Chapter 5: “Jade”
Carol sat in her room on Friday, looking through old pictures of her and Alison together. She missed Alison. The longest they ever were apart was two days. Alison went on family trips with her, and she went on Alison’s family trips. They were family in both of their minds. They were nearly sisters, and now one was gone—either missing or dead.
The house was quiet. Her parents had already left for work, though it was only three in the afternoon, and they didn’t have to be there till six.
Carol sighed. “Alison, where are you?” She asked, but intended to receive no answer.
“She’s become one of them.” Spoke the familiar voice of Jade.
Carol sat up quickly and turned toward her open bedroom door. “How the hell did you get in my house?”
“The door.” He calmly said as he pointed down the hall.
Carol was angry. “Why are you here?”
He didn’t speak.
She was annoyed by his silence. “Hello. I asked a question.”
“It isn’t over yet.” Jade said.
“Well, tell the police, not me.” Carol said.
He shook his head and walked to Carol’s desk. He sat a letter on her desk. “I suppose you never check the mail?”
Carol stood up and glared at him.
He backed away allowing Carol to walk to her desk. Carol sat down and looked at the letter. “Jason’s address?” She asked. “This was mailed Monday….”
Jade remained silent.
Carol opened the envelope and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Not again….”
“Open it.” Jade commanded.
Carol unfolded the paper and read the sentence. “It reads, ‘Shall we dance.’ Is this a joke?”
Jade kept silent.
“Say something.” Carol commanded. “You always have your incite on everything.”
Jade walked closer. “That’s my brother’s handwriting.” He said in a dull tone.
“Your brother…?” Carol asked.
“Don’t go to that dance your school is having.” Jade commanded.
“Hey, I do whatever I want to!” Carol said. “I’m going to the Prom tonight.”
“And so will my brother.” Jade said.
“Well, how do I know it isn’t you pulling a crazy joke?” Carol asked with a hint of anger in her voice.
“Oh, please, why would I be so homed in on bothering a little brat?” Jade asked somewhat sarcastically.
Carol was angry. “I am going.”
“Well, then I’m going with you.” Jade said.
Carol was stumped. “No you aren’t.”
“Either you take me with you, or I’ll just show up.” Jade said. He began to pace. “If you go alone, you might not make it to the dance.”
“This is one sick way to pick a girl up.” Carol said.
Jade sighed. “I’m not trying to ‘pick you up,’ brat.” Jade said assertively.
“Fine, then!” Carol yelled. “Come then! Just don’t wear that.” She pointed at his clothes.
“Whatever.” He muttered.
“The prom starts at eight.” She said as she crossed her arms.
“Then I’ll be back at six.” Jade said as calm as ever. “I’ll be here exactly at six. Do not leave here until then.”
“Try ringing the doorbell next time.” Carol ordered.
Jade turned around and left.
Carol heard the door shut, though it was a slight noise. Carol sat there for a few minutes in silence. She couldn’t believe that she just invited Jade to the prom with her. Her friends were going to wonder why she had. In a way she wished that she could turn back time and tell him that he couldn’t go with her, but she knew that there wasn’t any way she was going to get out of this now.
Around four, Carol decided to take a shower. She really was nervous about the fact that she was taking Jade.
Carol pulled her hair back into a stylish bun and put a strand of false white pearls around the bun. She put on her make-up, and walked to her room. At five-thirty she put on her dress, and decided to wait.
Carol sat in her living room, nervously rubbing her hands together. She hoped that nothing would happen during the prom so that she could have a nice time with her friends, and hope she could prove Jade wrong.
At exactly six the doorbell rang. The bell made Carol jump. She stood up and slowly walked to the door. She slowly opened it. She stared at Jade, who stood on the other side. Carol was somewhat shocked of seeing the guy who was always seen with slouchy clothes in a nice suit.
“Do you approve?” He asked.
Carol nodded. She didn’t really want to say that he looked good in a suit and stepped into the doorway.
“You don’t mind driving do you?” He asked. “I can’t.”
Carol nodded. “I figured I would.” She still remained staring at him.
“What?” He asked.
Carol shook her head. She didn’t realize that she was staring. She quickly walked past him, shutting her front door behind her, and toward her car.
Jade followed her silently.
Carol climbed into the car and unlocked the passenger door, allowing Jade to get in. Jade was so quiet, it scared Carol.
“Oliver will be there, watching for anything to happen.” Jade said as he shut the door.
Carol shut the door. She started the car and pulled out into the road.
It was a silent drive to the school. She didn’t want to talk to Jade, because he gave the impression that he didn’t want to talk to her.
When Carol reached the parking lot she parked and turned off the car. She just sat there fiddling with her keys.
“That’s a nice dress.” Jade silently commented, with his head hung down.
“Oh…well…thanks.” Carol said. “Let’s go.” Carol opened the door.
“Carol.” Jade said.
“Yeah?” Carol asked as she stopped.
Jade opened the door silently. “Stay close. For some reason, he’s after you, I don’t know why.”
Jade stood up outside of the car and shut the door.
Carol thought that Jade was just being paranoid at the beginning, but in a way she felt that she could trust him. She locked her door and began her walk to the building the prom was being held in.
Jade walked closely behind her as silent as a cat.
They proceeded to the entrance where Carol met up with Amber and Tommy.
“What’s he doing here?” Tommy asked.
Carol tried to think of the words. “He insisted.” She said calmly.
“Really?” Tommy crossed his arms. “Hey, freak, couldn’t think of any other way to ask a girl out?”
Jade didn’t reply.
“Tommy….” Carol said. “He thinks that there is going to be another attack.”
Amber looked at Jade, and then whispered in Carol’s ear, “He looks good in a suit, doesn’t he? Almost like a prince in a fairy tale. All the girls are jealous that he’s with you, you know.”
“Amber!” Carol said as she blushed.
Amber giggled.
The four walked into the building after checking with the doorman. They walked to a table and sat. For a while they didn’t speak to each other, but then Amber began talking to Carol about insignificant things. Jade remained silent during the girls’ conversation, while Tommy made keen remarks about what the girls were talking about.
Amber eventually pulled Tommy out of chair to get him to dance with her leaving Jade and Carol in silence.
Carol played with her bracelet as she stared at the floor.
“Why don’t you join your friends?” Jade asked.
Carol looked up at Jade. “Well, I can’t dance.”
Jade fell into silence again, making it uncomfortable for Carol.
“I told you nothing was going to happen.” Carol said.
He looked up at the skylight window. “It will come.”
“
What?” Carol asked. “Another beast?”
Jade shook his head, and looked toward a window behind them.
Carol happened to look over to the window and see a cat duck to keep from being seen.
“Don’t worry, Carol.” Jade said as he looked over at Carol. “He’s not with them.” Jade stood up.
“Where you going?” Carol asked as she stood up.
Jade walked to the floor and pulled Carol out.
“Hey, no, wait.” Carol said.
“Dancing is easy.” Jade said, still in his dull voice.
Carol looked around, before trying to pull away. “Um…I can’t dance.”
Jade stopped and let her go suddenly, causing her to fall backwards. He looked up quickly before there was a loud crash.
The window broke and rained glass, causing the people in the center to scatter away in screams. The music stopped.
Carol looked up at the skylight, and then over to Amber and Tommy, who came running over to the two. She then glanced over at Jade who remained looking up at the skylight and the raining glass.
Jade stepped back suddenly before a ghastly figured jumped down from the broken skylight.
Carol looked over at the man, who stood in the center of the large room, under the skylight. The man landed like a cat, before straightening up. His hair was long and straggly. One of his eyes was red, while the other was green. On his right hand glimmered three long black claws. His outfit was black, ragged, and torn.
The people in the room screamed, except for the three around Jade, who didn’t move.
“We have to get everyone out.” Jade said.
“I suppose that would be a yeah.” Carol brokenly said.
The man pointed at Jade. “Well, well, if it isn’t you.” The man’s voice was harsh and scratchy.
“Oliver!” Jade called, before he made a long whistling noise.
The window to the left, behind where Jade and Carol sat shattered and a cat-like beast jumped through. This was the animal from the drawing that Carol found. This was “Oliver.” The cat’s fur was short, and gray, with black stripes. It had some fluffy white patches of fur around its neck and its feet.
Carol could see that the three-foot tall “cat” had green eyes, just like Jade’s and the one green eye of the man who stood in the center of the room.
Jade pulled Carol up, and quickly pulled her toward the door.
“Everyone, run!” Tommy yelled, before he followed Jade. Amber stayed with Tommy as they ran to Tommy’s car.
People scattered out of the building in sounds of screams.
Carol climbed into the back seat of the car along with Amber. Tommy sat in the driver’s seat, shutting the door behind him. He was trying to put the keys in the ignition, as Jade sat with the door open. When Tommy started the car, Jade whistled and in a few seconds the cat “Oliver” jumped in the floorboard, followed by Jade shutting the door.
“Drive!” Jade ordered.
Tommy made no hesitation to Jade’s commands, and drove off as fast as he possibly could. He didn’t really know where to drive to, so he decided to try to his house to make sure his brother was all right.