I wanted to vomit.

I could feel myself shaking. I heard the heart monitor start to go haywire, reminding that my pulse was now being broadcasted to the very person I was getting anxious about.

GREAT.

"You like what you see?" The Joker asked with raised eyebrows, pausing to tongue at the ragged flesh of his mouth.

I just lay there, mouth slightly parted, gazing at his form, hoping in vain that he would stay in that goddamn chair

"S'not polite to stare." He drew out the "r" with a deep voice that sent unexplained chills down my spine.

"Y'know? I can't say that I honestly re-mem-ber…the last time I ran over someone." He started with amusement. "Didn't, ah, your mother ever tell you to look both ways before you crossed the street?" He questioned, waving his hands in an exadurated gesture.

With my breath caught in my throat, I tried hard to blink back tears. He must have noticed because he arose from his chair and sauntered over to the bed. "Shush, sh sh sh,-" He began, reaching to wipe a few tears from my face. "Now don't cry, I only came to return these, Ah, lovely stories…" He finished with a deep chuckle.

He fished into his vest pocket for a moment and pulled out a purple notebook.

My notebook.

My stomach dropped a couple stories lower.

Days at the bakery were sometimes slow…So, I mean why not write about the perfect night with a man? I mean I had a couple boyfriends, two that almost got serious. We'd messed around, and gotten hot and heavy, but never.. Ahem, "Hit a Home Run."

I had never had sex, but fuck it all if I couldn't write a damned good fuck session.

And they were all in that purple binding the Joker, of all people in the world, now had in his possession.

The clown chuckled once again as he dangled the bound works above my frozen form.

"Why do 'ya write…porn-" I shot him a look of rage. He cackled manically "Oh, ex-cuse me, E-ro-ti-ca?" He asked, hammering out each word as if to try to taunt me.

Nobody reads my shit.

Nobody.

Out of rage, I grabbed the heart monitor cords and ripped them from my body.

Two things: Mother of God...That hurt.

No more annoying beeping.

It hurt so bad that had to double over in an awkward seated position, leaning on my leg. Then to my dismay, I realized that I had a bruise the size of a small watermelon on my right thigh, the one I attempted to use as support. So I threw myself off the gurney.

I'm a genius, remember?

I squirmed into an Indian styled pretzel, and tried to stifle the sobs that racked through my chest.

It must have shown because, the Joker started to laugh so hard that he hunched over.

"HA HA! Doll face, y-you've- AH HA HA!- got a little bite dont'chu?" He gasped as he squatted down to my level.

I looked up at him, embarrassed and in pain.

"C-can I please have that back now?" I choked out.

The Joker lowered his head and his stare engraved itself into my mind.

"Well, see, I came all the way here to apologize and return your precious…'work' to you. And that's the only thing you've said to me this entire time. Hardly seems po-lite."

"What?" I gasped. He reached over and grasped my arm and pulled me into him. "And-" He began again as he brought me to a standing position. "-you did put a decent sized den-t in my car…"

I was scared. If I had had anything to eat, it would have reintroduced itself.

His intense gaze burned through me. "You, ah, seem like you're more trouble than your worth, E-liza-beth."

I started to struggle against his hold, but his grip was like iron.

"Please, P-please don't hurt me!" I stammered as I started to see dots in my peripherals.

This phrase seemed to stir him. The psychopath let go of me and I once again collapsed to the floor. He waltzed over to the metal door of the hospital and in one swift motion, turned the lock.

"This is it, I'm done for." I thought.

He turned around and locked eyes with me.

"What was that, Lizzy?"

I was lost. "W-what?" I guessed.

Wrong answer.

"NO! AFTER THAT!" He snarled as he stalked towards me. My eyes about popped out of my head, as I scrambled backwards towards the corner of the room.

He backed me into the wall, his face only inches from mine. From this distance, I could see his eyes were actually a dark chocolate auburn color.

"Um…" I stuttered.

He slammed a gloved hand next to my head, making the wall indent slightly in protest.

"I'm not a patient man, Eliza-beth-Ah." He breathed, causing me to shiver.

"Please don't…hurt..me?" I said again unsurely.

His eyes lulled me as his face inched closer to mine.

"There we go…."

I closed my eyes and turned my head, facing away from him.

"You see my dear,-" He drew out the "r" in a ridiculously deep sensual voice. "-You sound an awful lot like the character in this book." He stated as he motioned towards the notebook, before roughly pulling me to my feet again.