Promises-Laughing Jack

~Chapter 5~

~Laughing Jack~

I loved seeing Jess in fear because of me. Telling her what I told her that night was the best thing I've ever done to any of my victims. I'll let her fear eat away at her before finishing the job. I just hope that the weird feeling I get doesn't stop me from it. I waited in the shadows of her house until I heard her mom's Prius pull into the yard. Time to see her terrified face yet again! I thought in excitement. What I saw next was a silly disappointment. Jess slammed the door open and came dancing and shouting into the living room. She spun around a couple of times and turned on the stereo to play music. "Whoa-a-oh-wa-oh,oh,oh IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD TIME!" Jess danced around before moving to put the groceries away in her fridge.They always say curiosity killed the cat but I think it killed the murderous clown as well. I thought to myself as I emerged from the shadows and moved closer to watch Jess in the kitchen. She finshed what she was doing an stepped over my wrapper pile before heading to her room. Later I heard squeal with excitement! I'm starting to think she's lost her mind. I couldn't help but to feed into my curiosity and follow her upstairs. That's when I revealed myself to her again. This time she seemed a little startled but far from scared to death like before. I still bared my sharp teeth to try and intimidate her, but it wasn't really working for some reason. "What's got you so excited little Jess? The thought of dying finally growing on you?" I glared at her intensely. She then cleared her throat and replied to me. "W-well." She composed herself a little and slowly sat upright on her bed. She adjusted her hair and continued. "If you must know, I'm living my life before you kill me. It's none of your business but, I have a date." I don't know why, but when she said date, I became very very VERY angry. It wasn't angry like I was on bloodlust, it was...angry because she is dating. I shook my head in disapproval, like a parent.

"I thought you'd never date. You and I promised each other-" she cut me off with a rather upset expression. "Look, if I'm to die then I will live my life matter what. Now go away." Hmmmm, getting brave? I chuckled. "Oh I better go before little Jess throws a tantrum! " I joked. She growled as I disappeared in smoke. She thought I was gone but I reappeared in her backyard. I watched her through the bedroom window from the tree house that we would sometimes hang out in back then. Now this little house was abandoned. The wood was wrickety and unstable and there were spider webs all ove the place. I looked at the wall and stared intently on the drawing that hung here after all these years. It was a picture she drew in crayon. It was us...It used to be us. I frowned and couldn't stop the memories that came flooding back into my head. There was a day when the sun was shining so brightly, and I sat on the floor happily eating candy while Jess was brushing through my bright red hair. I had passed her a piece of candy to which she ate. It was Blueberry, her favorite flavor of anything. There was a knock on the treehouse door that I remember poofing away from. I wasn't worried back then because I knew she'd just let me back out of the box. I smiled and listened to her mother's voice. "Jess, Patrick wanted to know if you wanted to get ice cream with him and his mom today. He's been asking for at least 2 weeks honey. Don't you think you're being rude?" Her mother asked her sweetly. By now, I know Jess's face was bunched up the way she always did it when she was annoyed. I tried to hide my laughter as I listened to her complain. "No mommy, I don't like Patrick!" Jess stomped her little foot on the ground and I heard her mother sigh. "Alrighty then. I'll just tell him you don't feel like it." Jess's mom had left the room and I waited patiently. Jess cranked the handle and let me out. Jess had instantly hugged me tightly. "Why won't you go? I thought you liked ice cream!" I asked her. Jess smirked at me.
"I'll never go out with a boy. Boys are icky!!! Except you Jack because you're my friend. I promise!" Jess stuck out her pinky at me. I wrapped my finger around it in return. "Promise." But that was years ago. She just seems to keep breaking her promises to me. 

With time, I was watching as the sun started to rise. And eventually, Jess was getting ready to go. I sighed as Jess finished getting ready and made her way to the red car parked in from of the house. What happened to the Jess I knew? I guess there's no surprise that people tend to change as they age. Look at me, I lost all of my color and god have my nails grown. But looking at the way Jess was now...She's grown up too fast for me. I just can't understand why I feel the way that I do right now. It's like I'm a parent to her. If I would've killed her by now, then I wouldn't be feeling this way. No...that's not true and I know that much. If I killed her by now, then I probably would always have to deal with regret and guilt in the back of my head. But now that I've reached this realization, where do I go from here? I want her to pay for what she did to me, but I don't want to actually hurt her because I think it'll end up hurting me on the inside. I sighed and stared a little longer at the colored picture. After looking around a little longer, I started to find other old trinkets. The old keychain she wanted me to have for good luck, a sewing kit she used to fix a part of my shirt one time, and the small bean can with a plastic top that still had the pennies we searched for in the backyard, all of it was still here in the treehouse gathering dust from being neglected. I guess time really does change things