Laughter in the Darkness

Ofelia's new friend...

Bradley got a message from his mother saying that she went out to the shops and she wouldn't be long. Bradley thought it was weird that she left Ofelia on her own. When he got home, he closed the front door and heard giggling coming from his sister's room. He heard her voice, it sounded like she was talking to someone. He opened her door and she looked at him. She was sat in front of her closet. Bradley looked all around her room, but apart from Ofelia and himself, there was no one else in there. "Ofelia who are you talking to?" Ofelia smiled and replied, "My new friend." Bradley looked at his sister, he had a confused look on his face. "Who's your new friend? There's no one else in here." The boy asked as he again observed her room. "Laughing Jack. He's my friend and he is here. He's in my closet." The young girl pointed towards her closet, which was open slightly. He then realised that his sister then said the name, Laughing Jack. He slowly walked towards her closet with his hand reaching out to grab the handle. Once he grabbed it, he looked at Ofelia as if he was asking if her 'friend' was in there. His sister nodded her head and Bradley looked again at the closet. Eventually, he opened the closet to see who or what was in it. Nothing. Bradley sighed in relief and looked at Ofelia. "I think you're making things up now." Bradley spoke with a smile on his face. "I'm not I swear. He was just in there. Before you came in, I saw him." Bradley raised one of his eyebrows. "What does he look like?" He asked as they both sat on her bed. Ofelia carefully described Laughing Jack. "Well he looks like a clown. He's really tall, wears a black and white suit and has a black and white cone for a nose. Also, his arms are really long and he has really pointy teeth. His hair is black and goes down to his shoulders." Bradley was feeling worried but he didn't show it. His sister then added, "Oh and you know when he's there because that tune plays, Pop goes the Weasel. It's the exact same thing that plays on that box. So when he's near, that tune plays to let you know he's there." Bradley looked at the closet and back at Ofelia. "That tune's not playing. Does that mean he's not there?" Ofelia nodded her head, "I think so. It played when I was in the kitchen getting a drink. It was coming from in here." Bradley then said, "You know you shouldn't be talking to strangers." Ofelia then snapped, "Laughing Jack's not a stranger. He's my friend now get out of my room." Bradley stood up, "With pleasure, I don't want to stay in this room with my weird sister who makes up imaginary clowns for friends anyway. I hope you have fun making balloon animals with your new friend." He spoke sarcastically to annoy Ofelia. She ran towards the door and Bradley ran out. "Leave me alone Bradley!" Ofelia then slammed the door. Bradley got amused and sat down on the sofa. He then thought about what Pippa said. He walked to Ofelia's door and stood near it. He heard Ofelia talking again. He heard a second voice. It sounded deep and ominous. He quickly opened the door but again, no one was there except Ofelia. "What do you want now?" The young girl was getting annoyed. "I heard another voice." The girl sighed, "Do you believe me now?" Bradley nodded his head and walked back out of Ofelia's room before she asked him to.

Bradley was then starting to seriously worry about Ofelia. At first he didn't believe her but now, after hearing a second voice in her room, he had become more scared. He was also scared for Pippa. His mother then walked in. "I just popped out to get some tea. I'm gonna make you and your sister chilli con carne." Chilli con carne was Bradley's favourite food. His mother then went into the kitchen to start making tea. Ofelia then dashed out of her room and wrapped her arms around their mother. "Mommy what's for tea," she asked smiling. "We're having chilli con carne." The young girl then jumped up and down in excitement. She then ran upstairs as she needed the toilet. That's when Bradley snuck into her room. The boy slowly walked in and searched carefully for the jack in the box. He then found it on her shelf. It was weird how it got there as Ofelia wouldn't be able to reach it. He got it off the shelf and sat on her bed. He examined the box and grabbed the handle. Slowly, he turned the handle and listened to the distorted version of Pop goes the Weasel. The top flew open and still, there was nothing that popped out. Bradley looked around at Ofelia's room and then focused his eyes on her closet. He got off the bed and slowly walked towards it. He grasped the handle and opened the wardrobe. Apart from dresses, shirts, leggings and skirts, there was nothing in there. He was then startled by his sister's voice coming from behind. "What are you doing?" Bradley dropped the box. Surprisingly it didn't brake, even though Ofelia's room had a hard floor with no carpet on it. He picked it up and Ofelia spoke, "Great, now you've broke it." Bradley replied giving it to her and walking out her room, "No I haven't, see? Besides it was broken anyway." He then went back into the front room. He heard Ofelia close her door. "Have you and your sister had an argument," asked his mother, breaking up the mince meat. "No, she's probably in a mood because I was in her room." His mother then replied, "Oh ok. What were you doing in her room anyway?" Bradley said that it didn't matter and opened the patio doors that led to the garden. Even though it was getting late, the sun was still out. Bradley sat on one of the chairs and felt the small breeze on his skin. He felt like all he needed was some fresh air, but still he pondered on about Pippa and what Ofelia said. If what Pippa said is true and Ofelia is friends with the same monster that Pippa talked about, Ofelia would be in grave danger and Bradley would have to do something about it. But what could he do? Suddenly, he heard a tune play from inside the house. It came from Ofelia's room. The boy stood up and walked to his sister's bedroom window. He saw Ofelia talking to her closet and she was often giggling and laughing. The tune then stopped. The disturbing tune of Pop goes the Weasel didn't continue and Bradley noticed that his sister's closet was open slightly. From the window, he tried to see through the gap in the closet, but he couldn't see anything.

His mother then shouted, "Bradley come inside. Tea will be done soon." The boy then came away from the window and walked back into the house. As he closed the patio doors, he realised that it was past 5:00 and his father still wasn't home. "Mam why isn't dad home yet," he asked her. His mother said, pouring the sauce into the pan with the meat, "He sent me a message saying that he got caught up in work and he won't be back until later." Bradley stood in the doorway of the kitchen and sneakily put his ear against Ofelia's bedroom door to see if he could hear anything. He heard nothing but silence. Then, his phone rang from upstairs. He went into his bedroom and strangely found his phone on the floor. He picked it up and without looking at the number, he answered it. "Hello? Hello? Who is this?" Bradley was getting no answer. He repeated the same thing but no one spoke on the line. He then heard a noise on his phone. The phone hung up. Bradley stared at his phone, "It was probably Kieran or Harvey playing a joke," he said to himself. "But I know who put my phone on the floor." He stomped downstairs and went into Ofelia's room. "What the hell were you doing in my room?!" His sister got off the ground and stared at him. "I wasn't in your room," she said." Bradley started to get angry with his sister. "You know that you're not allowed in my room and your definitely not allowed to move my stuff." Bradley held up his phone that was tightly in his hand. "Especially this." Ofelia replied, "I didn't do it. I didn't go in your room. It must've been Laughing Jack." Bradley sighed and got annoyed. "Oh my god, stop with this whole Laughing Jack thing. The guy isn't even real, he's probably some dumb little clown that was supposed to be in the box but he's not and the reason for that is BECAUSE IT'S BROKEN!" Bradley stormed over to Ofelia's closet. "Let me guess, he's hiding in here. Well we'll find out." Bradley opened the closet and there was nothing inside apart from clothes. His mother quickly came in the room. "What's going on in here? What's with all the yelling?" Bradley pointed at his sister and said she was in his room and moving his things around to try and scare him. "I WASN'T IN YOUR ROOM!" The girl started to cry as her brother didn't believe her. "Right, Bradley out of your sister's room and go to your room to cool off. Ofelia, make sure you don't go back into your brother's room or move his stuff. You know he doesn't like people touching his stuff," spoke his mother. Ofelia screamed as she cried, "I DIDN'T GO INTO HIS ROOM! WHY DON'T YOU BELIEVE ME?!" Her mother tried to calm her down but Ofelia was already in tears and told her mother to get out of her room. The girl then buried her head in her pillow and screamed and cried until her eyes were dry. No one believed that she was innocent and the poor girl wouldn't be able to prove her innocence.

When Bradley got to his room, he slammed the door shut. He looked around to see if anything else had been moved. Luckily, everything else was where he left them. He sat on his bed mumbling under his breath. He heard his mother coming up the stairs. She opened his door and asked, "What were you shouting at her for?" Bradley tried to explain that she was in his room and put his phone on the floor. "That doesn't mean you shout at her. Now you can stay up here and come down when you're calm, if not then stay in your room all night. Your choice." His mother then walked out then closed the door. Bradley angrily threw his pillow on the floor. He had so many thoughts going through his head. He didn't really know if Laughing Jack was real. Maybe he was going crazy. A few minutes later, Bradley's mother shouted him down as tea was ready. The boy opened the door and went into the kitchen without saying anything to his sister, who was sat on a chair eating her food. Bradley got his chilli con carne and sat in the living room to eat. The Big Bang Theory was on tv, it was Bradley's favourite show as there was loads of comedy in it. He started to laugh as he watched Sheldon and Leonard clean Penny's apartment whilst she was sleeping. "Have you calmed down now?" His mother put her hand on his shoulder. The boy nodded his head and his mother walked back into the kitchen. Bradley quickly finished his food and went back into his room. He went on his phone to listen to Michael Jackson. He was his favourite singer and Bad was his favourite song. He loved the choreography in it. He wished he could learn it but he knew that he wouldn't be able to dance as good as the king of pop anyway. He had always wanted to learn some of the moves to Bad and if anyone could help him do that, he would be very thankful to that person.