AUTHOR'S NOTES:
_________________

Sorry for the delay. I know it's been awhile. Sometimes inspiration hits, and sometimes it gives you the cold shoulder. Hope you all enjoy chapter 4.
~~~~~~~~~~~

"Top-Hat."
--- --- --- ---

"I'm going out! Don't wait up!"

"You know I always do."

"I know ... " Replied Jade.

"I'm glad you're going out. You've barely gone out for three weeks now."

"Just ... Just had a lot on my mind, lately."

"I told you, it was just a dream."

"No, it wasn't. If it was, I wouldn't have woke up with that penny in my hand."

"Fair enough. Hey, what did you do with that antique coin anyway."

"I put it close to my heart."

"It might fall out of your bra."

"No, I put it close to my heart."

And he understood what she meant. Jade had sliced an opening under her left breast, and placed the penny inside of herself for safe keeping. The opening healed over in just seconds.

"Just remember not to say too much to your two new friends. We have to be careful."

"I know. They're like drinking-buddies. They like to have fun."

"Where'd you meet them?"

"Starbucks."

"Starbucks?? What the fuck were you doing in there?"

"I get tired of cold blood. I wanted something warm sliding down my throat."

"Yeah, well; just be careful. You know I worry about you."

"I know, big brother. I'll be careful. Promise." Said Jade with a smile.

She picked her teddy bear off the bed, and gave him a kiss on the nose. She hadn't told him how much her dream had bothered her. She wasn't sure what to call it, actually. A dream? A free glance into the future? A free glance into a POSSIBLE future? Was she physically there? But none of those questions bothered her as much as the one involving her fear. Solo treated women well. Everyone knew that. (Or, at least they would; in the future). He treated her well too. She could sense that something was off about him. But the same could be said of her, and she turned out fine. At least that's what Jade thought of herself. So what if it turned out she was a bit off. She had her older brother looking out for her. She was polite to all of her neighbors. She went out during the day, and interacted with the world. She was normal enough.

But why did she feel fear? Why? ... She pushed that question to the back of her mind. Tonight was about going out with the girls. Tonight was about having fun. Tonight was about forgetting her troubles, and just letting her hair down. She put on her sexiest outfit, and headed for the club.

She met up with Jody and Shakia at the Starbucks just 3 blocks up from the club. Jade wasn't entirely sure if her two new friends were lesbians, or if they were just REALLY affectionate towards each other. Jade decided it didn't really matter. Both of them were cute, and Jade wouldn't mind playing with them if they hated boys.

The Zarf club was one of the coolest clubs in Manhattan. Ironically, Jade knew what a zarf was. She found it a bit silly that the Zarf club didn't serve coffee. And the only tea you could get was a Long Island iced tea. The ones at the club tasted like gasoline mixed with brown food-coloring. Some patrons swore it was made from 200 proof alcohol. A glass of it would either fuck you up, leave you blind, or could be poured down your gas tank if you forgot to fill up before heading out to party!

It was the typical wild atmosphere when they got to the club. Shakia told her friends she was fucking the bouncer at the front door. Jade thought she must be straight. But when she saw the orgy of wild fun, she wasn't so sure again. To get into a place like THIS, a lesbian would happily fuck the ugly bouncer who guarded the front door. Shakia had given him a quick kiss on the cheek, and told him she had two friends with her. He smiled at them in a "Let's-have-a-foursome-later-tonight" kind of way. And they got in! No waiting on line for the bouncer's favorite sex-doll and her two busty friends.

The place was huge, loud, and alive! Jade and her friends had barely sat down at a prime table, no doubt another benefit of giving the head-bouncer some sweet happiness, when the M.C. took the stage.

"Ladies and freaks, put your mother-fucking hands together for the best in Manhattan. And show your love, not your dick or we'll have to throw you out like the retard from last night, for the one and fucking only; Top-Hat!"

She came out from behind the stage, wearing knee-high black hooker boots. A private-school skirt, a white shirt, a red tie loosely drapped around her neck, and a big black top hat on her head. A head covered in incredibly long blonde hair. The tie and the shirt didn't stay on for long.

"Are you okay?"

The question caught Jade off-guard. Took her a second to realize that Jody was speaking to her.

"Huh? Oh! I'm fine."

Next thing she knew, Jody was reaching over with a napkin; and wiping drool off the corner of Jade's mouth. She pulled the napkin away with a sly grin.

"So ... You think Top-Hat is kinda hot?" Asked Jody, as she and Shakia began to giggle a bit.

"I want to rape all three of you!" Said Jade, as she began laughing.

Her friends could no longer contain themselves. Ordinarily, they would have looked like three laughing lunatics. But no one around them seemed to notice. (All the guys were transfixed on Top-Hat's performance). If a fire had broken out in the club at that moment, at least half of the patrons would have happily burned to death; while enjoying the hottest performance they had ever experienced!

When the laughter died down, Jade went back to enjoying Top-Hat's performance. All of a sudden, the bouncer's unspoken idea of a foursome began to really appeal to Jade. Her new friends were hot, and Top-Hat was even hotter. She was older than Jade's new friends. Possibly even in her thirties, at the most. But Jade didn't care. Not at that moment. Not for any of the moments that would follow with the performer everyone knew as Top-Hat. Not for any of them ... except for the last moment. That one she would care about. But that moment wasn't going to happen that night. For the time-being, Jade was enjoying the wicked thoughts that floated through her mind. She wondered where she'd find a bed big enough for all of them. It took awhile before she realized that Shakia was speaking to her.

"What?" Asked Jade.

"I said, would you like to meet her?"

"You know her??"

"Of course I do, silly."

"Hell yeah I wanna meet her!"

"Okay, calm down. Otherwise you're going to scare the crap out of her."

"Ha ha. Very funny. Introduce me to her."

"Alright. But what's in it for me?" Asked Shakia with a sweet grin on her face.

"I'll hunt down your ex-boyfriend, drain him of all the blood in his body, and make him scream out your name before he dies!"

"Okay. Sounds fair to me!"

Shakia was obviously joking. What she didn't realize was that Jade wasn't. But no cheating ex-boyfriends would die that night. There was something about Top-Hat that Jade couldn't put her finger on. Near the end of her performance, a topless Top-Hat pulled out a large, non-digital, Nikon camera from behind the stage. It had a large, phallic-like, telephoto lens. It was horribly out of place for taking close-up photos of the crowd. But the crowd didn't care. They loved the attention! Several of them posed for the camera, as Top-Hat flashed them in a very different but exciting way. With each flash of the camera, and the occasional flash of her perfect tits, the crowd grew wilder.

When she finally left the stage, after blowing her devoted fans a kiss, the crowd was chanting her name over and over and over ...

Once again, Jade found herself snapping out of it. Top-Hat had mesmerized the crowd. Jade could see why she was so popular. It wasn't just her body, or her face, or her sexy eyes, or her perfect tits, or even her act. It was the way she made you feel! Guy or girl, or even a deformed troll, she made you feel like the greatest creature on the face of the planet! Partly because she made you believe that she wanted you, and just YOU. Partly because ... well, something else that Jade couldn't put her finger on. What the fuck was it?! And did Jade really care. No, not really. That's what she told herself. All she wanted was to meet her.

Shakia took her backstage. Jody had to leave early since she had to be at work by 5am. To say their initial meeting went well would be a huge understatement. Top-Hat could indeed make you feel like the greatest creature in the world. She made you feel like the next words out of your mouth were important enough to demand her full attention, regardless of the topic. Didn't matter what your thing was. Whether it was financial investments, custom mods for your four-cylinder Honda Civic with a coffee-can sized exhaust, or even stamps. You talked, she hung on your every word. Whether she was truly interested or bored out of her fucking skull. It didn't matter! She didn't just make you feel THAT good, she made you BELIEVE it!

And Jade was a believer. Shakia was kind enough to leave them alone. Once they got to know each other better, in Top-Hat's dressing room, Jade asked if she could spend some more time with her. To her surprise, and delight, Top-Hat responded by kissing her. A kiss that lasted far longer, and felt much better than the one Shakia gave to the bouncer. Jade was to return the next night, after closing time.

She left the club with a giant smile on her face. Happy as a child who has been accidentally locked inside a candy shop for the night. The feeling of happiness departed twice while she was headed home from the club. Once, when Jade realized she had forgetten to get Top-Hat's real name. (Didn't even have her first name). For just a quick second, Jade pondered the possibility that her first name was really "Top," and that her last name was actually 'Hat." But that silly idea died quickly. The second time, that feeling of happiness didn't return for the rest of the night.

Jade was walking across the street from a Bar, when she heard a horrific scream of agony and sheer pain. Then she heard it again, and again. Four times in total. She was sure of it. Then she saw something that nearly caused her to jump out of her own flesh. A horrifying sight that should only exist in nightmares. Could only exist in a nightmare. But it was here! And it was very slowly coming closer towards her. She stood in place. Completely gripped by pure fear. Unable to move. She found herself screaming, over and over again. Yet no sound was coming out of her mouth. Jade realized that someone very strong had clamped a hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. She was surprised when she realized it was her own left hand that was clamped firmly over her mouth! She wished her older brother was here. Wished for him to take over her body so that she didn't have to see the horror that was crawling towards her. A slow relentless horror that screamed at her!

"Help me! Please! Help me!"

Jade became confused again. Was she screaming for help? No, that couldn't be. Her hand was still clamped over her own mouth. And she dared not take it away. She realized that the screams for help were coming from the horror that slowing kept getting closer and closer.

The horror was a young man, a biker; clad in leather. He had crawled out of the Bar. No small feat ... since someone had clearly broken both of his arms and legs. He had seen her. Crawled towards her. Screaming for help. Every inch he crawled was pure torture. Jade didn't know why she was afraid. She knew she wasn't afraid of the biker. He couldn't even hurt a ladybug. Not with two broken arms and legs. But Jade knew who broke those arms and legs. She knew he had given the young biker several chances to stop acting like a jackass. Gave him more chances than most men would have given. But the young biker was too stupid to realize he had pushed his luck far beyond the point of no return.

Jade knew there was a damn good reason why his arms and legs were broken. Knew he had brought it on himself. Knew he deserved it. Even if she didn't know exactly what he had done. He deserved it. That's all that mattered. All that should have mattered. But it wasn't all. Solo was in that Bar. Not the Solo who was in his forties. Younger now. Perhaps with a skull full of hair. But still the same. Didn't change. Wouldn't change! But how did she know that? ... Still the same. Lover of Redheads with natural breasts. Breaker of arms and legs. And something else. What was it ...

He watches. He makes them crawl outside on their broken limbs. And he watches while they do.

For the first time since the young biker crawled out of the Bar, Jade took her hand away from her mouth. She looked up toward the front door. Forced herself to look up. She saw him! Not his face. Just his head. His shadow of a head. Couldn't see his face. And then she realized she didn't want to. Jade drew back, then ran as fast as she could. When she was several blocks away, she realized she was a vampire. And, she just ran away from a human. A human who had no desire to even attempt to hurt her. A human who smiled ... would smile at her in the future. A warm, friendly, protective, smile that should have made her feel safe and comforted. But instead left her afraid. The way a child is afraid of the monsters living in the closet or under the bed. And she hated not knowing why it was fear that she felt.

"I'm a girl. He's not going to hurt me." She said to herself.

Part of her wanted to go back and kill him. But she didn't know why. "Because you're afraid! That's why!" She heard herself say in her own head. Jade decided not to. She knew it was a combination of two things. She wanted to know why she was afraid. And killing Solo wasn't going to answer that nagging question. The other thing was, she was afraid to go back.

* * * * * * * *

"She's a vampire!"

The army corporal screamed, as he jumped up from the table. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out his Surefire E1B. He aimed it at her eyes, and his thumb slipped on the tailcap. Rather than getting the brighter 80 lumens of output from the LED, he got the lower 5 lumen setting.

"Wait a minute, I'll prove it!"

Pressing the tailcap again, he lit up her face with the full 80 lumens. Just enough output to make a vampire recoil in pain. Unable to control themselves for just a moment, their eyes would glow red; and their fangs would come out. But the young woman seated in front of him did not recoil in pain. No red eyes, no fangs. She only kept looking directly into the light.

"Are you retarded?" She asked with surprising little sarcasm.

He turned the light off.

The General had him escorted out of the room.

"My apologies. I have no idea why he did that."

"Are all of your men that incompetent, General?" She asked.

"No. No they are not. Once again, I apologize. But we need someone with your level of experience. Someone who gets results."

"I don't work for peanuts, General. And neither does my team. Uncle Sam must be pretty desperate to call me for help."

"We want results. You get them. It's that simple."

"Well, as long as you keep in mind that I'm a mercenary, and not your whore; then I don't see why we can't do business together." She said, with an evil grin.

"I think we'll get along just fine. But considering the price you quoted, I need to be certain that everything gets done the right way. I hear you're a man short."

"Sharps was killed last week. And just so we're clear, he died when a drunk jumped the curb. SUV got him, not some vampire."

"I'm sorry to hear about his death. But from a pragmatic point of view, you're down a man. I know someone who will be perfect for the job."

"I have several good candidates already lined up."

"Fine, you can bring one of them in AFTER your mission is completed. I must insist that you use one of our's."

"It's not that retard of a corporal, is it?"

"No ... No ..."

"Alright, General. Looks like we have a deal."

"Good to have you aboard, SevenSeize." Said the General.

He looked out across the sky, and noticed that twilight had begun to set in.

Updated: 11/25/09 5:21 AM 3 comments | Log in to comment! | Share this!

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
__________________

Okay, screw the short story format. It's not working. So I'm going to try something else. A novella. Still centered around one character, but with a twist. Forget what I posted earlier. If you have not read my "5 Kings" Story on the NG BBS, it would really help if you did. Those interested can PM me, and I'll provide the link to that story.
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"A Penny."
--- --- --- ---

The door to the large storage room burst open as the slim, middle-aged, woman in the grey business suit stormed in. Carol Eiger was less than happy. She knew before she walked in that the room would be too small for her needs, despite being the largest storage room in the entire building. The porters had emptied it out the day before, and had even cleaned the floors. Still, it was too small.

"Alright ladies, the hall is not your friend. Get in here, all of you!" Shouted Carol.

Young, attractive, women ranging in age from 18 - 26 began to pour into the room.

"Line up against the walls as best as you can. I know it's cramped. We're working on a tight deadline. Come on, let's go! The faster we do this, the faster we get it over with, and the sooner you all get paid. Remember, your families are counting on you. This is what you've been preparing for since before you hit puberty. . . And it's not a damn beauty contest, keep that in mind."

There were nearly three dozen young women, some still standing out in the hall; waiting to get into the storage room. Each wearing a variety of outfits. Some in just jeans and a T-shirt. Carol began looking over the girls. She was getting ready to give some words of encouragement, when a young man in a business suit walked in. She recognized him as one of the security officers.

"Got a couple more for you." He said.

He turned towards the door, and two little girls walked in.

All the women in the room looked at him in disgust. Some made side comments, others grumbled in outrage, a few even blurted out how they truly felt at the sight of the two little girls. Carol put up her hand, and there was instant silence. The others were still disgusted. But they knew better than to speak when Mrs. Eiger indicated silence.

She gave the young man a cold, hard, look before speaking.

"A couple more? A couple more for what?? What am I supposed to do with them? Should I serve them up tonight, with all of these others? Is that what I'm supposed to do? Just serve them up? Who the Hell is going to want to. . . They don't even have tits yet!! What kind of men do you think are in the program?! If Solo saw you right now, he'd cut off your balls and your pecker and shove them down your throat! Then he'd stand there, and watch you choke to death. Are you fucking retarded?! Take these girls back to their classroom. And if you ever pull this sort of shit again, I'll lock you in this fucking room with Solo, after I tell him about your 'couple more.'"

The young man quickly ushered the two young girls out of the storage room. Carol's threat had clearly left him shaken. Everyone knew who Solo was. . . and what he was capable of if he got pissed off. The last person who pissed him off had ended up crawling out of the nighclub. No easy feat, considering Solo had broken both of his arms and legs.

"Relax ladies, I know some of you are a bit concerned. But Solo only hurts men. And only if they are stupid enough to keep pissing him off. In all of the years we've done this, he hasn't injured a single girl. Actually, if he picks you, that's a very good thing. Solo is worth more than nearly all of the other men. And that reminds me, I need all of the natural redheads to step forward towards the center. I might as well pick out Solo's dates now."

Eight young women walked forward.

"Only eight? Oh well, take your tops off."

The young women did as they were told. They weren't entirely sure of the procedure. But they knew the drill. Mrs. Eiger didn't ASK you to do something, she COMMANDED you to do it. And if you wanted to be paid, you followed her orders without question. Carol gave the young woman a quick going-over.

"Sorry, he doesn't like fake tits. Even if they are THAT large. . . Okay, those are real, but he hates body-ink. . . Hmm, large and real. Oh he's going to like you. He's going to like you alot! Okay, just need one more to drape over his other arm. . . Too small, and you look too young, sorry. . . Ah, tear-drop shaped. Those are lovely. He's going to love you. . . Okay, back up against the wall. Except for you two. I need the two of you to head up to the 6th floor, room 623. Ask for Bella, and she will get you into a couple of outfits that Solo likes. Bella will then bring out several bottles of perfume that Solo likes. Just pick one. And whatever you do, don't use any type of moisturizer on your hands. He hates the smell of moisturizer. Instant turnoff. And we certainly don't want that. As for the rest of you, well; one down and 39 more men to go. You'll all get matched up, it's just going to take awhile."

It actually took hours. Solo was the easiest one to match up. He wasn't too picky. When Carol was finally done, the women waited in several air-conditioned rooms. Their hair was professionally done. Along with their make-up, nails, and all the other little odds & ends. The dresses they were provided cost more money than many of these young women saw in a year.

"It's so cold in here." Said one girl.

"They don't want us to sweat." Replied another one.

"Preserving us til it's time to party." Said a third, clearly shivering.

"Hey, considering the money; I'd jump into a bathtub filled with broken glass." Replied a fourth.

"I'm having some doubts." Said the first girl.

"Better not say that too loud. Look on the bright side, you get to party, you get to feel sexy, you get to enjoy a meal that 90% of the world will never even come close to enjoying. Food with real flavor. And if you're lucky, the guy you end up matched with will be a nice guy. I hear a lot of them are nice guys, some of them are even shy and sweet. And if your's isn't. . . who gives a shit! Think of the money!" Replied the fourth girl.

"Yeah, think of the money, and the party. 'Party all night! Where no one leaves until everyone is pregnant.'" Said the third, with a sly smile.

None of the other girls in the room felt like smiling. A fifth girl finally spoke up.

"What happens if you don't get pregnant? Do they still pay you?"

"Sure they do, they just don't pay you nearly as much. You've got to put in the effort though. I heard that they interview the men when these events are over. If a guy complains that you didn't put in any real effort, you don't get invited back; ever! And that's the last thing you want. If you put in the effort, they give you another chance. Hell, they keep giving you chances until you get pregnant. Just have to show that you're willing to EARN that money. Then you're on Easy Street." Replied the 2nd girl.

"That's true." Said the last girl in the room.

"Is it really that good?" Asked the fifth girl.

"Oh yes! My sister was picked for one of these Quarterly events. She ended up with a shy guy. Practically had to hold his hand, and walk him through it. Kinda makes sense though. The shy, nerdy guys are the ones who rarely get any. When the epidemic hit, they were some of the only guys not to be infected. She said he was sweet. But it didn't really make up for all the coaching she had to do. He nearly came in her hand the very moment she touched him down there. She complained how awkward everything was. But she pretended he was doing a good job. At least when they finished, he got her pregnant. She left home. They set her up in what could only be described as a mansion! Well, she was supervised 24/7. Doctors, Specialists, constantly close by. You know, in case anything went wrong. She ended up giving birth to a beautiful baby girl."

"Was it healthy?" Asked the first girl.

"Oh yes! No infection at all. . . My sister still visits her every Saturday during visiting hours. It was hard on her at first. You know, the rule about having to give up your baby once it's born. But those are the rules if you get pregnant while participating in these Quarterly events. She got over it a few months later. The money the Government pays her every month for having participated. . . Wow! She gets more in one month than she ever did working tables in a year! Bought her own place, bought a new car. And she's eligible to come back into the program next year. It just goes in cycles. If you give birth five times, you can retire young, with an incredible bank roll! Set for Life! No worries about money or anything like that at all!"

As the limos began lining up outside the building, the ladies came out for the party. Actually, there were several parties, in several locations. But each girl had her assignment. Two limos soon pulled up in front of the Golden Cage. Six men, and nine women climbed out of the stretch limos. Solo was among them. He was in his early forties, muscular, a bit on the short side, shaved head. The kind of guy who you'd hate to run into in a dark alley. Solo was different than most of the other guys in the program. He had been in the Army, and didn't need the business-suited security officers to protect him.

Unlike the women in the program, the men never left their government-assigned living quarters. They were too valuable as assets to their country. A small thing like freedom was too silly to risk such valuable national treasures. It had started out with the best of intentions. A new super drug that could cure AIDS. It's early potential was incredibly impressive. But certain groups wanted access to the drug before all the trials and testing were completed. Politics reared its ugly head. The drug was released before the unknown side effects presented themselves. But when they did, it wasn't like a dinner party when a guest politely introduces himself to his host. It was more like an A-bomb introducing itself to a city in Japan.

As the years went by, it was found that roughly 25% of women were immune. Roughly 3% of men were. The children of two immune parents were valuable beyond belief. Their skin was used to create drugs that suppressed the spread of the drug, which had now become a virus in its own right. It's not as though babies were skinned alive. Small skin samples were all that was needed. But to one day find a cure, more babies would be needed. . . And so, these Quarterly events took place.

The men were let out of their guilded cages, closely supervised of course, to party. To drink. To dine with healthy, attractive, young women. To breed with them so as to one day find a cure for the epidemic. The girls were served up to the men on a silver platter. With each one wearing a large grin. (And the men were smiling too). For some reason, it was the men who rarely got to enjoy sex who were usually the ones immune.

Solo had entertained the ladies with tales of his life on the high school football team. He was a halfback. And he was damn good at it, back in the day. None of the girls in the limo seemed to notice, or seemed to care, that he left out tales of his stint in the Army.

"You girls are with me, so you've got nothing to worry about." He said, with a large grin on his face. It was the grin of a man who was sincere. He liked the two girls that Carol had picked out for him.

After walking into the nightclub, one of Solo's dates excused herself to use the ladies room. She snuck out the back, and climbed into the passenger's seat of the limo she had ridden in. The Driver, turned towards her, and smiled.

"Not having fun, little one?"

"No! You didn't tell me the future was this bad." She replied.

"I had my reasons for showing it to you. Besides, not every girl gets to be with the pick of the litter."

"Solo is a nice guy. He's just emotionally unstable. I'd like to go home now, please."

"Sure thing, Jade." Said The Omnipresence, as he put the limo in drive.

"Is Carmilla really killing us?" Asked Jade.

The Omnipresence put the car back in park. He smiled, reached into his pocket, and handed her something.

"It's a penny." Said Jade, rather confused.

"A penny from 1900. . . A surprisingly great year for me. And yes, you'll soon know what it means." Said The Omnipresence, as he snapped his fingers. A blinding white light erupted from his hand.

Jade woke up, safe in her bed. She sat up. Both her hands were clenched into fists. She opened her left hand, and saw that it was empty. She closed her eyes. Part of her wanted to smile. Part of her wanted to scream. Her vision of the future left her with chills. The thing she clearly remembered was the grin on Solo's face. His warm, sincere, large grin that filled her with dread and a strange type of fear she had never experienced before. Not when she was human, and certainly not as a vampire.

Jade had no clue why she was afraid. But she knew what was in her other hand. The one that she didn't have to open. She kept her eyes closed.

"It's a penny." She said in the softest voice she had ever used.

Updated: 09/17/09 6:40 AM 8 comments | Log in to comment! | Share this!

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
_________________

I've decided to continue with The Jade Chronicles. Mainly because Jade asked me to, and I can't bring myself to say "no" to my favorite Muse. Still, I despise posting my work in my User Page. Hate it with a passion.

Just to clear things up, each chapter is not really a chapter in the traditional sense of the word. Rather, each one is a short story centered on the character Jade; from my "5 Kings" thread. Some of the short stories will link up nicely in a timeline, and others will not.

Also, be aware that since this is not a novel; I cannot make promises as to regular updates. Don't expect new chapters every week or even every couple of weeks. New chapters will be posted as inspiration hits. As some of you already know, that's something I have no control over. I also refuse to sell out my character by coming up with short stories, and just inserting Jade into them; just so I can update The Jade Chronicles. (Decades ago, Hammer Films did something similar with their Dracula franchise; and totally fucked it up. At one point, Dracula was the CEO of a freaking evil corporation. And yes, the movie sucked... in more ways than one).

With that out of the way, enjoy chapter 2.

BTW, if you'd like to be PMed when each chapter has been posted; PM me, and let me know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"... Always will."
--- --- --- --- --- ---

Mr. Turner phoned The Doctor at 5pm sharp. (Right on time, as usual). The connection was not a good one. He could barely hear The Doctor on the other end of the line.

"Yes doctor, the initial tests on the samples were completed about an hour ago. I've been reviewing the results before contacting you. I have good news. Jade's blood responded just as you had predicted. When mixed with human blood, her blood literally took over. It took less than a second. No trace of human blood was left. Exposure to sunlight varied. In pure form, just under three hours before the blood boiled over and was consumed by flame. Diluted samples varied. But even one drop of her blood in a gallon of human blood created enough resistance to sunlight to last 15 minutes."

"Magnificent." Said The Doctor, his voice barely registering over the phone.

"We still have one vial of her pure blood. It's been about a week since I've contacted Fyndir. I'm assuming you'll need more samples of Jade's blood?" Asked Turner.

"Yes... But there's another urgent matter that needs attending."

"Is it the Phantom?" Asked Turner.

The Phantom was a menace, as far as The Doctor was concerned; and as far as a lot of New Yorkers were concerned. A self-professed freedom fighter, no one really knew what he wanted. But what he did was all too clear. He had killed a prominent New York politician in broad daylight, just as he exited from his limo. One shot that seemed to come out of nowhere. A 911 call from a witness quickly followed, she said she saw the man headed up to the roof shortly before the shot was fired. S.W.A.T. team moved in and secured the building. As they headed up to the roof, they found nothing not even the rifle used to fire the fatal shot. The witness was questioned, but she just could not recall what he looked like, no matter how hard she tried.

The Doctor wasn't sure, but he suspected that the Phantom might be a vampire.

As The Doctor had pondered the situation about a month ago. It was clear that such a conclusion would explain how the Phantom got off the roof and out of the building with the rifle in hand. Perhaps he had clouded the witnesses mind.... However, it could be just as likely that he was a current or former member of Special Forces. Highly trained in weapons & tactics. Perhaps the rifle was hidden somewhere in the building. He could have slipped out a back exit. The witness perhaps couldn't recall any of his facial characteristics due to stress, or possibly was afraid that he'd come after her next; if she helped the police to track him down.

Whatever the case might be, the Phantom was a loose cannon in New York city. His sniper act was just the beginning. two more politicians, and a certain well-known, Black, racist, community leader would soon follow. He left his calling-card everywhere he went. A Ten of Hearts from a standard deck of cards.

"No, it's not the Phantom." The Doctor told Turner.

"Oh I see. Then I take it that Mr. Delgado is still..."

"Yes, yes. He still wants it. When it comes to THAT, he can be quite annoying. Still, his contacts do prove to be quite useful for our needs; at times. Despite not being one of our regular client's, he does pay handsomely when we get him what he wants. He's usually satisfied for a few months anyway. I suppose we should give him what he wants."

"I'm a bit confused. Do you mean we should arrange for him to have Jade?" Asked Turner.

"Oh no! Of course not. She's far too valuable to us to cheapen her by just giving her to Delgado. If he wants a female vampire, we'll just have to find one who is not useful to us."

* * * * * * * *

Jade sat on her bed, with her favorite Teddy Bear in her lap.

"Hey Big Brother, penny for your thoughts? You've been quiet all day."

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"I know... But I have to be sure." Said Jade.

"Listen, I'm sure. I know for a fact that the vampires who survived that night are being killed off. I don't know why. But I know that's what's been happening."

"How do you know?.... Does this have something to do with the large amount of money I keep finding?" Asked Jade.

"All you need to know is that Big Brother is taking care of you. I always have.... And I always will. That's all you need to know."

Jade gave him a rather curious look.

"Okay, little sis; all you need to know is that you're not sucking cock for cash near 42nd street." He replied.

Jade smiled before replying.

"Don't be silly.... It's all Disney down on 42nd street now."

"So the whoring isn't quite as high-class as it used to be." He replied.

Jade couldn't help but giggle at that one.

"Okay, no whoring for me. I won't ask where the money came from." Said Jade.

"Good! .... Now what do I have to do to convince you to forget about your idea?"

"Which one?" Asked Jade.

"The one where I actually have a realistic shot of convincing you."

"Oh, that one. Sorry Big Bro, but I need to know what happened to the rest who survived. I know at least one of the Queens survived. Otherwise the entire city would have been overrun with hungry, confused, vampires feasting on every human they could get their claws on. That never happened. So at least one survived. And that means I might be able to...."

"Get yourself killed, just like the others. Wouldn't that be a fine little mess. And then how the Hell are you going to get what you really want?? Think about it. If you're dead, how exactly are you going to...."

There was a knock at the door to Jade's apartment.

"Oh crap! What time is it?" Asked Fyndir.

"Nearly Noon." Responded Jade.

"Crap! Okay, get on the bed. Lay down, and close your eyes. I need to borrow your body for awhile."

Jade did as she was told. She never said "no" when Fyndir needed her body.

After closing her eyes, Jade instantly sat up. Her Big Brother now in complete control.

"Come in, Turner. Let's just skip that whole 'Hello, Little Girl' bullshit for today."

"As you wish, Fyndir." Replied Turner.

"Where's the nurse?"

"That can wait, for now." Said Turner.

"Well, Jade's been acting a bit strange today. So why not you too. Right? You know something's fucked up when your's truly over here is the most normal one in the room."

Turner did his best to suppress a smile, before speaking.

"You said your sister needed a favor. We don't have the information you need. But we do know where you can find the answers that she wants."

"How much? I know something like THAT doesn't come for free. Not in this world." Replied Fyndir.

"Nothing too outragious. Just a bit more of Jade's blood than usual. And some skin samples."

"How much is 'some?'" Ask Fyndir, with more than a hint of distrust.

"Nothing more than what she tosses out when she's finished grooming herself. A few toe-nail clippings, a little bit of hair, some saliva, dead skin from the bottom of her feet. Like I said, nothing too outragious. Nothing that she'll miss."

"I think you're starting to take an unhealthy interest in my Jade." Replied Fyndir.

"I think Jade would really appreciate it if her Big Brother didn't pass up a good bargain when he saw one."

Of course Turner was right. Fyndir told him to come back tomorrow for the samples he wanted. The information looked good.

Jade waited til the Sun went down before going to the address Turner had provided. When Fyndir gave her the information, she hugged him so hard that if he were a person, she'd have crushed most of the bones in his body. She would finally get one of the two things she wanted most in this world.... an explanation.

When Jade entered the old, condemned, building in Brooklyn; she knew she was in the right place. As usual, she took Fyndir with her.

"Hey! Come out! I'm not going to hurt you, I just want some answers." She shouted.

A tall, skinny, vampire with long blonde hair and green eyes slowly approached Jade. Jade saw that she was young. Perhaps no older than 18 when she was turned. Jade thought she was cute, and couldn't help smiling. This vampire had a curious expression on her face. She tilted her head to the side, trying to get a good look at Jade from another angle. As she got closer, she stopped, and lowered her head a bit towards Jade. She sniffed near Jade's neck, taking in the sweet, familiar scent that reminded her of Sarai.

Even a potential Queen has a connection to those from her clan. One that is not as strong as that of an actual Queen, but strong enough; especially at close distances. The tall vampire lowered her head onto the side of Jade's breast, and gently nuzzled it. A sign of submission that one female vampire shows to another one.

"You were there, weren't you?" Said Jade.

"Yes. I was there when the Kings prepared to fight each other. And those horrible metal critters flooded the room!"

"It's alright. Shhhhh.... It's alright." Said Jade. She felt as though she was comforting a child that was afraid of the monsters under its bed.

"It's not alright. I survived. We survived. But it wasn't alright. The event soon became known as 'The Cleansing.' But that's just what happened afterwards. Strange accidents. Some of us just disappearing. No one who survived.... None of them survived afterwards. We were finally united. One King, two Queens. One for us, one for the Sumjacks."

"United?!" Said Jade, quite shocked by that bit of news.

"Yes, united."

"That's wonderful!" Said Jade.

"No, not wonderful. Something's very wrong. Very wrong.... The night they came for me, I barely made it out. They came to kill me!"

"Who, who was it? An assault team of humans got into one of the mansions? How is that even possible?" Asked a confused Jade.

"No, not humans. It was the Queen's royal guards. They...."

"The Queen of the Sumjacks?? That bitch!" Said Jade.

"No, not her. It was our Queen. Our only remaining Queen. Carmilla tried to kill me because I knew her secret. She...."

The bullet crashed through one of the windows. Jade's new friend was not going to tell her anything more. Jade's eyes glowed red as she turned her head towards the window. Her fangs and claws came out as she leaped up to the 2nd story window ledge, looking for the sniper.

"No! Move! You're in his sights!" Shouted Fyndir from down below.

Jade quickly moved out from view. She went to her new friend, and that's when she heard them! An assault team! Human, and far too many for her to fight.

"Can't do anything for her now. Gotta move. Get the Hell out of there!"

It was Fyndir's voice echoing in her ears. She knew he was right.

"I'm sorry." Jade whispered into the vampires ear, before going out the back.

* * * * * * * *

The tall vampire woke up in a large metal cage, somewhere in South America. As she got close to the bars, and gripped them; her hands began to burn! She pulled them away, and realized the cage was coated in pure silver. There were other cages in the large, open, room.

When Mr. Delgado walked in, he was delighted to see his vampire was awake. As she huddled in one corner of her cage, horrific images went through her head. She was starving. This would normally make a vampire very dangerous. But she was also mentally and emotionally drained. Like a scared little puppy, she awaited what horrible thing Mr. Delgado would do to her, first. Surely he must be a private vampire hunter....

"Not at all, not at all." Smiled Delgado.

She realized her thoughts had escaped through her mouth.

"As a matter of fact, I like you. I really like you." He said, with a wider grin.

That caused her even more terror! He must be some sort of perverted sexual freak! She couldn't believe that she was going to be some pervert's fuck-toy!

"Oh no, you've got it all wrong." He replied.

Why couldn't she keep her mouth shut!

"You see, I'm a collector of rare and exotic creatures. And you are the latest addition to my collection. Now don't worry. I never mistreat the creatures in my collection. But I'm also not stupid. So the silver is on the bars. We'll get you some new clothes. Something nice, for such a pretty creature. Don't worry, I shall take good care of you. But you must be so hungry. Ah, here comes Jose with your meal."

A young man, quite handsome actually, walked in with a live goat. The goat had a collar and a leash. Jose seemed a little nervous.

"I can't eat that! I'm not a beast!" She shouted, a bit surprised at having found the courage to say so.

Delgado just kept on smiling.

"It's alright. Like I said, I take care of the creatures in my collection. Jose! Don't just stand around! Feed her!"

Jose nervously approached the cage. Delgado slowly opened the door. She didn't move from her corner.

"Jose, what are you so nervous about? As long as you stay outside of the cage, you have nothing to fear."

And with that, Delgado gave Jose a swift kick in the ass, sending the young man tumbling into the cage. Delgado slammed the door shut!

"NOW, you have something to fear, eh Jose? You shouldn't have slept with my wife. I don't love her, but she's still my wife. Good-bye Jose."

Delgado turned to the new addition to his collection.

"Like I said, I take care of MY creatures."

As Delgado turned to leave, the tall vampire leaped onto Jose and mounted him. Pinning him down, the starving creature enjoyed the best meal that she ever had in weeks.

* * * * * * * *

"Yes doctor, it has been taken care of. You were right, there was no way for us to flush that timid vampire out of her hiding spot. Fortunately, she was too scared to leave the building. It's too bad we had to send her to Mr. Delgado. She would have made for an interesting test subject." Said Turner.

"Yes, that's true. But we have Jade. Well, not completely. But enough to suit our needs."

"How did you know she would respond so well to Jade's presence, or that she'd have the information Jade was looking for?" Asked Turner.

"You know, Turner; the way you fired that rifle.... Your perfect aim on that vampire; almost made me believe you were the Phantom. But only for a moment. All you need to know is that I'm taking care of things. Always have.... Always will."

Updated: 11/23/09 10:29 PM 7 comments | Log in to comment! | Share this!

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
_________________

The Jade Chronicles are a series of individual short stories based on the character of Jade, from my novel "5 Kings." You don't have to read the novel to enjoy The Jade Chronicles. (But it helps). In this case, chapters are not connected to each other as they would be in a typical novel. Each chapter is one complete short story, and yes; this chapter was the very first one I planned for The Jade Chronicles.

I'm still not a fan of posting stories on my User Page. And I make no promises as to whether or not there will be more chapters in these Chronicles. (Also, I know the proper format should be, "The Chronicles of Jade." But I like it better the other way). I'm posting this chapter as a Birthday present to our very own JadeTheAssassin. So go thank her and wish my favorite Muse a Happy Birthday.

The Jade Chronicles begins 1 year after the end of my "5 Kings" novel.

Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Of White and Pink."
--- --- --- --- --- ---

Mr. Turner waited patiently under the bridge. He was a young man, no older than 21. His 3-piece suit seemed out of place for his age. And, he was early as usual. The large-breasted young woman waited quietly a few yards away, near the car. The night air was cool, with a small trickle of rain. He noticed something a bit odd that seemed to be slowly coming closer. As the little girl approached, Mr. Turner smiled at her.

{One week earlier}

Robert Andrews was escorted into the Control Room by two soldiers. He had been awoken only a half hour earlier. The General would have been happy to let him sleep, but the cranky old General respected the chain of command. And he was commanded to keep Mr. Andrews in the loop... Especially when First Contact was about to be made. That particular event was only a few minutes away.

"Good morning Andrews. Nice of you to join us." Said the General, rather sarcastically.

"Spare me, General. I'm just here to make sure your toy soldiers don't screw up." Replied Andrews.

"My men know what they're doing. They're the best I've got."

"They better be... This subject is very different than the others we're used to dealing with." Said Andrews.

"I seriously doubt that. Just another vampire. There's what... nearly 200 in storage? Don't worry, we'll get this one tagged & bagged in just a few minutes."

"This one is very special. Not ferral, not confused, not feeding on rats or homeless beggars..." Said Andrews.

"We've captured some intelligent ones before. My men are fully aware of the fact that they're not hunting a wild kitten. But what is it about this one that makes her so special. A high-ranking vampire in their disgusting community? Well, we've captured a handful of those too."

"No. This one has Queen's blood running through her veins." Said Andrews, with a smile.

"So she's a collector's item. Is that it?"

"General, we have never captured a Queen or any of their ladies-in-waiting, for lack of a better description. Only one, private, vampire hunter ever captured a Queen... with horrific results. We have no samples of Queen's blood. All we have are confirmed reports that Queens can easily walk in daylight. Those females who do have Queen's blood in their veins, they can walk in sunlight for limited time before their skin starts to blister. If we can get a sample of their blood, we might come up with a biological agent that can wipe out the protection that this special blood offers." Explained Andrews.

"Just out of curiosity, why don't more vampires have this special blood in their veins?" Asked the General.

"We believe it is due to their culture. Only certain vampires enjoy the diluted version. Those who might one day become Queens themselves. Once that happens, they get the pure form from...."

"Oh please! Do you actually believe that nonsense?! A living vampire God?? Alive for thousands of years. Predicting the destiny of all other vampires. Working behind the scenes. Only seen by Queens themselves. One of the very first vampires. Well where did he come from, if all that nonsense is true? And why hasn't he wiped out every single human so that his race of vampires could rule the Earth?" Replied the General.

"Because we are food to them, General. Would you go around shooting every single cow you saw, in the head? You'd have a hard time enjoying a good steak after that." Said Andrews.

The General was not amused by the comment. Before things became more tense, one of the soldiers in the Control Room reported that the assault team was about to make contact with the subject. The General stood on top of a small, raised platform in the middle of the room. Just above him were several monitors. Most were split-screen, allowing him to see what each operator saw in front of his own, individual monitor. The soldiers who manned the monitors were arranged in a semi-circle. Each one was hand-picked by the General. Each a trusted professional working in the special U.S. government's vampire-hunting unit.

One of the soldiers adjusted his ear-piece. The assault team climbed out of the large Chevy van, and headed down into the subway station near Battery Park; at the ass end of Manhattan. The 1 train was running a few minutes behind. This was not good. Although the team was dressed in black, just like a S.W.A.T team. They bore no law-enforcement markings. The last thing they needed was some nosey, night-owl of a Manhattanite to come down into the Rector street station and start asking a shitload of stupid questions.

It was something that other assault teams only had to deal with once in a rare while, in other parts of the nation. But working in New York City, it was a constant issue. If spotted, the team had to either get rid of curious Manhattanites who had nothing better to do but bug the teams with stupid questions. Or, paranoid Manhattanites who thought that another terror attack was about to unfold right in front of them. The former was much more common, and harder to deal with than the latter.

Tonight was another matter though. Capturing this vampire was deemed far too important to abort the mission for any reason at all. If an idiot Mahattanite wondered into the station before contact, the team was to physically remove him or her from the scene. If contact had been made with the vampire, a handful of civilian casualties was deemed acceptable. This small number of acceptable losses is why the team was operating more out in the open than usual. The fact that the subject often rode the subway trains into Battery Park, near 1am; was a big help to the team.

The commanding officer of the assault team was Major White. A tall, slender, Black man in his early 40's; Major White had captured only two other vampires previously. But he was a respected leader among his men. He took his usual team with him. Lars, Henrikson, Alvarez, DeWitt, and Collins. Alvarez was the only woman on the team. She was a fierce soldier, and easy on the eyes. The team was armed with special ammo. Lead bullets dipped in a very thin coating of silver. Very effective against vampires. Designed to incapacitate, rather than kill. It always took multiple shoots to incapacitate even a weak vampire. The element of surprise was critical! Surprise the subject, overwhelm him with bullets, wait for him to pass out, cage him, then transport him to "The Nursery."

The men checked their M4s. All except for Lars, he preferred his Heckler & Koch MP5. And he was the best shot on the team. Each team member wore a helmet cam. Each cam had its own monitor back at the Control Room. White's helmet cam had a two-way radio built in. The soldier monitoring his movements could communicate with Major White... and so could the General. White adjusted his ear-piece before breaking radio silence.

"Where is the damn train?!" Shouted White.

"Train should arrive in one minute. Subject known to ride in first train car." Responded the soldier monitoring White's cam.

Collins was ordered upstairs to watch for civilians. The rest of the team got into position. They spread out as best they could, in a semi-circle; in order to avoid any cross fire.

The train pulled into the station. Typically, at 1am, it was usually empty. Any poor civilian who got out tonight, at the Rector street station, wouldn't live to see the sunrise. At the far end of the platform, the team raised their weapons as the doors on the side of the train opened. Sure enough, someone walked out of the first train car.

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" Shouted Major White.

"What's going on out there, Major?!" Shouted the General.

"Subject was not on board the train, General. I repeat, no contact with the subject." Replied White.

"No contact? That's impossible! Subject is on that train. We have confirmation from our agents that subject is on that train!" Shouted the General.

"Negative. Only one person got off the train, and it is not the subject. It's a little girl." Replied White.

"Well get her the Hell out of there, and search that damn train!" The General commanded.

"Little girl??..." Andrews said to himself, before realizing what had happened.

"General! Tell White to open fire! The little girl is the subject!" Shouted Andrews.

"What? That's impossible. The subject couldn't possibly be mistaken for a little girl." Replied the General.

"It's something called Glamour. Some vampires have the ability. Warn the team! That's not a little girl!"

"White, open fire! Open fire on the girl!... White?!... Can you hear me??... Dammit, respond! Respond NOW!!"

The General turned to the soldier who was monitoring White's cam.

"Soldier! What the Hell is going on?? I've lost radio contact!"

"Sorry Sir, his radio cut out. I don't know why." Responded the soldier.

"Fix it! Those men are in danger!" Shouted the General.

As the soldier began trying to find the problem, the cams continued to roll.

White began slowly approaching the little girl. She looked no older than 8 or 9. He had his weapon down by his side. The doors to the train closed, but the train itself didn't leave the station. She was dressed in a little pink outfit with a large pink bow in her hair. It looked like a party-dress that any little girl would wear to a tea party. In her hands, she clutched a raggedy old Teddy Bear in front of her. It looked like it had gone through a wood-chipper, and then someone Frankensteined it back together again. She tucked in her chin, as White got closer.

"Hey Sweetie. Don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you. It's okay. Are you lost? My friends and I can help you get home. Do you know where you live? Your address."

The Teddy Bear fell from her hands. She stared down at it, and looked as though she was about to cry. White knelt down in front of her, placing his weapon on the subway platform, by his side. He gently picked up the Teddy Bear, and handed it to her. She smiled a bit, and hugged it.

Just then, radio contact was re-established!

"White!... Come in!" Shouted the General.

"Sir, we have a lost girl. She needs..."

"That's not a lost girl! That's the subject! Open fire! Do it now!" Shouted the General.

"Sir, this is not the subject. She's far too young." Replied White.

"Don't question my orders, Major! I said open fire!"

"No Sir! I will not open fire on a little girl! Replied White.

"That's very nice of you... and very noble." Replied Jade.

In the blink of an eye, the little girl before him was transformed into an older teenager. The pink dress grew in size to accomidate the larger frame, and the added curves of Jade's actual body.

"Please forgive me." Said Jade, sheepishly... right before she hit White in the side of the head with the back of her fist!

He went down quickly. Seeing what had happened, White's team opened fire on Jade! She reached down, grabbed White's M4, and threw it with all her might like a spear! The barrel caught Lars in the throat. As he fell over, with the barrel of the M4 still sticking out of his throat, the men inside the Control Room got a good look at the ceiling of the subway station. Alvarez, who standing right next to Lars, swore that Jade had been directly aiming for him. Alvarez couldn't believe what she was seeing! But she recovered quickly enough to keep firing.

Besides Glamour, Jade had also developed much faster reflexes. Not all vampires aquire the same abilities. Many only get one ability. Jade avoided many of the bullets because her faster reflexes caused the bullets to appear to travel much more slowly than they did to the assault team. However, their automatic weapons and the sheer number of bullets the three soldiers were laying down, meant that Jade couldn't avoid all of the bullets. She took several shots to the chest and stomach.

Collins came running back down the stairs. With his weapon out in front of him, ready to fire; Jade grabbed it by the barrel and wrenched it out of his hands! With her claws out in an instant, she dug them into his ballistic vest; all the way down into his chest. She then pulled him in front of her, and used him as a human shield while advancing on the three remaining members of the team. They begain to panic, and just kept on shooting.

"What the Hell are they doing?!" Shouted the General.

Jade decided to run forward! She crashed into the team with Collins still attached to her hands. His dead body made for a surprising good battering ram. Jade was the first to her feet. She retracted her claws, and Collins fell from her grip. Jade kicked their M4s behind her. The three remaining team members got up and decided to fall back. If they could reach the stairs, perhaps they could get away! Something had gone horribly wrong! Jade should have been neutralized already. Despite having avoided many of their rounds, she took more than enough hits to put down even a strong vampire. Yet she was still coming!

Alvarez had a Kabar knife that was stripped of its black coating, and then coated in silver. It was her prized weapon. Cost her a great deal of money. Definitely not standard issue. Since the bullets weren't having an effect, Alvarez drew her knife. The 7-inch blade looked much bigger than it was. The key to being successful with a knife is a combination of speed and determination. Some idiots think it's about accuracy. But at the speeds that real knife encounters take place, accuracy is as real as two gay men getting each other pregnant. Alvarez knew the key... What she didn't know is that Jade's faster reflexes made Alvarez look like she was going in slow motion. Jade could see every little movement. Every stab was easily avoided.

When Jade had had enough of "stabbity stab," she decided to play with the other team members. A quick slice across the throat was the end of Alvarez. Jade respected her determination and fighting spirit. It earned Alvarez a quick death. One of the other two would not be so lucky. DeWitt had managed to draw his Sig-Sauer. The weapon was also loaded with the silver-coated bullets. He caught Jade off-guard. The bullet slamming into her face. She went down... But immediately got back up! The only thing DeWitt had managed to do was seriously piss off an already angry and insane vampire. Jade's eyes glowed red, her fangs extended, blood pouring out of her left cheek. When the NYPD found the bodies a few hours later, DeWitt would be found not just dead; but missing both arms & legs... and his penis. A policewoman would discover it a few yards down the tracks. Made all the easier to find thanks to the flashlight her boyfriend gifted her when she graduated from the police academy. (A Surefire 6P with a Malkoff M60 Lamp assembly).

When Henrikson saw the monster full of rage coming towrds him, he took the easy way out. A silver-coated .9mm under the chin will do a lot more to a human than just slow him down.

All of this was clearly seen by everyone in the Control Room. The soldiers dutifully continued to man their posts, despite the fact that there really wasn't much to do... Considering there was no one on the other end walking around with a cam on their helmet.

Mr. Andrews and the General said nothing to each other. The General's assault team had failed to capture a valuable prize. There was no need to say anything. As Andrews turned to leave, the sound of a little girl's voice filled the Control Room. Jade had gotten a hold of Major White's ear-piece.

"Hello General. Just wanted to say that Major White is still alive. I didn't hit him nearly as hard as I hit the others. He's a good soldier. I think he might need some medical attention though. Alvarez is cute, but she plays a bit rough. Henrikson cheated me. Now I'm still hungry. DeWitt was a low-life. I mean seriously, who shoots a girl in the face?? All my wounds will heal over perfectly, but still... Collins was a nice shield and battering ram. I didn't get to know Lars too well. But I hear he's a really good shooter. Had to kill him first, and quickly. Nothing personal. The others weren't that good with their guns." Said Jade.

But of course they were good. There was another reason why the mission failed. Someone switched the team's pure silver-coated bullets, with ones coated with an inferior purity of silver.

"How the Hell does she know all that?! All their names and information!" Shouted Andrews to the General.

None of the members of the assault team were wearing name tags.

"Now you listen to me you little bitch, I'm going to nail your ass to the wall when I get my hands on you!" Screamed the General.

Jade unhooked White's cam, before replying to the General.

"You sound kinky. But I think I'll pass. I don't think I like you."

Jade picked up her Teddy Bear off the ground, next to where White was still unconscious.

"How was THAT, Big Brother?" She asked her Teddy Bear, Fyndir.

"That was great! You really fucked with his mind at the end. He'll BS til he's blue in the face. But he's not going to fuck with us ever again!" Replied Fyndir.

Jade let out a happy, girlish, squeal as she hugged her Teddy Bear. Then she realized her dress was covered in blood... and now so was her Bear.

She frowned a bit.

"It's okay, Sweetie. Let's just head on home." Said Fyndir.

* * * * * * * *

"Hello there little girl." Said Mr. Turner with a smile.

"Very funny Turner." Said the little girl as she changed into Jade The Assassin.

"Sorry Fyndir, but I had to be sure it was you; and not Jade who showed up for our meeting."

"I can take over my sister's body anytime I need to... Such as now, when I'm looking out for her best interests."

"That's very admirable. My brother was the exact opposite." Replied Turner.

"Sorry to hear that."

"Are you ready?" Asked Turner.

"I'm ready. Just hope you didn't bring that 20-questions nurse with you again."

"Don't worry. New nurse this time. Young, but very professional. This one knows her place." Replied Turner.

"What happened to the other one, if you don't me asking."

"Don't worry, we're not monsters." Replied Turner.

Fyndir couldn't help but smile at that comment. Turner signaled to the nurse. She grabbed her bag from the backseat, and walked over. Fyndir raised the sleeve on Jade's left arm. As the nurse felt for a vein, Fyndir waited for her to say something. She never did. Soon, there were two vials full of Jade's blood. The nurse returned to the car, taking the blood samples with her. She waited for Mr. Turner to conclude his business.

Turner handed Fyndir a thick, white, envelope. It contained $3,000.

"We will contact you again, in a couple of weeks... or sooner, if we have information that your sister needs in order to stay safe."

"I must admit, that information you provided us was spot-on. Now why do I feel that you don't have that type of clearance in the government." Said Fyndir.

"I don't. But The Doctor does. He's been very good to me... and to you, and your sister. It's very important to him that certain individuals remain safe and happy."

"He sounds like a cult-leader." Replied Fyndir.

"No. He's a man who earns respect and loyalty." Said Turner with clearly some anger in his voice.

"Well, like you said; he earns it. With me, that's going to take some time."

"Understood. That's only natural." Replied Turner.

"When do I get to meet him?" Asked Fyndir.

"Like you said, Fyndir... Some things take time." Said Turner.

"Do me a favor, see that the General gets this..."

Fyndir handed Turner a large envelope. Inside was a picture of Jade, in her apartment... Still wearing Major White's ear-piece.

"She's decided to go blonde. The pic is mostly for Shits & giggles." Replied Fyndir with a grin.

Updated: 11/23/09 10:26 PM 11 comments | Log in to comment! | Share this!

Author's notes:

Here is the short story I promised to post on my Profile Page after having completed my ghost story on the NG BBS. First, apologies to my loyal readers for the long wait. Due to personal reasons, I wasn't able to post this sooner. I also wasn't sure which one of my stories should have the dubious distinction of being the first on my profile page. I could have posted the opening chapter of the sequel to "The Terror." Or one chapter of "The Jade Chronicles" (a continuation of Jade's character from my "5 Kings" story). Or even the opening chapter to a brand new, feature-length story. In the end, I decided it would be best to post a complete story, rather than just a piece of one. I hope you like it...
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"Love me."

Those were the two words that echoed in his head. Chris sat on the floor of the large cell. It wasn't as though he had much of a choice. He was chained to the stone wall by his wrists. He had room to move his arms, but not too much room. The monster had allowed him some length so that he could feed himself. Three meals a day... and some of the most delicious food he had ever eaten. During their last visit, the monster had confessed to doing all of the cooking. He tried to resist, but the smell of the food began driving Chris crazy. He had flipped over the first tray of food he was given. After that, the guards put his tray just out of reach. When he couldn't stand it any longer, the guards pushed the tray closer to him. They had instructions from the monster. Chris could either eat when fed, or the monster would feed him. His choice. But food would no longer go to waste. It wasn't much of a choice.

It seemed like a small victory for the monster, but Chris knew it was a victory none the less. To him, the score was tied. A guard had gotten careless. Coming into the old fashioned cell to retrieve the empty tray after Chris had his meal, the guard got too close. Chris had his chains wrapped around the guard's neck. The other guards heard the scuffle, and came running. One of them had begun beating Chris upside his head and face. It took five guards to pry his arms loose from the throat of the careless one. After the first blow, Chris' entire head went numb. He couldn't even feel the other blows.

The monster was not happy. Not with Chris, or any of the guards involved. No one is completely sure where the monster came from. Some said it was a demon, others thought it was an alien from outer space. But it didn't really matter. Not anymore. There weren't too many people left on Earth who cared about that. They cared about other things... Mainly, they cared about the monster. It had taken over 200 years, but the monster finally took over the entire world. Little by little, one small town after another, one small city after another; the monster's influence spread. Most of the world's population gave in so easily, without even knowing it. They just woke up, and the world seemed like a better place. Didn't happen all in one day. Just happened slowly for everyone. Well, almost everyone...

Sitting chained against the wall, tasting the blood that slowly trickled out of his mouth, Chris thought back to the moment he first realized that something just wasn't right with the world. People were too friendly, too nice. He thought back to the moment when he first learned of the monster, the first time he had met Tony, and the first things they did to topple the monster. Looking back, it seemed so foolish. The monster was too powerful. But neither of them cared. They got caught trying to create an underground newspaper to inform others of the monster's evil intent. Wasn't much of a newspaper. A computer, a printer, and a lot of determination doesn't make for much of a paper.

He could hear the monster's footsteps coming closer. He couldn't help but smile. He didn't know why. Maybe because he got blood all over the clean cell. His left eye was swollen shut, and he was a bit out of it; but he knew it was the monster that came to visit him. The celldoor opened, and the monster walked in.

She had long blonde hair that matched the yellow sundress she was wearing. The first thing Chris noticed was that she wasn't wearing any shoes. She leaned down, and took his head in her hands. As she slowly examined his bruised face and head, he still cotinued to be amazed at how warm & soft her hands felt against his swollen face.

"Looks worse than it is." Said the monster.

"Fuck you." Said Chris weakly.

"A lot of humans would like to... even the women of your species." She replied.

"You sicken me." Said Chris.

"Aww... Now you know my cooking never made you sick. Did you enjoy the crab cakes? I made them just for you."

"Why don't you show me what you really look like?" He said.

"I kinda like the way I look now. I think I'll stay this way. It's fun being eighteen."

"I'll kill you." He replied.

"I would suggest waiting until after I finish nursing you back to health. What you like for breakfast tomorrow?"

"Your head, on a silver platter." Replied Chris.

The monster couldn't help but smile at his last remark.

"Oh Chris, that's what I like best about you. Such a sharp tongue. Well, that; and the fact that you're a challenge. I've met very little resistence since I became active. But you and Tony are a breed apart. It's quite amazing that you found each other. Pretty much everyone loves me. Only a tiny handful left in the world who don't. But they'll come around."

"Fuck you." Replied Chris again.

"Are things really so bad with me in charge? No more wars, no more starving children, no more racism, no more drunk drivers killing moms and their babies..."

"No more free will." Chris interjected.

"Free will is overrated. You humans have had it for so long, and what have you done with it? Screwed each other out of money, lied, cheated, murdered each other. Sometimes, just for fun. I've been around a very long time. I've killed. But never out of fun. Never as a thrill. I don't like killing. I prefer love... I'm not sure which one of you will hold out longer. Maybe I'll stop trying with one of you. Put one of you in a guilded cage like a museum exhibit. 'The only person in the whole wide world who doesn't love me.' But that would be too cruel."

"You have no clue what real love is." Remarked Chris.

"Actually, I do. I've been around long enough to know what real love is. I don't take away free will, despite what you might believe. See, that's the funny part; Chris... It's the one thing that I can't take. It has to be given willingly. And that's rarely an issue. Love is not one-sided. I give it, as well as receive it. I make the world stress-free. I make the pain and misery of this world go away. I make it safe for children to play in the streets of every neighborhood, not just the 'nice' ones. Want a taste of real love?"

She grabbed his head, and shoved his face into her chest. For a split-second he felt disgusted. But only for a split-second. What he experienced lasted only for a few seconds, but it felt like several minutes. She was more than just warm & soft. It was a feeling he could not describe. He literally felt the pain in his body melt away. Chris felt a sudden jolt, as if hit with a stungun. His head nearly bounced off the stone wall of his cell.

"It's okay, Chris. It's okay. When you love me, it lasts much longer. A lot longer. And there's no sudden pain involved. You'll come around... They all did. I enjoy a challenge. But I enjoy it even more when someone loves me for the first time. That new love... It feels sooo good. You'll love me, just a question of when. Sadly, I think you'll outlast Tony."

There was genuine sadness in her eyes as she turned, and walked out of the cell. Chris wasn't sure if it was real, or if she had made him imagine that it was. He wondered where they were keeping Tony.

Two weeks passed, nothing had changed. Chris proved to be tougher than the monster had expected. She stopped visiting him. The guards no longer brought him food. That job went to a young girl who was a deaf mute. (Chris figured that the monster had re-considered not putting him on display in a museum. Or perhaps even monsters need a vacation). The girl looked about 14, or 15 at the most. Chris knew sign language, which surprised the young girl. The two quickly became friends. Their conversations soon turned to the topic of the monster.

Perhaps it was her lack of hearing, or even her lack of speech. But one thing was certain, the girl was not one of the monster's loving followers. Something caused her not to be affected by the persuasive techniques the monster used. But to his disappointment, the girl was not what you'd call a "rebel." She needed a job, and the monster was hiring.

"Probably hired her to keep a close eye on her. Try to find out why her powers don't seem to work on the girl." Chris thought to himself.

The girl treated him with kindness. But no way would she help him escape. Still, he had to try. She was reluctant at first, but she knew it wasn't right to put someone in a cell until they loved you. She knew the routine that the guards followed, she knew which one of them had the keys, and she knew where the keys were kept to the vehicles parked outside. It only took a couple of days for Chris to work out an escape plan. She would get the right key from the guard, the one who always took a nap at around 1:30pm. He would undo the chains, and pretend to take her hostage. They would climb into a vehicle outside, then after a few miles; he would let her out by the side of the road. She'd be safe, and wouldn't get in trouble with the monster.

It was a good plan. The day before the escape was to happen, he asked her to lean in a bit closer. He gave her a hug, and thanked her for the brave deed she was going to carry out tomorrow.

She quietly walked into his cell, keys in hand. Slowly, so as not to make too much noise, she unchained him from the wall. Once free, he stood up and smiled at her. But the friendly smile soon turned into a hate-filled one. As he stood facing her, Chris grabbed her by the throat! The look of surprised horror on her face almost made him let go of her. Instead, he tightened his grip around her throat.

"You almost fooled me. Almost." He said.

Chris lifted her off the floor by her thoat.

"You almost made me believe! So close! But you're not fooling me you filthy monster! I know it's you! Made me hug you yesterday! Nearly made me love you! But you failed you miserable bitch! I want to hear you scream, with your real voice! Scream bitch! Scream!"

And scream she did... But no sound came out of her. Chris relaxed his grip for just a second. (Maybe she couldn't scream because he was choking her too tightly). She kept screaming, but still no sound came out.

"You're not fooling me! Scream, dammit!!"

He continued to choke her. By now, the guards heard Chris screaming, and they came running! They got to the cell, just after her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Chris flung her to the floor. The guards were horrified by what they saw. None of them entered the cell.

"Ha! What do you think of that?!" Shouted Chris.

It was then that the guards parted, and the monster stepped forward. She looked at the dead girl on the floor, and then at him. His jaw dropped to the floor when he saw the monster standing there.

"Oh Chris, what did you do?... In all my time, I never killed a child. Never! You got loose, and look what you did... of your own free will. But don't worry, I'll make it better."

Without even having to say anything to them, she told the guards what to do. They rushed in with batons in hand. Chris was beaten to death, and his body carried out of the cell.

When it was over, one of the guards walked up to her.

"Excuse me, I'm just a bit confused why you told us to beat him to death?" He asked out of genuine curiosity.

"He murdered a little girl. He'd never be able to live with himself after that. And he's not the type to commit suicide. Life would be torture for him after today. Even I couldn't help him now. He'd never feel as though he'll ever be worthy of love. All I could do was end his misery in a way that he thought would be just. She died slowly and painfully. He felt he should be punished the same way... I just gave him what he wanted."

Another guard walked up to her.

"Tony wanted to know if he could have the crab cakes tomorrow, for dinner?"

"Everyone loves my cooking... There might be hope for him yet." Said the monster.

THE END.

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One of the greatest pranks on here.

There, I said it. Can we have our New Grounds back now, Tom?

(You're not fooling anyone).

Updated: 04/02/09 1:37 PM 6 comments | Log in to comment! | Share this!

Keep an eye on my profile page.

Updated: 03/23/09 2:57 AM 2 comments | Log in to comment! | Share this!

This site needs some cuteness.

And here it is.......

http://cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/4/viewer.45 .swf?cid=317016

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Well, it's finally done. Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Decided to post a few inside details about it.....

- Like all of my previous stories, I came up with the ending first.

- Curtis was originally a minor character who was supposed to only appear in 1 scene.

- Having started out as a short story, the other scene I came up with from the very start was the one with Alice nealy falling to her death; from the top of the stairs.

-"Niemand" literally means "No One," in a certain foreign language.

- The horrendous gun battle that takes place in chapter 25 was based on a variety of gun fights that have actually taken place. Mainly gathered from police shootings, the injuries sustained by Niemand and Andersson were all that took place in real life. Andersson's wounds were all survivable because there actually ARE police officers out there who survived them.

- On April 10th of this year, I was involved in a horrible car accident that totalled my car. I walked away with a slightly sprained wrist and palm. If I had died, chapter 27 : Part II would have been the last chapter posted.

- Opening chapter was inspired by a Cadillac hearst that was parked a few blocks away from my old job.

- Jade is going to beat the crap out of Mal for locking my story thread..... considering I promised her that honor. LOL !

Feel free to ask for any type of clarification that you wish. I know my story is filled with plot twists and turns all over the place. By the ending, all of them are explained. If you missed anything or want to ask a question related to my ghost story thread, post here!

Also...... An Artist's rendering of what the house in my story looks like. (Thanks, Jade).

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Some of the individuals who submitted stories to Gum's Writing contest have asked for comments and constructive criticism. I had hoped to write this blog last week, but reality got in the way.

The following seven individuals have posted or PMed me with requests for a review of their work. So here are my comments....

1 - VihnoVerde ~ "Tropical Mayhem."

Looking at my notes, your story was a Top 5 Contender; and did in fact end up as part of my Top 5. The twist ending was nicely done. You actually used a Writer's tool that I sometimes turn to.... misdirection. Anyone reading the start of your story would assume that the dead body on the floor was human. At the end, the Reader learns otherwise; and is relieved as well as entertained by a solid short story. Nicely done.
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2 - JackPhantasm ~ "Clarity."

You admitted that your story might have turned out better, if you had concentrated on it a bit more. I have to agree. While good, I too feel it could have been better with just a bit more effort. The main thing that kept your story from being a Top 5 Contender, is that the format was better suited to that of a novel; instead of a short story. Far too much background information was provided. The Reader has to go through the background info., before getting to the short story part of the story. But the overall effort was quite good. Stick to Writing, but only when you can find the time to put in 100%.
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3 - TacticalShoe ~ "That Smell."

Very entertaining. Your story grabs the Reader's attention from the start, and doesn't let go until the very end. The comedy element makes the story entertaining too. It highlights, rather than detracts from the dark ending. It's very well-written. But the concept is not a new one. That's the only reason why it wasn't part of my Top 5. The story reminded me of the film "Love Potion #9" and one of the rare comedy episodes of the TV series, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Your story was a new take on the same concept. But I had to take points off since it wasn't an original idea. Still, your story was very well done and entertaining. I hope you continue to write, as I believe you DO have at least some talent.
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4 - Scribbler ~ "God Bless You, Aaron Hartley."

I'm sorry to say, but your story was near the very bottom of my list. (And I don't mean my Top 5 list). I'm not even sure where to begin. Best way to describe your story is like a literary version of Frankenstein's Monster. The Monster was supposed to be a human being who was put together with a bunch of "spare parts" belonging to other people. When I read your story, it felt like spare paragraphs from other stories, patched together into one story. Everything was disconnected, disjointed, very difficult to get through. And once I did, the ending made no sense. I'm honestly not trying to be an ass when I say this, but if you want to keep on writing; I'd recommend some books that teach basic writing techniques and concepts.
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5 - 36Holla ~ "The Cellphone."

Your story made my Top 5. It was everything a short story should be. I was entertained, it grabbed my attention, and the twist ending was very satisfying. There's not much I can add. Clearly you do have at least some writing talent, possibly quite a bit more. Consistency is key. If you can keep writing stories such as "The cellphone," then go for it!
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6 - WritersBlock ~ "The Butcher of Krankhafte."

Another member of my Top 5 list. You mentioned you wanted to create a horror story in the tradition of H.P. Lovecraft. Well, you succeeded. A bit longer than an average short story, but it captures the Reader's attention early on; and holds onto it.
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7 - yurgenburgen ~ "Town trouble."

What turned out to be little more than a homosexual rape story had the potential to be a lot more. I was fascinated with how the story started out. Had no idea what would happen when the new guy walked into the Gay bar. There was even some character development. (A rare thing in most short stories). I was really looking forward to how the story would progress..... And next thing that happens is a brutal, homosexual, rape scene. Your story had shock value, and nothing else..... apart from the potential to be better than what it was.
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8 - Earfetish ~ "Friends Forever."

A very well-written story about a man who decides to give in to his Dark side. A couple of technical issues regarding the making of an actual Molotov cocktail. But other than that, it was very good, overall. You just missed out on being included in my Top 5. Not because I didn't think your story was any good. But simply because I found 5 others that I thought were more entertaining. Your story, at times, read more like a monologue than a short story. It was very intense. But left no room for a suspenseful or twist ending.

- - - More comments will be added if any other individuals who submitted stories wish to have them reviewed.

Updated: 07/09/08 4:11 AM 10 comments | Log in to comment! | Share this!