The Origin of Laughing Jack

Chapter 3

That night, Isaac was sent off to boarding school. For the first time, Laughing Jack felt what it was like to be lonely. Even when trapped in his box Jack was able to see the things going on around it, so each day he waited for his friend to return, and each day the room grew older and dustier.

Laughing Jack’s one purpose was to be Isaac’s best friend for life, and now he waits day after day, month after month, to reunite with his special friend. Isaac’s parents still lived in the house but never came to the upstairs room. The only time they made their presence known was when Jack would hear them fighting. Still Jack’s life became one of solitude, loneliness, and disappointment. As years went by, Jack’s once bright vibrant colors began to fade into a monochrome blur of pitch-black void and stark white emptiness. Trapped all alone… eternal and hopeless.

13 years passed until the night Isaac’s father came home particularly drunk, and got into an argument with his wife as per usual. Things escalated to physical violence once again, however this time, she didn’t get back up.

Isaac’s father had beaten his wife to a dead bloody pulp and was sentenced to hang at the gallows the next day. With both his parents dead this meant that the now 20-year-old Isaac inherited the dusty old house he spent the earlier half of his childhood in. Laughing Jack was quite surprised when he heard his old friend’s footsteps walking up the stairs to the attic room for the first time in 13 years, however it was not the reunion Jack had hoped for.

Isaac looked… different. Not only was he older, but he also seemed to possess this odd grim look on his face. No longer was he the hopeful and curious young boy Jack first met all those years ago. Jack eagerly awaited Isaac’s releasing him from the prison he had waited in for so many years, but still Jack’s box sat there untouched and unnoticed on a shelf in the corner of the room with all the other dusty unwanted knick-knacks. Isaac had completely forgotten about his old friend, dismissed as some sort of early childhood fabrication. Surprisingly this made Laughing Jack feel… nothing. He was hollow, 13 years of waiting and disappointment left the monochrome clown void of sorrow and self-pity. Jack remained in his box, colorless and without emotion.

The next day, Isaac went off to work at his job as an upholsterer, doing furniture repairs for the good people of London. Jack waited in captivity. Hours later, a drunken Isaac returned home and stumbled up the stairs to his room, but this time he had a friend with him. It was a lady friend Isaac had picked up at the bar earlier that evening. She was beautiful with flowing blonde hair, sapphire blue eyes, and a smile that could make hearts melt.

Laughing Jack’s attention was drawn to Isaac’s guest, “Who is this? A new friend? Why does Isaac need new friends? I thought I was Isaac’s only friend?” Jack thought to himself from within his hellish confinement.

Isaac and his lady friend sat down on the bed and chatted about life in London. Isaac made a joke about the weather and they both laughed. Laughing Jack hissed with envy over Isaac’s new friend. Isaac and the girl looked deeply into each other’s eyes as they leaned in for a kiss, locking lips with a passionate swirling of tongues in one another’s mouth.

Jack was perplexed by this strange display of affection, for he had never seen kissing before. As the kissing grew more intense Isaac ran his hand along the girl’s smooth thigh and up her dress, however his guest just brushed his hand away. Isaac was persistent though, and once again ran his hand along her smooth thigh and up her skirt, this time placing his hand upon her silky undergarments.

The woman took great displeasure with Isaac’s sexual advancements and pushed Isaac away before delivering a hard smack across his face. Isaac’s eyes darkened as he glared at the woman, his once drunken passion turned into booze-fueled anger. The woman’s heart sped up as she saw Isaac’s face boil with rage.

“STUPID WHORE!” Isaac yelled as he smashed his fist into the girl’s face. Laughing Jack’s eyes widened as he witnessed the long streaks of red liquid gushing from the girl’s nose.

“What game is this?” he thought, his eyes a virgin to such violent sights. Isaac firmly clutched the girl’s wrist with one hand as he tore her panties off with the other. The terrified girl tried to fight back but Isaac was overpowering her. He roughly fondled her breasts before savagely grabbing her hair and forcing his tongue down the sobbing young woman’s throat, who responded by chomping down as hard as she could on Isaac’s tongue. Jack watched with wide and curious eyes as his old friend released his new playmate and clutched his mouth as it filled with warm red blood.

The frightened girl fell off the bed and dropped down on the floor as she scurried toward the exit. Isaac quickly lurched forward and was able to catch his fleeing plaything by the end of her dress. Reaching back he wielded a lead candlestick off the nightstand beside him, and with all of his might bashed in the back of the young woman’s head, which burst open like a ripe watermelon.

Thick blood splattered across the room as the girl’s body convulsed on the ground for several seconds before going completely still. Blood was everywhere, some droplets even managed to get on Laughing Jack’s box, who was very much enjoying show. For the first time in 13 long years, a smile began to creep across Laughing Jack’s face, and all of a sudden a chuckle escaped his cold lips, then another, and another, until Jack was cackling and howling with laughter from inside his sealed box.  

“What a wonderfully fascinating game!” Jack thought as he watched the motionless girl’s golden blonde hair flow red with blood.