shadowkitten: Another day another fic... None of 'em are finished either... DAMN ME!
Disclaimer: Laughing Jack belongs to the ever amazing Snuffbomb!
Lilith Johnson was pretty much normal for someone who suffered from albinism.
Her hair was white, her purple eyes and pale skin were easily damaged by sunlight, and she was considered scary-looking by people who were dubbed 'normal'. People either picked on her or pitied her, so she usually stuck to herself. She didn't know what it meant to have friends. But even though her body was weak, her spirit was strong.
She didn't care what other thought of her. All she cared about was one thing, poetry.
Lily loved to write of beautiful and mysterious things and even of hellish and twisted nightmares. Whenever she wrote poems in her leather-bound notebook, she felt at peace. Like the small book could understand her better than any human possibly could.
Once she graduated high school and moved out of her mothers house, she had moved into a small apartment several towns over from where she was born. She made money by working night shifts at restaurants and did babysitting on the side.
Tonight she was babysitting at the Neilson's again. She wasn't much fond of children, but she could tolerate them long enough to make a part time job of it. Anything to pay the bills...
However, Lily liked little Mable Neilson. She was a quiet and (oddly) well-behaved child. Plus, she wasn't afraid of Lily like most children. She thought she was pretty, and loved reading her poems, which made Lily happy.
Walking up to the Neilson's doorstep, she nearly slipped on the snow-covered sidewalk.
"Winter... Definitely not my favorite season..."
Knocking on the door, she stepped back and waited. A minute later Mrs. Neilson answered Lily's knocking.
"Good evening Mrs. Neilson. I came to babysit Mable like you asked..."
"Oh dear, please come in, you look nearly frozen to death..."
"Thank you."
"She's already eaten dinner, so you won't need to worry about that. Mable! Your babysitter is here!"
A small dark head peeked from out of the living room.
"Okay mommy..."
Taking off her winter boots and thick coat at the door, she walked into the living room to see what the 5-year-old was up to.
Seeing the small pink table with two empty chairs and a tea set surrounded by stuffed animals, it was pretty obvious what she was doing.
She was currently pouring 'tea' in a small teacup to the empty chair across from her. All the while she was chatting away about how Ms. Kitty was 'dating' the purple goat plush and were planning on getting married.
Lily smiled, apparently she had an imaginary friend since her last visit.
"Hello Mable. May I join your tea party? I brought some cookies just for the occasion."
"What kind?"
"White chocolate macadamia nut and chocolate chip."
"Permission granted!"
Sitting in the seat next to the one where Mable's imaginary friend was sitting, she reached into her back pack and brought out the cookies.
Clearing his throat, Mr. Neilson announced that he and his wife would be back in a few hours.
"Good bye mommy! Bye daddy!"
After they left, Lily asked Mable about her friend.
"His name is Laughing Jack. I met him in the woods the other day. He gave me some candy, and asked if I would be his friend."
"That's nice. Where's he from?"
"...He says he's from a carnival in the woods..."
"..."
Was there any chances of there being a pedophile behind her house? No... This was the only house for miles...
Lily brushed it off. It was only an imaginary friend...
"Lily, after the tea party, can you read me one of your poems? I told Laughing Jack how pretty you write them and he said he wanted to hear one..."
"Of course."
"Yay!"
After playing a little longer, Lily grabbed her notebook from her bag and sat down on the couch. Mable sat next to her and picked a random poem from the notebook.
"This one!"
"After this we have to get you ready for bed okay?"
"M'kay."
Clearing her throat, Lily started to recite the words in a gentle voice.
'My head is where all dark things can tread,
a place that fills many with dread,
Amongst the darkness some light is there,
though it is exceedingly rare.
Creatures meant to inspire fear
are ones I hold most near and dear.
Delicate butterflies and scented flowers
thrive amongst the brighter towers.
Blood-stained silks adorn the queen,
and she wonders what it all means.
There is no king, just her alone.
In this world of monochrome.'
"Wow! That was so pretty!"
"Thank you Mable... Now it's time you got your bath."
After tucking Mable into bed, Lily picked up a book and started reading on the couch.
About 6 pages in, Lily drifted off to sleep.
She was jolted awake by a loud scream 10 minutes later.
"Mable?!"
Dashing to Mable's room, she slammed the door open.
What she saw made her vomit...
Mable's little body was ripped to shreds. Blood splatter was everywhere.
Tears started spilling down her face. Then she noticed the tall figure in the corner of her vision.
It was a black and white clown! He had jagged teeth and razor sharp claws instead of fingers.
"Who are you?! Why did you do this?!"
"Laughing Jack is my name. Killing kids is what I do lollipop." He said with a twisted smile.
"I'll see you later lollipop..."
With that he disappeared in a burst of black smoke.
That's it for now, I will try to start updating my stories weekly...