02~ Reward?

~Jenn~

"Liliann! Drake! Where are you?" I pant as I run along the grey hall.

"Over here!" I faintly hear from the end.

A bright white light invades my vision as I look around the room. As my foggy vision clears, a green loveseat and an old television are my first clues as to where I am. "Mommy? Daddy? Sissy? Where are you?" I am suddenly much shorter than I ever remember being.

"Over here Jenni, Sissy's taking a bath right now but you're next!" Mom's soft loving voice is heard from the bathroom.

"Come play!" Jensen shouts from the tub. I stand at the edge and look in. I lean too close and I fall into the tub, sinking deeper and deeper until I am at the bottom if the ocean floor.

"Jenni!" I hear Lil's muffled scream as I begin to drown. She pulls me up and we stand on the pier. Suddenly she shifts into a shape I am very familiar with.

"Hey Ash," I say as I change the scene into the top of a building.

"You sure do like heights," he says warily. "You called me here?"

"I don't know what to do. I just had this weird dream about that chick Jensen and I don't know why but I get this gut feeling that I know her." I blurt as a few tears escape. Lucid dreams are the only times I'll ever cry.

"Well, she is telling the truth. You are sisters and you're the Avatars." He says as he peers over the edge, leaning his arms on the waist high wall. i take up a space next to him.

"Yeah, I guess," I reply, not paying any attention. i watch the bustle of people underneath us. 

"Just trust your instinct, ok?" I nod in response and he disappears. I walk about the deserted Republic City aimlessly. Suddenly, these men in blue masks come out of nowhere and tie me down. I struggle and grunt until they put a blade to my neck, at which point I wake in a cold sweat.

"You okay, Jenn?" Lil asks as I run a hand through my hair.

"Yeah," I say with a dismissive hand gesture. "Let's get going." I say as I stand, ready for what the day may bring.

~Jen~

I scream, kick, and grunt. "No! I will not be defeated!" I kick one of the masked men in the face.

"Listen girlie," a gruff voice says. "Our orders are to find your secrets, we'd rather do it the more humane way, but if it's death you want, you'll get it. Stop moving or we'll kill you right this instant!"

I immediately go limp. The men drag me around and hook me up to various machines, asking me to demonstrate my powers. I refuse and the next thing I know I am watching myself on the floor, bleeding out from the neck. I take a final breath and sigh with relief. 

I sit up and clutch my neck, that was not a pretty dream. I shrug the dream off and get ready for the day. I come out of my room with one of my favorite outfits, a white shirt with a black heart in the center and floral print jeans. I accessorize with a white purse, black bow earrings, as well as white heart earrings, a black bow necklace, a stack of bracelets, nerd glasses and a black beanie. Lastly, i slide on the necklace. the same necklace that has been worn by women in my family generation after generation. a simple blue choker with a water tribe charm hanging from it. 

My black combat boots stomp themselves over to Sori's room to find her completely dressed in one of her usual outfits, a black belly shirt with a white heart, a white undershirt and short-shorts. She wears the black dripping heart in the center of the white one in the form of a necklace and has a black fringed backpack on her shoulders. Her long straight-blonde is straight and adorned with a black slouch beanie. Her metallic cuff bracelet designed to look like bangles is in her hand as if she is about to put it on. She wears her faux-diamond ear cuff and hoop earrings, nerd glasses and black wedge sneakers. "Like the braid," she says as we walk down the hall and into Jake's room.

"Thanks," I say as we approach the sliding, wooden door. "Jake!" I yell through. "We're coming in!" I say as I open the door.

"Ew! What died in here?" Sori exclaims, referring to the grotesque odor protruding from the room.

"A rat or two," Jake says casually as he walks out of the room, clad in a plain black tee, black chucks and light wash jeans. "You two sure look fancy," he stated, noticing out outfits.

"Well duh! We're looking for Jenniphine today! We can't be looking like hobos or she'll bolt," Sori says with an eye-roll, crossed arms, huff and impatient foot tapping. I find it funny that she is an airbender, she sure doesn't act like it. Jake puts his hands up in surrender.

"C'mon guys," I'm always the peacemaker of the group. "Let's not fight today, okay? Today is a very important day for me. Please?" I say as I look at them both with an 'it's an order' face. Sori remains quiet, her lips pulled tight into a small line and Jake just shrugs. After finishing a delicious breakfast of eggs and hashbrowns, we head out to find Jenniphine.

~Jenn~

That Jensen chick has been released which means people are looking for me once more. I pull my red hood tighter against my scalp. My knuckle ring rests inside the pocket of my jacket, waiting to spring out. My dirty white chucks with red star decals step side by side with Lil's denim combat boots. Her short shorts and white shirt expose her midriff, something I am not happy about. She wears a fringed black backpack on her shoulders and a fedora adorns her head. Her usual lightning bolt ring is on her hand and her two give-away necklaces are on her neck.

"You know people can tell if it's us by our necklaces right? No point in hiding your face if you won't take the necklace off," she points at my cameo choker and initial pendant. I growl at her and tell her the same goes for her. "I'm not trying to hide." She learned to argue a bit too well.

"Well," I say solemnly. I hate this part of the day, the part where I leave them at their spots for the day. "I'll see you at six," I say as I crush her in a bear hug. She mutters a quick goodbye and leaves to sit by the fountain in Central Park.

'Alright, things I need to get. Think Jenn, think. What do you need to get? Bingo. Clothes for Lil. Does Drake need some? No, he's got enough. What else? Lunch for myself. Dinner! What will I get for dinner? I'm thinking some potato stew would be good. So, a little meat, a pot and some potatoes? Yeah, that would be good. Oh! I should get some soda and bread too. Perfect!' I think to myself as I walk through the crowded streets. My first stop is the grocer's.

~Lil~

For once, I do not feel like sitting and doing nothing. I quickly become bored since there are next to no people at the park, something unusual for a hot summer day, and opt for walking about. After a quick five minutes I find the source of my lack of entertainment.

"Avatar Jensen, what will you do after you find your sister?" A reporter asks. There is a press conference with that chick Jensen as the main attraction, crowds of non-reporters surround the main circle.

"I will continue my training, focusing on my firebending." She replied in a heartbeat. "An I am happy you brought up my sister. I have an important announcement to make about Jenniphine." Woah! She just said Jenn's name! She must truly be her sister. "Anyone with any information on how to contact my sister will get a $20,000 reward." Reward?!

~Jen~

The cameras went crazy as everyone turned to speak to their audiences. I know that's pretty much all the money I have, but finding my sister is more important than that. Plus, I can live in the Central Council Building for free since I'm the Avatar. Jake drags me down the steps quickly.

"Are you crazy?!" Jake hisses. I explain to him my reasoning and he shakes his head. "You're unbelievable Jensen," he says angrily. I keep down my anger and take a quick deep breath. 

"Jensen!" Sori says, dragging a small girl behind her. "This girl says she knows Jenniphine!" She says as she shoves the young girl towards me.

I catch her and steady her. "You know my sister?" I ask incredulously, holding her by her shoulders. 

"Yeah, she's a friend of mine. I can take you to where she will be later today." She says confidently.

"Take me there!" I say excitedly. I'm finally gonna meet her!

"No! It's too dangerous." Jake interrupts.

"She'll be under the pier tonight. We usually sleep there." My eyes widen at her statement. "Just don't tell the cops." She says as if she suddenly remembered Jenniphine's a criminal.

"Don't worry, her name has been cleared already. I have payed for all the charges already." I say with a smile. "I'll be there around eight."

"No," she shakes her head. "Eight is no good. We usually don't get there until ten."

"Okay, I'll see you then..." I suddenly realize I don't know her name.

"Lil," she says as if reading my mind. "See ya!" She says as she bolts away.

"Well that was odd," Sori says.

Author's Note

Jen- Jensen
Jenn/Jenni- Jenniphine