sightless.

44: Gift Horses

Song: Perfect Illusion by Lady Gaga (I had to do this song for a second time--it just was exactly what this chapter called for).

The ball had finally dropped. This was it. This was what she knew she was waiting for the past three months, and all she could do was rage right along with the disgusting man she so foolishly fell in love with. Fool me once, right?

All was silent in the house when she woke up on a random chilly winter morning. She didn't expect it, but gift horses were her specialty. One simply did not look them in the mouth.

She assumed that J was out "doing things," and that Howard had Freddy, and so she took her sweet time in the bathroom. A half hour shower later, she wrapped a robe around her body to get breakfast and see what Freddy was up to.

Before she could get to the stairs, she finally heard noise. When she walked past J's office, she heard multiple harsh whispers. It was undeniable that the harsh whispers were those of people that were extremely angry, furious even. Curious, Amy slowly pushed her ear up against the door. She knew she shouldn't spy, and that J would probably be pissed if she did, but oh well. She wanted to know what was going on and she was really getting used to snooping at J's door.

That was when she heard a woman's soft moan. A woman's moan? Are you fucking kidding me? None of it added up in her head. Angry whispers? Moaning? What the fuck is going on? Instead of waiting for it to make sense, Amy pushed the door open. What she found left her speechless and more than just a little sick.

In the middle of the beautiful woven rug that graced the shiny hardwood floors in J's office was a woman. What made her sick was that this woman was lying on her side, naked, tied up, gagged, and beaten until blood covered most of her skin. Standing around her were J, Jonny, and two henchmen. It looked as if they were having a meeting over her battered body, and not one of them were doing anything to help her.

She couldn't believe that she was seeing this. She closed her eyes. She once again was frantically grasping for that blissful blindness. The darkness where everything was right in her world. The ignorance that allowed her to have a fairy tale. Another moan from the beaten woman pulled her back from her path down idiocy. This was the real world. This wasn't a fairy tale.

Amy's shocked gasp finally pulled the four men from their whispered argument. She immediately met J's eyes, and she saw regret, or maybe disappointment, in those crystal blue depths. The only regret he has is that he got caught. Why else would they all be whispering?

Her mind was splintering with the twisted scenarios that led to what she found in front of her. She couldn't stop the paths her mind was taking. The foremost thought racing through her mind was that he once again was stealing her happily-ever-after from her. He was robbing her of her happiness. This is what her blindness, her ignorance, got her.

In that moment, she knew only one thing. She was seeing more clearly than she ever did in her life. She wanted her eyes wide open from now on. She wasn't going to be blind to what was in front of her. She wasn't going to grasp for that fairy tale because it just didn't fucking exist for a poor, lonely professor now saddled down with two kids. And it definitely didn't happen with the fucking Joker of all people.

He held out his hands in an 'I'm innocent' motion and pleaded, "Princess..."

He was the farthest thing from innocent, and Amy now knew that. He walked towards her, but before he could get far, she closed the distance. "Don't," she gritted out.

"But..."

Don't listen, Amy. He's the Joker. He's lying. Fool me once...

She went to push past him to help the woman on the floor. When she looked down at her, she noticed that she was just a young girl. A girl that was maybe 20 at the most. Her stomach turned. The tears running down the girl's face did nothing but stoke the fire of rage burning in Amy's gut. This is by far the worst thing I've ever seen in my life.

Before she could reach the girl, Amy felt J pull her back with a strong hand on her shoulder. She whipped around and screeched. "Do. Not. Touch. Me."

"But Amelia, listen to me." He looked so genuine in his pain that if the situation were any less disgusting, she may fall for it.

Before she could think about what she was doing, her hand swung and she backhanded him with all the strength she could muster through her shaking fit. "You disgusting monster." Her voice reflected every bit of anger she felt, and she was proud of herself for sounding strong, because on the inside, she was slowly breaking. She was ruined. She was done. She didn't know how she was going to pick up the pieces of her broken heart after this.

It took J all of three seconds to process what Amy just did. He lifted his hand to his now red cheek, and slowly, oh so slowly, a small grin started to form at the very edges of his lips. "Fine, doll face... don't listen to me."

"Don't you dare smile at me, you sick fuck! What the hell is this?!" Amy turned her back to go to the girl, but before she could get far, she felt the same strong hand on her shoulder. This time, there was no gently turning her to him. This time, he harshly shoved her shoulder so she turned to face him, but, luckily for him, it wasn't so harsh as to make her lose her footing.

"Nope! You're chance is up, my dear. I tried to give you a chance to listen. You just couldn't. You just didn't. There was just no listening happening, Amelia." Amy may have been breaking on the inside, but he was breaking on the outside. The smile grew until the sadistic look in his eyes was the stuff of nightmares. His breathing grew heavier until she could feel his warm breath smacking her in the face with each breath he took. He stepped around her until he pushed her towards the door. "Out! Now!"

"Fuck you!" She buckled down and kept her feet in place. She wanted to get to the girl. She needed to get her out of this horrible situation no one deserved to be in.

Even more harshly, he placed his hands on her hips and shoved her towards the door. As much as she tried to get him off her, he was stronger. He was always going to be the stronger one. He was always going to get the best of her. Her shoulders sank. Once he finally got her through the doorway, she gave up. She knew she needed to at least get herself out of this situation. I need to get Freddy away from him.

She finally hurried her footsteps with him behind her. She then ran towards their bedroom. She slammed through the door and ran to the closet. "What do you think you're doing, my sweet?" She could still hear that grin in his voice shining through the anger.

"All that I can do at this point, J!" She snatched a bag and started grabbing at what clothes she could. She needed to get them out of this house. It needed to happen immediately. She was just plain done.

When she emerged from the closet, he was pacing at the edge of the bed. That was when everything in his demeanor changed. The rage finally took over. The Clown Prince finally showed himself. The homicidal maniac came out to play. "Where do you think you're going, Amelia?" He was ten steps ahead of her. His long strides took him to stand in front of the bedroom door. She was trapped.

"Anywhere away from you. I'm taking Freddy," she tried to keep her voice strong, but at the mention of Freddy's name, it finally broke.

A look of devastation crossed his features. It melted into a look of fury. "You're not going anywhere, Amelia! The three of you are mine!" His shout echoed throughout the room. It bounced off the walls and every time it reached her ears, ice seeped further into her spine. This is what I get for loving a fucking lunatic. This is the trick he played on me again.

A/N:  It doesn't get better yet.  It only gets worse.  I'm sorry.  But like I've said before, the end is well worth the heartbreak.  You all already know that I don't do sad endings.  Just remember that as you freak out.  I love you all!  Please let me know what you think if you get a chance! 

Until next time, lovelies!  Ta!