Slenderman Love Story: Damned Romance

~Chapter Five: Laughing Jack and Sally~

~Alice's POV~ 

"Sally!" I laugh. "We're squishing Grinny!"

"Move, you idiot cat!" Sally screeches, shoving Grinny out of the way. She lands with a delicate hiss and sprinted off towards the kitchen. 

"Oh my god, it's been too long! How could you even tell it was me?" I giggle.

"I would never forget your voice. It hasn't changed that much." Sally chortles.

Shaking my head, I squeeze her tight and sit up. She slips back off onto the floor just as a deranged laughing floats down the staircase.

"Ahahah..hehe...hehehehahahAHAHAHAH...Did someone say...Alice?" The voice chuckles.

Smiling, I glance back expectantly at the staircase. I am not disappointed as Laughing Jack glides into view, before hopping the railing and landing with a flourish, bowing exaggeratedly with the widest of smiles on his clown face. Wincing, I scrabble to my feet and sloppily curtsy back.

"Here she is, the Mistress of Horror." LJ chuckles, slowly shaking his head but still smiling. "Mangled leg, but eyes just as bright and smile just as happy as I remember. Laugh lately, darling?"

I grin and limp forward. He meets me halfway and when he opens his gangly arms, I don't hesitate to plunge into them. "Laughing Jack..." I giggle. "You didn't lose anymore colour did you?"

One of the others' stiffen behind me, but Laughing Jack just does what he's famous for--laugh. 

"You've still got a sense of humour, but your a complete mess." He teases. One of his hands reach into his pocket and retract a brightly coloured wrapped candy. He proffers it on a clawed hand. "Would you like a piece of candy?"

I cock an eyebrow, and his smile broadens. "I didn't poison it. Here." He pops the candy into his mouth, swallows it and smiles again, digging in his pocket for another. He hands me a second blue-wrapped candy, and I quickly open it and slip it onto my tongue. A sweet taste invades my mouth, and my something crackles on my tongue. "Popping tablets!" I squeal, sucking with relish as the crackling strengthens.

"Still your favourite?" He chuckles.

"Always." I reply, before pulling away finally.

"Alice," Slenderman suddenly cuts in from behind us. "Would you please sit down so I can clean and dress those wounds?"

I look over my shoulder and nod. Laughing Jack helps me limp back to my spot and sinks to the floor with me. I notice that Slenderman's shoulders have become stiff, and his tentacles are twitching, he seems to be struggling to keep them waving notchantly. I glance over at Laughing Jack and see him staring challengingly back at Slenderman. He passes me another candy, get's up, and smiles at me. 

"You thirsty?" He asks, cocking his head. 

"Yeah, actually," I answer. "I am. Do you mind--?"

"Already on it."" Laughing Jack assures me, then strides for the question.

"If you would tip your head a bit--thank you." Slenderman sighs as he removes a pair of tweezers from the medical kit and begins removing shards of glass from my face. I ball my hands in a tight fist each time he removes a piece, and at one particularly large piece in my forehead I gasp in pain. Slenderman flinches, and the tweezers clatter against the floor as he drops them. Softly cursing, he picks them back up. I was watching him, but when something bumps against my fingers, I turn. Jack holds a tall glass of chocolate milk.

"Mmm, my favourite." I giggle. "Thank you. I haven't had chocolate milk since...well, since last time I was here."

Laughing Jack grins as I knock back the drink. Slenderman tuts in annoyance, so I hurry up and finish. Laughing Jack sighs, but sits beside me and starts talking to me about the new type of candy that's out. Everytime I laugh, Slenderman gets angrier and angrier. Eventually, he's so tense and irritated that I yelp as he rips a piece of glass out of my cheek. "Sam!" I gasp, my hand automatically flying up and smacking his hand down. "That hurt!"

"Sorry!" He instantly replies.

Trenderman, who I assume was leaning against the doorframe to the hall, walks over and whispers something to Slenderman. He nods, gets up and heads into the hallway, turning right towards his office. Trenderman takes his place.

>///< //> >///

"Alright, last piece. Just relax your face and it'll be out just like the others." Trenderman instructs. Clutching Laughing Jack's hand, I take a deep breath and relax the muscles in my face. The tweezers fix upon the end of the last jag, and I take a deep breath as he tugs it out of my face. I squeezes Laughing Jack's hand instinctively, and he squeezes back.

"There. All done." Trenderman chuckles, wiping the bloody tweasers off on a tissue and dropping them back in the kit. He takes out a cotton pad and mops the blood off my face, then sends Laughing Jack to fetch a damp cloth. He does, but when Trenderman reaches for it, Laughing Jack shoulders him away and washes my face down himself. "Should we stitch that one?" He asks, nodding at an area on my face with his cone nose. He's not laughing anymore.

Trenderman appraises it. "Um...yeah. And that one to." He replies, pointing to another spot. He takes out a needle and thread, dips it in a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and strings the needle.

"This is gonna suck, isn't it?" I whimper, eyeing the sharp needle apprehensively.

"Not gonna lie, kid." Trenderman sighs as he leans closer. "It's gonna burn and sting like almightly hell. Let me know if I get it in your eye, okay?"

"Okay." I breathe.

He begins the first stitch, and it feels like fire racing through my face. Pain skids along my skin, crashing through my nerves and seeping into my muscles. The initial puncture, then the hydrogen peroxide dripping in, then the wire pulling my flesh back together. It's too much, I've never experienced this kind of pain. Tears well in my eyes.

A scream pours from my throat, and Trenderman stops, jumping away. Laughing Jack lurches forward and quickly undoes the suture.

"I can't do it, I can't..." Trenderman gags slightly.

"Ow, ow..." I sob, wiping the peroxide off my face.

A soft pop! and Slenderman is crouched at my feet. His long arms picks me up and hug me to him. "Are you alright?!" He demands.

"She's fine!" Laughing Jack growls. "I was here the whole time."

"Oh thank god for that," Slenderman hisses. "The demented clown was watching over her."

Laughing Jack snarls, getting to his feet.

"Sam!" I gasp, pushing him away. "Why are you being so..." I struggle for the right word.

"Bitchy?" BEN offers.

"Shut up!" I hiss.

He sniggers but doesn't reply.

Laughing Jack and Slenderman silently regard eachother, stiff and glaring.

“At least the ‘demented clown’ stayed with her. And I'm not only talking about just now.” Laughing Jack lows, an ominous note creeping into his voice.

“Jack!” I plead.

He shoves past Slenderman and rages through the kitchen and out the back door.

As soon as he's gone, Slenderman turns on me. “What did he mean?” He demands.

I shrug, a tear cutting a nest line through my mascara and dripping down my face. Turning my face away, I get to my feet and — unquestioned — limp into the bathroom. I wash my face of make up and hydrogen peroxide, then look up at !y reflection. Red weals and puncture points scar my face, and my eyes are slightly red. The skin that isn't stained red is pale, and sweat beads on my forehead. My tangled black hair brushes against my hips, and I vaguely remember Willow brushing my long, black tresses. I force a smirk, and my braces glint through my lightly parted lips. My gray eyes blink, and I turn away from the mirror. I make a Divergent reference in my head as I take a deep breath, twist the door handle and step back into the hallway. Then, wordlessly, I sit in front of Slenderman and ball part of my shirt in my hands. Tipping my head so my largest cut faces him and the light, I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

There's some shuffling before... “Ready?” Slenderman sighs.

I nod and brace myself.

So he sets to work.