sightless.

19: Unlucky

Song: Like a Stone by Audioslave

Amy's conscious was eating at her.  She kept telling herself that he was the Joker, and he didn't deserve the truth.  As much as she tried, she couldn't help remembering how sweetly he carried her from the bathroom when she was hurt from the glass.  She couldn't help remembering how excited he was about having cantaloupe for them the morning after she calmed his rage.  She couldn't help remembering the long talks they had or the long hours they would spend holding hands and listening to audiobooks.  She couldn't help wondering how her Jason would handle the news that he was to be a father.  She couldn't help thinking this may be the hormones talking.  He wasn't Jason; he was the Joker.  He didn't care about her, and he may even end up killing her for carrying his child.  She pictured he'd enjoy killing her and their unborn child.  His laughter would make her ears bleed before he killed them. 

What if he wasn't acting?  What if Jason is the real him?  What if he would be happy about being a father?  What if I'm stealing this opportunity from him?  What if there's a chance this could change his behavior?  She laughed.  A lunatic murderer didn't change his ways for an unborn baby with a woman he tricked into his bed.  He did the opposite; he killed them. 

She was torn, and she was lost in her thoughts when class finally started.  She cleared her throat and began, "Good morning, class.  Let's start where we left off last time."  It was a couple days after finding out that she was pregnant.  It had her mind scattered, but life still continued on.  She figured she was about 6 weeks along at this point, and she would have to go to the doctor's for her first appointment very soon.  She would get an ultrasound, and her over-the-counter test would be confirmed at that point.  She knew without a doubt that the test was right, though.  She was having really bad morning sickness, and she started seeing a very faint baby bump.  It wouldn't have been noticeable to anyone else but herself at this point still.  There was just a certain hardness to her stomach that wasn't there before. 

She figured that even though her conscious was eating at her, she was doing well with the news of her pregnancy and all that happened in the past couple months.  She was angry at having to move.  She was upset that her child wouldn't have a father.  She was annoyed that her neighbors and landlord sucked so much.  She was frustrated that she wasn't able to keep her composure the last time she saw the Joker.  She was damn proud of herself that she stood up to him.  She was impressed that he didn't hurt her.  It's what made her question everything.  She wanted to hate him, but he hadn't given her any reason to hate him.  Seeing the story on the news about all the people who were killed during the robbery disappointed her, though.  He was proving who he was, and she still couldn't come to hate him because she was stuck in the blindness.  He was so caring and compassionate.  He was playful and attentive.  She calmed his rage almost immediately.  She knew that wasn't acting.  The rage was the truth.  The calming down would have been nonexistent if he truly wanted to hurt her.  He would have broken the role at that point. 

It would be easy if she knew how he would react.  She needed financial support from him in the least, and with his robbing banks, she knew the financial support would be there.  Granted, she knew people died for that money, but raising a child in that hellhole she called an apartment when the child's father had an infinite amount of money was just plain wrong.  She also needed the comfort he provided during her injury.  She wanted to lean on someone, dammit.  She needed someone to lean on now more than ever, and he was the only person in the world that she got close enough to for any significant period of time.

She finally got out of her own head and taught her class.  Enough was enough.  This morning she wore a grey wool dress, and she had on a loose cream-colored sweater.  It was late fall at this point, and it was definitely getting cooler as it got closer to the winter.  She stood up and began her lecture.  She was wearing grey pumps but knew her feet weren't going to last very much longer in heels.  She hated them to begin with, but she knew that during her pregnancy, heels weren't going to happen.  She had a pair of grey flats in her bag for her walk to and from the University. 

After class was let out, she didn't have another class until tomorrow.  She went to her office, packed her things up, and changed out of her heels into her flats to begin her walk home.  The cool air was refreshing, especially when walking home could be strenuous when it was a couple miles.  When she reached her apartment, she knew immediately that something was off.  The little boy who was usually in the hallway was gone.  There was an overturned sofa table in the hallway.  She quickened her pace and turned the key in the lock, only to find that her apartment was already open.  When she pushed the door open, she found everything destroyed.  Her chairs were smashed, her clothes were strewn all over the floor, and her kitchen drawers were pulled open and emptied. 

Her blood ran cold.  It's the Joker.  He found out?  There's absolutely no way.  Or maybe he's back for me?

She turned to run back through the door but was stopped short.  A hand covered in cloth went over her nose and mouth, and the blackness she was wishing for not too long ago overtook her senses.  She slumped to the ground.

-----

"What do we do with her, boss?"

"We take her.  We have to hurry.  He's been keeping watch on her, and he may already know we're here.  It'll only be a matter of time before he shows up.  And take the kid, too.  He saw everything."

-----

Amy woke up for the second time in her life to complete black.  She freaked out.  She screamed out of frustration and fear and jumped up.  She was overtaken by the darkness, and this time she could almost feel her sanity splintering.  Stay sane.  Please.  Stay sane.  There's a baby now.  You have a baby, Amy.  Oh God, this can't be happening again. 

She then heard whimpering from somewhere in the room, and she realized she wasn't alone.  "Who's there?  What happened?  Where are we?"

She heard his sobbing little voice, and she melted.  She knew that voice.  It was the little boy from the hallway.  The one who loved applesauce.  "It's dark.  I-I-I want to go-o home, miss."  She was going to stay sane.  It wasn't an option to do anything but stay calm, cool, and collected.  If she lost her cool now, the little boy would, too.  She needed that like a hole in the head, or hey, like being fucking blind again, just from a dark room and not an injury.  How unlucky can one person be?

A/N:  So where is she?  Who took her?  What will happen next?  Let me know what you think!  Hope you are enjoying the story.  As always, constructive criticism is welcome. 

Until next time, lovelies.  Ta!