Jade

“Jesus Christ, what time does the L90 come?” Phoenix stood up and started to hop up and down.

“The time table says it will be here in 5 minutes” I didn’t know if I was excited to be going to the city for my birthday.

As usual I got my box of chocolates from Lucy, but I was missing my flowers. Nan always got me the biggest bunch of colourful flowers she could find. She would ask Lucy to by some and if she didn’t like them then she would add to the bunch from her flower garden.

“We are going to have fun today alright, and then tonight you are going to stay at my house, and then tomorrow you said you have a great surprise for me this weekend is going to rock.”

“I already told you my surprise isn’t just for the weekend”

“Well whatever it is, it will rock” I smiled and held Bens hand.

“Here’s the bus” Phoenix pushed in front of an old lady to get to the front.

“Excuse her” I walked to Phoenix and stood in the bus line.

“You nearly knocked that old lady over”

“Don’t you want a seat, this but is always packed” We paid the driver and walked on the bus, every seat was empty.

“Smooth…” Ben pushed past and ran to the back seat.

I went and sat with him and Phoenix sat next to me.

“So what’s the city like?”

“You have never been to the city?”

“Well I went when I was like 3 but I don’t remember it at all”

“Jesus, well we are going to start going more often. My mum lets me go all the time and now you’re my sister we can go whenever we want” I had a sister, not a blood relative, but I also had a family. I had Phoenix and her mum – Alice – but her dad was always away on business, I still hadn’t seen him.

“Well I also feel bad for taking your money”

“It’s a present”

“Yeah but I only have $50 saved up, you guys have got…How much?”

“I have my credit card, and a few hundred” Ben gave me his warm smile then I turned to Phoenix.

“My mum gave me $60, I have a few hundred saved up and my dad sent me a check which he does every month for $200”

“I only got $5 every month from my Nan”

“Dad said he will start sending you one Jade”

“No, I could never take your Dads money”
“Jade, he’s the manger dude of like a multi billion corporation; I think he can spare some money for you. $500 dollars to him is like 5 cents to you”

“Well in that case…” Ben put his arm around my shoulders and I leaned into him, Phoenix started to laugh, really loud.

For some reason I just joined in, I was laughing in hysterics too. Ben joined and all of a sudden we were making a lot of noise, too much noise. People were staring to turn around and glare at us. Phoenix started to swear at the old lady she pushed past, and I just cupped my hand over her mouth.

“Jesus Jade, have some fun”

“Im having heaps of fun, but I can do it without being rude to elderly women”

Ben leaned around and tapped Phoenix.

“Phoenix, you know that since her Nan passed she had a lot of respect for other people”

“Thank-you, at least someone gets me”

Eventually we arrived at North Sydney.

“How long does it take to get to the city anyway” we kept on going but no one said anything.

Phoenix let out a small giggle and Ben pushed her.

“What going on? Are you kid napping me?”

“You’ll see”

We turned another corner and there it was the harbor bridge, it stood tall with the Australian flag on top. To the left was the Sydney opera house, I hade only seen it on Australian idol.
I looked past the bridge to the city, the high rise buildings were more than I had ever seen before. My feet started to move by themselves and I was eventually walking in shock to the front of the bus. I stood next to the driver and looked at the amazing sights in front of me.

“You never been here before doll?”

“Once, when I was younger, its beautiful isn’t it?”

“Not when you see it three times a day”

“I could stand and look at it all day, everyday”

Someone pulled my arm. I shook it off.

“Ben im looking”

“Get out of the way!”

I turned to see a guy, about two years older than me, he had a leather jacket of and spiky blue hair.

“Oh, sorry, admiring the view, y’ know”

“Get out of my way, you freak”

He pushed past and got off the bus.

“What’s the next stop?”

“You exploring the city today hun?”

“Yeah”

“Then now”

He pulled the bus over and Ben and Phoenix were beside me.

“You’re so funny when you have no idea what’s going on”

I stepped off the bus, buildings everywhere, in front of me though was a green grassed area, and to its right was a doughnut shop.

“Ohh” I walked over to the doughnut shop, Ben and Phoenix followed.

“One thing I remember, is getting a jelly doughnut and sharing it with my mum. I got Jelly all over my white top so my mum got me a new one” I started off into space remembering that thought “You mind?” I wandered over to the shop and stood outside it.

“Jade, do you want to go to some shops?” Phoenix came round and held my hand, and so did Ben.

I wanted my life to go backwards at this point. Everyone who mattered was gone, and I only had memories. One was standing right in front of me. I wondered if I got the jelly doughnut I would be able to have my mum there eating it with me.

“Let’s go” I turned and started for the road, I wanted to have fun birthday with my friends, and I didn’t want to stand outside a doughnut shop wishing.

“How about we go get lunch and go sit outside the opera house. Then we can shop till we drop, we can take a tram ride, go to the markets and then get a ferry to manly and look around there. What do you think? Oh they have this really good ice-ream and pizza place at Manly. You been to Manly?”

“Jesus Christ, you are so excited Ben” Phoenix pushed him into someone, he swung around quickly.

“So sorry” Ben smiled and turned back around and opened his eyes wide at Phoenix, telling her she was going to get hurt.

I started to laugh until I looked up at the man, it was the man from the bus. My laugh turned into a worried look and I quickly scrambled from where we were.

“God Jade, wait up!” I didn’t realise but I doing a slow jog.

I stopped outside a building, it was full of shops, and I ran in. That man gave me the weirdest feeling. Like he was following me, waiting for me, I didn’t want him to find me.
I stopped at a coffee shop and sat at a table. I realised I was finally going crazy, I was depressed when my parents died, now im crazy because my Nan died.

“Jade, there you are” Ben was at the door of the shop; he turned and called for Phoenix.

“What the hell was that?” He walked over and sat next to me. Phoenix was hovering at the door of the shop.

“Sorry, I think im going crazy. I saw a good shop on my way here” I smiled and reached my hand across the table, to grab Bens, he pulled back.

“Let’s just go aye” Ben walked over to Phoenix and they rounded the corner. I got up and followed. I walked over to see them sitting on a bench laughing, tickling and poking each other.

“What are you guys doing?” I stood there, not knowing whether to put my hands on my hips, stamp my foot or stand still.

“Just having fun…”

“Sort of and inside joke”

“You guys have inside jokes?” I was about ready to cry.

“Well Phoenix came over on Thursday and this really funny thing happened when we were at the mall and yeah…”

“You guys went to the mall together” It was alright for them to have other friends, but when we were a group of three, one being my best friend and one being my boyfriend, that wasn’t alright.

I walked away. I was expecting them to follow me but they didn’t. I walked into a shop. I looked through there jeans collection until I found a nice pair of deep blue denim skinnies, which I bought. I walked out of the shop and bumped into the guy from the bus.

“Why are you always in my way?”

“Sorry, I swear it’s just an accident” Now I new he was following me.

“Yeah. So what did you buy?”

“Some jeans” I couldn’t cut past him because there were so many people around.

“Wanna hang out?”

“No, I mean no thank you. Im with my friends”

“I can’t see ‘em.”

“There somewhere else”

“Listen, I don’t really think you have a choice in this, alright?”

“Just let me get past, I won’t run into you anymore”

“Let’s go, your coming with me. No questions” He grabbed my arm and started to lead my out of the building. I didn’t scream or try to free myself. I was sort of relived to know that this guy could be going somewhere to kill me.

We started to walk, and we walked for a hell of a long time.

“Where are we?”

“Honey, we are in China Town” We turned into an alleyway.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing, wait here” He turned and walked through a small black door.

I reached for my phone, in my pocket. Out of battery. Great. I started to cry, so maybe Ben and Phoenix were friends, maybe they were at the mall buying me a present, what a stupid thought. The guy walked back out.

“Honey, im Dan”

“I-I-m” I stopped and thought… “I’m Alyse”

“Yeah, right, and im Santa clause, what’s your real name?”

“Jade” So my plan failed.

“Now look, I have duck tape in my pocket, or I can trust you not to scream”

“I will be quite”

“Good, ill be back in a few minutes” He looked to the phone in my hand “You didn’t call anyone did you?”

“No”

He walked back into the door.

I looked down the alleyway; I wondered why I wasn’t running. I wasn’t tied up, or being held down, I was free as a bird, but I stayed.

The thought of Ben, and Phoenix together made me stay, I wanted to die.

“Jade?” Someone, well Ben was calling my name in the distance. Then Dan walked back out to me.

“Someone looking for you honey?”

“I think it’s my boy- ex boyfriend”

“Had a fight?” He gave me a fake sympathetic look.

“Whatever” I turned and kicked a bit of paper.

“Listen, we aren’t done in there so you have to wait here, if the Ben guy comes for you, you hide okay?”

“Okay” I turned and headed for a dumpster “Behind here okay?”

“Sure, now wait” He went back in.

I sat down and listened quietly. I heard screaming, not from Ben calling my name, from in the door. I heard a woman’s voice calling out no. She was crying and screaming; they were torturing her. Rape.

“Jade?” I peeked out from behind the dumpster to see Ben. I had to decided quickly whether to get up or stay, to live or die, to be raped or not to suffer. I got up.

“Ben” I called softly.

“Jade!” Ben started to run to me.

I held my finger to my lips.

“Jade?” Ben was whispering, he motioned his hand for me to come to him.

“I can’t, there’s a woman in there being raped, or being killed, we have to do something”

“Jade” Ben came and hugged me.

“Why do you keep saying my name?”

“I saw you leave with that guy, and I thought you were gone forever, I don’t trust him”

“Well he’s raping that woman, now give me your phone, and go wait around the corner”

“Im not leaving you”

“Ben, go!”

“Oi, did you here that?” The handle on the door started to jiggled, and I could here Dan mumbling.

“Ben, go” I whispered.

Ben climbed up the dumpster, and dived in.

“Who’s out here?”

“What?” I stood up, and looked around.

“Im nearly done, and don’t worry I wont make it as painful for you” He winked and walked back inside.

I pulled Bens phone out of my pocket and dialed 000. Ben jumped out of the dumpster.
I gave the phone to Ben, because I didn’t know where we were, Ben gave her the details. The screaming inside was still loud.

“Oh no”

“What Ben?”

“You here that?”

“I can’t hear anything”

“Exactly, no screaming. There done, she’s dead, there coming out to get you now”

My heart stopped.

“Let’s go” I could hear sirens, and half way up the alley way I stopped.

“You know what Ben?” Ben stopped; I could see the terror in his eyes.

“Not now Jade” I didn’t move.

“I wanted them to kill me, what’s the point in living if everyone is dead, and you are with Phoenix?”

“Phoenix?” Ben came to me and grabbed my arm, we started to run. I turned and saw Dan coming.

“Jade” Ben puffed out as we turned the corner, still hand in hand.

“I love you, and I would never love Phoenix like that. We have a connection, and if I ever lost you, I would die. Now you ready to let go of me and sprint?”

The sirens were louder, and I gasped out a yes. We started to run faster, and so did Dan until I saw the police cars. One stopped at Dan, and the others kept going. Another flew around the corner, and stopped next to us. A tall man got out, and walked towards us.

“You the people that called?”

Ben bent down and put his hands on his knees. “Yeah” He gasped. I went and leaned against a wall, and some more police men got out of the car.

“Wha- what happened to the woman?”

“We are about to find out” He pulled out a walky-talky. I leaned into to Ben and put my face into his chest, tears began streaming down my face, and I was scared I didn’t know why, we were safe, but I was still scared.

“Was this girl a friend of yours?”

“What do you mean ‘was’?” Ben stepped forward.

“I mean, she’s dead”