It all started in a field.
The moon hung low over the esoteric sky, faintly brightening the lush grass beneath. Twilight settled comfortably over the city and stars glistened accordingly. There were no clouds that I could remember, the sky was clear which was strange for such a polluted and dirty city. The trees stood tall and black. I say black because that's how they appeared to me. I didn't mention I had night blindness did I? Yeah, well I do.
I had arrived with a group of five. Not including myself of course. It seemed that power did not come with number, as I would later prove to you. Or rather he would. We set our bags in a pile, and gathered in a circle glaring at each other determinedly. No one wanted to be 'it'. No one wanted to be on their own, and no one wanted to be caught wondering off in the wrong place. Call us paranoid but we couldn't help but yelp at the slightest rustle or sound emitted from the dark trees.
Murderers, cannibals, rapists. They all ran through our heads but I assured everyone that it was perfectly safe. In fact, more safe than the streets of Gotham which were littered with thugs and thieves. Gotham was notoriously known for its ridiculously high crime rates. In fact, there was more chance of being brutally murdered in broad day light than there was in such a desolate wood land area like the one we currently occupied.
So there we were, a group of eighteen year old's getting ready to play rock-paper-scissors to decide who would be 'it' in Gotham Central Park.
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
Our voices synchronized together creating an innocent another melody that swept over the field protruding an echo from the depths of the trees that surrounded us. That bothered me a tad bit. I didn't like how eerie it was here, eerie enough to receive an echo which only intensified the realism of how very alone we all were.
I smirked, noticing intently that I was the odd one out. I was always the odd one out - at social gatherings, home, my likes and dislikes, everything. The fact of the matter was I had called paper, and they all called rock, it was so.. so.. so predictable.
Did you know that rock is the most popular choice for players to pick? That's because a rock is strong, powerful and sometimes immovable. People are disillusioned by this perception, it's a psychological thing really.
I turned away leaving them to battle it out amongst one another. Scanning my surroundings idly, I tactfully attempted to choose where to hide. Hide-and-seek. A child's game, but fun enough for a bunch of young adults. I could climb a tree. Hide behind one or even wedge myself between two thorn bushes. No one would go looking in there for the fear of being pricked. However, what I chose to do was out of character, even for me. I liked to over complicate things, complexity led to the best results, or so I thought. It appeared sometimes the simplest things could serve as a better alternative.
I did not bother to turn to see who would be seeking. I could hear her sounds of protest and disapproval already been voiced. I gripped the torch in my hand and offered it to her, it was a rather lax decision but it would serve as a tool for comfort that none of the other players had. One torch, and the one who received it would be the seeker. We owed her that much. She took it off of me greatfully and I flashed her a small smile of reassurance. Her brown her blew gently in the breeze and she scoffed trying to appear unaffected by fates results.
"I'm giving you 60 seconds, starting.. now." she announced loudly, turning away and closing her eyes.
I sped off in the opposite direction, not bothering to look behind me to see where everyone else would go. The night air slapped against my bare skin and I felt rather chilly despite the hot July month. I inwardly scolded myself for only wearing a dress that did not cover my arms. It was another distasteful decision I would come to regret later.
I picked my way through trees, my heart beating rapidly in my chest like a hammer against cloth. I could hear the rhythmic beats that vibrated throughout me and I sucked in the cool night air. It burnt against my throat and I winced enjoying the signs of feeling so alive.
I came to a stop in the middle of some crooked trees. Their branches reached out in all directions, coaxing near by birds to come and rest upon them. I was even half tempted to climb a tree myself, that would be if I wasn't trying so desperately hard to actually see where I was. I squinted, looking around, trying to encourage my eyes to adapt to the darkness just a little bit more. I couldn't see anything under the trees, they were blocking out every inch of moon light that previously spilled over the fields and granted us with a natural alternative instead of the yellow superficial tool the seeker was wielding at that very second. I made a decision to retrace my steps, knowing it would serve me better to be in a more familiar setting than one that was literally rendering me blind.
It was then that I realised that I did not keep track of where I was going.
I scolded myself, making sure to cuss myself out under my breath. To anyone else nearby I would have looked mad, muttering swears to myself but no one was around, so I was free to be as weird as I desired. I leaned against a tree and thought hard about what direction I ran in. Was it left or right? Did I run straight or..
I frowned annoyed. I did not want to get lost in the woods without a torch. I realised that maybe if I listened out I would be able to hear my friends shouting at having being found. I leaned against that tree for about five minutes and heard nothing but the rustle of leaves above me and the odd snap and crunch of a twig here and there. I put that down to wild life. It was the only sensible explanation. I decided the best thing to do would be to just head in a straight line back the way I came, and so I did just that.
Walking blindly through the trees - taking care to take big steps so as to avoid falling down I picked my way through stinging nettles and other distasteful plants that left big welts along my bare legs. My eyes stung with tears and I fought hard to keep them back. I was eighteen not five.
I could finally see a clearing in the trees which made hope spring up in my chest and I plucked up enough courage to allow myself a smile of victory. I walked out in to the clearing, welcoming the moonlight and my new found vision. Then I furrowed my eyebrows. This was not the field I had come from. The grass was all wrong here. Back in the field I had previously come from, the grass was fresh and green, it had also been trimmed and taken care of. This field had an array of different plants and corn strewn across the field and the grass was long and wild. I allowed my smile to fade as quickly as it had come. I rubbed my arms slightly trying to reassure myself. To Hell if that worked.
It was then that I noticed something lying in the grass. A knee slightly propped up and one leg straight. I walked forward, hoping to God and sweet Jesus that it was one of my friends. The figure was tall with curly blonde hair and tanned hands could be seen under the mass of curls. I smiled instantly relieved.
"Josh?" I called out.
The figure remained motionless for quite a few seconds and just when I thought maybe it was a drunken tramp or he hadn't heard me - he sat up slowly, still facing the opposite direction. His shoulders were broad and slightly hunched over, that definitely wasn't the type of posture that Josh carried. Josh was lean and elegant, this guy clearly didn't care much for the effects that came with a bad stance. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and faded jeans. Frowning slightly I couldn't help recall that Josh had not been wearing that but instead a red t-shirt and shorts. It was then that I realised that this person, man - whoever he was, was not Josh.
I began to tremble, whether it was from the cold or fear settling awkwardly in my stomach I could not tell. I hoped however, that it was the first, as I knew I needed to be rational and keep my wits about me in a situation like this. I swallowed thickly and made my way over to the figure, hoping for the best that he was not a murderer, cannibal or rapist like my recent paranoia had hammered in to my head.
I carefully walked around the man, making sure to keep myself at a running distance in-case he tried anything funny. When I came to the front of him, I took in his physique noticing he was lanky but still held a good portion of muscle beneath his clothes. My eyes scanned his face quickly and I furtively crossed my arms in an attempt at shielding myself from the strange man below me. The first thing I noticed was the horrifying Chelsea grin that was carved in to his face. The scars looked puffy and unwelcome, and I flinched slightly at how poor the stitch up job must have been. The smile distastefully split each side of his face in a mocking imitation of what I couldn't help but notice, looked like a Cheshire cat.
His dark eyes looked up at me suspiciously. They looked a magnificent shade of umber in the moonlight and it was then that I noticed that I had been standing there for a while just staring at him. My cheeks flushed red and I allowed an apologetic expression to fleet over my face.
He still stared at me however, clearly having noticed my discomfort but choosing not to ease me of it. He sucked at the inside of one of his cheeks, making a slight sloshing sound and then rose to stand his full height which by the way, might I add, towered indecently over me.
"Now what's a girl like you.." he licked his lips and squinted at me. His voice was deep but held a slight pitch that could only be identified as somewhat nasally. "Doing out here allllll on your lonesome?"
I considered his question. What was I doing out here? Playing hide and seek? With friends? It suddenly didn't seem like reason enough to actually be out here all on my own.
"I was with some friends playing hide-and-seek, and then I got lost." I explained, my eyes wide, hoping this strange man would help me find my way back.
He stared at me. I could see a hint of amusement dancing far away in his dark eyes. I couldn't fathom why. I did not find the situation I was in remotely amusing.
"Oh? What a pre-dic-a-ment." he commented. I frowned slightly, impatiently tapping my foot waiting for him to offer me some sort of an escape route like a gentlemen should. He did not say anything though, and I suddenly noticed his eyes raking over my body a giggle emitting from between his lips.
My eyes narrowed and I rose an eyebrow.
What the fuck?
I looked downwards and saw how much my dress had ridden up from the struggle in the woods and the wind that had caught me when I was running. I quickly pulled it down subconsciously. However, it was then that I realised he wasn't remotely amused by my disheveled appearance but rather the small grazes, cuts and welts that laced my legs. I suddenly started to feel desperation course through my veins. I knew I needed out. Now.
"So can you help me find my way out?" I asked hopefully.
His tongue prodded at the inside of his cheek and he sucked in a breath, and then exhaled slowly. His eyes glanced up at the sky quickly and then came down to rest on me once again. His mouth turned up in a smile and he made a small sound of disapproval, tutting away like I had asked him a ridiculously naughty question.
"Now, uh.. why would I go and do a thing like tha-t?"
A/N: Okay, so this is a bit of a strange setting for a Joker fanfiction to take place but I decided to be a bit spontaneous.
I accept any criticisms and the alike. Reviews are always appreciated.
Just a general note, this is clearly Pre-Joker - meaning that Jack is not yet the Joker
and therefore his psychopathic tendencies are shown in other ways. It is unavoidable that Jack will someday become the Joker due to his insanity, but one cannot help but wonder what insane acts he committed before all of that.
* I am in fact a Londoner and therefore British terms will be used instead of American ones Eg. Torch instead of flash-light. I hope you can live with that.