----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Laughing Planet"
'Topaz's Story'
Recorded by Ziska Ames
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 3
Everyone agreed that the best course of action would be to spend
the night at Topaz and Jendra's apartment. Everyone had gone home to get
clothes and Jendra was in her room. Topaz was pulling the couches out into
beds for the boys when she heard a scrapping sound. She lifted her head
and closed her eyes to concentrate. The scratching grew louder for a moment
then died down. Topaz turned slowly to stare at the door. Her eyes focused
on movement down near the bottom.
A small white paper was being pushed through the small crack
between the door and the floor. Quietly Topaz strode to the door and flung
it open. The person kneeling on the other side looked up surprised.
"What do you think you are doing, Leah?" Topaz addressed the girl
with a stony voice. Leah Johnson stood up pushing her long brown hair away
from her pinched looking face. She tilted her nose into the air, looking
down on Topaz as if she were something disgusting.
"None of your business, Kordia." She drawled the name as if it
were a horrible insult. Topaz glared at her and kept eye contact with Leah
as she knelt down to retrieve the piece of paper. She opened it, glanced
down, and then crumpled it in her hand. She let it fall to the floor.
"You know, being friends with killers is a bad hobby," she said
slowly. Leah sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"You just watch yourself, girl. You and your group think you're
all so perfect. Well you aren't. 'Jaecar's gonna get you,' " she taunted
quoting the note.
"She'll try. But she won't win. She can kill my family and friends,
but she can't kill my spirit. You should leave now, before I get really
mad," Topaz growled slowly. Leah smirked and turning, flounced down the
hallway.
Topaz shut the door hard and stormed into Jendra's room. Jendra
looked up from packing a small bag.
"What's wrong?"
"Leah was here," Topaz said slowly. "She left this." She handed
Jendra the note she had grabbed off the floor after Leah left.
" 'Jaecar's gonna get you.' Not incredibly articulate, is she?"
Jendra asked. She looked up at Topaz with a wiry smile. "It's okay, Topaz.
This isn't anything new. We know Jaecar's out for blood. She's proved that,"
Jendra swallowed and shut her eyes for a moment in memory.
"I know. It's just... I never liked Leah, but she doesn't deserve
to be caught in this. What if she gets killed?" Topaz asked sitting on
the bed.
"Then it'll be her own fault. You can't do anything about it,
Topaz. I'm sorry." Jendra placed a hand on Topaz's shoulder. "It'll be
okay. Don't worry."
Topaz nodded and went back to pulling the couches out.
Topaz had decided it was pointless to show the note around and
thrown it away. Now everyone was in their respective sleeping areas, but
not many people were asleep.
Topaz rolled over and poked Lapis in the shoulder. "You awake?"
"Yes." Lapis said softly, shifting in the bed.
"Are you worried? What if we don't find this Jaecar? What if she
kills Thora?"
"Don't worry, Topaz." Lapis said sitting up. She hugged her knees
to her chest. "We'll save Thora. She'll be fine. And we will find Jaecar.
And she'll pay for what she's done. I promise."
"Thank you, Lapis." Topaz said. She closed her eyes and peacefully
fell asleep.
Jade lay next to a sleeping Jendra. She was snoring softly. Jade
smiled gently.
She leaned over and grabbed a brush off the side table. Sitting
up she slowly started brushing out her hair.
I hope Thora isn't dead already. That would crush Topaz. I wonder
why Jaecar so mad at her and her family... they've never done anything to
anyone. Jade separated her hair into three bits and began to braid it.
Who is Jaecar? All we know is she's a girl, she knows the night
world, and she's merciless. She's killed six people this past week.
Including my sister. Jade swallowed hard and forced back tears. She missed
her sister. Jaecar was going to pay.
Vanax stretched lazily on the pad he was sleeping on. He and
Jonquil had opted for the floor, leaving the pull out bed for Noki. Vanax
rolled over on his stomach and tried to fall asleep. He looked up at the
clock on the wall. His sharp eyes read the time.
1:40?! That's it? I'm never going to fall asleep. He flopped
his head back down on the pillow and sighed loudly.
"What time is it now?" A voice asked from the darkness.
"1:40," Vanax replied rolling over. Jonquil couldn't see the clock
from where he was and had periodically been asking Vanax for the time.
"Is Noki still asleep?"
"Yeah. That's so unfair. How can he just drop off like that?" Vanax
sat up. He was irritated. He looked at Noki sprawled out on the bed and
sighed again.
"Oh, forget it. I'm gonna go outside for a while. Maybe the rest
of the night." Vanax stood up and walked out onto the balcony.
Jade smiled at Vanax. He had fallen asleep in one of the lawn
chairs. She shook him gently. When he opened his eyes, he blinked at her
slowly.
"Have some coffee," Jade said presenting him with a steaming cup.
"Thanks," he said accepting the drink. He rubbed the sleep from
his eyes and sipped at the coffee.
"You couldn't sleep either?" Jade asked sitting in the other lawn
chair.
"Nope. I thought some fresh air would help. I guess it did." Vanax
smiled ruefully as he placed the half-empty mug on the table between the
two chairs. "When are we leaving?"
"Topaz wants to leave within the hour. She's worried about Thora."
Jade stood up and walked back inside. "You better hurry. Everyone else is
almost ready. Oh, I think we used all the hot water in the shower. Sorry!"
She dashed back inside while Vanax jumped out of his chair.
"I have to take a cold shower?!"
They had rented a mini-van so everyone could stay together. Topaz
was lounging in the front with one leg over the armrest of the seat.
Jonquil had agreed to drive for the two hours it would take to get to
Indianapolis. Jade and Lapis played cards on the middle of the three-seater.
Jendra had dozed off in the back seat with her head against Noki's shoulder.
On the other side of Jendra Vanax's head kept drifting to his chest, then
snapping up again.
"Go to sleep, Vanax. It'll be another hour and a half before we
get there and you need it." Topaz said gently. She had been watching Vanax
torture himself since they got in the van. He nodded and ten minutes later
was sound asleep, head against the window and arms crossed.
Topaz turned to look out the window. Jonquil reached over and
squeezed her hand, which was resting on her knee.
Topaz turned and smiled at him silently. He swallowed. Her smile
was different. It used to be so happy. She was always happy. But all week,
she had been different. Sad, quiet. Not like herself at all. He hated it.
"We'll save Thora." He said suddenly.
"I know." She said quietly. She reached down to put in a tape and
fiddled with the sound. Classical jazz started playing softly through the
mesh speakers hidden in the frame of the van. Topaz turned to the window
again.
"Look, a hitchhiker. Hey, he looks really familiar..." Topaz peered
at the guy standing on the edge of the road. He was tall and kind of lanky.
He looked to be her age. His thumb was stuck out at arm's length as he
walked backwards toward Indianapolis. "Hey, Jonquil. Pull over."
Jonquil gave her a quizzical look but pulled over anyway. As they
stopped the guy approached her window. She rolled it down and kept staring
at him. She was sure she knew him.
"Hello. My name's David. I'm headed to Indianapolis." Topaz gasped
and flung the door open. She jumped out and hugged David hard.
"David! Oh my gosh! Is it really you?!" She pulled back to stare
him in the face. That was where she knew him from. They had been best
friends from kindergarten to third grade when he moved away.
"Umm... excuse me?" He asked bewildered.
"It's Kordia! From Clear Creek? Remember?" His jaw dropped.
"Kory? Oh my gosh. Hi!"
"So you're headed to Indy? So are we! Hope in." She threw the door
open. David climbed in and sat down next to Lapis. She looked up and peered
at him too.
"I'm sorry, but you look awfully familiar." Topaz jumped back into
the passenger seat and turned around.
"That's cause he is, Kelli. It's David from Clear Creek."
Lapis' jaw dropped this time. "David?" She gasped.
"Hi, Kelli. Good to see you," he said with a grin. She smiled back
and proceeded to introduce everyone.
Soon, they were back on the road and Topaz, Lapis and David were
reminiscing.
"Remember that time when you dropped the paint all over Mrs. Peitsch's
shirt?! She was so mad. It was hilarious." Lapis gasped with laughter as
she. David crossed his arms.
"I didn't drop the paint, I slipped on some Kory spilled on the
floor," he said with dignity.
Topaz blushed and quickly changed the topic.
"So why are you going to Indy, David?"
"I'm not to sure. Get a job, an apartment. That kind of thing.
I've been wandering for a while now and I'm ready to conform." Topaz laughed.
"Really? How come you didn't just come back to Bloomington?"
"The ghosts of my parents are still there," he said softly.
Suddenly Topaz remembered why he had moved. He'd been taken to
live with his aunt and uncle after his parents died in an unfortunate car
accident.
"Oh, David. I'm sorry I forgot."
"It's okay." he said with a smile.
"Heads up. We're here." Everyone looked out the front window to
watch the city grow larger and larger on the skyline.
They dropped David off at a hotel. "Keep in touch this time." Topaz
said shaking her finger.
"Sure. Maybe I'll come visit sometime." He said. They hugged and
Topaz got back in the van. It was time to find Thora.
Indianapolis was nice enough as cities went. Jendra had certainly
seen worse in Chicago. Topaz was directing them to an increasingly poorer
area of town. Apparently, Thora was without funds. They pulled up in front
of a dilapidated gray building. Some of the windows were broken and the
door was half of it's hinges. Topaz looked stricken.
"I've never actually been here. We didn't associate much with
Thora's family after we moved to Bloomington." She stepped out and kicked
aside a couple beer cans. She walked up to the door with everyone falling
in behind her. She ran a finger down a dirty name plate and found Thora's
apartment number.
Topaz carefully pushed the door open. It fell back against the
wall with a resounding crash. Everyone gathered and peered inside.
"Sure is dirty in there." Lapis said softly.
Topaz nodded before heading in. They approached apartment 4 slowly.
Topaz knocked softly and after a moment the door opened. A girl stood there.
She was small, petite even. She had long blond hair falling to
her waist and her large blue eyes peered at the group. Suddenly they sprang
open in surprise and she threw herself on Topaz.
"Topaz!! I haven't seen you in forever!" She cried. She grabbed
Topaz's arm and pulled on her. "Come inside. The hallway isn't safe."
Everyone filed in and looked around Thora's apartment. The inside
was a shocking difference from the outside. The room was clean and brightly
colored. Three doors lead to what was most likely a bedroom, kitchen and
bathroom. Thora ushered everyone to the two couches and offered to find
chairs for Vanax and Jade, who were left standing. Vanax waved aside her
offer gently and sat on the floor. Jade smiled and did the same. Thora
stood there for a moment, then, with a shrug, plopped down next to them.
Three hours later Thora was sitting in a shocked silence. They
had taken turns explaining what had happened in the past three weeks,
starting with the note in Topaz's locker.
"So... you think Jaecar is after me now?" She said in a small
voice after a while.
"Yeah. So we came to protect you. She won't hurt you with the
seven of us here." Topaz said.
"I can take care of myself, Topaz. You of all people should know
that." Thora said absently. "But why kill me?"
"We don't know. Apparently Jaecar just wants everyone in our
families dead. We don't even know why. She won't leave any clues as to
her motive." Lapis said.
"This is weird." Thora said. She moved to one of the doors and
entered what appeared to be a kitchen. She came back out and grabbed some
keys. "I'll be right back. I just need to go to the store."
Jade stood up quickly. "Not alone. Jaecar could be anywhere. I'll
go with you."
Thora nodded and they left together.
"I'm not sure she believes us." Vanax said after they left. "She
doesn't seem very concerned."
"She's just like that." Topaz said. "She's not really one for the
dramatic unless it's sure to shock someone."
Topaz was pacing the floor. Jonquil suddenly reached up and pulled
her down onto the couch beside him.
"Calm down." He said.
"They've been gone an hour! How far away can the store be?" Topaz
all but shrieked. Lapis entered the room with two cups of coffee. She gave
one to Topaz and the other to Jonquil.
"They'll be back soon." Jonquil said as he nodded to Lapis in
thanks and blew on his coffee. Jendra came back from the bathroom and
collapsed on the floor.
"Where are they?" She asked.
"See! I'm not the only one worried." Topaz said with a sad triumph.
She sipped her coffee slowly as she tried valiantly to stay calm.
Suddenly the door slammed. Everyone looked up to see a ragged
Thora leaning against the door clutching her hands to her breast. She was
gasping for breath. Topaz leaped off the couch and ran to her.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Then something hit her hard. "Where's
Jade?!" She cried.
Thora slowly opened her hands. In her palms lay a beautiful necklace.
Hanging on it was a small black dahlia. It was Jade's necklace. "She got
Jade."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, I don't know if you guys like these ANs I don't even know
if anyone is reading this story but they are fun, so here are some more.
I HATE LEAH JOHNSON!!! I HATE LEAH JOHNSON!!!
My cousin is a lot like Noki. She can sleep anywhere, anytime. It
was so annoying around Christmas time...
Whenever I'm in the front seat of a mini-van, I have to put my
leg over the arm rest... I don't know why.
I know David, but he didn't move away in third grade. We are still
friends, actually. ^-^
I had a teacher named Mrs. Peistch. David wasn't in that class and
I never dropped paint on her.
David's parents are still alive, actually.
Is "poorer" a word?? Or did I make it up?
Well, that's all for now. Not many ANs this time. ^-^
Comments!!! Please R/R.
JA!
Ziska Ames
"The Laughing Planet"
'Topaz's Story'
Recorded by Ziska Ames
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 3
Everyone agreed that the best course of action would be to spend
the night at Topaz and Jendra's apartment. Everyone had gone home to get
clothes and Jendra was in her room. Topaz was pulling the couches out into
beds for the boys when she heard a scrapping sound. She lifted her head
and closed her eyes to concentrate. The scratching grew louder for a moment
then died down. Topaz turned slowly to stare at the door. Her eyes focused
on movement down near the bottom.
A small white paper was being pushed through the small crack
between the door and the floor. Quietly Topaz strode to the door and flung
it open. The person kneeling on the other side looked up surprised.
"What do you think you are doing, Leah?" Topaz addressed the girl
with a stony voice. Leah Johnson stood up pushing her long brown hair away
from her pinched looking face. She tilted her nose into the air, looking
down on Topaz as if she were something disgusting.
"None of your business, Kordia." She drawled the name as if it
were a horrible insult. Topaz glared at her and kept eye contact with Leah
as she knelt down to retrieve the piece of paper. She opened it, glanced
down, and then crumpled it in her hand. She let it fall to the floor.
"You know, being friends with killers is a bad hobby," she said
slowly. Leah sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
"You just watch yourself, girl. You and your group think you're
all so perfect. Well you aren't. 'Jaecar's gonna get you,' " she taunted
quoting the note.
"She'll try. But she won't win. She can kill my family and friends,
but she can't kill my spirit. You should leave now, before I get really
mad," Topaz growled slowly. Leah smirked and turning, flounced down the
hallway.
Topaz shut the door hard and stormed into Jendra's room. Jendra
looked up from packing a small bag.
"What's wrong?"
"Leah was here," Topaz said slowly. "She left this." She handed
Jendra the note she had grabbed off the floor after Leah left.
" 'Jaecar's gonna get you.' Not incredibly articulate, is she?"
Jendra asked. She looked up at Topaz with a wiry smile. "It's okay, Topaz.
This isn't anything new. We know Jaecar's out for blood. She's proved that,"
Jendra swallowed and shut her eyes for a moment in memory.
"I know. It's just... I never liked Leah, but she doesn't deserve
to be caught in this. What if she gets killed?" Topaz asked sitting on
the bed.
"Then it'll be her own fault. You can't do anything about it,
Topaz. I'm sorry." Jendra placed a hand on Topaz's shoulder. "It'll be
okay. Don't worry."
Topaz nodded and went back to pulling the couches out.
Topaz had decided it was pointless to show the note around and
thrown it away. Now everyone was in their respective sleeping areas, but
not many people were asleep.
Topaz rolled over and poked Lapis in the shoulder. "You awake?"
"Yes." Lapis said softly, shifting in the bed.
"Are you worried? What if we don't find this Jaecar? What if she
kills Thora?"
"Don't worry, Topaz." Lapis said sitting up. She hugged her knees
to her chest. "We'll save Thora. She'll be fine. And we will find Jaecar.
And she'll pay for what she's done. I promise."
"Thank you, Lapis." Topaz said. She closed her eyes and peacefully
fell asleep.
Jade lay next to a sleeping Jendra. She was snoring softly. Jade
smiled gently.
She leaned over and grabbed a brush off the side table. Sitting
up she slowly started brushing out her hair.
I hope Thora isn't dead already. That would crush Topaz. I wonder
why Jaecar so mad at her and her family... they've never done anything to
anyone. Jade separated her hair into three bits and began to braid it.
Who is Jaecar? All we know is she's a girl, she knows the night
world, and she's merciless. She's killed six people this past week.
Including my sister. Jade swallowed hard and forced back tears. She missed
her sister. Jaecar was going to pay.
Vanax stretched lazily on the pad he was sleeping on. He and
Jonquil had opted for the floor, leaving the pull out bed for Noki. Vanax
rolled over on his stomach and tried to fall asleep. He looked up at the
clock on the wall. His sharp eyes read the time.
1:40?! That's it? I'm never going to fall asleep. He flopped
his head back down on the pillow and sighed loudly.
"What time is it now?" A voice asked from the darkness.
"1:40," Vanax replied rolling over. Jonquil couldn't see the clock
from where he was and had periodically been asking Vanax for the time.
"Is Noki still asleep?"
"Yeah. That's so unfair. How can he just drop off like that?" Vanax
sat up. He was irritated. He looked at Noki sprawled out on the bed and
sighed again.
"Oh, forget it. I'm gonna go outside for a while. Maybe the rest
of the night." Vanax stood up and walked out onto the balcony.
Jade smiled at Vanax. He had fallen asleep in one of the lawn
chairs. She shook him gently. When he opened his eyes, he blinked at her
slowly.
"Have some coffee," Jade said presenting him with a steaming cup.
"Thanks," he said accepting the drink. He rubbed the sleep from
his eyes and sipped at the coffee.
"You couldn't sleep either?" Jade asked sitting in the other lawn
chair.
"Nope. I thought some fresh air would help. I guess it did." Vanax
smiled ruefully as he placed the half-empty mug on the table between the
two chairs. "When are we leaving?"
"Topaz wants to leave within the hour. She's worried about Thora."
Jade stood up and walked back inside. "You better hurry. Everyone else is
almost ready. Oh, I think we used all the hot water in the shower. Sorry!"
She dashed back inside while Vanax jumped out of his chair.
"I have to take a cold shower?!"
They had rented a mini-van so everyone could stay together. Topaz
was lounging in the front with one leg over the armrest of the seat.
Jonquil had agreed to drive for the two hours it would take to get to
Indianapolis. Jade and Lapis played cards on the middle of the three-seater.
Jendra had dozed off in the back seat with her head against Noki's shoulder.
On the other side of Jendra Vanax's head kept drifting to his chest, then
snapping up again.
"Go to sleep, Vanax. It'll be another hour and a half before we
get there and you need it." Topaz said gently. She had been watching Vanax
torture himself since they got in the van. He nodded and ten minutes later
was sound asleep, head against the window and arms crossed.
Topaz turned to look out the window. Jonquil reached over and
squeezed her hand, which was resting on her knee.
Topaz turned and smiled at him silently. He swallowed. Her smile
was different. It used to be so happy. She was always happy. But all week,
she had been different. Sad, quiet. Not like herself at all. He hated it.
"We'll save Thora." He said suddenly.
"I know." She said quietly. She reached down to put in a tape and
fiddled with the sound. Classical jazz started playing softly through the
mesh speakers hidden in the frame of the van. Topaz turned to the window
again.
"Look, a hitchhiker. Hey, he looks really familiar..." Topaz peered
at the guy standing on the edge of the road. He was tall and kind of lanky.
He looked to be her age. His thumb was stuck out at arm's length as he
walked backwards toward Indianapolis. "Hey, Jonquil. Pull over."
Jonquil gave her a quizzical look but pulled over anyway. As they
stopped the guy approached her window. She rolled it down and kept staring
at him. She was sure she knew him.
"Hello. My name's David. I'm headed to Indianapolis." Topaz gasped
and flung the door open. She jumped out and hugged David hard.
"David! Oh my gosh! Is it really you?!" She pulled back to stare
him in the face. That was where she knew him from. They had been best
friends from kindergarten to third grade when he moved away.
"Umm... excuse me?" He asked bewildered.
"It's Kordia! From Clear Creek? Remember?" His jaw dropped.
"Kory? Oh my gosh. Hi!"
"So you're headed to Indy? So are we! Hope in." She threw the door
open. David climbed in and sat down next to Lapis. She looked up and peered
at him too.
"I'm sorry, but you look awfully familiar." Topaz jumped back into
the passenger seat and turned around.
"That's cause he is, Kelli. It's David from Clear Creek."
Lapis' jaw dropped this time. "David?" She gasped.
"Hi, Kelli. Good to see you," he said with a grin. She smiled back
and proceeded to introduce everyone.
Soon, they were back on the road and Topaz, Lapis and David were
reminiscing.
"Remember that time when you dropped the paint all over Mrs. Peitsch's
shirt?! She was so mad. It was hilarious." Lapis gasped with laughter as
she. David crossed his arms.
"I didn't drop the paint, I slipped on some Kory spilled on the
floor," he said with dignity.
Topaz blushed and quickly changed the topic.
"So why are you going to Indy, David?"
"I'm not to sure. Get a job, an apartment. That kind of thing.
I've been wandering for a while now and I'm ready to conform." Topaz laughed.
"Really? How come you didn't just come back to Bloomington?"
"The ghosts of my parents are still there," he said softly.
Suddenly Topaz remembered why he had moved. He'd been taken to
live with his aunt and uncle after his parents died in an unfortunate car
accident.
"Oh, David. I'm sorry I forgot."
"It's okay." he said with a smile.
"Heads up. We're here." Everyone looked out the front window to
watch the city grow larger and larger on the skyline.
They dropped David off at a hotel. "Keep in touch this time." Topaz
said shaking her finger.
"Sure. Maybe I'll come visit sometime." He said. They hugged and
Topaz got back in the van. It was time to find Thora.
Indianapolis was nice enough as cities went. Jendra had certainly
seen worse in Chicago. Topaz was directing them to an increasingly poorer
area of town. Apparently, Thora was without funds. They pulled up in front
of a dilapidated gray building. Some of the windows were broken and the
door was half of it's hinges. Topaz looked stricken.
"I've never actually been here. We didn't associate much with
Thora's family after we moved to Bloomington." She stepped out and kicked
aside a couple beer cans. She walked up to the door with everyone falling
in behind her. She ran a finger down a dirty name plate and found Thora's
apartment number.
Topaz carefully pushed the door open. It fell back against the
wall with a resounding crash. Everyone gathered and peered inside.
"Sure is dirty in there." Lapis said softly.
Topaz nodded before heading in. They approached apartment 4 slowly.
Topaz knocked softly and after a moment the door opened. A girl stood there.
She was small, petite even. She had long blond hair falling to
her waist and her large blue eyes peered at the group. Suddenly they sprang
open in surprise and she threw herself on Topaz.
"Topaz!! I haven't seen you in forever!" She cried. She grabbed
Topaz's arm and pulled on her. "Come inside. The hallway isn't safe."
Everyone filed in and looked around Thora's apartment. The inside
was a shocking difference from the outside. The room was clean and brightly
colored. Three doors lead to what was most likely a bedroom, kitchen and
bathroom. Thora ushered everyone to the two couches and offered to find
chairs for Vanax and Jade, who were left standing. Vanax waved aside her
offer gently and sat on the floor. Jade smiled and did the same. Thora
stood there for a moment, then, with a shrug, plopped down next to them.
Three hours later Thora was sitting in a shocked silence. They
had taken turns explaining what had happened in the past three weeks,
starting with the note in Topaz's locker.
"So... you think Jaecar is after me now?" She said in a small
voice after a while.
"Yeah. So we came to protect you. She won't hurt you with the
seven of us here." Topaz said.
"I can take care of myself, Topaz. You of all people should know
that." Thora said absently. "But why kill me?"
"We don't know. Apparently Jaecar just wants everyone in our
families dead. We don't even know why. She won't leave any clues as to
her motive." Lapis said.
"This is weird." Thora said. She moved to one of the doors and
entered what appeared to be a kitchen. She came back out and grabbed some
keys. "I'll be right back. I just need to go to the store."
Jade stood up quickly. "Not alone. Jaecar could be anywhere. I'll
go with you."
Thora nodded and they left together.
"I'm not sure she believes us." Vanax said after they left. "She
doesn't seem very concerned."
"She's just like that." Topaz said. "She's not really one for the
dramatic unless it's sure to shock someone."
Topaz was pacing the floor. Jonquil suddenly reached up and pulled
her down onto the couch beside him.
"Calm down." He said.
"They've been gone an hour! How far away can the store be?" Topaz
all but shrieked. Lapis entered the room with two cups of coffee. She gave
one to Topaz and the other to Jonquil.
"They'll be back soon." Jonquil said as he nodded to Lapis in
thanks and blew on his coffee. Jendra came back from the bathroom and
collapsed on the floor.
"Where are they?" She asked.
"See! I'm not the only one worried." Topaz said with a sad triumph.
She sipped her coffee slowly as she tried valiantly to stay calm.
Suddenly the door slammed. Everyone looked up to see a ragged
Thora leaning against the door clutching her hands to her breast. She was
gasping for breath. Topaz leaped off the couch and ran to her.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Then something hit her hard. "Where's
Jade?!" She cried.
Thora slowly opened her hands. In her palms lay a beautiful necklace.
Hanging on it was a small black dahlia. It was Jade's necklace. "She got
Jade."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, I don't know if you guys like these ANs I don't even know
if anyone is reading this story but they are fun, so here are some more.
I HATE LEAH JOHNSON!!! I HATE LEAH JOHNSON!!!
My cousin is a lot like Noki. She can sleep anywhere, anytime. It
was so annoying around Christmas time...
Whenever I'm in the front seat of a mini-van, I have to put my
leg over the arm rest... I don't know why.
I know David, but he didn't move away in third grade. We are still
friends, actually. ^-^
I had a teacher named Mrs. Peistch. David wasn't in that class and
I never dropped paint on her.
David's parents are still alive, actually.
Is "poorer" a word?? Or did I make it up?
Well, that's all for now. Not many ANs this time. ^-^
Comments!!! Please R/R.
JA!
Ziska Ames