Laughing Jack

Chapter 14

"You turn on the music while I set up the other tents." Jack instructed. I obeyed, wanting to see what kinds of shows he would put on. "Wow! I can't believe that I'm actually going to get to be a part of his show!" I quietly exclaimed. "Eeee!" I managed to turn the music on after about 100 tries. It sounded like a distorted, demented version of 'Pop Goes the Weasel.' "Hum... Weird. Oh well! I'm gonna go see how Jack's doing now!" I happily skipped my way over to Jack. All the tents were up! But how? I had only been gone for ten minutes... I think. "Rosalynn! I see that the music is working! Thank you! Now, all we have to do is go get the children." I shuddered at the way he said children. It sounded... demonic. "Well, we'd better be on our way then!" I said, acting as if nothing had bothered me. "Alright!" While we were walking, Jack was humming the tune to 'Row your boat' quietly. "Hmm hmm hmm hm hm, hmm hmm hmm hm hmmmmm..." We turned a corner. "AH! This house! I can smell the children! I'll hypnotize their parents, you grab them!" He shouted. "Okay...?" I said. We snuck into the house using Jacks magic and grabbed the kids. I felt bad for them... Jack hadn't hypnotized their parents, he had murdered them. And the children saw it all. I had to look away... I wanted to stop him, but it seemed as if something was holding me back. I don't know what it possibly could have been, but I just couldn't do anything until he was... done. The children were under his arms and he was carrying them to the circus. "Stay here and make sure they don't get away." He ordered. I nodded my head. Jack left the tent, and I was left there alone with the children. I tried to calm them down, but how could I? Their parents had just been murdered, and they were bawling their eyes out! Jack kept on coming back with crying kids, and every single time I tried to stop him from bringing any more. He didn't listen. Soon, he came back with the last few kids and stayed. "How many children are here right now?! This is horrible!" "Well I don't know, Rosalynn. Why don't you go and count them all yourself?" This was NOT the Jack I knew. "Go ahead, Rosalynn. There's nothing to be..." He scratched the side of my arm, drawing blood. "Afraid of."