----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Laughing Planet"
'Topaz's Story'
Recorded by Ziska Ames
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 5
"Let's go out." Jonquil and Topaz were sitting on the couch
when Jonquil proposed an outing. "We'll go to dinner or something. You
need to relax." He turned a concerned face on Topaz.
She sighed. He was right. It had been almost a day since Vanax
disappeared and everyone else was still around looking. They had
called South High School and told them some stupid story about a
friend dying and the funeral being all that week or something. Topaz
didn't even remember. But now they had a week, only one small week, to
find Jade and Vanax before people started to get suspicious. And they
were doing terrible so far.
They had gone to all the parks and abandoned buildings. They
had even asked random people off the street. But they hadn't called
the police. They couldn't trust the police.
Topaz mussed over Jonquil's offer. A dinner out would be nice
to get rid of some stress.
"Okay," Topaz said with a decisive nod. She leaned against
Jonquil and sighed. Suddenly, Jonquil wasn't there any more. She
almost panicked before realizing he was standing in front of her
holding his hand out to help her up. She laughed and accepted the help.
When was the last time I laughed? she wondered suddenly.
"I'll leave a note," she said quickly finding paper after
releasing Jonquil's hand. She scribbled a quick note saying they had
gone out for dinner and would be back soon.
She didn't want the others to worry when they got back. She
and Jonquil had covered their area faster than expected. After checking
everywhere twice, then a third time, they had given up and come back
to Thora's apartment. They had assumed everyone else would be done too,
but apparently their areas were more extensive.
Walking out Topaz used the key Thora had given her to lock the
old wooden door. She twisted the rusting old handle, checking to make
sure it was locked. Nodding in satisfaction she put the key in her
pocket again. She smiled at Jonquil and he took her hand to lead her
out to the street before she changed her mind.
They walked around slowly looking for a good place to eat.
Though neither of them realized it, they were both searching passing
faces for their friends as well. They approached a restaurant called
Joe's Place.
"Hmm... original," Jonquil quipped.
"I like it. You don't actually see many 'Joe's Places' around.
Though you hear about them all the time." Topaz pushed the door open
and walked in. Waiting for a waitress she perused the menu. She was
surprised to find out this was an Italian restaurant.
"Hello. Table for two?"
Topaz let Jonquil work out the arrangements as she looked
around. The restaurant was separated into two parts. The entrance was
divided from the dining area by large, clear windows. The dining room
was beautiful. Dark wood tables and booths with little candles on each
one. Topaz smiled as the waiter led her and Jonquil to a small table
in the corner.
"Drinks?"
"Water, please," Topaz said as she accepted the menu.
"Nothing," Jonquil replied as he opened his own menu.
"Its amazing how good normal food sounds after not eating it
for months," Topaz commented as she examined the selection. "I'm glad
I can still digest this stuff." She licked her lips thinking of the
lasagna that she was going to order.
"Yeah. I kind of miss it actually. We should do this more
often." Jonquil smiled at Topaz across the table. "Hey, if the waiter
comes order me some spaghetti with meatballs. I'm gonna run to the
bathroom."
Topaz murmured an agreement and watched as he walked off till
he rounded a corner. She smiled to herself and stretched.
This was just what she needed. Some relaxing time with her
soul-mate. She missed the days from a couple weeks ago. When everyone
would meet at her apartment to play euchre, instead of figuring out
who was going to die next.
The waiter came and went bringing their drinks and taking their
orders. After ten minutes Topaz was a little worried. How long does
it take for a guy to use the restroom?
After half an hour she stood up. "That's it. I know it doesn't
take this long. I'm going to go find him," she stated to no one in
particular.
She walked to the front of the building to ask the waitress
where the bathrooms were. It was a small one-person bathroom hidden in
the corner opposite of where she and Jonquil had been sitting. She
knocked softly on the door expecting Jonquil's response. She didn't
hear anything.
She knocked again, hard and a little frantically. Finally she
tried the shiny doorknob. The bathroom was empty. There was no water
left in the sink, no paper towels in the trash can. The light wasn't
even on to illuminate the perfect white walls. There was no sign that
any one had been in the bathroom in the past half-hour. She practically
ran up to the waiter.
"Excuse me. Have you seen the guy I came in with?" She asked
as she clutched his arm.
"I'm sorry, miss. I didn't see you enter with any one. You
came alone," the guy sounded and looked incredibly confused. He tried
to detach Topaz from his arm and failed miserably.
"No, I didn't. I'll prove it," she dragged the hapless waiter
to her table to point out the two menus and place settings. She stopped
and dropped the guy's arm in favor of putting her hands to her mouth
to hold in a sob when she got there.
Sitting on her place mat was a ring. A black rose ring.
"Excuse me, miss. Would you like me to call a doctor? An
ambulance maybe?" The waiter placed a kind hand on her shoulder.
"No. I'm fine," she managed to say without breaking down. She
grabbed the ring and quickly left the restaurant.
Jade and Vanax turned their heads away to shield their eyes
when the door at the top of the stairs suddenly opened.
"Put it down there," Jade heard Leah command someone. She
squinted and looked up. The overhead floodlights were turned off and
the only illumination was from the doorway. Jade could make out two
very large silhouettes carrying a trashing *something* between them.
She assumed it was another of her friends and sighed. She shifted off
her leg, which had fallen asleep, and waited till the door was closed
before saying anything.
"Hello."
"Jade?" The person's voice sounded shocked and dazed.
"Hey, Jonquil. They got you, too, huh?" Vanax asked slowly.
They had been locked down in the cellar for a little over a day with
no food.
"Yeah. I'm glad you guys are okay," Jonquil said slowly. "Topaz
has probably noticed I haven't come back from the bathroom by now.
Hey... my ring's gone too."
"Huh? You're ring? What do you mean?" Jade asked.
"They left our symbols to show who was taken. We've got your
necklace and Vanax's ring up on the mantel head in Thora's apartment.
Man, those guys were big!" Jonquil exclaimed suddenly changing the
subject. "They jumped me out of nowhere. Is that how you guys were
taken too?"
"It was for me. Right into the shadows of the night," Vanax
said wirly. Jonquil could imagine his humorless grin.
"You won't believe how they got me," Jade said with a sigh.
Topaz opened the door and looked up to see that everyone had
arrived back by now. She walked in and sat down in the armchair. Lapis
put her hand on her shoulder.
"She got Jonquil, didn't she?" she asked softly. Topaz raised
the ring in answer. Slowly Lapis took it from her clutching fingers
and turned to the mantel. She gently sat it down next to Vanax's
foxglove ring.
"He just went to the bathroom. We were in a restaurant. How
did she get him in a restaurant without any one noticing?! And the
waiter didn't remember him at all. Jaecar must be a vampire. Or have
vampires to do her dirty work." Topaz clenched her hands in anger. That
murderer had her soul-mate. She wasn't going to let her keep him. She
stood up filled with new purpose. "Come on. Our friends are gone and
we have to find them."
"Feeding time at the zoo!" Leah yelled from the top of the
stairs. There was a loud splatting sound and the door shut again.
Jonquil wiggled over to the food and gripping it in his teeth dragged
it back to Vanax and Jade who were huddled against the wall. It had
been two days since Jonquil had been brought in. You couldn't tell the
time in the cellar, but Leah seemed to take particular delight in
telling them just how long they had been missing. How long their
friends had been searching. And how they hadn't been found yet.
"It's lamb meat," Jonquil said as he deposited the chunk of
half decayed meat in front of his cellmates. "I know you won't like
it, Jade, but you have to eat some."
Jade nodded weakly. She had gone the longest without food, four
days almost, and she had to have nourishment. She wasn't super strong
like the others. She leaned over and grimacing, ripped off a chunk of
meat with her teeth. She chewed slowly and swallowed, gagging.
"It's rotten," she stated flatly.
"But it's food. It's meat. And it's still got blood. I'll take
the blood and you guys can share the actual meat." Jonquil took charge
quickly. Jonquil quickly began to suck the blood from the meat. He
made sure to leave enough so it was still moist enough for Jade and
Vanax. He knew Vanax needed some blood too.
When Jonquil was done he sat back as Jade and Vanax took turns
taking bites. Soon the small hunk was gone and they all felt slightly
better.
"Wow. That's amazing. I feel better already," Vanax said
flexing his arms gently. "But they measured the food carefully. I'm
still not strong enough to break the hemp."
"Me neither. Of course, mine is wood," Jonquil said ruefully.
While Vanax and Jade's hands were bound with rough hemp, his was in a
small set of wooden stocks. He twisted his wrists slowly, but stopped
when he felt potential splinters rubbing his skin.
The others had to drag Topaz back to the apartment and give her
sleeping pills before she calmed down enough to even sit still. They
had been scouring the city for Jonquil, Jade and Vanax and hadn't
gotten anywhere. It was Tuesday now. Two days since Jonquil disappeared.
Three since Vanax was taken. And three and a half days without Jade in
their mists. The group felt torn apart.
After three or four pills, Topaz dozed on the couch. Lapis sat
with Topaz's head in her lap, gently combing her hair with her fingers.
Jendra leaned against Noki and cried silently. Thora was asleep in her
own bed.
"I'm afraid we won't find them," Lapis said softly so Topaz
wouldn't wake up.
"I know. Or you think, what if we find them and they're
already..." Jendra let her sentence hang. It was a horrible thought.
She hadn't meant to say it, but she knew everyone was thinking it.
"They're alive. Or at least, Jade and Jonquil are. Topaz would
feel it if they died. And if Jade and Jonquil are alright we have to
assume Vanax is too," Noki said. His reasoning was plain and Jendra
suddenly felt better for it.
"You're right, of course. And if they aren't dead, we can still
find them. Or, we'll be taken to them. That's most likely I would think.
And once we are all together again, we can get away," Jendra spoke with
true optimism. Lapis suddenly slapped her forehead.
"Of course! We're so stupid. We've been looking for our friends
when we should be looking for Jaecar. Or just waiting until Jaecar comes
to us. She obviously wants us all. We don't need to search. Just wait."
"Sometimes waiting is worse," Noki said after a moment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There is a place called "Joe's Place" where I live. Or it might
be "Joe's Diner." I can't remember really. They serve steak and pasta.
Good food.
I'm not sure if vampires, lamia or made, can digest human food.
I'm guessing they can, but it doesn't do squat for them.
Me and my friends used to play eucher all the time, but we don't
much any more... I don't know why not...
Oh god. Writing that meat part in the cellar was gross. I make
up for it in later chapters! I do!
I stole the idea of small wooden stocks from an actual Night
World book by L.J.Smith.
My friend read this and asked if it wasn't dangerous for Topaz
to have four sleeping pills. My guess is that if she can't get dieseases,
sleeping pills won't kill her.
Well, that was better than the last chapter. I just write short
chapters! I'm sorry!
Ja,
Ziska Ames
"The Laughing Planet"
'Topaz's Story'
Recorded by Ziska Ames
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 5
"Let's go out." Jonquil and Topaz were sitting on the couch
when Jonquil proposed an outing. "We'll go to dinner or something. You
need to relax." He turned a concerned face on Topaz.
She sighed. He was right. It had been almost a day since Vanax
disappeared and everyone else was still around looking. They had
called South High School and told them some stupid story about a
friend dying and the funeral being all that week or something. Topaz
didn't even remember. But now they had a week, only one small week, to
find Jade and Vanax before people started to get suspicious. And they
were doing terrible so far.
They had gone to all the parks and abandoned buildings. They
had even asked random people off the street. But they hadn't called
the police. They couldn't trust the police.
Topaz mussed over Jonquil's offer. A dinner out would be nice
to get rid of some stress.
"Okay," Topaz said with a decisive nod. She leaned against
Jonquil and sighed. Suddenly, Jonquil wasn't there any more. She
almost panicked before realizing he was standing in front of her
holding his hand out to help her up. She laughed and accepted the help.
When was the last time I laughed? she wondered suddenly.
"I'll leave a note," she said quickly finding paper after
releasing Jonquil's hand. She scribbled a quick note saying they had
gone out for dinner and would be back soon.
She didn't want the others to worry when they got back. She
and Jonquil had covered their area faster than expected. After checking
everywhere twice, then a third time, they had given up and come back
to Thora's apartment. They had assumed everyone else would be done too,
but apparently their areas were more extensive.
Walking out Topaz used the key Thora had given her to lock the
old wooden door. She twisted the rusting old handle, checking to make
sure it was locked. Nodding in satisfaction she put the key in her
pocket again. She smiled at Jonquil and he took her hand to lead her
out to the street before she changed her mind.
They walked around slowly looking for a good place to eat.
Though neither of them realized it, they were both searching passing
faces for their friends as well. They approached a restaurant called
Joe's Place.
"Hmm... original," Jonquil quipped.
"I like it. You don't actually see many 'Joe's Places' around.
Though you hear about them all the time." Topaz pushed the door open
and walked in. Waiting for a waitress she perused the menu. She was
surprised to find out this was an Italian restaurant.
"Hello. Table for two?"
Topaz let Jonquil work out the arrangements as she looked
around. The restaurant was separated into two parts. The entrance was
divided from the dining area by large, clear windows. The dining room
was beautiful. Dark wood tables and booths with little candles on each
one. Topaz smiled as the waiter led her and Jonquil to a small table
in the corner.
"Drinks?"
"Water, please," Topaz said as she accepted the menu.
"Nothing," Jonquil replied as he opened his own menu.
"Its amazing how good normal food sounds after not eating it
for months," Topaz commented as she examined the selection. "I'm glad
I can still digest this stuff." She licked her lips thinking of the
lasagna that she was going to order.
"Yeah. I kind of miss it actually. We should do this more
often." Jonquil smiled at Topaz across the table. "Hey, if the waiter
comes order me some spaghetti with meatballs. I'm gonna run to the
bathroom."
Topaz murmured an agreement and watched as he walked off till
he rounded a corner. She smiled to herself and stretched.
This was just what she needed. Some relaxing time with her
soul-mate. She missed the days from a couple weeks ago. When everyone
would meet at her apartment to play euchre, instead of figuring out
who was going to die next.
The waiter came and went bringing their drinks and taking their
orders. After ten minutes Topaz was a little worried. How long does
it take for a guy to use the restroom?
After half an hour she stood up. "That's it. I know it doesn't
take this long. I'm going to go find him," she stated to no one in
particular.
She walked to the front of the building to ask the waitress
where the bathrooms were. It was a small one-person bathroom hidden in
the corner opposite of where she and Jonquil had been sitting. She
knocked softly on the door expecting Jonquil's response. She didn't
hear anything.
She knocked again, hard and a little frantically. Finally she
tried the shiny doorknob. The bathroom was empty. There was no water
left in the sink, no paper towels in the trash can. The light wasn't
even on to illuminate the perfect white walls. There was no sign that
any one had been in the bathroom in the past half-hour. She practically
ran up to the waiter.
"Excuse me. Have you seen the guy I came in with?" She asked
as she clutched his arm.
"I'm sorry, miss. I didn't see you enter with any one. You
came alone," the guy sounded and looked incredibly confused. He tried
to detach Topaz from his arm and failed miserably.
"No, I didn't. I'll prove it," she dragged the hapless waiter
to her table to point out the two menus and place settings. She stopped
and dropped the guy's arm in favor of putting her hands to her mouth
to hold in a sob when she got there.
Sitting on her place mat was a ring. A black rose ring.
"Excuse me, miss. Would you like me to call a doctor? An
ambulance maybe?" The waiter placed a kind hand on her shoulder.
"No. I'm fine," she managed to say without breaking down. She
grabbed the ring and quickly left the restaurant.
Jade and Vanax turned their heads away to shield their eyes
when the door at the top of the stairs suddenly opened.
"Put it down there," Jade heard Leah command someone. She
squinted and looked up. The overhead floodlights were turned off and
the only illumination was from the doorway. Jade could make out two
very large silhouettes carrying a trashing *something* between them.
She assumed it was another of her friends and sighed. She shifted off
her leg, which had fallen asleep, and waited till the door was closed
before saying anything.
"Hello."
"Jade?" The person's voice sounded shocked and dazed.
"Hey, Jonquil. They got you, too, huh?" Vanax asked slowly.
They had been locked down in the cellar for a little over a day with
no food.
"Yeah. I'm glad you guys are okay," Jonquil said slowly. "Topaz
has probably noticed I haven't come back from the bathroom by now.
Hey... my ring's gone too."
"Huh? You're ring? What do you mean?" Jade asked.
"They left our symbols to show who was taken. We've got your
necklace and Vanax's ring up on the mantel head in Thora's apartment.
Man, those guys were big!" Jonquil exclaimed suddenly changing the
subject. "They jumped me out of nowhere. Is that how you guys were
taken too?"
"It was for me. Right into the shadows of the night," Vanax
said wirly. Jonquil could imagine his humorless grin.
"You won't believe how they got me," Jade said with a sigh.
Topaz opened the door and looked up to see that everyone had
arrived back by now. She walked in and sat down in the armchair. Lapis
put her hand on her shoulder.
"She got Jonquil, didn't she?" she asked softly. Topaz raised
the ring in answer. Slowly Lapis took it from her clutching fingers
and turned to the mantel. She gently sat it down next to Vanax's
foxglove ring.
"He just went to the bathroom. We were in a restaurant. How
did she get him in a restaurant without any one noticing?! And the
waiter didn't remember him at all. Jaecar must be a vampire. Or have
vampires to do her dirty work." Topaz clenched her hands in anger. That
murderer had her soul-mate. She wasn't going to let her keep him. She
stood up filled with new purpose. "Come on. Our friends are gone and
we have to find them."
"Feeding time at the zoo!" Leah yelled from the top of the
stairs. There was a loud splatting sound and the door shut again.
Jonquil wiggled over to the food and gripping it in his teeth dragged
it back to Vanax and Jade who were huddled against the wall. It had
been two days since Jonquil had been brought in. You couldn't tell the
time in the cellar, but Leah seemed to take particular delight in
telling them just how long they had been missing. How long their
friends had been searching. And how they hadn't been found yet.
"It's lamb meat," Jonquil said as he deposited the chunk of
half decayed meat in front of his cellmates. "I know you won't like
it, Jade, but you have to eat some."
Jade nodded weakly. She had gone the longest without food, four
days almost, and she had to have nourishment. She wasn't super strong
like the others. She leaned over and grimacing, ripped off a chunk of
meat with her teeth. She chewed slowly and swallowed, gagging.
"It's rotten," she stated flatly.
"But it's food. It's meat. And it's still got blood. I'll take
the blood and you guys can share the actual meat." Jonquil took charge
quickly. Jonquil quickly began to suck the blood from the meat. He
made sure to leave enough so it was still moist enough for Jade and
Vanax. He knew Vanax needed some blood too.
When Jonquil was done he sat back as Jade and Vanax took turns
taking bites. Soon the small hunk was gone and they all felt slightly
better.
"Wow. That's amazing. I feel better already," Vanax said
flexing his arms gently. "But they measured the food carefully. I'm
still not strong enough to break the hemp."
"Me neither. Of course, mine is wood," Jonquil said ruefully.
While Vanax and Jade's hands were bound with rough hemp, his was in a
small set of wooden stocks. He twisted his wrists slowly, but stopped
when he felt potential splinters rubbing his skin.
The others had to drag Topaz back to the apartment and give her
sleeping pills before she calmed down enough to even sit still. They
had been scouring the city for Jonquil, Jade and Vanax and hadn't
gotten anywhere. It was Tuesday now. Two days since Jonquil disappeared.
Three since Vanax was taken. And three and a half days without Jade in
their mists. The group felt torn apart.
After three or four pills, Topaz dozed on the couch. Lapis sat
with Topaz's head in her lap, gently combing her hair with her fingers.
Jendra leaned against Noki and cried silently. Thora was asleep in her
own bed.
"I'm afraid we won't find them," Lapis said softly so Topaz
wouldn't wake up.
"I know. Or you think, what if we find them and they're
already..." Jendra let her sentence hang. It was a horrible thought.
She hadn't meant to say it, but she knew everyone was thinking it.
"They're alive. Or at least, Jade and Jonquil are. Topaz would
feel it if they died. And if Jade and Jonquil are alright we have to
assume Vanax is too," Noki said. His reasoning was plain and Jendra
suddenly felt better for it.
"You're right, of course. And if they aren't dead, we can still
find them. Or, we'll be taken to them. That's most likely I would think.
And once we are all together again, we can get away," Jendra spoke with
true optimism. Lapis suddenly slapped her forehead.
"Of course! We're so stupid. We've been looking for our friends
when we should be looking for Jaecar. Or just waiting until Jaecar comes
to us. She obviously wants us all. We don't need to search. Just wait."
"Sometimes waiting is worse," Noki said after a moment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There is a place called "Joe's Place" where I live. Or it might
be "Joe's Diner." I can't remember really. They serve steak and pasta.
Good food.
I'm not sure if vampires, lamia or made, can digest human food.
I'm guessing they can, but it doesn't do squat for them.
Me and my friends used to play eucher all the time, but we don't
much any more... I don't know why not...
Oh god. Writing that meat part in the cellar was gross. I make
up for it in later chapters! I do!
I stole the idea of small wooden stocks from an actual Night
World book by L.J.Smith.
My friend read this and asked if it wasn't dangerous for Topaz
to have four sleeping pills. My guess is that if she can't get dieseases,
sleeping pills won't kill her.
Well, that was better than the last chapter. I just write short
chapters! I'm sorry!
Ja,
Ziska Ames