----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Laughing Planet"
'Topaz's Story'
Recorded by Ziska Ames
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Chapter 6
Topaz quietly unzipped her sleeping bag and pushed it halfway
open. She slipped out and onto the cold floor with a slight shiver.
She stood up from her position between the window and reclining chair
cautiously. Slowly, she creeped around in front of the chair and shot
a cautionary look at Lapis, who was actually curled up in the faded
blue chair. She carefully stepped over Jendra, who had also slept on
the floor in an old military bag. Topaz walked as softly as she could
to the door. She picked her shoes up from the corner in one hand and
reached for the cold doorknob with the other.
They hadn't been out looking for days. Well, not really
looking. They walked around, calling their friend's names. Checking in
small crevices and old abandoned buildings. But only she had seemed to
really be searching. To really be feeling the smallest places a body
could be crammed into. The others seemed convinced that Jaecar would
come to them. But Topaz couldn't stop looking for Jonquil. She had to
find him. She had to!
She carefully gripped the doorknob and turned it softly. She
opened the door an inch. She froze immediately to listen behind her
for sounds from the other three occupants of the small room. Noki
shifted a little on the couch, tossing his cover off and onto the
floor, but everything else was a blissful, and to Topaz grateful,
silence.
Topaz eased the door open another two inches and paused again.
She couldn't get caught. If they woke up and found her she'd be forced
to stay there in the small confining apartment, helpless while Jaecar
was doing who-knows-what to her hapless soul-mate.
She slowly, agonizingly slowly, inched the door open to a full
two feet, pausing between inches to check on her friend's slumber. She
smiled gently as she eased through the tiny opening. She knew that if
she opened the door any further it would squeak, and the others would
definitely wake up.
She slowly shut the door again, pulling gently with the knob
turned to avoid a click as the door latched itself in place. She
sighed and picked up her shoes which she had been forced to place on
the floor so she could concentrate on keeping her stealthy escape
'stealthy.' She quietly, but briskly, walked down the hallway to the
front door. She waited till she was outside on the stoop before
pulling her shoes on. She tied the multi-colored laces and
straightened up to peer through the darkness.
She walked silently through the night looking for clues. She
didn't know what clues. Really she had no idea what to look for. Blood
on the ground, she supposed. That kind of thing. She hadn't really
thought about it.
Which was stupid, she now realized with a vengeance. They
probably couldn't find anything cause they had no idea what to look
for. We've been running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
I wonder if Jaecar has been watching and laughing herself sick at our
pathetic efforts. Wouldn't that be poetic justice? she thought wirly
as she walked. She needed sleep and she knew it, but she couldn't
sleep. Not while Jonquil was still gone, missing from her life.
She approached an old warehouse and paused to lean against the
building for a small rest. The wind blew a lock of loose hair against
her cheek. She brushed it away with a quick, irritated hand.
"Topaz..." she lifted her head quickly. She felt a tiny breeze
brushing her cheek. It was probably just the wind... she thought
sadly. She had hoped...
"Topaz."
It was louder and clearer this time. Topaz pushed herself away
from the wall and approached an opening in the wall. She assumed there
had been a door there once guessing from the broken, rusty hinges in
the frame. She placed one hand against the old wood, feeling it
crumble slightly at her touch. She peered into the dark innards of the
old building. From what she could see, the place looked like it had
been gutted.
There were plugs in the walls and frames from some machinery.
But no people. Nothing to call her name. Her head dropped to her chest.
Maybe she should just go back to the apartment.
"Topaz."
Her head jumped up and she took a small step inside the
warehouse. She knew that wasn't the wind. It had sounded like it was
right in front of her. She looked around noticing the exposed pipes
overhead as she took another small step inside. She was completely
inside the building now. She heard something swishing through the air
behind her and turned quick enough to watch as the ash wood club hit
her in the head and her world went black.
Leah had started feeding the small group of friends at two-day
intervals. They had eaten two more helpings of fetid meat by the time
they saw the two thugs again.
This time one stood at the top of the stairs with his finger
on the light switch. He flipped it on quickly and held it there while
the other thug hurried down the stairs, slid his load off his shoulder,
and almost ran back upstairs. The lights were off as soon as he
reached the landing, and soon the door was shut, too.
They had been blinded by the light and unable to see who had
joined the happy little party. Unable to see, they were forced to wait
till the person awakened.
Later, much later it seemed, the huddle moaned softly.
Jonquil's head shot up off his chest and he strained his eyes to see
into the darkness.
"Topaz," he said with certainty. She suddenly suspected she
was still in the warehouse. She slowly opened her eyes and moaned
again. The voice had sounded differently though.
"Topaz." Jonquil was worried when she didn't answer him
immediately.
Topaz shook her head a bit, but stopped when a pounding
headache made itself known. The voice was definitely different from
the first time. In fact, it sounded a lot like Jonquil.
"Jonquil?" She asked afraid of the answer. What if it wasn't
him? The darkness seemed to mock her malignantly in the few seconds it
took him to answer.
"Hello, Topaz." He spoke softly.
Topaz smiled. She'd found him. Not quite how she'd intended
too, but she'd found him. "Jade? Vanax?" she supposed they must be
here now.
There were quite affirmations and Topaz slowly lowered her
head to the carpeted floor. "I found you." she said in a child-like
voice.
"So you did." Jonquil said silently. He had been following the
sound of her voice and the bond between them. He couldn't believe he
hadn't felt it as soon as she arrived in the house, or wherever they
were. He inched up next to her now and cursed the wooden cuffs that
prevented him from holding her in his arms.
"I'm glad." she said softly as she sat up and leaning over
placed her head on his shoulder. She knew exactly where he was. She
could feel it through their connection. Their wonderful, blessed
connection. "I missed you all. Everyone did."
"We know." Jade's voice said softly in the darkness.
"They probably have my necklace by now." Topaz said quietly
before drifting into a restless sleep.
The knocking awoke Lapis from her rest. She stretched slowly
and suddenly realized what that sound was. It had penetrated her dream
and she had awakened confused.
She thought for a minute it would be the boy. The one in her
dream. She dreamt of him a lot. He was young, maybe ten, with
incredibly curly blonde hair and the deepest blue eyes. He would bow
to her and say, "Welcome, Princess." She would usually wake up at that
time. She didn't know what the dream meant, even if it meant anything,
and she usually forgot it soon after.
She stood up and walked to the door. She pulled it open and
looked out, trying to cover a large yawn. She opened the door almost
expecting to see the boy standing in front of her.
There was no one in the hallway. She looked down at a soft
slapping noise and looked confused at the necklace that was hanging on
the doorknob. She picked it off and closed the door turning around as
she did so. Her eyes roamed the room coming to rest on Topaz's flat
sleeping bag.
She looked quickly from the sleeping bag to the necklace in
her hand, noticing for the first time that the pendant was a black
iris. Her terrified sob woke Noki and Jendra.
Thora, Jendra, Noki and Lapis sat staring at the small
collection of jewelry on the dark, redwood coffee table.
"And then there were three." Noki said ironically. Even he
didn't find it funny. This was starting to get really depressing.
Jendra cupped the foxglove ring in her hand for a moment, then
gently placed it next to the rose ring. "I can't believe she went out
without us. What was she thinking?" she cried angrily.
Noki placed a hand on her shoulder and she immediately turned
into his embrace sobbing. He stroked her back softly. "You know I
would've done the same if you had been out there."
"I know. And I would've done the same for you. But still. The
poor girl."
"We'll find her and the others. All we have to do is wait."
Lapis spoke as if it was a mantra. She had been repeating those words
to herself almost constantly since she found Topaz's necklace an hour
ago.
"I don't want to wait anymore." Thora said suddenly. She stood
up and grabbed the jewelry off the table. She dumped it all onto the
mantle again and quickly headed to the door. "I'm going after her."
she said slamming the door behind her.
"I'll go after her." Jendra said quickly getting up and
following Thora out into the bright sunlight of a cloudless morning
sky. She spotted Thora disappearing around the corner and quickly ran
after her. She rounded the corner to find an empty street. "Darn, that
girl's fast." She thought setting off down the street in the direction
she hoped Thora had taken.
Thora walked in an hour later holding her hands clenched at
her sides. She stepped up in front of Noki and let her hands open,
allowing the rose necklace to fall into his lap. "I'm sorry." She said
in a choked voice before running into the bedroom and slamming the
door.
Noki swallowed hard as he held up the necklace. He stood
carefully and, avoiding Lapis' frightened stare, gently placed the
necklace next to the other pieces of jewelry.
"I'm going to find Jaecar and I'm going to kill her." he said
in a soft, certain voice. He turned to face Lapis. His expression was
grim and remote, as if he couldn't see her. "I'll be back later. Take
care of Thora." he left the apartment with one thought in mind.
Finding his soul-mate.
Lapis stared at the shut door for a moment before standing and
walking to Thora's bedroom door. She knocked softly and the door flew
open to show a smiling Thora.
Noki stopped in mid-stride, about halfway down the hallway. He
wanted her necklace with him. He couldn't have her, but he could have
something that was hers. That was close to her, a part of her. He
turned on his heel to go back for the piece of artwork but stopped
abruptly when the screaming started. His mind raced.
Lapis and Thora. Jaecar's in there with Lapis and Thora. He
ran to the door and hurled it open. The blood curdling shrieks had
stopped and the sight that greeted his eyes was definitely not what he
wanted to see.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Is that an evil place to stop? Oh good. I was hoping so.
You know, I can't think of a single author's note.
Damn.
Opiumchicken@yahoo.com
"The Laughing Planet"
'Topaz's Story'
Recorded by Ziska Ames
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 6
Topaz quietly unzipped her sleeping bag and pushed it halfway
open. She slipped out and onto the cold floor with a slight shiver.
She stood up from her position between the window and reclining chair
cautiously. Slowly, she creeped around in front of the chair and shot
a cautionary look at Lapis, who was actually curled up in the faded
blue chair. She carefully stepped over Jendra, who had also slept on
the floor in an old military bag. Topaz walked as softly as she could
to the door. She picked her shoes up from the corner in one hand and
reached for the cold doorknob with the other.
They hadn't been out looking for days. Well, not really
looking. They walked around, calling their friend's names. Checking in
small crevices and old abandoned buildings. But only she had seemed to
really be searching. To really be feeling the smallest places a body
could be crammed into. The others seemed convinced that Jaecar would
come to them. But Topaz couldn't stop looking for Jonquil. She had to
find him. She had to!
She carefully gripped the doorknob and turned it softly. She
opened the door an inch. She froze immediately to listen behind her
for sounds from the other three occupants of the small room. Noki
shifted a little on the couch, tossing his cover off and onto the
floor, but everything else was a blissful, and to Topaz grateful,
silence.
Topaz eased the door open another two inches and paused again.
She couldn't get caught. If they woke up and found her she'd be forced
to stay there in the small confining apartment, helpless while Jaecar
was doing who-knows-what to her hapless soul-mate.
She slowly, agonizingly slowly, inched the door open to a full
two feet, pausing between inches to check on her friend's slumber. She
smiled gently as she eased through the tiny opening. She knew that if
she opened the door any further it would squeak, and the others would
definitely wake up.
She slowly shut the door again, pulling gently with the knob
turned to avoid a click as the door latched itself in place. She
sighed and picked up her shoes which she had been forced to place on
the floor so she could concentrate on keeping her stealthy escape
'stealthy.' She quietly, but briskly, walked down the hallway to the
front door. She waited till she was outside on the stoop before
pulling her shoes on. She tied the multi-colored laces and
straightened up to peer through the darkness.
She walked silently through the night looking for clues. She
didn't know what clues. Really she had no idea what to look for. Blood
on the ground, she supposed. That kind of thing. She hadn't really
thought about it.
Which was stupid, she now realized with a vengeance. They
probably couldn't find anything cause they had no idea what to look
for. We've been running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
I wonder if Jaecar has been watching and laughing herself sick at our
pathetic efforts. Wouldn't that be poetic justice? she thought wirly
as she walked. She needed sleep and she knew it, but she couldn't
sleep. Not while Jonquil was still gone, missing from her life.
She approached an old warehouse and paused to lean against the
building for a small rest. The wind blew a lock of loose hair against
her cheek. She brushed it away with a quick, irritated hand.
"Topaz..." she lifted her head quickly. She felt a tiny breeze
brushing her cheek. It was probably just the wind... she thought
sadly. She had hoped...
"Topaz."
It was louder and clearer this time. Topaz pushed herself away
from the wall and approached an opening in the wall. She assumed there
had been a door there once guessing from the broken, rusty hinges in
the frame. She placed one hand against the old wood, feeling it
crumble slightly at her touch. She peered into the dark innards of the
old building. From what she could see, the place looked like it had
been gutted.
There were plugs in the walls and frames from some machinery.
But no people. Nothing to call her name. Her head dropped to her chest.
Maybe she should just go back to the apartment.
"Topaz."
Her head jumped up and she took a small step inside the
warehouse. She knew that wasn't the wind. It had sounded like it was
right in front of her. She looked around noticing the exposed pipes
overhead as she took another small step inside. She was completely
inside the building now. She heard something swishing through the air
behind her and turned quick enough to watch as the ash wood club hit
her in the head and her world went black.
Leah had started feeding the small group of friends at two-day
intervals. They had eaten two more helpings of fetid meat by the time
they saw the two thugs again.
This time one stood at the top of the stairs with his finger
on the light switch. He flipped it on quickly and held it there while
the other thug hurried down the stairs, slid his load off his shoulder,
and almost ran back upstairs. The lights were off as soon as he
reached the landing, and soon the door was shut, too.
They had been blinded by the light and unable to see who had
joined the happy little party. Unable to see, they were forced to wait
till the person awakened.
Later, much later it seemed, the huddle moaned softly.
Jonquil's head shot up off his chest and he strained his eyes to see
into the darkness.
"Topaz," he said with certainty. She suddenly suspected she
was still in the warehouse. She slowly opened her eyes and moaned
again. The voice had sounded differently though.
"Topaz." Jonquil was worried when she didn't answer him
immediately.
Topaz shook her head a bit, but stopped when a pounding
headache made itself known. The voice was definitely different from
the first time. In fact, it sounded a lot like Jonquil.
"Jonquil?" She asked afraid of the answer. What if it wasn't
him? The darkness seemed to mock her malignantly in the few seconds it
took him to answer.
"Hello, Topaz." He spoke softly.
Topaz smiled. She'd found him. Not quite how she'd intended
too, but she'd found him. "Jade? Vanax?" she supposed they must be
here now.
There were quite affirmations and Topaz slowly lowered her
head to the carpeted floor. "I found you." she said in a child-like
voice.
"So you did." Jonquil said silently. He had been following the
sound of her voice and the bond between them. He couldn't believe he
hadn't felt it as soon as she arrived in the house, or wherever they
were. He inched up next to her now and cursed the wooden cuffs that
prevented him from holding her in his arms.
"I'm glad." she said softly as she sat up and leaning over
placed her head on his shoulder. She knew exactly where he was. She
could feel it through their connection. Their wonderful, blessed
connection. "I missed you all. Everyone did."
"We know." Jade's voice said softly in the darkness.
"They probably have my necklace by now." Topaz said quietly
before drifting into a restless sleep.
The knocking awoke Lapis from her rest. She stretched slowly
and suddenly realized what that sound was. It had penetrated her dream
and she had awakened confused.
She thought for a minute it would be the boy. The one in her
dream. She dreamt of him a lot. He was young, maybe ten, with
incredibly curly blonde hair and the deepest blue eyes. He would bow
to her and say, "Welcome, Princess." She would usually wake up at that
time. She didn't know what the dream meant, even if it meant anything,
and she usually forgot it soon after.
She stood up and walked to the door. She pulled it open and
looked out, trying to cover a large yawn. She opened the door almost
expecting to see the boy standing in front of her.
There was no one in the hallway. She looked down at a soft
slapping noise and looked confused at the necklace that was hanging on
the doorknob. She picked it off and closed the door turning around as
she did so. Her eyes roamed the room coming to rest on Topaz's flat
sleeping bag.
She looked quickly from the sleeping bag to the necklace in
her hand, noticing for the first time that the pendant was a black
iris. Her terrified sob woke Noki and Jendra.
Thora, Jendra, Noki and Lapis sat staring at the small
collection of jewelry on the dark, redwood coffee table.
"And then there were three." Noki said ironically. Even he
didn't find it funny. This was starting to get really depressing.
Jendra cupped the foxglove ring in her hand for a moment, then
gently placed it next to the rose ring. "I can't believe she went out
without us. What was she thinking?" she cried angrily.
Noki placed a hand on her shoulder and she immediately turned
into his embrace sobbing. He stroked her back softly. "You know I
would've done the same if you had been out there."
"I know. And I would've done the same for you. But still. The
poor girl."
"We'll find her and the others. All we have to do is wait."
Lapis spoke as if it was a mantra. She had been repeating those words
to herself almost constantly since she found Topaz's necklace an hour
ago.
"I don't want to wait anymore." Thora said suddenly. She stood
up and grabbed the jewelry off the table. She dumped it all onto the
mantle again and quickly headed to the door. "I'm going after her."
she said slamming the door behind her.
"I'll go after her." Jendra said quickly getting up and
following Thora out into the bright sunlight of a cloudless morning
sky. She spotted Thora disappearing around the corner and quickly ran
after her. She rounded the corner to find an empty street. "Darn, that
girl's fast." She thought setting off down the street in the direction
she hoped Thora had taken.
Thora walked in an hour later holding her hands clenched at
her sides. She stepped up in front of Noki and let her hands open,
allowing the rose necklace to fall into his lap. "I'm sorry." She said
in a choked voice before running into the bedroom and slamming the
door.
Noki swallowed hard as he held up the necklace. He stood
carefully and, avoiding Lapis' frightened stare, gently placed the
necklace next to the other pieces of jewelry.
"I'm going to find Jaecar and I'm going to kill her." he said
in a soft, certain voice. He turned to face Lapis. His expression was
grim and remote, as if he couldn't see her. "I'll be back later. Take
care of Thora." he left the apartment with one thought in mind.
Finding his soul-mate.
Lapis stared at the shut door for a moment before standing and
walking to Thora's bedroom door. She knocked softly and the door flew
open to show a smiling Thora.
Noki stopped in mid-stride, about halfway down the hallway. He
wanted her necklace with him. He couldn't have her, but he could have
something that was hers. That was close to her, a part of her. He
turned on his heel to go back for the piece of artwork but stopped
abruptly when the screaming started. His mind raced.
Lapis and Thora. Jaecar's in there with Lapis and Thora. He
ran to the door and hurled it open. The blood curdling shrieks had
stopped and the sight that greeted his eyes was definitely not what he
wanted to see.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Is that an evil place to stop? Oh good. I was hoping so.
You know, I can't think of a single author's note.
Damn.
Opiumchicken@yahoo.com