Just One Look

Hold On

"I'll get the knife." Joker said.

"No need, puddin'." Harley said, handing him a knife. He took it and inspected the sharp blade, his eyes darted from me to the knife. He smirked and came close to me. His hands shaking.

"You know, I always love a good story." He whispered as he started for me and held out the knife. He began by opening the cut on the right side of my face. I screamed, and he continued.

"Once upon a time, there was a popular boy." He said, making the cut in my cheek deeper. "And a not so popular girl." He stood up and backed away, he started to pace. "She had a best friend, that the popular boy started to date. But he had no interest in the girl, only our main character."

"Me." I whispered, he laughed and nodded. Karen was the not so popular girl, Jared was the popular boy, I was the best friend. "What did you do to her?!" I tried to scream, blood streaming down my face. I choked in pain and looked down at the floor. He grabbed my face and forced me to look up at him.

"You're right, Kitty. You." He started to laugh more. "The boy and the girl, were assigned a project together. And the girl said she'd do all the work." He continued, "The girl got mad at the boy because he was beating his girlfriend up, when in reality. She was beating him up. Emotionally, anyway." He took the back of my chair and spun me around, then coming in front of me he smiled. "I never loved Karen." He hissed stepping aside. Under a dim orange light, was a slumped figure. Her long dark hair collected in front of her face. Her clothes were soaked in blood, and both her hands and feet were zip tied to a chair. Joker grabbed her hair and pulled her face up. A smile was carved into her face, her eyes were closed and her skin was pale. Karen was dead. "You were right. Jared was abusing her." Joker said, letting her face drop. "In all the wrong ways." He walked towards me, his arms were at his sides. The knife was shaking in his hands and he dropped it. He hurled himself towards me, and grabbed my waist. "Guess who I am, Kitty." He demanded, tightening his grip on me.

"Jared." I breathed. He shook his head, giggling. His hands moved up my waist and under my boobs. His face came a centimeter away from mine, his breath hot and heavy against my cheek. My heart was beating fast inside my rib cage. My mind was in a haze, was he going to rape me? Or did he just want to get a point across. Who was he really? He didn't say anything and backed away. His face became unemotional.

"Understand this, Kitty. I want to watch the world burn. You are worth a lot of money, and there are many people willing to pay for your release. Including Bruce Wayne, but I don't care about money. I guess that's my one fault." He said, "everyone else cares about money."

"Why do you want me, Jared?"

"I've wanted you, since I laid eyes on you." He said, Harley came into view then. She flicked her cigarette ash in my face, it burned.

"And that's when I stepped in." She cooed, eyeing Joker. She stood before me, her hip jutted out and her arms crossed in front of her. "I found him, in a state, worse than suicide." She said, "Mr. J wasn't very happy with Jared or Karen." She said. I became confused. Joker watched her with a keen eye. He followed her movement, she took another drag of her cigarette. "I made a deal with Karen and Jared, to find you, to bind you, and to bring you here." She said, "They tried, and failed, but then you did something that I didn't expect." She paused, "You bet your life!" She howled, she laughed wickedly and turned on another light. Something clicked, I remembered when Karen and Jared were trying to get me to the party. The basement illuminated and my science project stood on the table. Complete. It was a beautiful project.

"I did no such thing." I seethed, my cheek cracking with the drying blood. Harley cocked her head towards the project.

"You should watch your words, Kitty cat." She threatened.

"I still don't know what you want with me." I said.

"I want you, to suffer."

"Why?"

"Cause I'm crazy! Haven't you figured that out yet?"

"Bitch." I spat. Harley's face contorted and she slapped me, opening my wound again. She backed away and turned to Joker.

"Do what you want with her. I don't care if she lives." She hissed, walking up the stairs. She closed the door and Joker turned to me.

"She's crazy isn't she?"

"Aren't you too, Jared?"

"I'm not Jared." He hissed, his madness flaring.

"You're not?"

"No, I was never Jared, I've always been Joker." He explained, He pulled a chair up and sat across from me, in front of Karen's corpse.

"Why did you kill my best friend?" I asked.

"I'm a psychopath, I'm going to kill whomever I feel like."

"You're a serial killer!" I yelled, "How many people have you killed?" I demanded.

"How should I know? It's not like I keep score." He laughed, "I kill, to keep myself going. There is no other reason. I have no other reason."

"Will you ever let me go?" I asked, he scooted to the edge of his chair. He leaned forwards so his face was again, centimeters from mine, his hands came to my face and grabbed my jaw.

"Not until I'm done with you." He whispered, his hand moved down my face, to my neck. Goosebumps rose where his fingers touched me and I flinched when his other hand grabbed the bottom of my shirt. He was going to rape me. This was actually happening. He touched my torso and his breath caught. He tilted his head and attacked my neck with his red lips.

"No. No. No. NO! NO! Stop!" I shrieked. Tears coming to my eyes. He pulled back, the dark circles around his eyes deep and permanent. "Don't! Please!" I begged, the madness was in his eyes. He reached down and grabbed the knife that he dropped earlier. "Please don't do this." I begged. "Please don't." I whispered, tears streaming down my face now. "Don't." My vision was blurry, I watched him stand with the knife in hand. He shook his head and sat next to me.

"I'll let you go, just be quiet." He whispered in my ear. He kissed my neck again and came away to look into my eyes. In his eyes I saw mostly madness, with some longing and regret. He came close to me, and pressed his lips against mine. I knew he wanted more, and I knew that I couldn't do that, because I didn't love him. I thought he was crazy. I felt as though he was pouring his heart out for me, he was being a pitiful monster. He breathed and kissed me again. I backed away I didn't want it. I never did. He pulled away and looked at me with pained eyes.

"I'm sorry. I don't love you, as you love me." He nodded.

"Yes, I know." He said taking the knife and slipping it under a ziptie. It snapped off and I felt my wrist again. He snapped off the other and leaned back.

"How are you going to get me out?" I asked, he smiled wickedly.

"That's for me to know, and you." He paused handing me the knife. "To find out."