The Joker and Me

Chapter Two: Bad Things Come to Those Who Wait

Clanking: That was the first abnormal thing I noticed. I though I was just waking up in weird position. I wasn't wrong; It just so happened that I was lying tangled up with rusted chains on a cold concrete floor. I gasped. Then I remembered: the Joker. I stood up and noticed I was chained to the wall by my ankles and wrists. I could feel my breath quickening in my lungs.

No way out.

No escape.

I tugged at the clasps on my wrists. They jangled like Christmas bells. Rusted and green, they were weak, but not as weak as I was. I couldn't break them myself. I sat down against the wall and tried to breathe. I could feel tears welling up, and I let them pour out over my face. On a daily basis I mostly only cried at sappy movie endings. But on the cold damp concrete floor, the sound of emptiness in the room and myself brought me to tears.

Then, I heard a loud metal bang. I looked up and saw him there: the Joker. He had lost the hoodie and was now wearing a gray suit with a bright red tie. He almost looked like a prom king, except for the bright green hair and numerous tattoos. A guard dressed in what looked like swat gear tried to step into the room, but the Joker threw his hand up as if to stay stop. The man turned and left, closing the door with another loud thud.

His eyes scanned the room, until he saw me in the corner. He smiled as soon as our eyes met. His lips curled over his teeth, and his smile almost looked genuine. Almost; his eyes were so wide from years of psychological distress that they almost seemed to never close.

"Noooow," He drew out, almost as if the end of the word was hard to say. "What is my newest friend doin curled up all wishy washy on the floor?" He began to walk towards me, and I cowered more into the wall, begging for it to engulf me. "What's the matter, dearest? Are you, afraaaaid of little old me?" He placed his hand on his chest and looked as though he was trying to act sad. He came closer and kneeled down right in front of me. I began to cry again, pure fear welling up inside me. What were his plans with me?

"Oh no now little pumpkin, don't cry." He reached out for my face. I tried to shy away, but his hand still found my cheek. He wiped the tears with his thumb: it was rough and cold. "How's your cheek feeling? Better after old J stitched it right up?" I reached up and felt where the glass had been: no pain. No wound was there now, just a few stitches.

"I don't understand." I practically whispered.

"Well, my new friend can't have her face hurt, now can she?" He smiled even bigger now.

"You- you don't want to hurt-"

"Oh absolutely not!" He cut me off and made an excessively shocked expression. "I don't want a fine kitty like yourself hurt in anyway!" He smiled again, grabbing both sides of my face. He squished my cheeks together, making my lips pout. "You're my new prize. I need you shiny."

New prize? What the hell did that mean? Did he always kidnap a girl and keep them locked away in a dungeon?

"Excuse me?" I said, almost afraid to say anything at all.

Suddenly, he burst off the floor, now towering over me. His face changed to anger and I could see his cheeks turning red under the white clown makeup. It was almost if the Joker changed moods in an instant. I had offended him.

"Stand. Now" I could hear the demand in his tone: he was no longer the always-happy clown. He was now what everyone saw him as. He was now the evil psychopath. I stood from the ground and looked up into his eyes.

"Do you understand the depth," He got closer, pausing to lean so that our noses were centimeters apart. "Of the situation you're in?" He quickly grabbed for my wrist, making me almost scream. His grip was so strong that I rapidly lost feeling in the tips of my finger. I winced in pain. "You just so happen to be in the belly of the most dangerous establishment in Gotham, and probably on Earth." He began to walk forward, pushing me up against the wall. I could feel his hot breathe rushing down the side of my neck. "You also just so happen to be standing next to the most dangerous man on Earth. I am capable of things you will never comprehend even dreaming of." He reached down and grabbed my other wrist. He stepped back and pulled them up to where I could see the shackles. "And as you can see, I just so happen to be in control of our, situation. So I suggest you start understanding that you are mine now. I own the property, I own the town, and now I own you."

I didn't no what to say; I looked back into his daggering eyes in sheer terror. I still felt as though he wanted to kill me. A single shaky word finally spilled out: "Please."

"Please?" He let go of my wrists and stepped back, looking as if he was in disbelief. "I just told you that you are now my property, and that I have the ability to do terrible things, and the first word that comes to mind is please?" He placed his hand on his chin. "I have an idea. Next time, whenever I say anything at all, your response will either be 'yes puddin,' or 'no puddin.' 'Mister J' is also acceptable. Is that clear?" He paused for a response, and for a second all I could hear was both of us breathing. I couldn't speak.

Suddenly he grabbed my shoulders and threw me up against the wall again. He clenched his teeth and screamed: "I SAID IS THAT CLEAR!? YOU WILL OBEY ME! IS THAT CLEAR!?"

"Ye- yes yes mister puddin J sir." Everything spilled out at once. I almost began to cry yet again. He looked me dead in the eyes, and for a full minute neither of us moved.

And then he laughed. He let go of me and laughed so hard he doubled over. "I really did scare yah there, little sunflower!" He bellowed in between gasps for air and laughter. "You shoulda seen your face!" After awhile he regained his composure. He looked back at me with an almost sultry smile. "Now that we understand the arrangements, would you like something to eat?"

"Something to-"

"Uh uh uh!" He put his finger into my face and shook it as if to say no. "What does mister J want you to say?"

"I um, Yes. Yes puddin?" He clapped and almost jumped. His big goofy smile was back.

"Oh boy, I am gonna love spending time with my new trophy!" He came towards me and I tensed up again, but this time he didn't go for my shackles; he hugged me. His arms twisted around my body and his stomach warmed my torso. Then I felt a slap on my butt. It was fast but hard, and I could feel a red mark already forming. I yelled.

"That, my little bird, is only the beginning." He released me from the hug and grabbed my wrist. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a rusted key. He then took off one restraint at a time: first my wrists, then he bent down, almost like a prince, and removed the ones from my ankles. He stood and grabbed my hand, and then, almost running, began to pull me towards the door.

"Daddy can't wait to show you to the boys."