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The sun had set and Jessie still had a bit farther to ride before she would make it to her house. She had promised her parents she would get out more so when she had seen an article about the upcoming art show she decided she would go and see the Pop Art showing of a local artist. Some of the styles she recognized as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring but several other's she had no clue. She found herself awkward and uncomfortable in the semi crowded gallery. After a few hours of randomly stopping in front of paintings, humming in a thoughtful tone, and occasionally making a random and short comment when prompted by other viewers. She felt so out of her league and was not looking forward to talking about it with her mother. Why did I tell her about it? She thought as she picked up speed around a corner into the nearest park to The Bookwyrm.

It really was a neighborhood park with a few swings, a slide, a sand box, and a few benches for bird feeding. Most of the trees were still leafless but in a few weeks as spring really grabbed hold they would be budding and unfurling new leaves. Only the evergreen holly bushes added color to the twilight that was the park. The green spikes seemed to flash in the meager light provided by the lone lamppost stationed by the swings. A flash of white drew her eye and she didn't even notice her swerving towards the sandbox until it was too late. Her bike came to a abrupt stop and Jessie landed face first into soft powdery sand.

Jessie leveraged herself out of the sand, spitting it out of her mouth and dusting it out of her hair. She looked up when she caught a flash of white from the corner of her eye. Sitting in front of her, just outside of the reach of the sandbox, was a white rabbit. Its ears and nose twitched and its red eyes gleamed in the meager light provided by the lamp. She tried to mentally figure out why there would be a pet rabbit loose in the park at night, it had to be a pet since most wild rabbits were not white.

A muffled scream was all that escaped from her throat when the rabbit opened its mouth and hissed at her before advancing quickly. Its teeth were sharp and gleamed almost as bright as its pelt. It was going to attack and Jessie would have sworn that it wanted to eat her. She scrambled away on her hands knees, desperately trying to get away from this nightmare of a creature.

Jessie was nearly at the official 'freak out level' where sanity is severely doubted and a stiff drink did nothing more then reduce you to a gibbering drunk when two tall people come dashing in from the shadows. She didn't have a chance to really register the outfits when the guy helped pull her from the sand and away from the hissing rabbit. The girl punted the creature into the slide where it poofed into a dust cloud. "What? Who? How?" She was seriously wondering if someone had spiked her drink at the gallery or if she had inhaled the sand or hit her head. ANYTHING to explain away this madness.

She wanted answers and was about to start barraging these two about what the hell just happened when she saw another 'bunny' emerge from the shadows. Spooked Jessie grabbed the guys arm and squeezed as she spotted another and another emerge. They were surrounded by these demented creatures. "Oh, God." she mumbled as they sat there for a moment before a few started advancing, their teeth glinting sharply and the red eyes starting to glow. The sound of hissing permeated the air, like a tire having its air released. We are going to die aren't we?

Jessie nodded, too shocked to say anything. It didn't matter that these two people had already turned away and were watching the rapid approach of the bunnies. She watched them too in a morbid sort of a way since she knew that they, or at least her, would not survive this night. They remind me of the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog She thought as the first things reached them. She had watched Monty Python in college and enjoyed the random and rather nonsensical jokes; from the Black Knight to the Knights who say Ni. If only we had the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. That would take care of these rabbits.

While her mind went on a slight tangent trying to escape the current predicament the first youma had reached them. They were indeed surrounded and by the looks of things the two who had arrived to rescue her were going to be swamped. Jessie knew she would have to fight... but how? She was wearing flats and a kick from them wouldn't do nearly the same amount of damage that the girl did. She had no branch to fend them off with and no way to get one. They, or at least she, was a sitting duck..... and she was starting to get pissed.

Jessie watched as the two strangers started attacking the rabbits. The girl seemed to do better than the boy but they were both doing better than Jessie was. When the first bunny came too close she kicked at it but her flats weren't really the best for kicking. It seemed to just make the bunny angrier but the attack made Jessie angry too. Who the hell said she wanted to fight for her life from a freaking nest of rabbits. If only I had a broom or something she thought as she kicked at another creature. So far she had only gotten nipped since the more aggressive ones seemed to be going after the strangers.

Glancing around, hoping to find a branch or forgotten bat that she could use, Jessie spotted a ball of light gray yarn. It seemed to luminess slightly in the little light provided by the lamppost and the slight bit of moonlight filtering through the clouds, as if it had been dusted with gliter. Better than nothing she mentally shrugged and scooped up the yarn. When she touched it, it was like a whole new world opened up for her. Jessie could feel a dark, chaotic, slimy sensation coming from the rabbits being offset by bright points of warmth and light that seemed to be emanating from the strangers; more from the girl then the boy.

Jessie was pulled from her wonder when a rabbit tried to tackle her and she lashed out with her boot clad foot. "The hell???" Jessie stared down at her new outfit but she turned back to the 'battle' since it seemed now she was a valid target for the rabbits. Growling in frustration, anger, and confusion she started to kick and kick hard. With satisfaction she watched as the creatures went flying to land into a pile of dust.

Jessie didn't have time to pay much attention to the other two at least not until the last rabbit that was attacking her turned to dust with a well placed kick to the ribs. The two others were just about done with their attackers and didn't need her help. Right then any help she could give would more likely be a hinderance anyway. Breathing heavily she had to sit as her mind tried to catch up with what just happened. She sat at the edge of the sandbox and numbly looked at the piles of dust that were scattered across the park.

A glance down at her shoes proved that she was still in the strange get up; Gray ruffled leggings, thigh high knee high boots, a purple ruffled corset like top. In a detached manor she wondered what happened to her black slacks, white flats, and pale amber blouse that she had been wearing before this nightmare started.

Jessie watched as the last of the rabbits turned to dust and she was approached by the two strangers. The young man was saying something.... it took her a moment to realise he was actually talking to her and asking if she was ok. "Fine.... just fine." Her voice was devoid of all emotion and she was more or less staring into space. Her mind was no longer working properly and everything was starting to take on a very dream like quality. She could practically see the 'story' write itself out....

The handsome young man bent down on his knees in front of the distressed damsel. He knew they had just been through hell and back again but he loved her and would protect her with every last breath in his body.

She mentally scrubbed her brain of that very romantic drivel that traipsed through her mind. Like many red blooded females Jessie enjoyed romance novels but reading basically the same thing over and over again did annoy her so practically writing out a overused plot line in her head annoyed her to no end.

Trying to get her mind to focus she watched as the girl, the very tall girl, approached. Jessie's mind seemed to focus on the strangest things right now, like the ends of the large bow that were still swinging a bit from the fight. Only vaguely did she registered the introductions but her mind did snicker a bit and she couldn't help but think, Shangri-llama. "Pompeii of Saturn."

That brought her mind back around a bit. Where had that answer come from? How did she know it? Did someone spike her drink?

Jessie knew that the girl was talking to her, some part of her even listened and accepted what she was saying but the main part was pretty much just gibbering. Suddenly she stood up and stammered, "I.... I've.... got to go." She started to walked a bit unsteadily towards home. She paused once to pick up her bike before heading away faster and faster until she was running, her bike trailing along behind her. The sound of the rattling bike faded into the distance as Jessie left her saviors behind to freak out in private.... Knight???? KNIGHT???? She didn't even realize when she was no longer in the getup that she was in before as she stumbled around to the back door of her store, dropping the bike against the siding. Its a nightmare... its a drug induced nightmare that will go away by morning. It was practically a chant as she unlocked the door and stumbled up the stairs to her apartment above the bookstore.