In Another Life V

Chapter 11

"Where you going, Sal?" murmured Jeannie Napier, as Sal Valestra climbed out of her bed and started pulling his clothes back on.

"Said I'd meet with the guys tonight," he replied. "This little break's been wonderful, Jeannie, but as long as most people think I'm dead, I'm gonna use that to my advantage. It's one of the many benefits that came from that little accident at Ace Chemicals. The best one being, of course, the death of your husband," he murmured, bending down to kiss her.

"Mmm, good riddance," she murmured, returning his kisses. "I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be taken by a real man."

"Well, that ain't gonna be a problem for you anymore, baby," he murmured, grinning. "You're all mine. Every piece of you," he whispered, kissing down her neck.

"Oh, Sal!" she gasped. "Don't get me all excited again when you gotta leave. That's just cruel."

He chuckled. "You like cruel, doncha, Jeannie?" he murmured, biting her bottom lip. "Jack never treated you the way you wanted. He could never bring out the wild animal in you. He was too nice. But with me, you're gonna get just the kinda treatment a bad girl like you deserves."

He spanked her playfully and then finished dressing, adjusting his tie in the mirror. "Don't be gone long," murmured Jeannie, climbing out of bed and draping herself over him. "I need my real, bad man to satisfy me as only he can."

They kissed tenderly, and then Sal headed out of the apartment. Jeannie returned to the bedroom, throwing on her robe and sitting down in front of her vanity table to fix her hair and reapply her makeup.

She suddenly heard a strange sound. A soft, low chuckle, that grew gradually louder and more hysterical. Jeannie froze in terror, looking around the room carefully. It was dark, and nothing moved in the shadows. There was no sound but that terrible laugh, increasing in volume and register. And then a flash of lightning illuminated a figure standing by the window. A figure with wild, staring eyes, and a horrible grin.

Jeannie screamed, seizing a bottle and smashing it, holding the broken glass in front of her. "What's the matter, Jeannie?" chuckled an amused voice. "Doncha recognize me?"

Jeannie did recognize the voice, her eyes widening in terror...but it couldn't be...

And then the figure was there in front of her, standing in the light from the lamp, fully illuminated. "Oh...my God!" gasped Jeannie. "Jack!"

The figure laughed, that terrible, insane laugh. "That's right, Jeannie," he murmured, leaning into the light so that it shone on his features. Jeannie flinched backward at the sight of him. His face was bone white, and his lips a bright shade of red, over gleaming white teeth, twisted into a horrible grin. His green eyes were bright and wild, matching his green hair. "Real clown now, ain't I, baby?" he laughed.

"Jack...Jack...what happened to you?" she gasped. "You fell into the acid...you were dead!"

He shook his head, chuckling madly. "No, I ain't, Jeannie!" he laughed. "I ain't! Ain't that a great joke? Ain't that a real...kick in the head!"

He giggled madly, still staring at her with those wild eyes and horrible grin. It was the most terrifying thing Jeannie had ever seen in her life, and she tightened her grip on the bottle.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"Want?" he repeated, grinning. "Don't I have the right to come home to my wife, my loving wife, no doubt prostrate with grief over my death?"

He laughed louder. "God, ain't that a good joke, Jeannie?" he chuckled. "The thought of you being upset over my death! Tell me, did you take Sal home to our marriage bed the same day I disappeared, or did you wait a day out of respect for the dead?"

"I...don't know what you're talking about," she stammered.

"Oh, don't lie to me, baby," he murmured. "After fifteen years of marriage, I deserve the truth. I saw him with you just now, telling you how I was too nice a guy to you, how you wanted a really bad man. Is that really what you want, baby? You should have told me. I could have been a really bad man to you. And I still can be."

He approached her slowly, still smiling. "Don't you dare come near me!" snapped Jeannie, holding out the bottle. "Just stay away!"

He chuckled. "Baby, that's no way to talk to your husband!"

"You're not my husband!" she shrieked. "He's dead! I'm a free woman now, and no disgusting freak with a clown face is gonna lay a finger on me!"

He just smiled at her. "Oh, Jeannie," he sighed. "It's a real shame you cheated on me, y'know, when I never would have cheated on you in a hundred years. I think that's grounds for divorce, don't you?"

She snorted. "Divorce? I told you, my husband's dead! I don't have to divorce him! And even if you were him, you're not now. You're some deformed nutcase! Now get outta my house!"

He shrugged. "You don't wanna divorce? Ok. I guess there's another way for us both to be free of each other." He giggled. "You know, this is all really, really...funny!" He laughed hysterically, gasping for breath. "Oh, it is! So many times you called me a fool, and a clown, and a joker, and now I am, y'see, Jeannie! You were right about me! I don't take anything seriously, and I don't think I ever will again! The only thing I ever did take seriously was our joke of a marriage! And isn't that funny, Jeannie? That I took a joke seriously?! I guess...I guess they're the only things you should ever take seriously!"

He broke down in a fit of giggles. "It is funny, huh, baby?" he whispered, grinning at her. "Why aren't you laughing?"

"I said get out!" shrieked Jeannie, thrusting the broken bottle forward. He intercepted her arm suddenly, bending it behind her back and making her drop the bottle. His other hand gripped her around the throat. She struggled for breath, but he was too strong. She gasped, her panicked eyes staring into his grinning face.

"Jack!" she whispered. "Jack...please..."

"What's that, Jeannie?" he murmured, smiling at her as he choked the life out of her. "I can't hear you laughing!"'

And he laughed hysterically as he tightened his grip. At last, Jeannie stopped breathing. He lay her body down on the bed, smiling at the expression of terror frozen forever in her vacant eyes. "Till death do us part, baby," he whispered. "What a joke!"

And he left the room, giggling madly to himself.

...

Sal Valestra returned to Jeannie's apartment later that night. "Jeannie?" he said, knocking on the door. "It's Sal. Open up."

There was no response from within. Sal began to get nervous – he knocked louder and louder, and finally panicked, determined to break down the door, which he did at last.

"Jeannie!" he called, running from the living room into the bedroom. "Jean..."

He froze when he saw Jeannie Napier lying lifeless on the bed, ugly marks on her throat, and an expression of terror on her dead face. By her head was a note, and Sal picked this up, reading it in horror.

Dear Sal,

Jeannie was so choked up over my death that she didn't feel she could live anymore. And I guess her husband coming back from the dead was kinda a cruel joke to play on her, since she'd already moved on and all. But the joke's on you now, ain't it? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

- J.

"J," repeated Sal, his eyes widening in shock. "Oh my God. Jack's alive."