A Little Laughter Left In Me... (Laughing Jack x Reader)

~Nowhere to go but Forward~

The following week felt... odd, to say the least.

It felt like you were constantly under surveillance, and not by Jeff nor the toy mouse Jason left behind to watch over you.

There was someone else, there had to be.

Could Jill be making a move without any of you knowing?

What if she attacked?

You had backup, that much should've been a comfort, but at the same time it didn't feel like enough. Something was on the verge of going terribly wrong.

And there was most likely nothing you could do to stop it.

"Sis? Everything okay?" Jeff caught your attention. You'd nearly forgotten he was sitting beside you on the couch.

"Oh, yeah, just getting lost in thought again. Worried about Jill." You sighed, and he nodded.

"Same here. I'm constantly on edge." He rubs his shoulder, taking a deep breath.

"At least if anything happens to me, you won't be alone." You tried to play the optimistic card, but it didn't seem to help.

"D-Don't say that... I swore on my life that I'm never losing you again." He twitched briefly, meaning he was getting a little worked up.

"Sorry..." You scratched your neck, feeling guilty.

He shakes his head, seemingly calming himself down at the same time.

"I know you're just trying to think positive. You're right on one thing though, neither of us are alone."

You smile at that, nodding in agreement as he pulls you in for a side hug.

"Right." You let your eyes close as you enjoy his warmth.

That evening was quiet, like usual. Not a sound to be heard inside unless one of you two moved, or the mouse squeaked as it changed position to keep an eye on you. You could never quite tell where it went or how it stayed so well hidden, but it was impressive.

The only noise from outdoors was the occasional car or birds tweeting their final songs before nightfall, and it helped you ground yourself whenever your paranoia started to get the better of you. You were still home, safe and sound.

Until one night... you weren't.

That night was just like the others, curling up in your anxious brother's arms and promising to be there when he woke up like the last time, and the time before that. It was just another night, safe in the arms of someone who loved you.

But then...

You woke up to the sound of screaming, it was so loud you immediately covered your ears. The suddenness of it and fear of going deaf from how loudly it rang in your ears made your heart race, it was as if they were right next to you, but they weren't.

Your eyes had instinctively remained shut, but when you finally opened them, your blood ran cold, and your heart sank to your feet.

This place was entirely new, not to mention intimidating.

You appeared to be in some sort of rundown version of a funhouse, there were cracked mirrors and several withered, gray doors ahead of you, while the dirt beneath you was dry and rough to the touch.

"Where..?" Your voice came out weakly, your heart rising back up and starting to pound against your ribcage.

This looked a lot like something from Jack's carnival, but that couldn't be right.

This couldn't be his place, could it?

Another scream occurred, and you covered your ears once again.

"Who is that..?!" You thought for a second that you'd heard the voice somewhere before, but never in so much pain and anguish. It was too soon to tell.