Crimson

Laughing Jack

It was easy to follow the trail of blood up to Jeff’s room, the blood was thick and fresh, the edges congealed despite how newly spilt it was.

‘Jeff?’ I called softly into the room, I heard faint sobbing and giggling that marked when Jeff was in one of his moods. Last year if I had walked in Jeff would have picked up a knife and stabbed me  over and over until his anger was spent, and I would have let him. Now I helped him in a more humane manner.

‘Anna?’ The voice beckoned and I came, kneeling beside him. I gently pulled the hood from his head and begun lifting the cracked dry mask from his face, it was a grotesque thing, rotted away in some places and others preserved. I dropped it and it floated to the ground.

It was an hour before Jeff quieted.

†             †             †

It was strange how quickly abnormality became a habit. Once Jack left it became a simple matter of timetable. Sleep, self-pity, murder and then sleep again became a routine, day after day until it helped numb whatever humanity I had left and the hours pass quickly. Standing in the doorway of the mansion, and watching the black abyss of the surrounding forest, I wondered if this was how I’d spend every day until the end or eternity.  That was when I decided no.

I walked back inside and closed the door with a resolute click and walked away from it, breaking the  time table and settling on the couch. I hadn’t sat down in a long time. I liked the way the broken couch cradled my back. I heard a knock on the door and despite my determination to forget Jack, I was at the door in seconds.

My hand reached for the door handle, and paused. Jack wouldn’t come back without wanting something, he has everything he wants.

I teleported outside, behind the intruder and studied him. This was not Jack. The person in front of me had a mass of tangled black hair atop his head and black overalls that ended at his knees, he wore black and white striped socks and what looked like fur over his shoulders.

This was definitely a stranger.

The stranger felt me behind him with some sixth sense and turned on his heel. He was not scared.  His smile was not sweet and I studied the dark lips and black eyes, the boneless arms and the black and white cone over his nose.

‘Hello.’ His voice was curiously without twang or inflection, it was completely and utterly without accent.  ‘They call me Laughing Jack.’

Whatever angel or demon with my best interests at heart had gotten the wrong Jack. I looked at him blankly without speaking, unsure if I should trust him with my form. Since My Jack had left, I had been forced to grow more comfortable with myself, and now I barely felt ugly when I caught my reflection in the mirror.

‘I’m here to join your group or whatever this is.’ He grinned again, his teeth were blacked at the edges. I didn’t respond and he continued. ‘Your coven? Nest? Party? Posse? Gang?’ He searched for words. ‘Greek house?’

I heard laughter from behind me and Jeff leapt out of the top story window. ‘I like you.’ He grinned at Laughing Jack. ‘You may join our little family of miscreants.’

‘Oh goody!’ Laughing giggled and clapped his hands.

‘You can be LJ and you shall be my LJ.’ Jeff smiled and his face practically turned into one of the most ecstatic emoji’s from the days I was human.

‘Does that make you JK?’ Laughing Jack laughed and I felt myself soften towards him. Maybe a third person would make this house feel less empty.

I left the two to their banter.

†             †             †

‘Hello?’ Laughing Jack pushed the door open to my room, his eyes searching the dark corners until he found me by the window. He took my silence as consent for him to come in and walked over to where I stood beside the never slept in bed.

‘Jeff told me your name was Anna.’ He grinned. ‘It’s a nice name.’

I nodded wordlessly.

‘Speak to me.’ His voice took on a tone of command and I sighed.

My skin burned and I shuddered as pain ripped through my face and I let my lips form. ‘Hello Laughing Jack.’

‘How old are you?’

I shrugged. ‘Twenty or so by now.’ There was a long, awkward silence. ‘So Jack, what do you like to do?’ I hurriedly corrected myself when I realised the flaw in my words. ‘Besides murder?’

He grinned widely and shrugged. ‘Never thought about it.’ He leapt in front of me, perching easily on the window sill. ‘I like to play with my victims. I give candy.’

I nodded silently and remembered the books I’d found in My Jacks old room. It was strange how one childish crush could turn into something more after they’d left. When I’d found his room full of books, romantic horror, all of them, I’d found myself head over heels holding a forgotten mask and retired knife. My Jack truly had taken off his mask, and revealed everything.

‘How about you?’

‘I used to do things.’ I shrugged. ‘I was training a young boy when I found Fred. He must think I died.’

‘Will he miss you?’

The short laugh I gave was full of sarcasm. ‘God no.’

Laughing Jack shrugged. ‘Some people were born to be serial killers.’

‘Were you?’

There was no reply and when I looked up, Laughing Jack was gone.

I sighed and thought back on the boy from England I had been training. I hadn’t thought about him since I saw Fred, since that moment I had thought more humanely, worrying about love and life. Frederique was my curse.

I took a deep breath and found the lost apprentice.

†             †             †

A/N: I am so sorry for writing the shortest chapter in history. SO SORRY!! I really didn't mean it to be this short but I'm kinda running out of things to say on this matter. I hate it when my characters don't listen to me and try and be something they're not. 

But, I wrote this for two reasons. Firstly I thought I should update before the holidays finish and I get thrown into exams (which are in a week) and this may be the last time I update until they're over. If so, I'm really sorry. And secondly, I reached fifty followers and this chapter is to commemorate them. Thank you so much guys. If I could, I'd dedicate this to all of you but that can't happen unfortunetly and so, you just have to know, that your name is on this.  Oh and this reached 1000 reads. THANKS GUYS!!

<3  <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3... No more hearts, its too exhausting for my cold heart to feel :3