Jonquil said as he sat
down. Zak looked around noticing the new people in his sister's group.
"Hi. I'm Jendra, made vamp."
"Vanax. Made shifter."
"Jonquil. Made vamp."
"Noki. Shifter."
"Hi, Zak." Jade and Lapis said together. Zak nodded at them all.
"Zak. Lamia. So why did she flip when she saw me?" he stroked
her hair softly. She pushed away from him wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Abrams said 'Jaecar' is going after you next. But I thought you
were in New York, safe. Why aren't you in New York?!" She screamed the
last and looked at him furiously.
"I came back for a visit. I haven't been home in three years."
he said softly as he stroked Topaz's hair. She sighed and hugged him
properly.
"I'm glad you're here, Zak. But you have to leave. This Jaecar
got *Abrams*. He's good, Zak, you know that. He's outwitted Hunter! If
Jaecar can get him, she can probably kill most night worlders. She could
get you! I don't want you to die." she gripped his blue flannel shirt
desperately as she practically pleaded with him. He gently released her
hands and smiled at her gently.
"I'm not gonna die. I'm staying at Mom and Dad's. No one gets
past them. You know that." Zak said with a reassuring smile.
"Yeah. I guess you're right." Topaz smiled, still a little worried.
Three Days Later
The doorbell sang a merry song in Topaz and Jendra's apartment.
Jendra was at the store, so Topaz pulled herself off the couch, leaving
behind her bag of Fritos, and opened the door. Then, she screamed.
Zak, or at least what used to be Zak, lay stretched length-wise
in front of the door. His hands were bound behind his back with twine
and there was a stake in his heart. His hair flopped in front of his
face, and when she pushed it back gently, his eyes were wide and staring.
Topaz fell to her knees next to his lifeless body and sobbed.
Jendra found her half and hour later clutching Zak's head to her
chest. Topaz looked up at Jendra.
"He's dead. Jaecar got him too. She got my brother." She continued
to mumble to herself as she gently stroked his limp hair and ran her
hands over his eyes, trying unsuccessfully to close them. Jendra kneeled
down and gently pulled Topaz's hands from his head. She noticed a piece
of paper pinned between the stake and Zak's clothes. She pulled it off
and read two words as she helped Topaz stand up.
" 'Next, Todd.' " Jendra said. She looked at Topaz and slowly
turned her around and half carried her into the apartment. "Come inside."
She left the door open as she called Jonquil. He showed up and took Zak's
body to the cemetery while everyone else was filtering in. When Jonquil
was back after placing Zak next to Abrams, Jendra told everyone about the
note.
"Does anyone know a Todd?" She asked.
Lapis shrieked, jumped up and ran out of the apartment. Jade slowly
turned to Jendra and said, "Todd is one of Lapis' brothers."
Jendra, Noki, and Vanax went after Lapis. Jonquil and Jade stayed
to watch after Topaz who was still crying.
By the time they got there it was too late. Lapis was hunched
over her brother's body, crying hard. He had been a witch like her. Jaecar
had killed him using an iron poker from the fireplace. There was another
note.
Over the next week Jaecar struck three more times. She killed
Lapis' other brother, Jade's sister and Noki's older brother. Soon, there
were no more siblings left to die.
"So who's next? There was no note with Noki's brother. Is she
gonna start killing us? Or our parents?" Jade asked perplexed, tired, and
annoyed. Nobody had gotten much sleep and now, Jaecar had broken her
pattern. There was no note with the last body and no sign that she had
been there. Noki's brother had been killed by 'falling' on to a wooden
chair and shattering it. A piece of wood 'happened' to get lodged in his
body.
There was a knock on the door. Everyone stared at it for a moment.
Every time someone knocked on the door in the past week there had been
a body outside. Topaz moved slowly as the person knocked again. She gripped
the handle and opened the door to reveal the mailman. He was holding a
large box. After signing for the package, Topaz put it on the table. There
was no return address and she was afraid to remove the plain hemp string
and open it.
Eventually Jonquil leaned over and untied the string. Taking a
deep breath he opened the package. It looked empty. He shifted through
the Styrofoam and came up with a long, golden lock of hair. He handed
it to Lapis. Her specialty was seeing things in objects or fire. She clutched
the hair tightly. Her mouth opened and her eyes closed. Her face became
expressionless as she spoke in a voice that wasn't hers. That seemed to
come from far away. It was clear and low pitched, but obviously feminine,
as it filled the silent room with sound.
"I see a young woman our age. Her hair is long and gold. It falls
to her waist. Her eyes sparkle brightly. She smiles and I see her teeth.
She is a vampire. She speaks to me. 'Help me.' She says. She is sad now.
And scared. She's begging me to send help, to send her cousin, Topaz."
Lapis slowly let her eyes flutter open and placed the hair on
the table. Topaz slowly picked up the hair. "This is Thora's hair. I'm
sure of it. Do you think Jaecar has her marked as the next victim? Is
she going after my cousin now?!"
Topaz was outraged. She wanted to lash out, to kill. "I'm going
to find this Jaecar person, and I'm going to kill her. But first, we
have to go to Thora. She may need help." Everyone nodded.
"We'll go with you." Vanax spoke for everyone. "We can go in the
morning. Right now, I think sleep is a good idea."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, it is not that easy to sneak off campus.
As far as I know, Lapis can't speak German, but someone had
to translate!
Abrams is right up there with Dubie for coolest teacher. He
doesn't really manage The Laughing Planet, all though that is a real
resturant. Awesome place. Not sure why it is the name of this saga.
I HATE LEAH JOHNSON!!! I HATE LEAH JOHNSON!!!
It was so hard to kill Abrams. But it was necessary. *sigh*
Yeah, I have a brother named Zak. No, I don't wish he was dead.
Yes, he does live in New York. He's gonna be a chef! He's just Zak
cause I couldn't think of a Night World name for him.
Of course, we all believe that nothing can defeat our parents!
Yep, Kelli has a brother named Todd! And Chris has a sis named
Nicole! Oh, Noki is made up along with his brother. Jendra's made up,
too, but she didn't have any sibs anywho.
Yep, Thora's based on a friend too. But she isn't my cousin.
Well, that's it for now! 'Member to e-mail and tell me if you
like this kind of AN.
JA!
Ziska Ames