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Post by redemption on Oct 8, 2006 16:03:39 GMT -5
Chapter 7Whimpering, Rose ran to the side of the cliff, finding solid foothold. She slid down a few feet, leaped to another groove in the wall, and sprang to the bottom. For a moment she froze, gazing at her sister. C.J. lay on her stomach, her head resting between her arms. Her eyes were closed, but Rose could see the faint rise and fall of her back. Her ankle was twisted and pinned beneath her other leg; Rose didn’t doubt that it was broken. Rose ran to her sister, falling to her knees next to her body, gently resting her hands on C.J.’s back. “C.J.,” she whispered. A small tremor shook C.J.’s body; her eyes opened slowly, flickering back to gaze at her sister. She grunted softly, shifting her head, closing her eyes with a deep sigh. “C.J.?” C.J.’s eyes slowly opened at Rose’s voice. She winced, cautiously tilting her head slightly so she was gazing up at her sister. “Are you okay?” Her voice was soft, faint, and tinged with pain; Rose choked back a sob, knowing tears wouldn’t help now. “Yeah,” she whispered. “Yeah, I’m okay.” “Good.” C.J. closed her eyes again as another shudder shook her body. She laughed weakly. “I feel that could have gone better.” “You’re bleeding.” “Not the first time, baby sister.” Rose’s fingers trembled as she tore the sleeve of her shirt, gently pressing it to C.J.’s wound to stem the bleeding. C.J.’s muscles went rigid for a moment, then she sighed softly and relaxed. Beneath the blood, Rose saw a scar, a wound from an old fight. C.J.’s eyes fluttered shut again as Rose gently cleaned the blood away. She flinched slightly as Rose’s fingers brushed a sore spot, before lying still again. Agony burned in her leg, her ribs throbbed a steady crescendo. She knew she was injured, badly hurt, but her mind barely seemed to register anything but the feeling of her sister’s fingers. “C.J.? C.J., hold on, okay?” Rose’s voice trembled, but C.J. didn’t have the strength to respond. Her mind was teetering between awareness and unconsciousness, the warm darkness tugging at her, seducing her to give in. The whoosh of wings had Rose looking away from her fallen sister, to the skies above. She saw Jake and Lao Shi soaring overhead, curving down towards her and C.J. For a moment she gazed at them, before tearing her gaze away, gently taking C.J.’s hand. Her sister’s fingers lay limp in her own, and Rose squeezed her hand gently. “C.J.? C.J., can you hear me?” Rose swallowed hard. “You’re going to be okay now.” C.J. didn’t reply, never even stirred, but briefly her fingers tightened around Rose’s before going limp again. A warm breeze swirled its way down into the darkness of the canyon, dancing around Rose and C.J. like a blanket of warmth. For a moment—just an instant—Rose could have sworn she heard soft weeping. But the moment passed, and the breeze faded away as Jake and Lao Shi landed next to Rose and C.J., gliding with ease up into the cliffs, swirling like a mini whirlwind. Had Rose looked up at the cliffs, even for an instant, she would have seen a young woman of about nineteen standing there, long chestnut brown hair blowing gently in the wind, her brilliant blue eyes shadowed with worry and fear, the outline of her body so faint that you could see the mountains beyond her. But Rose did not look up, and after a moment, the woman faded away as though she had never existed. End of chapter 7 That was my horrible attempt at writing anything supernatural. Three guesses as to who the ghost woman was.
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Post by ADJLFanatic on Oct 8, 2006 16:27:35 GMT -5
OMG! Ghost woman! XD
Baby sister. Hah, never gets old, eh? That's a nice update, smiley. Update soon! *has nothing productive to say* XDD
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Post by superdoglac on Oct 8, 2006 16:59:15 GMT -5
YAY!!!! You let CJ live...for now. I know who in the Mufassaish part who the ghost was!! If I say the answer do I get a prize? XD Anyways great chapter! One of you best ones.
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Post by crazy17 on Oct 8, 2006 18:10:11 GMT -5
It was Tory. XD COOKIE PLEASE!! lol Yay for CJ living! *dances*
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Iron Hand
Student
Get money.. by any means necessary..
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Post by Iron Hand on Oct 8, 2006 19:57:42 GMT -5
Well, the Cliche thing to say would be it was Tory. ... So, I'ma say it was Tory XD. A warm breeze swirled its way down into the darkness of the canyon, dancing around Rose and C.J. like a blanket of warmth. For a moment—just an instant—Rose could have sworn she heard soft weeping. Awesome writin' right there.. and great job with the whole Tory comin' around as a ghost and trying to comfort her sisters. Awesome stuff, y'know? Great job -Kel
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Post by YFWE on Oct 9, 2006 8:20:18 GMT -5
Freaking awesome writing, as usual. Update soon!
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Post by redemption on Oct 28, 2006 9:20:31 GMT -5
Chapter 8
Moving quickly, Jake plunged the needle into C.J.’s shoulder. A quiet whimper escaped Rose as he emptied the syringe. C.J. made no sound, her eyes closed, her breathing quiet; one quick, convulsive shudder rippled through her before she lay still again. Rose pressed the heel of her hand between her brows and closed her eyes.
She knew the liquid inside the syringe would heal C.J., but it was a small comfort as her sister’s breathing lessened, becoming quieter and quieter until it wasn’t there at all, the healing potion putting her into a deathlike coma so it could begin its work.
“Rose.” She looked up into Jake’s eyes, dark with concern. “Rose, she’s gonna be okay. This is gonna help her.”
Rose nodded weakly, unable to look at C.J.’s still form without flashing back to that horrible moment three years ago, when she had found Tory’s body after the krylock battle. She knew C.J. wasn’t dead—this was a strong healing potion, the kind that required its patient to be lulled into a deathlike coma before it could begin the healing process—but it was a small comfort.
“Come on.” Jake draped a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Let’s leave her alone for awhile. She’s gonna be out for a long time.”
The strength to speak seemed to have drained out of Rose, and she didn’t fight as Jake steered her to the door, pausing only to look back over her shoulder as the door closed behind them.
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C.J. eyed her surroundings nervously; it was dark, like the middle of the forest on a moonless night, and the occasional stream of mist snaked through the black trees before vanishing from sight.
She was dimly aware of the fact that her surroundings were powered in part by the healing potion that surged through her veins, pumping through her blood into every muscle of her body, healing the damage that had been dealt. Still, she wasn’t too thrilled with her current location.
Nervously, she shifted from foot to foot, wincing slightly as pain shot from her ankle up her leg in protest, but already the healing had begun; the pain was faded, a far cry from what it had been before. She still remembered it clearly; the free terror of falling, the pain as she crashed hard into the ground, the darkness rushing in to pull her down….
Had this been how Tory died?
C.J. shook her head. No, Tory would have been dead before she hit the ground. The krylock’s venom was fast acting; her sister would have been unconscious in a few minutes, and her heart and breathing had probably stopped as she fell. She would have felt no pain when she finally hit the ground.
Nervously, C.J. cast a look over her shoulder, shuddering at the darkness around her. She’d always hated the dark, especially as a kid. It was like a phobia for her, and it had never gone away…
Crap, I think I saw something move.
Great. Just great. She was in a habitat—whatever the hell it was called—created by a healing potion pulling her into a deathlike coma, and there was something else in it as well. Just wonderful. She was sharing the depths of her mind with something that certainly didn’t belong there.
“Hello? Um… I’m not alone in here, am I? Hello?”
A soft laugh was the only response, and C.J. saw a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye, whirling around to face it. Her heart began to pound.
“Okay… okay! I know you’re there!” “You always were afraid of the dark, C.J. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
The voice spoke softly, almost directly into C.J.’s ear, but when she turned no one was there. A warm breeze snaked its way through the darkness and mist, warming the nervous young woman and making the darkness and mist fade a little. With it came a presence, a feeling of someone else being there when no one was present.
C.J. took a deep breath; oddly enough, her heartbeat began to slow. The presence didn’t feel threatening; C.J. had been exposed to her fair share of spirits and ghosts over the years, and learned to recognize the dangerous ones from the gentle ones. This one definitely felt gentle, if not slightly familiar.
“Who are you?” “Isn’t it obvious?”
There was a hint of amusement in the voice, warmth and love present in its tones. C.J. narrowed her eyes. Slowly they widened as she remembered, as memories flooded her and images flashed through her mind, no doubt coaxed out of their hibernation by her supernatural companion to help place her identity. “Tory?” “Hi.”
Stunned, C.J. looked around; the breeze drifted easily around her, but there was no sign of a physical form. “Where are you? I can’t see you.” “Be patient, C.J. It takes awhile.”
The breeze glided away from C.J., swirling in front of her restlessly; after a few minutes, it began to take form. The eyes cleared first; slightly faded and see-through, pale, but with a hint of the brilliant blue they had been in life, with the calm, amused expression C.J. had always known. Her body wavered slightly but otherwise seemed perfectly solid, and all C.J. could do was gape. “Are you real?” she whispered.
Tory shrugged. “Depends on your definition of real, I suppose.” Walking to her younger sister, reaching out, her hand flowed through C.J.’s arm as if it wasn’t there. “I’m here, but I’m dead. I think you’d say I’m a ghost. The essence of Tory. This is probably the closest I’ll ever get to solid form, and that’s only because you’re between the world of the living and the dead.” “What?” “You’re in a coma, remember? Because of the healing potion.”
C.J. could only gaze at her sister, her form wavering in and out, fading slightly then regaining its solid shape. Tears welled in her eyes. “I killed you.” Tory’s eyes softened. “No, C.J.” “I should have stopped you.” C.J. closed her eyes. “Something felt wrong. I should have fought you.” “You didn’t kill me.” Tory’s voice was soft but firm. “The krylock did, and that was only because I was stupid enough to let my guard down. You can’t keep blaming yourself for something you didn’t do.” “But if I’d stopped you…” “One of us would still be dead. Only, it would have been Rosebud instead of me.”
Hot pain coursed through C.J.’s veins at the soft admission; deep down she’d always known that Rose would have died if she and Tory hadn’t been there. It seemed that no matter what, the battle with the krylock would have left one of them dead. “I know.” “C.J.”
C.J. bowed her head, breathing deeply. And she finally did something she hadn’t done when Tory passed on.
She cried.
And as she did she felt warm arms hold her close, comforting and soothing, causing her to look up. Tory was hugging her, her body just solid enough to make actual contact with C.J.’s skin, holding her while she cried like she’d always done when she’d been alive.
C.J. had never cried for Tory. No sooner had her oldest sister been dead then she’d had to take care of Rose, and it seemed that the younger girl cried enough for both of them after Tory died. She had fought back her tears and tried her best to raise Rose the way Tory had.
But she had never cried.
“It’s okay, C.J.” Tory’s voice was soothing, gentle. “Let it out. All of it. You’ve held your emotions in for so long.” “Tory?” “Hmm?” “What’s it like up there?” C.J. wiped at her eyes. Tory looked thoughtful for a moment, before smiling.
“It’s… like nothing you’ve ever seen before. So simple, and yet there is complexity in its simplicity. Unimaginable to comprehend, impossible to explain.” She blinked as her form wavered again, began to fade. “I have to go now. My time’s up.” “No!”
C.J. tried desperately to grab Tory’s arm, but her hand only hit air as it passed through her fading arm. “No, please,” she pleaded. “Do you really have to go?” “For now. But I’m still with you, C.J. You and Rosebud both.” Tory smiled sadly as she began to fade away. “Remember that.”
Tears streamed freely down C.J.’s cheeks as her sister’s form grew fainter and fainter, beginning to waver and fade in the darkness. “I love you,” she choked out. “I love you, to. Tell Rosebud I said hi.”
And then she was gone.
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Rose slowly nudged the door open with her shoulder, walking to where C.J. lay. According to Jake, the effects of the potion should have started to wear off by now. “C.J.?” she whispered.
Her sister didn’t stir at the sound of her voice, never moved. She just lay there, not breathing, still in the clutch of the healing potion, it seemed. Silently, Rose sat down next to her, gently taking her hand and holding it.
She didn’t know how long she sat there, gazing at her sister and holding her hand. She closed her eyes.
A warm breeze burst through the window, swirling around the two; Rose’s eyes flew open as the wind brushed her cheek, tugged gently at her hair.
“She’s coming back to you now.”
The voice was so soft that Rose could have sworn she imagined it, but the breeze faded and the voice faded along with it. She frowned in confusion, looking up when C.J. inhaled sharply. “C.J.?”
A small shudder rippled through C.J.’s body as life surged back through her veins, and she coughed weakly. Her fingers tightened convulsively around Rose’s, then slowly relaxed as her breathing steadied. She opened her eyes. “Hey, baby sister.” “Hey.” Rose smiled weakly.
C.J. shifted her head so their gazes locked, and she smiled back.
“Tory says hi.”
End chapter 8
Okay, so originally I was going to have C.J. tell Rose she's an auntie in this chapter, but it didn't seem to fit...
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Post by superdoglac on Oct 28, 2006 9:26:45 GMT -5
Awesome chapter! I'm at the librury suppost to be reserching a project but well...XD
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Post by crazy17 on Oct 28, 2006 11:46:00 GMT -5
ZOMG! That was pwesome! ^_^
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Post by ADJLFanatic on Oct 28, 2006 12:32:43 GMT -5
Aww, almost made me cry when C.J. saw Tory again. WAH. I wasn't crying. *runs off with a tissue box* XD
That was a really nice chapter... I gotta say. Now I must bow down to you for your awesome writing. *does so* >_>
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Iron Hand
Student
Get money.. by any means necessary..
Posts: 18
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Post by Iron Hand on Oct 28, 2006 13:19:54 GMT -5
Hah, good show, eh? Yeah, really great thing that you did with the whole CJ--Tory interaction, really good idea Good chizzapter. -~- That one guy P.S. Auntie? ! Sweet XD
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Post by dominosowner on Oct 28, 2006 19:08:03 GMT -5
OMG! I THINK I'M GONNA CRY!!!!! That 'Tory says hi' reminded me of Osmosis Jones when Shane's dad wakes up and tells her 'Mom says hi'. Anyway, I want to see some Jake/Rose fluff in the next chapter. I'll bet C.J. is going to have a GOOD OL' time teasing Rose about her sister and Jake dating. You should also have C.J. pull Jake aside and tell him, "We're on good terms now, but make my sister cry and I'll beat you to death, understand?"
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Post by YFWE on Nov 1, 2006 9:16:38 GMT -5
SWEETNESS!!! XD I loved it... update soon!
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Post by redemption on Nov 17, 2006 19:28:37 GMT -5
Chapter 9
“Bess pretty much took me in after I was exiled… she found me, really, took me to the hospital. Made up some story that I was her cousin’s daughter or something along those lines.” C.J. shrugged. “I’ve been with her ever since, keeping an eye on you.”
Rose and C.J. sat together on the bed, both giving a brief summary of the past two years. There really wasn’t much for either of them to say—at least this was true in Rose’s case, since C.J. knew what she’d been up to over the past two years.
Of course, C.J. still had one surprise in store for her little sister.
“There’s something else.” C.J. took a deep breath, laughed, massaging the back of her neck. “I’ve… I’m a mommy.” Rose stared blankly. “What?” “I’ve got a kid. A son, really. He’s still young. Ten months old. His name is Taylor.”
Rose gaped at her sister, her mind failing to keep pace with this sudden revelation. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out; she swallowed, and a shudder shook her body. “A baby?” she choked out. “You have a baby?” “Yep. I’m a mom at eighteen, Bess helps out, and Taylor’s dad is noticeably absent.”
Poor Rose was still to busy trying to click the puzzle pieces together to make sense of the last part of C.J.’s sentence, the pain the words carried. “You have a baby,” she repeated weakly. “Oh, God.” She laughed suddenly, her eyes lighting up as she gazed at her sister. “I’m an auntie.” “Yeah.” C.J. couldn’t help but smile. “Need a few minutes to digest it?” “If you don’t mind.”
With a laugh, C.J. stood, draping an arm briefly across Rose’s shoulders and squeezing before walking out of the room. Rose stared at the wall and grinned like an idiot.
I’ve got a nephew, she thought giddily. Oh, Lord, Tory, if you could be here.
A warm breeze swirled faintly through the window, whirling around Rose and tugging at her hair gently, and Rose heard the sound of faded laughter. Her grin widened.
I stand corrected. You are here.
Another laugh danced through the wind, clearer and louder then the first. “Got that right, Rosebud.”
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C.J. chuckled as she walked down the hall, pausing when she saw Jake sitting on a chair. After a moment, she walked over to him, standing next to him. He looked up at her. “Hey.” She studied him for a moment. “You really love her, don’t you?” “More then anything,” he said solemnly.
C.J. continued gazing at him for a moment; she relieved him by laughing and shaking her head. “I like you, Jake. I can’t help but like you. My baby sister adores you and it’s obvious you love her back. You’re all right.” Jake grinned. “Thanks, C.J.” “Don’t thank me just yet.” Companionably, she draped an arm across his shoulder. “Rose loves you, and I’ll remember that. But let’s make one thing perfectly clear. If you hurt her, I’ll take you out. They’ll never find your body.” “Well, I feel better.” “Good. I gotta get back to baby sister. She’s gonna want to meet her nephew.”
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“Honey? That you?”
C.J. laughed as she clicked the lock on the door. “Yeah, it’s me Bess. Put down the metal baseball bat.” “I did not have the bat in my hands.” “You were thinking about it. Is the room at the end of the hall still empty, Bess? My sister needs a place to stay.” “I’ll clean it out, honey.” “Thanks.”
Rose slid her coat off, hanging it up. “She sounds friendly.” “She’s a sweetheart, trust me. She’s always bringing strays home.” C.J. grinned. “I just happened to be the one she decided to keep.” “I heard that.”
C.J. and Rose laughed. Bess chuckled and turned back to the business of cleaning the room. Shaking her head, the older woman started down the hall, pausing to smile at her sister. “His room’s a little further in.”
Rose swallowed, following her sister’s footsteps. C.J. opened the door and gently flicked the light on, eliciting a sleepy gurgle from the crib’s inhabitant. C.J. gently scooped Taylor into her arms as he began to stir. “Hey bud,” she murmured. “Mama’s back.” She held him close as he yawned, reaching up to tug at loose strands of his mother’s hair. His sleepy chocolate brown eyes shifted from his mother’s face to Rose’s; curiosity cleared them, and he cooed softly.
C.J. laughed softly, turning to her younger sister. “I think he wants to meet you, baby sister.”
Rose’s heart began to pound, but she walked to C.J. and accepted Taylor when he was offered. Cautiously she shifted him in her arms, gazing down at him. He studied her curiously, his eyes bright and wide. He reached up with one small hand, gently ran his fingers down her cheek, before tugging on a loose strand of blonde hair. Rose laughed, gently prying his little fingers free and tucking the strand back behind her ear. She grinned at C.J., exhilaration and joy surging through her veins, before looking back at Taylor. His eyes glowed again, not with curiosity but with trust.
“Hi,” she whispered. “I’m your Aunt Rose.”
End chapter 9
Uh.... yeah.... not much to say...
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Post by superdoglac on Nov 17, 2006 19:45:14 GMT -5
Great chapter, hey wait you posted it twice XD Such a sweet chapter ;D
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