{Reader's POV}
My sleepy, (E/C) eyes stared out at the window as the young Officer drove me home. Blurs of trees and buildings passed by and the quiet, soothing sound of the car running on the road seemed to lull me into a drowsy state.
I was beginning to lean on the window and, just as soon as I rested my eyes, the car suddenly began slowing down. I gazed out the window and noticed the familiar driveway and house that appeared in front of us. The Officer stopped the engine and I sluggishly looked around my driveway to find a black car already parked in the garage.
"Is that your boyfriend's car Miss?", the young Officer asked casually as he smiled at me. I flinched at his sudden question and a slight blush adorned my cheeks. I shook my head and placed my hand on the door handle. "My parents actually", I said and the man nodded his head politely. He soon got out of the car to help me with my luggage again, but this time my dad ran out the house and assisted him.
I smiled at him as I carried the clown's music box in my hands. Then my attention went to my mom as she walked out onto the porch with a pink apron on. "Sweetie, you're finally home!", she said with a loving smile as she stretched out her arms to hug me.
I started to move toward her, when I abruptly felt someone trip me. I gasped out loud and my mom hurriedly caught me in her arms. I furrowed my eyebrows and stared at the monochrome clown that briskly walked passed me with a wide grin. "I'm a sucker for happy reunions~", he mockingly said as he stepped inside my house, much to my worry.
"(Y/N)? Are you alright? You don't seem to be paying much attention..", my mom spoke with a troubled tone and gazed at my eyes as if they held the answer. "...I'm f..fine. Just a little tired is all." A sigh escaped my mom's lips and she shook her head guiltily.
"Of course..! Oh honey... Maybe you should go to your room and rest—"
"NO!", the words shot from my mouth and I gripped my mom's apron tightly. Her eyes widened and she held my hands in hers comfortingly before I shrugged them off. "I said I'm fine... I just—", I paused as my eyes trailed up to the window in my room, and as my gaze focused near the curtains, there I could see the familiar dark, lean figure of the monochrome clown.
He stared down at me with a pair of hungry eyes that glinted with lunacy.
"I just... Need to spend some time with you guys before you leave for Boston next week..!", I said cheerfully and earned a small smile from my mom.
A warm hand landed on my shoulder and I turned to look behind me to find my dad smiling too. "No need honey. It's Monday, we still have a whole week before we leave, get some rest, you need it", my dad said sternly and my mom nodded her head as he patted my shoulder. "B..But...", I tried protesting but my parents shook their heads 'no' and practically dragged me inside the house.
My feet landed right in front of the stairs that greeted you at the foyer. I stared up at the carpeted steps and breathed heavily as I remembered the rooms were situated upstairs—more specifically my room. My mom brushed her arm against mine and smiled lovingly as she nodded her head at the stairs.
I smiled sheepishly and returned the nod.
I let my hand rest on the thick, wooden railing and I clutched the music box with my other hand as I went up the stairs. I glumly stared down at the steps and my thoughts began to circle around the clown—or Jack as he had asked me to call him that.
He was so odd.
'One moment he'd merrily joke around and act childish, the next he would glare at me with those dark, menacing eyes as if he couldn't hold back his bloodlust for me.
It kinda hurt though.
To have someone so desperate to try and kill you; for them to think about the many different ways they could torture you and enjoy the cries of pain you would emit before your inevitable death.
I shook my head and let out at a heavy sigh. I was standing in front of my door and gazing down at the doorknob below me with a frown. I gently turned it and stepped inside my room to find the clown laying down on my bed. He had his arms crossed behind his head and his legs stretched across the mattress.
He looked bored, what with the way he kept staring at the ceiling with half-opened eyes. "What did I say about the staring?", he spoke suddenly and caused me to tense up. I reverted my gaze and instead focused on the red bean bag chair that was seated next to my bed. I sat down and stretched my legs too as I tightly held on to the music box.
"Why is this so important to you?"
The clown didn't turn around to look at me, he merely kept his gaze toward the ceiling. I couldn't make out his face and for some reason the silence was beginning to worry me. "Hmph... Well aren't you nosy", he responded coldly and didn't bother to turn and look at me.
"Well forgive me for wanting to know about the one thing that has caused you to want to kill me!" I shouted angrily and gripped the box more tightly. The clown hadn't flinched from my retort and he still remained emotionless. "The music box isn't the reason I want to kill you. It's just the only thing that's keeping you alive, don't get it confused doll."
My eyes widened at the clown's words and a little boy's innocent face suddenly flashed inside my head. "It's because I saved the boy isn't it? That's why you're so determined to kill me? Why does it matter anymore, you killed him anyway!", my eyes began to water at the memory of the police officers bursting inside my room that night and later informing me of the bad news.
I stood up from my seat and took a step forward to get a better look at the clown's face. "You not only killed him..! ...B..But you also killed his parents! What more do you want..?!", I shouted and held my arm against my eyes to rub the tears away. The clown continued to stare at the ceiling and for a split second, I saw him frown, but a smirk soon adorned his lips.
"Do you really think I'll ever get enough of killing? Then I wouldn't be much of a serial killer, now would I?", he said as he turned over and stared at me with his eyes twinkling with bloodlust. I lowered my arm and frowned at the clown's response.
I had suddenly stopped crying and now I was glaring back at the clown. "You're a monster..! I swear.... When I get the chance, I'm going to break this box!", I said, infuriated and angered by the clown that casually laid on my bed. My rage was overwhelming me and the wood under my palm was beginning to crack.
The clown's eyes widened as he noticed this and in a split second I found him pinning me to the ground with his face contorted in anger.
His muscular, lean body towered over mine as his claws pushed my shoulders against the floor. His weight was beginning to crush me and soon I was beginning to loosen my hold on the box. "We made a deal! I said I'd kill you if you broke my music box, didn't I?" His words caused my eyebrows to furrow and I gritted my teeth stubbornly. "Yeah? Well I doubt you'll let me live if I give it back, so what does it matter?! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't crush this stupid thing right now?!"
The clown's dark eyes stared into mine and for a moment we were both gazing at each other. My eyes held rage and his had an emotion I couldn't decipher. Eventually he got off me and began to chuckle at my figure as I still laid on the floor.
"You're right. I don't have a good reason... Maybe you should break it. I doubt anyone will miss me."
I raised my back off the floor and let my arm dangle over my knee as I thought about the clown's words.
"What does this box mean to you..?", I said through a mere whisper as I gazed at the sprightly object in my hand. The clown shrugged his shoulders and again went back to staring at the ceiling.
"Heh.. the box doesn't mean anything to me. I only care about the memories..", he paused and turned around to face me again. This time, I was standing to my full height and staring up at the clown. His black, plump lips curled into a devious smirk and sent a shiver down my spine.
"Memories..?", I asked as I held the box close to my chest and the clown merely began laughing again.
"Yes... If only you had been there to hear his wonderful screams... the way he kept shouting vulgar words at my face as I tied him down to that table. Poor thing, I had to cut his tongue off. Good riddance is what I say! Ahahaha!!!"
The clown sunk down to his knees and doubled over in his crazed laughter. I stared at him with my wide, bloodshot eyes and watched as he covered his face with his claws as if he were drowning in his own amusement. My hands were now shaking and as I gazed down at the box in my hand, I wondered why his laughter sounded so... empty.
I've heard this man's laughter a hundred times before and it has never failed to drive fear into me. His laughter is unique and so morbid that only he could resonate such a frightening, yet merry sound... But this time it sounded different.
I wasn't scared of him.
That worried me.
His laughter, for some reason, this time sounded empty. As if he were forcing the laugh out of him, as if he were trying to conceal something... But what was it?
My hands began to move on their own and I absentmindedly loosened my grip on the box. I let it fall to the ground as I continued to gaze at the clown.
Why wasn't I scared of him anymore?
His laughter echoed through my room and echoed through my head as well. All I could hear was that laughter that I couldn't recognize. For whatever reason I had begun to feel such incredulous emotions, I knew I couldn't stand and do nothing.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face into his back. He suddenly stopped laughing and his body tensed at my unfamiliar touch. I tightened my arms around him and whispered something that made his eyes widen.
"I'm sorry... I think I said something I shouldn't have."
~*~
{Narrator's POV}
(Y/N)'s warm, slender arms held Jack in a comforting embrace. Her face nuzzled against his broad back and Jack was astounded by what she had said.
He couldn't move a muscle.
Jack was glued to where he was standing and couldn't ignore the warmth (Y/N) was radiating. He could drown himself in it actually. He hadn't noticed this before and now that he had, he didn't know what to do. This woman... She saw behind Jack's laughter. This woman had seen right through him even if she didn't know the reason why he was so upset.
Mentioning why he cared so much for the music box had sparked a few unwanted memories. The darkness he had lived in for so long began to cloud around him. The suffocating sensation of loneliness clung on to him like it had when Isaac left him inside that box. His body had gone ice cold and his legs felt week at the thought of going through that again.
At the moment, his body reacted to the dreaded emotion he felt and made him burst out into a fit of laughter. Maybe his insanity helped him cope after the traumatic event or he felt like laughter could hide his pain. He wasn't sure.
Jack merely tried to laugh as hard as he could to drown out Isaac's cheerful voice. He tried to erase Isaac's cute, boyish face from his mind as he pressed his palms up against his face.
Jack had honestly felt he could crumble away at any moment.
But... When he felt those small, shaking hands gripping against his slender waist, when he felt the warmth of another person trying to comfort him, it made him feel...
Happy?
_____
Looks like Jack is experiencing some odd feelings... Wonder what it could! Hehe, vote if you like his character development! ;)