I'm back! And this is…what? My third new fanfic? Anyways, I'm feeling lazy today, so let's get on with it!
Thank God. The blackness was slowly releasing its grip on me and letting me climb back into reality. I could finally open my eyes!
But I wasn't sure if I wanted to. The creature could still be around, and I could only be alive because I seemed dead.
But I had to take the chance. I had to wake up. The darkness was getting too cold, and soon I wasn't gonna have a choice. Now or later.
So, I forced my eyelids open. I was staring at the shadowed underside of a tent, and I was surrounded by a musky candy smell. As my senses recovered I could feel a cold, hard surface under me and damp, heavy blankets over me.
Turning over onto my side I saw more of the dingy, old canvas, and broken furniture. Obviously I was in a tent, and someone most likely lived here. But why was I here?
"My sweet little Peppermint! I'm so glad you're awake now, I was starting to worry!"
I gasped, my head whipping towards the voice and fear filling me. It was the creature, sitting at the foot of the bed, twirling a lollypop between his fingers.
I screamed and shot up into a sitting position, scrambling into the farthest corner I could reach.
"Please stop screaming. It's giving me a headache, Peppermint."
I whimpered, trembling, my knees hugged tight to my chest.
"Would you like some candy?" It asked, reaching into its pocket and pulling out a paper bag. It held out the bag, like it was coaxing a wild animal to eat out of its hand.
"W-what are y-you?" I squeaked, pressing farther into the canvas wall when it smiled.
"What am I? My candy, It's more of a who am I. And I, my dear, am Laughing Jack."
Laughing Jack withdrew his hand full of candy, setting the bag somewhere beside him, out of my vision.
"W-what do you w-want with me?" I asked, still trembling slightly. Laughing Jack chuckled, his voice full of amusement.
"What do I want with you? I want nothing, Peppermint. You just stumbled somewhere you weren't supposed to be, so I brought you to safety. You are free to leave any time you want."
I was surprised. Surely Jack was lying. He wouldn't just let me leave, right? I mean, he wasn't even human, so he had to want something!
Then again, that was major stereotyping. Maybe he was a good guy. He could just have been wandering the forest, covered in shadows, so he could rescue the lost girls that tend to stumble into the forest…
Suddenly my phone went off, blasting out 'I am not a whore…' as my ringtone. Jack laughed as I answered my phone with shaky hands.
"Hello? Samuel! Oh yeah, yeah, I'm f-fine! Where am I? Oh… uh…" I looked around frantically, trying to find something to say. My eyes landed on Laughing Jack, and his grin.
"Nice ringtone." He said, winking. Forgetting my fear I glared at him.
"Oh, yes. Yeah, I'm still here. I'm at a… carnival! Yep, a carnival, with a… uh… old friend." I could tell Samuel didn't believe me, but he didn't question me.
"Uh huh. Yes. Love you too, Sam. See you as soon as I get back. Yeah, okay. Be safe too. Love ya. Bye."
I snapped my phone shut, looking back up at Laughing Jack.
"So, I can go home any time I want? You're not lying?"
"Nope. No lies. You can go now, if you'd like. I'm sure Sam wants you back ASAP." He giggled, taking a bite out of the lollypop.
"Yeah, Sam probably does. And Mother, too."
"Then be my guest. Tent flap is that-a-way." He said, pointing towards an outlined rectangle of light at the far end of the tent. Cautious, I got up from the bed and walked over to the 'door'.
"Okay, well, see ya later." I said, pushing back the flap.
"Bye bye, Peppermint." He giggled.
