Stolen Cards

Chapter 1: Rules and Regulations
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Sixteen. That’s how many people were in the large ballroom which was adorned with silken tapestry and golden accents. The floor below them was spotless to the point where one’s reflection could be seen through the elegant designs that had been decorated on the floor- designs of white roses, all tangled together by their thorny stems, creating a masterpiece that was of roses all gracefully entangled together. There was no furniture in the room except for a black piano to the side that gleamed, free of any dust or scratches, and a large circular table in the very center of the room, a white silk tablecloth draped over it. A chandelier hung above the table, and all sixteen people were gathered around, most of their expressions grim, and discussing a serious issue.

These people were each dressed according to their own style, most in casual clothing that clashed with the environment the ballroom had set. The oldest one among the group appeared to be around thirty years of age, and the youngest of only eight years. If one were to examine each of these people, they would have seen a single way in which every one of them was alike- all of their eyes were a bright, fiery red that seemed to gleam with a abnormal unknown power.

A boy who appeared to be around twelve years of age was currently talking- one who went by the nickname, “King,” but was actually called the King of Spades. His straight orange hair was cut neatly and stopped just above his eyebrows and his slim, pale figure was in a black suit- he was the only one in the ballroom that was wearing the appropriate clothing for the chamber, actually. His expression kept a cold glare plastered to it as he spoke, eyes darting around the table in order to keep an eye on every single individual.

“This matter is not being taken seriously enough- the joker card holders have been becoming more active as the years pass. Just look at the age alteration in the newest card holders- it is a great deal smaller than how it used to be!” King’s voice was stern, holding a tone of authority that most would find unacceptable for a twelve year old, but everyone in the ballroom appeared to be holding utmost reverence for this boy as he spoke, keeping their attention on him. A hand was raised and King looked at the one who spoke up, nodding at the person in acknowledgement.

This person stood directly across the table and appeared to be around nineteen years of age, and tall for one of such an age, as well. His black hair was a bit unkempt and he was perhaps the only one in the room at the time that held a smirk on his face. He wore a black trench coat with a red shirt under it and dark blue jeans. His black boots shined from under his jeans, spotless. This boy was the Ace of Hearts, also called “Ace”.

Ace’s smirk remained as he spoke, “Perhaps if we were to stop waiting for the joker cards to attack first and try sending some of the other card holders out first to find them? Di was able to find the hideout last time, after all.”

All eyes turned to the Jack of Diamonds- Di, he was called- as he was mentioned. The sixteen year old looked down, feeling awkward from the sudden amount of attention he was given. His blue hair had been cut to cover his left, non-existent eye. The boy’s left arm was missing, as well, but had been replaced by a mechanical one, the shining silver skin of it clashing his dark skin. He wore a white shirt with a drawing of gears on it along with a black vest, some faded jeans, and sneakers. Over one arm was a dark red backpack that he carried everywhere. Its components was an array of items that the boy claimed were there “just-in-case”. After a moment he spoke up, his voice gentle. “We all saw how that turned out, though.”

Everyone in the room internally winced- they all knew finding the last joker card hideout had been how Di lost his arm and his eye, and being told the details of it made them even more wary of the situation. A young eight year old spoke up next, one named the Queen of Clubs, but she went by the name Caitlin. Her golden hair was in two low pigtails, being tied by pink ribbons. She wore a white dress that had a pink ribbon going around the waist and a pair of pink flip flops. Her expression held worry along with that childlike innocence that had become rare among this group of people. Her voice was shaky as she spoke, filled with fear and hesitance.

“M-maybe we should start by sending out the ace cards, then? Th-they were made to fight the joker cards, a-after all.”

While most people would set to try to comfort this young girl in her obvious show of fear, the people in this meeting remained quiet in fear of facing the consequences for changing subjects. King only nodded in response, “Sounds appropriate for the situation. The four ace card holders should split into two groups, two per group, and start their search tomorrow. Meeting dismissed.”

With that, all sixteen of the people parted ways in groups of two, leaving the ballroom in all of its doomed glory as they headed back to their homes.
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Journal Entry 1
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Hey, I’m Orchid and this is now my diary. My mom gave this to me earlier so I could “write my feelings” or something, but I find that really dumb so I am just gonna write about my life. Most people find journals and diaries dumb, nowadays, but I like writing so I think I am gonna stick to doing this. Well, here goes…

I am ten years old and had black hair and red eyes. Both Mom and Daddy have red eyes, also- they told me they are part of the card family, so they would both have red eyes, of course. I’m not, though, because of a bunch of confusing rules this family has. Apparently, even though it’s called the card family, none of them are related except for two boys, and they said that them being related was suuuuuper rare. Anyways, apparently when someone in the card family dies, a person is born right after them that will take on their role as a card holder. You can tell that they’re a card holder if they have red eyes and a special mark on them somewhere that shows their card sign- mom is the Queen of Diamonds so she has a red diamond with a “Q” going through it tattooed on her ankle. She tells me it’s been there all her life.

Anyways, from what I’ve heard about them all my life this family is just rule, rules, rules. One mustn’t find their actual parents. One mustn’t fall in love with outsiders. One mustn’t disobey the King of Spades’ orders (He is my daddy, but most people call him King!). There are also a bunch of other rules, but I can never remember them all.

There is a bright side to these rules, at least- I mean, every single one of the card holders has a power! From what I heard, two of the jack cards can make illusions, and the other two can heal! How cool is that? Also there is the ace cards, which all stop aging at nineteen and, as long as they have their swords, can instantly heal- they’re practically immortal as long as they aren’t given any fatal shots! And Mom and Daddy are queen and king cards, and they’ve told me that they can change their ages and don’t need a sword to heal them, unlike the ace cards.

It’s weird, though- Daddy looks twelve even though he is my dad. He also acts a bit cold for a dad, too, but I don’t mind- he is nicer to me than he is to the others, actually. Like the Jack of Clubs, or my friend Jack. He and I are the same age right now, but he isn’t treated well by Daddy. Daddy makes him and his brother, Ace, train a lot and sometimes it worries me. Oh, well- Jack says he’s okay and I guess that’s what’s important, right?

I hear Mom calling me to dinner. I’m gonna go, now. Until next time, Diary.

~Orchid

Chapter 2: Maces and Shovels
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As they were dismissed, a certain nineteen year old boy of average stature with tan skin was silent, deep in thought and his expression that of a frown. His dark brown hair hung slightly over his eyes and was a bit ruffled. If one were to look closely, they could see a likeness between him and Ace. This was the Jack of Clubs, also called Jack. He wore a black aviator’s jacket with red fur around the collar. His jacket was unbuttoned to reveal a white undershirt. He wore dark blue jeans, like his brother, and wore black army boots over it.

Now Jack and Ace were close brothers- they hardly ever fought and usually supported each other in their decisions. The two lived in a large mansion and trained together. In their free time when Ace wasn’t seducing girls (as he was known for being a flirt, fulfilling his title as the Ace of Hearts) the boys usually hung out together, doing simple things such as playing video games together or just talking. This being said, if one were to state that Jack was currently worried about his brother, such would be an understatement.

Ace had already walked farther ahead of him, planning on preparing for the search of the joker card holders as soon as possible. Jack was left walking by himself, trying to think of some way to help his brother. It was just as two other card holders passed by did a sign of hope appear unto Jack- the Ace of Spades.

The Ace of Spades, called Neal, was a muscular boy who appeared to be nineteen and had pale skin with long black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. He wore a blue button-down shirt and khakis, along with a pair of black dress shoes. What stood out about Neal, however, was that the boy had black cat ears, the left one having been pierced with a gold earring, and a black cat tail. Neal was walking with Di, the two heading for their own headquarters when Jack stopped them by calling out Neal’s name.

“Neal! I have a favor to ask of you!” Jack called, his voice sounding upbeat and casual. Neal turned around to face the brunette, scowling as he responded with a gruff, “What is it?”

Now Neal had never been the kindest of card holders- he often times responded to others with sarcasm or a curt remark. Usually he had a scowl or a grimace on his face, and when he didn’t he was left inexpressive. Most had never even seen him smile before. This being said, Jack wasn’t affected by Neal’s harsh demeanor.

“Could you maybe watch out for Ace when you are out on the mission? It would really mean a lot to me,” Jack begged. His voice was laced with concern and his eyebrows furrowed in apprehension as he spoke, wearing his current feelings on his sleeve. Upon hearing this question, Neal sighed in annoyance, one of his peculiar cat ears twitching as he spoke.

“I can’t do that- Ace is heading off with Ari and I with Kamiko for the mission. Besides, you shouldn’t be worrying about your brother at such a time- doing so will keep you from focusing on training. You’re already weak enough in your illusions, idiot,” Neal grumbled before turning back around and heading off.

Jack appeared unaffected by the harsh words and nodded silently, though the nod wasn’t seen by Neal, who had already walked off. So Ace was going with Ariella, then?

Ariella was the Ace of Clubs, but most just called her Ari. The girl was of fourteen years of age and had short lavender hair that always had a ribbon on the left side. She often times wore a white cardigan and colorful tank top and skirt and sandals. The girl was one of the merrier members of the card family, though she was also one of the more frightening members, at the same time. The girl was usually jovial and sympathetic, except for when she was angered. It was then that she would become reckless in her actions and often times broke things- an insalubrious habit for a girl to have, especially one of such a prestigious group of people. It was this one chaotic streak in the girl, however, that made her a powerful ace card holder, at times. This being said, Jack felt some relief. He couldn’t shake the nagging thought of what would happen if his brother were caught by one of the joker card holders, however.

Both of the joker card holders held some aura of madness about them- There was Ran, the Joker of Mental Madness, and Klark, the Joker of Physical Madness. Both had their main goals being to kill off card family members or experiment on them, usually the latter followed by death. Their ways of experimenting were different, however. Ran’s experiments focused on the mental well-being of people, while Klark’s the physical well-being of people. In fact, he is the exact person who young Di had lost his eye and arm to, but that story was for another time.

Jack sighed, pushing the thoughts out of his mind. He would just have to hope for his brother’s safety, and slightly yearned for them to find neither Ran’s nor Klark’s locations. Such an incident would probably only end in disaster.

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Journal Entry 2
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Sorry I haven’t written the past few days, Diary, but this is a book so I don’t know why I’m apologizing. Anyway, I heard Mom and Daddy talking in hushed tones about how one of the joker card holders had been killed recently- they were talking about the dangers it meant for them. I didn’t understand why, though, so I went to our library and looked through some of their big old books about the card family, even though Daddy would have probably yelled at me.

Well, after doing a bunch of research, here is what I found: It turns out the joker cards weren’t with the card family at first, but hundreds of years ago some witch put a curse on the family that added them to the card family. The joker cards are made to rival all the others, and apparently, while all the other card holders that have weapons usually use swords, they use scythes. Like the grim reaper you see on the joker cards in games, y’know? It’s kinda freaky.

Anyways, they are able to leave cuts on the other card holders that don’t heal quickly like they should with their regeneration powers, but the same goes the other way around- they can still be cut by the other cards. Basically, they have the same powers as the king and queen cards- they can heal quickly unless there is a cut from someone of equal or higher rank, thus all the cards can cut them. But the difference in their powers is that they can cut them right back. I’m sorry; I know this probably sounds confusing. At least it does to me.

This only makes me worry more for Jack at times, however- jack cards are the only cards that can’t regenerate. I mean, sure, any of the cards could be hit by a joker card and not heal, but what if a jack card holder were hit by an ace card holder? Or what about a king or queen? Maybe I’m worrying too much… no way would card family members attack each other, right?

I asked Mom about the joker card problem- why were they so worried about it? If a joker card holder died, couldn’t they just find the baby that now had the joker card mark and raise them to be nice?

Mom just shook her head, taking a hand and brushing my long black hair out of my face for me. She said it just, “wasn’t that simple,” before walking off. How can it not be that simple? I guess I still have a lot to learn about the card family… Until next time, Diary.

~Orchid

Chapter 3: Waiting and Gone
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The Jack of Spades, also called Jacklyn, stared at the clock, eyebrows furrowed. Her pale, slender fingers were laced together as her crimson eyes peered at the clock, scrutinizing it as though doing so would make the time pass by more quickly. The thirty-three year old woman’s long, dark blue hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail as a way to keep hair from falling into her eyes. Resting on the bridge of her nose was a pair of oval, thin-rimmed glasses. She sat in a well-furnished room with an oak floor and cream-colored walls that reflected the sunset's light spewing from the windows that stretched around the front of the room. A fireplace sat before her, unlit due to the warm weather, with a bookshelf to the side of it, filled with an array of medical books. Jacklyn rocked back and forth slightly as she watched the time tick away.

... Something's wrong.

The thought once again echoed through her mind. The ace card holders had left to find the joker card holders two days ago, and those two days had been long, slow ones for the woman, as they probably were for most other card holders. Each minute it was as if a new wave of anxiety that was being sent through thoughts of "what-if's" was felt in Jacklyn's stomach, making her nerves skyrocket. What if they got lost? What if they were caught?

...What if they died?

Jacklyn inwardly winced at the thought. She had never been the best at showing emotions- or really understanding her own- but she, in the past fourteen years that young Ariella was in her care, had come to care for the girl in a way a mother does her own child. The fact that they had been gone for two days was just too worrisome.

When the phone rang, she nearly fell as she stumbled out of her seat as she practically ran towards it. One perfectly manicured hand picked up the phone and she quickly composed herself before speaking in her usual manner, which was an annoyed, "What?"

The person on the other line was none other than the main leader himself, the King of Spades. As he flatly told her what had happened on the other line, Jacklyn's eyes widened and her breathing momentarily stopped, though for her it felt as if all of time had.

A meeting was to take place immediately at King's manor over the next line of action that was to be done. Three of the ace cards were captured.

Ariella was one of them.

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Journal 3
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I had a nightmare last night, Diary. It was probably the most disturbing one I've ever had- mostly because it felt so....real.

I dreamt that it was all darkness- as if it stretched on forever, and I could be left wondering in it for days. It was more like nothingness, actually- I could still see my hands and my feet pretty well, but everything else was.... black. Well, there was nothing around so I figured "Why not?" y'know? So I started walking... And walking... and walking. It felt like I was walking for ages and my feet were beginning to hurt when I suddenly saw a woman. She was the scariest person I had ever seen, and not because of her looks.

... Well, maybe slightly because of them. Mostly it was her expression.

The woman, at first glance, seemed pretty. She had flowing pink hair that covered her right eye and the perfect tan, not to mention the type of body I haven't been, according to Mom, "blessed" with yet as a girl. It was there that the adoration I held towards her stopped, however. She was holding up a scythe- a red tipped scythe that was somehow able to shine in dark abyss. And she was holding it with a huge, creepy grin on her face and red pupils that somehow glowed. It was a face that said, "I am happy with what I do- overly happy, in fact." And she was staring at me with that face.

Of course, it was then that I took off, running for my life. My feet were already hurting, and this didn't help at all. And so a huuuuuge chase through the never-ending darkness took place. I just ran forward, and so did she, right after me while she swung that scythe of hers around. Well, of course I began to tire of running and slow down. But the woman just kept running at the exact same pace!

She got nearer... And nearer... and just when she was about to deliver a blow on me, I woke up in a sweat. I had to look around quickly and turn on the light and check on Mom and Dad in their rooms to make sure they were okay. Everything was just fine, but it was all so disturbing... It just felt so real, and every detail was so noticeable for a dream. I got out my Diary soon afterwards as a way to sooth me because of such a dream. I want to tell Mom about it, but I don't want to worry her any more than she already is with the joker card situation that I still don't get.

I wonder if the dream was caused by the things I read yesterday about the joker card holders? It would make sense- the woman did have red eyes and a scythe like a joker card holder. Maybe I should stop studying this stuff...?

I hear Mom in the kitchen cooking breakfast, now- I should probably put you up before she finds out I've been up since five a.m. and asks why. Until next time, Diary.

~Orchid

Chapter 4: Hoping and Advancing
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The King of Clubs, Serge, ran one tan hand through his disheveled, teal-colored hair. It was a nervous habit of his usually followed by him straightening his thin-rimmed glasses or fixing the collar of his white, button-down shirt. The man who appeared around twenty was leaving the most recent card meeting, the events from which were replaying in his mind.

After two days of searching for the locations of the joker card holders, only one of the four ace card holders returned- Kamiko, the oldest of them all and by far the most experienced. When she returned, however, the girl was badly damaged- her dark skin was riddled with cuts and gashes, showing a tell-tale sign of struggled against a joker. Her normally orderly long black hair was unkempt and uneven, showing that there had probably been several close calls for being sliced at the head. The only part of her that s=appeared unharmed was Kamiko’s card sign- a red diamond with an “A” in its center that was tattooed on her left cheek. It was a state the young woman had faced before, however, and even when she arrived at the meeting all bandaged up, her face remained as expressionless as ever. It was as if a certain aura of unshakable dignity was surrounding her that the woman refused to shake off- one that many found admirable and respectful.

Young Benjamin was now at her side, the nine-year old’s small, pale hand in hers. His large red eyes matched his hair as he looked around the room at the others, his small form staying close to the tall Kamiko’s. Serge smiled slightly at the scene. At least the two were reunited- it was no secret that the relationship between the two, though Kamiko was nothing more than his caretaker, was that of mother and child, as it usually became for caretakers and the card holders they are teamed with.

As the meeting began, now with thirteen people gathered around the table, Kamiko began to share with the others her story of how each one of the other ace card holders were captured, voice remaining flat and monotone.

“We had done as we were ordered to do and split into two groups- Neal and I searching for Ran, and Ace and Ari were searching for Klark. We split up in search of them, but ended up in the same place- one of the mills that had shut down, out in the older parts of the city nearby. It was then we were locked in the building, the door closing rather abruptly. Ran and Klark were both there- they had apparently teamed up in our capture, somehow knowing we were searching for them. Ari was the first to go. Then Ace. And then Neal. I was able to fight long enough to find an exit- I had to break through a window and run, but had to leave them. I believe that they were merely captured, however, since none of the attacks Ran and Klark had tried to use, along with the devices they used, were really aiming for an instant death.”

Everyone in the room was stunned to silence. Kamiko, the strongest of the Ace cards and second oldest of the entire card family despite her appearance… was forced to flee a battle merely because the joker card holders had teamed up? It almost seemed as if everyone in the room was disturbed by this except King, who kept his stony glare on no one in particular, deep in thought.

“This situation is obviously not good- we are to send a group of card holders off for the others ASAP. Whoever goes, I shall join. The rest are to stay at their quarters until farther notice.” With that, King turned around and left the ballroom, leaving everyone stunned. The Queen of Spades, also called Slice for a few reasons that one can leave to their imagination, cleared her throat. She was Serge’s teammate and thus the one lodged with him currently, and was perhaps the most doubted sanity-wise of all the card holders, save the jokers. She appeared to be around twenty-two and was very slim. Her pale skin clashed her black hair that held two blue streaks in the front. Her maroon shirt’s only sleeve covered her left arm all the way and extended past her fingertips. She wore a pair of shorts and then some combat boots, giving her an unusual appearance overall. The woman’s voice came out excited as she spoke.

“I will be glad to join the search party in finding the joker card holders and rescuing the aces,” she hummed, receiving a few raised eyebrows from everyone else in the room. Serge inwardly winced, knowing that if she came, most others would refuse to join in the group knowing her uncontrolled behavior was to follow them. Thus, Serge spoke up, trying to find a way for Slice to stay.
“Perhaps it would be best if you stay here?” he suggested. Slice’s smile she had been wearing up until then fell as she inquired, “What? Why?”

Now, Serge had been Slice’s teammate for a while and had learned how to convince her of something without getting the woman angry, and was able to carefully choose his next words. “Imagine if Ran or Klark were to attack here with King being gone with the rescue party- There would be no one strong enough to help fight them off. We need someone to help protect the rest of the card family.”

Slice opened her mouth to protest, and then shut it. She slowly smirked as she closed her eyes, licking her lips before she spoke up. “Very well. I suppose since my presence is needed here, then I’ll stay.”

It was as if the entire room let out a sigh of relief. It was then that others began to volunteer, Jack being the first to step in, most likely for the sake of his captured brother. Then Di volunteered, and most others in the room muttered in approval. The boy was not a fighter- that was a definite. He had even managed to lose his card ability as a jack card holder. However, he specialized in one thing no one else in the card family except Klark, the one they were going against, specialized in: machines. Such a skill was probably a huge asset for them. And then Jacklyn volunteered. after a moment's hesitation, Serge stepped in, as well.

And so now here he was- heading towards the meeting place at the border of where the estate's neatly-trimmed grass met the forest's tangled array of flaura. Once all of the volunteers had gathered, King gave a nod of approval towards them- a rare sight, but then such a large group of card holders heading out for a mission was, as well. King gave the word and they all headed off into the lush forest.

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Journal 4
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Sorry for not writing a week. I just haven't felt like it.

The nightmares are becoming more frequent, but each time it's the exact same thing- the crazy woman attacks, I run, she almost kills me, I wake up. Just a repeated process of cat and mouse. It's giving me sleep insomnia, as I have become afraid of falling asleep and soon after I do I wake up in a cold sweat.

Mom's noticed the dark circles under my eyes and asked me what was wrong a few days back. I acted confused and told her nothing was wrong. Why did I lie to Mom? I've never lied to her before!

I probably wouldn't have written in this an even longer amount of time but then I woke up to the most unsettling thing just now. It's around three a.m. as I write this because of that.

As usual, I woke up from that freaky nightmare, all sweaty and nervous. But something felt different- it felt as if something warm was leaking through the covers and onto my lap. I turn on the lamp on my nightstand and there is a dead bird just... laying there. A DEAD BIRD. It was a dove, I think... I jumped out of bed and rolled up the covers to quickly to know for sure, but I know I saw white feathers and a red gash on its neck. I threw away the sheets and blanket and got some new ones from the linen closet... I'll need to take the trash out as soon as I can. Then I had to wash all this bird blood off my hands and out of my night gown. I can't let Daddy and Mom find out- they might just worry even more than they already have to. But still... I'm scared. Who put that dead bird on my bed!? Was it just a prank from Jack or Ace, or is it something more?

Ah! My hand is shaking as I write this. I think writing things down is only making me feel worse. Until next time, Diary.

~Orchid

Chapter 5: Clocks and Deceit


Tick… tock… tick… tock… tick… Queen sat silently in the living room of the Queen of Hearts, Charity, and the King of Diamonds, E. She nervously glanced back at the clock, brushing a loose strand of her lavender hair out of her face with her flawlessly tanned hand. The woman, while she appeared to be only twelve, was actually much older. The idea of multiple card holders being killed was nothing new to her, but the idea of the King of Spades going out to the front lines was. Her own lover could end up… dead? Even more startling was the idea of who could possibly end up killing him- one of the joker card holders. Ran, to be specific. The one who took her child away could take her husband as well. The thought was nerve-wrecking.

Charity and E exchanged glances, knowing what Queen was probably thinking of. Charity was the first to speak up, the apparent twenty-something year old Latino crossing her legs as her wavy black hair was brushed over one shoulder, settling on her well-formed chest. On her left ring finger was a sign of unity many recognize, one that matched a ring that was on E’s ring finger.

“Hun, relax- things are going to be alright,” the woman coaxed in an attempt to cheer her friend, or at least ease her nerves. When Queen didn’t respond, her only action following the statement being yet another anxious glance at the clock, Charity let out a hopeless sigh and glanced at her husband.

E frowned, deep in thought. The man was known for several things in the card family- his remarkably tall height was one of them, but also his ability to think logically in calamitous circumstances. The man folded his dark, muscular arms as he examined Queen. This was quite an unusual state for the normally cheerful woman, so seeing her in such a circumstance was rare, it was also understandable in his eyes. If he were going out on the dangerous mission King was on, he was sure Charity would be acting the same way. So what would ease his lover’s nerves if such a situation were to be placed upon her?

After several minutes of hearing nothing but the steady ticking of the clock, E sighed, a strand of blonde hair falling into his face. “Could you please go get me some tea from the kitchen, Queen?” E finally asked, receiving a raised eyebrow from her in response. The host sending his own guest to retrieve him a drink? How ill-mannered! Nonetheless, Queen nodded and stood up, walking to the kitchen.

As she began pouring the tea she ended up finding in the fridge into three sparkling clear glasses, Queen found herself softly smiling in realization of why she had been sent on such a task- E was simply actin in such a way to try to get her mind off things. His and Charity’s kindness towards her was really heartwarming.

Queen sighed, placing the pitcher back in the fridge. Maybe everything was going to be okay.

It was then that there was a distortion of pink followed by the luster of silver, and everything went dark.

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Journal 5
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After last time I thought I wasn’t going to write in this thing anymore, and yet here I am. Why? Because another incident happened, of course, and I have come to realize that even though writing all these things down doesn’t calm my nerves… it at least gives me someone to tell things to. Mom and Daddy are still worry about the joker card holder’s death for some reason and so I don’t want to bother them still.

For the first time in a month I haven’t had that dreaded dream when I fell asleep- and that’s because I just passed out, right in the back yard. I had been playing hide-and-seek with Jack, and whenever I closed my eyes to count, everything just went black. There was no dream or anything, but when I woke up, I was just lying in the shade of the old maple tree out back, as if I had just laid down right there and fell asleep… or as if someone had laid me there, themself.

What’s scary, though, is when I looked down at my hands… there was pink hair and skin in between my nails. PINK HAIR. Like the woman in my nightmares.

When I saw it, I screamed, causing Mom to come out back and check on me. I quickly placed my hands in my lap, since I was still sitting where I had woken, and told her I merely had a nightmare. Mom slowly nodded, though she didn’t seem very convinced considering that look of worry on her face, and she told me that Jack had left earlier when I fell asleep after playing before slowly walking back inside. We finished playing? When did we finish playing? I don’t even remember that happening.

When Mom left I rushed to the water hose and rinsed off my hands. There didn’t seem to be anything else wrong with me after waking up- no cuts, bruises… Nothing. So how did pink hair and human skin get between my nails as though I had been fighting someone?

…I admit it. I’m terrified. I’m terrified of these dreams, of these events… I probably should tell Mom and Daddy but I just don’t want to. Don’t ask me why but I just… can’t. I am beginning to think things like, “What if I am going to die soon?” and, “What if she is watching me?” and for some reason even these thoughts are just making me want to tell Mom and Daddy even less.

Until next time, I guess.

~Orchid

((the journal part of this chapter is kinda sucky because Celo began to get lazy with how long the first part was even though she rushed that, too))

Chapter 6: Eyes and Masks

Di shifted nervously on his feet as the group stood before the old mill, the wind that was brushing through the area making the building creak in defiance, its architecture seeming to sway with the wind. The structure seemed completely uninhibited, untouched by any living things and leaving the inescapable fate of time to finish it off. The only signs of recent life being there were the fingerprints on the dusty doorknob of the entrance, along with the broken window two stories above them that was believed to be the one Kamiko had used to escape.

The inside had, indeed, shown signs of struggle- much of the equipment was smashed, and there were scars left in the ground from weapons sliding against it, leaving sudden crevices in the otherwise smooth concrete floor. While the exterior had been coated in dust, the interior of the building did not seem to have any of the grime in it. And thus the group, not seeing anything of interest, left the building and was now standing outside as Jack attempted to set the dry wood of the peripheral of the building ablaze- King’s orders.

Di felt relieved, and he was sure the others were, as well, that the joker card holders weren’t here. Even so, he still felt an uneasiness of the events. King was bent on them searching for the joker card holders, which meant that he would have to run into one, eventually. For Di, he was praying that he wouldn’t have to face Klark, after the events the twisted man had forced upon him.

Di remembered how the incident had occurred- Klark had captured young Caitlin a couple years back, planning to run experiments on the young Queen of Clubs. Di, Neal, and Rogue had all set out to look for her, each heading their own way. Di had been the one who ended up finding the hideout, first- After doing some file searching, he had found a man who went by the name Klark Halls living in a large old house. Di’s hunch had been right on it being the joker card holder’s living quarters.

He remembered smelling antiseptic from outside the house, and as he had snuck inside, the smell became stronger, making him a bit dizzy with all the different smells and toxins. He found Caitlin tied down to an operating table in the house’s dark basement, a look of terror in her eyes. Di, the toxins and relief making him lose a sense of reason, ran up to Caitlin and began untying the restraints. Of course, Klark was just hiding in the shadows, and in the next moment stepped out, looking at Di with a wry smile.

The man’s red eyes sparkled in the darkness and he looked at Di, his pale skin matching the white lab coat he wore if not for the blood stains that had been left in it. He was bald and had a pointed chin and a slim figure. The man’s shady appearance startled Di but he kept his hands on the ropes that were holding Caitlin back, though he began to feel a knot for in his stomach. He was only a jack card holder- the weakest of all the cards and certainly the least likely to win in a fight against a joker card holder such as Klark. He had no weapons- he could only make illusions, and even those were not solid and easy to get through. Di searched his mind for something to do- he had to get Caitlin out somehow!

In a moment that was influenced by both his care for the young girl and the selfless attitude the boy often had (though some of the nauseating smells may have also been at hand), his next words were, “I’ll do it…”

Klark’s eyes brightened and his wry smile turned into a grin, a grin Di could not help but turn away from, feeling too uneasy by its revelation as the madman spoke. “Oh? Do what?” Di’s next words were said with more confidence than he felt at the time.

“I’ll take Caitlin’s place. Just let her go and you can do whatever experiment you wish on me.”

By now Caitlin was struggling in her restraints, screaming into the textile that was secured in her mouth as tears appeared in the little girl’s eyes and she looked at Di with imploring eyes, as if to say, “Don’t do this for me!” Klark’s reaction was only a raised eyebrow, however, as he spoke, “Interesting proposition… surely in all my years this is a new one.” After a glance at Caitlin followed by a smirk, Klark announced his decision, “It’s a deal. The girl will be released as soon as your experiments are done.”

Di nodded, his legs feeling weak as he saw his fate get sealed. Klark’s next actions were to tie him down to a table much like the man had done Caitlin, minus the cloth that was being used to muffle the girl’s scream. He grabbed a syringe of a strange liquid and gave Di a shot with it, claiming it to be “for the sake of the experiment.” Di, who was already beginning to shake in fright, let out a soft whimper when he saw what items Klark brought to the table, next. A pair of tweezers, a saw, and needles and thread was placed on the silver tray beside him.

. Klark, upon hearing Di’s faint snivel looked at him with a warped leer on his face. “Oh, don’t worry. The chemical I put in your body was a special one- one that will prevent you from passing out during the operation. You don’t need to worry about not knowing what’s happening.”

With that Klark began the experiment- one, he told Di, he was running to find out just what gives card holders their powers. First he grabbed the tweezers and went for Di’s eyes.

The pain was impossible to bear- it was as if something was being drilled into his brain, and, after hearing a loud “pop” that he was somehow able to hear through all of his screaming, Di saw nothing. He continued screaming, however, as the pain continued. Klark only frowned when he saw this, however. “I don’t sense any change in your abilities, at all. No matter…”

After what seemed like ages of screaming, suddenly Di could see again, and the pain in his right eye stopped. The pain in his left eye continued, however, as did his screams from the pain- screams for mercy that Klark, in all his sick, twisted personality, enjoyed hearing. Di didn’t know at the time, being in too much pain to think properly, but his left eye had been destroyed in its removal.

His one eye was searching around the room frantically as his screams slowly stopped, turning into nothing more than sobs, the boy having screamed so much his throat was sore and voice lost, though he couldn’t tell from the pain of losing his eye. The pain that followed, however, was even more unbearable than the last. Klark was muttering something about removing the card sign Di had, but Di was in too much pain to hear, his heart hammering against his ribcage and his sobs turning into hushed wails. Even in all his pain, Di could tell what was going on as he felt the cool metal that formed teeth being pressed against his arm- he was cutting off his left arm. Oh, no… anything but that.

Di struggled in his restraints and let out a silenced scream, his vocal cords unable to work after all the screams. The pain that followed he believed was the worst in his life- all he saw was red and the only thoughts were of the unending pain from having muscle separated from muscle, nerves from nerves. All Di could do now was look around the room, dizzy from all the pain though his body refused to relieve him of it and let him rest. He looked to the side at Klark, his form wavy in the boy’s pain-induced vision. It looked like he was holding a needle and thread up to his arm. And… sewing it closed… wait… not up to his arm. His shoulder… where was his arm? The man then placed a shot of a different strange substance in Di’s body, numbing the pain.

Di’s thoughts calmed after that, though he was still filled with fear as Klark spoke. “Test successful. The mark the card holder has is what grants them their abilities. Once gone, they can no longer use them,” he smirked. Di was only able to stare at him, his feelings a mixture of shock, fear, anger, and every other negative emotion known to man.

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Journal 6
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Today I learned something too shocking to keep secret from anyone. I know I can’t tell Mom and Daddy, though- I don’t know how they would react.

I was able to meet with Jack today after yesterday’s events and ask him what happened, since I had passed out and woke up under a tree. His only response was his eyes widening and saying, “You don’t remember?”

Of course his reaction only made me scared to respond, but I managed to say no, somehow. And so he told me his side of the story- everything that happened.

Apparently when I was counting, he had just hidden in the shed and locked it (I find that typical of Jack, cheating like that). He said that I stopped counting not long after I started, though, and he heard some laughter not long afterwards. He said he had stepped out of the shed to see what was happening and saw HER. The woman with pink hair was standing there in my yard, he said, and she was looking right at him, scythe in one hand.

Jack told me he began to step back into the shed, but in an instant… she was right in front of the entrance to the building, a crazy, almost bloodthirsty grin on her face. Jack said he then took off running, of course, but the woman was too fast and she eventually had him cornered in the yard. She had managed to slice his back in the run, but now she was so close… she could kill him.

Jack said that just when he thought he was about to be killed by her, the woman holding up her scythe and everything, she froze and let out a moan before… recoiling. Jack told me that he could only stare in shock as she began pulling at her hair, whimpering out, “No, no, no…” over and over again. And, right before his eyes, the woman changed…

…Into me…