Scars, Knives, and Blood
Sometimes I really hate walking home. Rose turned down an alley for a shortcut home walking past graffiti, mossy dumpsters, and the occasional overgrown rat. Turning around another corner found her looking at the backs of two men. The dirt covered tattered clothing and disheveled haven't been washed in centuries hair sent warning signals through her body. She reached into her pocket and took out a knife. The handle was five inches with a detailed grim reaper on the side. Flipping the knife opened revealed a three inch blade that glistened in the moonlight.
The men heard the noise and looked back as she hid the knife from view. "Looks like we got us a pretty." smiled the left with a couple missing teeth leaving the rotting ones behind.
The right produced a rustic butcher knife holding it in front of his cracked dry lips and scar down the right side. "More like… gorgeous." as he walked over and trailed the hourglass figure inches away with the knife.
"I'm known as the stubborn type." stated Rose smiling innocently.
"Ooooh she lives! I thought she was scared." He quickly cut across the top of her bosom smiling. Toothy licked his lips anxiously waiting his turn while Scarhead slowly cut deeply into her arm.
"Thanks for the new scar." winked Rose. "I believe it's a keeper." She slapped his arm away forcing him to drop his knife. She lunged at Toothy punching him in the jaw then did a quick step to the left avoiding a kick from Scarhead. She pivoted low and cut into his calf. The two of them slowly stood up looking at each other. They nodded and faced Rose side by side with murderous intent in their eyes walking over to her. She simply twirled the knife beckoning them with the other. Scarhead and Toothy suddenly froze in their tracks with the murderous intent leaking out of the corner of their eyes. Confused she brought back her arm still ready to fight when a hand clamped over her wrist. One squeeze forced the knife from her hands wheeling her around causing her jacket to rip more. She looked up and saw the Joker. The green hair, white, red, and black makeup could never be mistaken. The scars that created a smile bigger than any human could possibly achieve attracted her eyes. She couldn't look away from the pain they must have created and forced her not to reach out and stroke the scars.
"Looks like uh, you got beat up pretty good." smiled the Joker squeezing her arm. She flinched and looked down at the increasing blood flow and the ripped jacket. There was a rustling behind her and she tried to turn but was held fast as the clown laughed. "They were chickens after all!" exclaimed Joker.
"Wait, they took off?!" yelled Rose. Joker nodded with a smile. "What the hell! I wasn't done with them!" She kicked him back freeing herself, "It's your fault you nosy bastard!" She picked up her knife infuriated closing it and replacing it back in the pocket. She shivered as the wind went straight through the holes to her bones and ran her fingers over the rips in her jacket. Sensing a presence getting close she looked up in time for it to slam her into the wall. She saw it was the Joker with her footprint still lightly visible on his wool purple trench coat and her eyes traveled back to his face noticing the green vest, diamond multicolored tie, blue hexagon shirt, and the laughter still residing in the depths of his eyes even though he wasn't technically smiling anymore.
"There are 4 things that uh, interest me about you." explained Joker flicking his tongue tightening his grip on her shoulders. Rose barely noticed the pain as the scars mesmerized her once again. Black dots forced their way into her vision just as she began to lift her arm up to touch the scars. "Your short-tempered, know how to wield a knife, have an enormous amount of resilience, and uh, you…" faded away the last few words as she slipped into the black abyss collapsing into the arms of Joker.
***
"No officer you don't understand!" paced a worried woman. "She hasn't been home for an hour and we all know th… that that maniac is running loose!" She ran into a table and cursed out loud as a knock came from the front door. "Hold on a sec." She approached the front door with a little limp and wrenched it open seeing her daughter lying on the front porch. "Rose!" She dropped the phone and shook her daughter to get her to wake up.
She stirred and barely opened an eye and saw her mother, "Mom?" She shook her head and looked around to see where Joker was hiding.
"Honey…" she grabbed her arm and her daughter flinched away.
She looked down too see her wound but saw a purple trench coat. So it wasn't a dream after all. She shook off the coat and saw her arm and chest bandaged. Her mom was already inside and she quickly replaced the coat not wanting to be a burden any further. She stood up and scanned the yard. Why would he leave me? With his coat none the less. She stepped inside picking up the phone explaining a patrol car wasn't necessary anymore.
"Rose! Are you okay? What happened? You didn't get hurt did you? Where'd you get that coat?" quickly asked her mom following her.
"I'm fine, I tripped and knocked myself out, I'm not hurt, and I just got this since my other jacket was beginning to get small." answered Rose calmly and shutting her door slowly just in case she has another question.
"Well I was making sure since it looks a lot like the Joker's and it has some white on it around the collar and you don't wear makeup."
"Thank you for worrying mom." She shut the door and breathed a sigh of relief. She took off the coat and held it in front of her. It still smelled of cologne and she looked through the pockets and saw a knife. She dropped the coat on her table and looked over the knife and pressed the button opening the knife. A switchblade? She practiced twirling it with her fingers and swinging it fighting nothing but air. This knife, i… it's wonderful! It has perfect weight and metal. She watched it glisten in the light and forced herself to close it and put it back in its rightful place. She took off her jacket and threw it away in her trashcan and dressed into pajamas also discarding the bloody shirt. She looked at her wounds and saw that blood was still coming out of her arm. Grabbing the bandages she keeps in her dresser and peeked out her door making sure her mom wasn't watching and snuck into the bathroom right next to her room. She removed the dressing and washed the wounds. These will make excellent scars. She looked over all the scars she's collected over her life on her torso. She traced the long one from her left shoulder and down to her hip. I look like I should be dead a hundred times over and I should be after tonight, but what stopped him? She stared into the gray eyes that stared right back. She took out the ponytail and let her dark blonde hair fall. After she was done bandaging her wounds again she snuck back into the room and threw on a top and lied in bed ready for a good night's rest but finding it difficult since she couldn't get Joker out of her mind. When she finally felt sleeping coming she sat up, "How the hell did he know where I live?"
