Categories > Celebrities > AFI > December Starlight
Nex woke up Davey and quickly informed him of the news, telling him to wake Jade. She left soon after. Davey gently nudged Jade on the shoulder, trying to wake him.
"Jade, wake up. We have to go, now." Jade rolled over and ignored him. For all he knew, he was mistaking 'Shade' for his own name again, and now was not the time. Sleep was important to him.
"Nn...five more minutes," he muttered inaudibly. Davey rolled his eyes.
"We don't have five more minutes. We have to leave NOW." Jade opened his eyes this time, instantly awake upon hearing his friend's tone of voice. He reluctantly got out of bed and stood, finger-combing his hair just as Nex reentered. She threw two black cloaks at them that matched hers perfectly.
"It's for your own safety. If the Ghosts don't recognize you, you might make it past them alive."
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Jade asked, unable to contain himself any longer. Nex shook her head when Davey started to speak.
"It's too dangerous. You'll just have to trust me," she said hurriedly as she began packing supplies. "We're going to be meeting the others outside. Shade will be along shortly."
"Where is he?" asked Davey, trying to keep his voice to a low murmur like Nex.
"He's getting something of vital importance," she said simply. They followed her out of the room without another word. As they walked along the hallway, people joined them. All of them wore black and looked on with morose faces. Davey and Jade took notice of their pale skin and mostly dark hair. They looked different individually, but collectively they were all the same. And every last one of them was worried.
"Everyone, listen to me," said Nex, still keeping her voice to a low whisper. It echoed eerily throughout the now crowded hallway. "I cannot fully explain to you what is going on; you'll have to trust me. But we're going to have to help each other to get through this, okay?" They all nodded once at the sound of her words. Jade had to admire them, placing so much of their trust in one person like this. He glanced over at Davey, who was staring straight ahead. They had come to a door. Nex opened it carefully and stood aside, motioning with one arm for him to lead everyone through. He hesitated for but a second, then walked into the dark tunnel. Jade began to follow him, but Nex placed a hand on his arm.
"I need you to make sure everyone gets through. Shade should be up there by now, and he knows what to do. If for some reason he's not...I'll know why very shortly," she said ominously, turning to leave. This time Jade wrapped one hand around her wrist.
"Nex...Be careful," he said finally, unable to meet her eyes. She gave a small smile and nod before leaving. The people began to make their way through the door after Davey. Every so often one of them would glance up at Jade with a hopeless expression. He grew more determined by the second. These people had suffered enough.
-
"Shade? Are you in here?" Nex asked cautiously. She had seen no sign of Stella, something that worried her. Then again, had she seen the woman, she would not have been able to contain her rage.
"Nex? Is that you? What's going on?" Nex whipped around, eyes narrowing once they fell upon the figure standing before her. It was Stella.
"Stay away from me, you witch," she hissed bitterly. Stella's hand flew to her mouth in shock.
"Nex, what's wrong with you?"
"I could ask the same," she spat. "You lied to me, Stella. You lied to Shade, you lied to Davey and Jade. You lied to us all." The look of horror on Stella's face melted away. She frowned, and her entire face seemed to darken.
"I always told you never to venture outside. It is unsafe out there."
"Unsafe for those unaccustomed to it. But I don't suppose that applies to you, does it?" Nex asked, lifting her chin defiantly. This only angered Stella further.
"Nex!" called Shade's frightened voice as he ran towards them. He wore a black cloak similar to hers, only it lacked a hood. His dark hair more than made up for that. He struggled to keep his hands hidden as he cradled the ancient object within the fabric's folds. Stella shot a glance toward him as her disdain for them both began to grow. This was not going according to plan.
"You will pay, Nex. Helping these fools was foolish within itself. Once I tried to warn you. Then I tried to help you. Yet still you refuse my words. Hear me now, Nex," she said as white smoke began to surround her. "You. Will. Pay." And with that, she transformed into a ghostly cloud and vanished.
Nex wasted no time. She and Shade ran for the surface, making sure they hadn't left anyone behind along the way. Shade took a different route to get there more quickly, while Nex returned to Jade. He was waiting for her. She said nothing about Stella or their encounter, and though he sensed something was wrong, he said nothing. He simply took her hand and led her through the dark tunnel.
Neither of them spoke as they walked. Jade's brisk footsteps seemed to contrast greatly to Nex's light, fleeting ones. They heard the buzz of the crowd ahead, but it still seemed far away. Everything was far away.
"Jade?" Nex finally managed to say. Jade stopped walking.
"Yes?"
"...Do you want to know what's going on?" She bit her lip nervously after speaking. It hadn't been what she wanted to say, but she just couldn't find her courage. Not yet.
"More than you know."
She told him everything from Shade's hurtful words to the fear she felt in the presence of Stella's accomplice. It was not as difficult as she had thought; Jade was easy to talk to.
"He's terrifying. I'm afraid of what he has in store for us. And I hope we never have to find out," said Nex. She suddenly found herself wrapped in an embrace with Jade resting his chin on her head.
"It's okay, Nex. Don't be afraid." She turned her head slightly and leaned against him. It was comforting, and he knew it was something she definitely needed right now. He held her carefully, almost fearing she would break down at any moment.
She pulled away reluctantly, knowing they had to keep walking. She could feel his warmth fading already. As the distance between them and their destination began to close, Jade wondered what he had done. 'It was an act of compassion,' he told himself. 'You felt sorry for her.' But he knew he didn't believe it.
"Jade, wake up. We have to go, now." Jade rolled over and ignored him. For all he knew, he was mistaking 'Shade' for his own name again, and now was not the time. Sleep was important to him.
"Nn...five more minutes," he muttered inaudibly. Davey rolled his eyes.
"We don't have five more minutes. We have to leave NOW." Jade opened his eyes this time, instantly awake upon hearing his friend's tone of voice. He reluctantly got out of bed and stood, finger-combing his hair just as Nex reentered. She threw two black cloaks at them that matched hers perfectly.
"It's for your own safety. If the Ghosts don't recognize you, you might make it past them alive."
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Jade asked, unable to contain himself any longer. Nex shook her head when Davey started to speak.
"It's too dangerous. You'll just have to trust me," she said hurriedly as she began packing supplies. "We're going to be meeting the others outside. Shade will be along shortly."
"Where is he?" asked Davey, trying to keep his voice to a low murmur like Nex.
"He's getting something of vital importance," she said simply. They followed her out of the room without another word. As they walked along the hallway, people joined them. All of them wore black and looked on with morose faces. Davey and Jade took notice of their pale skin and mostly dark hair. They looked different individually, but collectively they were all the same. And every last one of them was worried.
"Everyone, listen to me," said Nex, still keeping her voice to a low whisper. It echoed eerily throughout the now crowded hallway. "I cannot fully explain to you what is going on; you'll have to trust me. But we're going to have to help each other to get through this, okay?" They all nodded once at the sound of her words. Jade had to admire them, placing so much of their trust in one person like this. He glanced over at Davey, who was staring straight ahead. They had come to a door. Nex opened it carefully and stood aside, motioning with one arm for him to lead everyone through. He hesitated for but a second, then walked into the dark tunnel. Jade began to follow him, but Nex placed a hand on his arm.
"I need you to make sure everyone gets through. Shade should be up there by now, and he knows what to do. If for some reason he's not...I'll know why very shortly," she said ominously, turning to leave. This time Jade wrapped one hand around her wrist.
"Nex...Be careful," he said finally, unable to meet her eyes. She gave a small smile and nod before leaving. The people began to make their way through the door after Davey. Every so often one of them would glance up at Jade with a hopeless expression. He grew more determined by the second. These people had suffered enough.
-
"Shade? Are you in here?" Nex asked cautiously. She had seen no sign of Stella, something that worried her. Then again, had she seen the woman, she would not have been able to contain her rage.
"Nex? Is that you? What's going on?" Nex whipped around, eyes narrowing once they fell upon the figure standing before her. It was Stella.
"Stay away from me, you witch," she hissed bitterly. Stella's hand flew to her mouth in shock.
"Nex, what's wrong with you?"
"I could ask the same," she spat. "You lied to me, Stella. You lied to Shade, you lied to Davey and Jade. You lied to us all." The look of horror on Stella's face melted away. She frowned, and her entire face seemed to darken.
"I always told you never to venture outside. It is unsafe out there."
"Unsafe for those unaccustomed to it. But I don't suppose that applies to you, does it?" Nex asked, lifting her chin defiantly. This only angered Stella further.
"Nex!" called Shade's frightened voice as he ran towards them. He wore a black cloak similar to hers, only it lacked a hood. His dark hair more than made up for that. He struggled to keep his hands hidden as he cradled the ancient object within the fabric's folds. Stella shot a glance toward him as her disdain for them both began to grow. This was not going according to plan.
"You will pay, Nex. Helping these fools was foolish within itself. Once I tried to warn you. Then I tried to help you. Yet still you refuse my words. Hear me now, Nex," she said as white smoke began to surround her. "You. Will. Pay." And with that, she transformed into a ghostly cloud and vanished.
Nex wasted no time. She and Shade ran for the surface, making sure they hadn't left anyone behind along the way. Shade took a different route to get there more quickly, while Nex returned to Jade. He was waiting for her. She said nothing about Stella or their encounter, and though he sensed something was wrong, he said nothing. He simply took her hand and led her through the dark tunnel.
Neither of them spoke as they walked. Jade's brisk footsteps seemed to contrast greatly to Nex's light, fleeting ones. They heard the buzz of the crowd ahead, but it still seemed far away. Everything was far away.
"Jade?" Nex finally managed to say. Jade stopped walking.
"Yes?"
"...Do you want to know what's going on?" She bit her lip nervously after speaking. It hadn't been what she wanted to say, but she just couldn't find her courage. Not yet.
"More than you know."
She told him everything from Shade's hurtful words to the fear she felt in the presence of Stella's accomplice. It was not as difficult as she had thought; Jade was easy to talk to.
"He's terrifying. I'm afraid of what he has in store for us. And I hope we never have to find out," said Nex. She suddenly found herself wrapped in an embrace with Jade resting his chin on her head.
"It's okay, Nex. Don't be afraid." She turned her head slightly and leaned against him. It was comforting, and he knew it was something she definitely needed right now. He held her carefully, almost fearing she would break down at any moment.
She pulled away reluctantly, knowing they had to keep walking. She could feel his warmth fading already. As the distance between them and their destination began to close, Jade wondered what he had done. 'It was an act of compassion,' he told himself. 'You felt sorry for her.' But he knew he didn't believe it.
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