Author's Note: I'm really sorry it's been so long since I last updated (almost 2 months); you won't believe the problems I've had with this chapter. Also, it isn't exactly finished... it ends in a cliffhanger (as usual), and I haven't had time to add to it yet. Because I don't know when I can add to it, and you've already waited so long, I'll have to post it as is. Also, Joker isn't in this chapter, but he'll be making another appearance shortly. That's all I'm saying. ;-D My answers to reviews can be found at the end of this chapter.
Chapter 9: Won't You Come Out and Play With Me?
Heavy rain pelted mercilessly down from the pitch-black sky, whipping my face and blinding me, making it difficult to run. Mace's long strides closed the distance between us in a matter of seconds; a dreadful roar of thunder drowned out my scream as he reached out for me.
As Mace's arms began closing around me, I quickly dropped to the ground and lunged for his legs; he toppled over me and crashed to the ground in a heap. I leapt to my feet and took off running back toward the exit. To my dismay, I discovered that the gate was locked and barred. I considered scaling the gate and climbing over the top of it, but there wasn't time… Mace was back on his feet and heading my way.
I whirled around and began running along the fence, dragging my hand along it so I wouldn't lose my way, hoping that I might find another exit… or a hole in the wall… anything that would give me a way out of this hopeless situation... but I couldn't find anything. To make matters worse, I was absolutely blind and terrified out of my mind.
In my blind and frantic state, I didn't notice the stone bench in front of me until it was too late; I crashed painfully into the bench, somersaulting over it and crashing breathlessly to the wet pavement. Ow… that hurt… I lay on the ground too stunned to move, until I heard heavy footfalls coming up the path headed my way. I clenched my teeth against the pain and scrambled under the stone bench, curled myself into a tight ball and did my best to calm my breathing. I hoped against hope that Mace was as blind as I was… that he wouldn't notice me and would keep running past my makeshift hiding place.
The footsteps drew ever closer, echoing on the rain-slicked pavement. My heart pounded hard against my chest, keeping time with the footsteps, and thundering so loudly in my ears that I was sure Mace would hear it and find me. Just then, something heavy knocked into the bench I was hiding under; my heart stopped, and I barely kept myself from screaming. Had I been found? I closed my eyes tightly and held my breath, expecting that at any moment, rough hands would drag me out of my hiding place. But no hands reached for me in the darkness. I hadn't been found… yet.
After several seconds, I risked opening my eyes for a peek… and then I wished I hadn't. To my shock and horror, I found that I was looking straight into a pair of legs… Mace's! Mace had crashed into the same bench that I was hiding under, and was now sitting on it, rubbing his injured right leg. I had to clamp both hands tightly over my mouth to keep from whimpering. Could this night get any worse? No, wait, don't answer that; of course it can get worse.
I waited for what seemed like forever, hoping Mace would get up and move away; was he ever going to? I was wet and freezing cold, and my limbs were cramping up from my huddled position under the bench. I couldn't keep that position much longer, my aching limbs and body were begging for a stretch; but if I moved, Mace was sure to discover me and kill me… or worse. That was something that I really didn't want to think about.
My teeth began to chatter and I stuffed my gloved hand between my teeth to muffle the sound, afraid that I'd give away my position. Please, Mace, move! Please leave! I silently begged. But he stayed where he was, and I wondered if he knew I was there. Did he know? Was he just playing a game of cat-and-mouse, letting me sweat it out before attacking? My heart began beating faster, and my throat was closing up. Stop it, Kami! Stay Calm and don't panic! I ordered myself. Ha! Easier said than done.
Suddenly, I heard faint rustling behind me, and something moved next to my head. I cautiously swung my head around to look, almost screaming when I saw a pair of small, white lights in the darkness; a pair of eyes, belonging to a rat! It was less than two inches from my face, just staring at me. I felt absolute fear staring into those eyes, even more fear than I had felt beforehand. They just seemed so predatory. I couldn't believe it! I was bigger than this critter, but it had me frozen with fear. To make matters worse, I couldn't back away from it anyway because Mace was effectively blocking my exit. This just isn't right.
The rat watched me for a few more seconds, and then slinked around me to the bench opening. It brushed against Mace's leg, causing him to jump up in surprise. When he saw the rat, he pulled a gun out and started firing at it; but he missed, and the rat scurried away into the darkness. Mace put away his gun, brushed ineffectively at his pant leg where the rat had brushed against, and then limped off into the darkness in the direction of the entrance.
I couldn't believe it; had a rat just saved me? It was hard to believe, but it was true. Even though the rat hadn't meant to help, its presence had provided me with the very diversion I needed; Mace was finally leaving the area. I held my breath as I listened to his footsteps fade into the darkness; then I waited a few endless minutes until there was enough distance between us so I wouldn't draw his attention. At long last, I slowly uncurled my aching body and crawled out from under the bench. I stayed low on the ground, and tried to get my bearings.
It was still dreadfully dark and rainy, but my eyes had adjusted a little to the darkness; I could now make out various silhouetted objects surrounding me, and realized belatedly that they were benches, tables and chairs. I was in the food court/rest area, and my heart gave a leap. I knew where I was now, and if I wasn't mistaken, I knew how to get out!
I had spent some time in this amusement park a year ago, and from what I remembered, there was an emergency exit just beyond the fun house, next to the roller coaster (the one I had almost fallen out of)… the only problem was getting to it. I was in one corner of the park, and the fun house was in the opposite corner, at a diagonal to where I was. It was a lot of ground to cover, and a long shot at best… but Mace had gone back toward the entrance so I couldn't go that way, and I couldn't think of anything else. I had to try.
I cautiously began making my way across the food court, staying low to the ground and ducking behind the scattered outdoor furniture whenever a bolt of lightning lit the sky. I was almost to the other end of the food court when I suddenly heard a sound that chilled me to the core; someone whistling the theme song to "the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". My heart plummeted, and I slowly turned around.
A streak of lightning lit the sky, and once again I found myself face-to-face with Mace. He was standing in the middle of the food court just over 20 feet away from me, smiling in a predatory way, with his gun trained on me. I froze, and my heart skipped a couple beats. I knew this was it… there was no chance that I'd survive. I gulped, and tried to brace myself for what was coming. Move, you idiot! Duck, run… do something! I told myself… but it was no use. I could only stand there, rain dripping down my face, staring at the dark form before me.
I heard Mace slowly pull back on the trigger, and then it happened; a bullet exploded from the gun, whizzing past my head so close I swear I could feel the heat from it. I screamed, wrapped both my arms around my head trying to shield myself, turned sharply around and ran out of the food court, with Mace's bullets narrowly missing me every step I took.
There was a concrete wall surrounding the food court, which shielded me from further bullets; and though Mace had a longer stride than mine, he was moving at a slower pace due to his injured leg. Because of this, I managed to lose him and gain a little ground once I got out of the food court… but I couldn't keep up the pace for long; I was hurting way too bad. I had to find somewhere I could hide long enough to get my second wind, and plan my way out.
I spied the carousel not far off; it was the type that also had chariots, and I figured I could hide in one of them. I raced over, leapt onto the carousel, and ducked down into a chariot. I risked a glimpse in the direction I had come from, but didn't see Mace anywhere. I just hoped he hadn't seen me either. I tried to calm down and catch my breath, but I was freaking out.
I had so many close calls that night, too many for comfort. And something was nagging at the back of my mind. Mace is a crack shot, the words echoed in my head, so why did he miss? True, it was dark and rainy… but could that really have made Mace miss me so many times, from only 20 feet away? He could have missed on purpose, I thought, but why? What is he up to? I didn't have time to wonder, though.
I shrieked as the carousel suddenly lurched forward, springing to life as the lights and music turned on. The lights in the park had turned on as well, and I could hear the other rides running in the distance. What in the heck was going on? Before my poor heart could recover from this shock, another shock threatened to stop it completely. As the Carousel rotated around to the other side, I came face-to-face with a grinning Mace. He was standing next to the carousel, arm outstretched, with his gun pointed directly at me.
I shrieked again and bolted from the chariot; a bullet narrowly missed me as it ricocheted off the back of the chariot with a metallic clang. I ran around the carousel, weaving in and out among the prancing horses, frantically dodging bullets and trying to put the carousel column between us. When I made it halfway around, I jumped off the carousel and ran over to the fence intent on jumping over it; but before I could, a bullet struck the fence near me and stopped me dead in my tracks.
I turned around to face Mace; he was grinning madly, and the flickering lights of the carousel cast eerie shadows across his face which made him appear almost demonic. It really creeped me out… as if I wasn't already creeped out enough. We stood there, watching each other for what seemed like eternity. I was breathing heavily, and my body was shaking from the cold and abuse I'd taken. I knew I couldn't take much more. What are you waiting for, Mace, I thought to myself. If you're going to make your move, do it now. I was so tired of waiting. I didn't want to die, but I didn't see any way out, and the waiting was driving me nuts. Just get it over with, Mace. I'm done playing.
As if in answer, Mace grinned wider, winked once, and raised his gun higher to point at my head. He slowly pulled back on the trigger, relishing every moment, and then… CLICK! CLICK! CLICK CLICK CLICK… Mace's face dropped and his eyes grew wide in anger; his gun was either empty or jammed. I didn't need any further encouragement, and so took my cue; turning quickly, I vaulted over the metal fence and tore down the walkway.
I could see the roller coaster in the distance as I ran, but it still seemed too far away; I was hurting so bad that I really didn't think I could make it. There was no way I could run all that distance, in this much pain, with Mace on my tail. I was already out of breath and slowing down… Mace would catch me for sure, even with his injured leg. There had to be some other way of getting across the park.
I looked up and saw the sky ride—it's a suspended chair-lift ride similar to a ski lift that goes across and above the park, giving customers a birds-eye-view of the park—and realized I could use that. It wouldn't get me to my exact destination, but I would be a lot closer than I am now. I noted the direction the chairs were heading, spun around and headed in the opposite direction, backtracking until I reached the loading platform.
The chairs were moving across the platform without stopping, and were going faster than normal; there was also a lock on the control box which prevented me from slowing them down. I wasn't sure if I would be able to get on one due to the speed it was traveling, and also because of how slick it was from the rain, but I had to try; it was my best shot.
I grabbed for a couple of chairs, but couldn't hang onto them; I was moving too sluggishly. I grabbed for another chair and swung one leg over it, but couldn't swing onto it all the way. I slid off of the wet surface, dangling from the seat for a couple of seconds by my fingertips before falling to the ground. Luckily the chair hadn't gone very high yet and I only fell about five feet; the ride itself is about 30 feet at its tallest. I shuddered… I wasn't sure I could do this anymore. No, don't give up, I thought, it's still your best shot. I picked myself up and went back to the platform.
I reached out again for a chair, but froze when I saw Mace limping down the pavement. The chair sideswiped me and I crashed to the ground, this time tasting blood from a cut lip. I pulled myself up and looked in Mace's direction; he was moving fast, even with his limp, and would catch up to me in a matter of seconds. I bit back against the pain and scrambled to my feet, diving wildly for a chair as Mace reached the platform.
I swung into the seat and managed to stay on, but I was facing backwards this time. Mace grabbed my leg as the chair began its climb, trying to pull me from my seat; I kicked out violently with my other leg, hitting him across his face. He went down, hard, holding both hands to his nose. I think I may have broken it… at least I hope I did. He deserves it.
As the chair ascended, I watched Mace crawl over to the control box and try to break in. A chill ran down my spine… if he managed to break in, he could strand me up here, or he could make the chair lift bring me back to him. I began breathing heavier, and clung tighter to my chair. To my great relief, Mace was unable to break in to the control box; but my relief was short-lived. I watched in horror as Mace swung aboard one of the other seats, just seven seats behind mine. Oh, great… what have I gotten myself into this time? This had to be one of the stupidest ideas I'd had yet, but it was too late to jump off; I was too high by this time. All I could do now was sit and wait, and hope I could get away from Mace when the ride ended.
We rode in stony silence, Mace facing forwards while I was facing backwards. Mace had his gun pointed in my direction, and I could occasionally hear the click of his gun as he tried to un-jam it. Each click I heard took another year off of my life, and made me feel nauseous. When was the ride going to end? It seemed to be taking forever, and I had no idea when it would end because I couldn't turn around; my position was less than stable, and I was afraid I'd topple to the ground if I budged an inch. Plus my eyes were locked with Mace's… I couldn't look away. Mace grinned at me, for he knew just how scared I was, and he was loving every minute of it; he loved the fact that I was stranded up there with him, and that I couldn't run away anymore.
My stomach lurched as my chair suddenly began it's descent; I almost fell off, barely keeping my balance at the last second. Mace's eyes lit up in anticipation of the chase that would follow, and I whimpered softly in fear of it. Would this nightmare ever end? I risked a glance behind me; the ground was approaching fast, and I readied myself for the jump I'd have to make. I rolled off of my seat when I was still about six feet from the ground, scrambled to my feet, and took off running. I wanted as big a head start as I could get. I heard Mace's hard-soled shoes hit the ground and start running after me; he had recovered enough that his limp was almost gone, and he was gaining ground fast.
Mace appeared to know where I was headed, and managed to get between me and the emergency exit. I changed directions a couple of times and tried to double back, tried to get around Mace; but each time Mace was able to anticipate my moves, and push me back further from the exit. I changed directions again, this time heading straight for the roller coaster. I figured I could cut across the track and double back on the other side and reach the exit that way… but if I had been thinking clearly, I never would have tried it.
When I reached the platform, I found it was empty of roller coaster cars, but I didn't think about it at the time; I had also found a barricade on the other side of the tracks that I couldn't get through or over, and that concerned me more than missing cars. I turned back around to run in the other direction, but Mace coming for me; I was trapped. I panicked and started running along the roller coaster tracks, and Mace began to follow. My running soon turned into climbing, as the tracks began rising steeply. I had no idea what I would do once I reached the top of the hill… all I could do was blindly climb, and hope I could find some way out of this situation.
Mace had been following me during all this time, but I suddenly couldn't hear him behind me any longer. I looked back and, sure enough, Mace had disappeared. Why? Had he fallen? Wouldn't I have heard him if he did? I stopped climbing and craned my neck around, trying to see where he could have gone. As I was looking, I felt the tracks begin shaking and heard a clattering noise ahead… I shielded my eyes against the rain and gazed with wide eyes onto the next hill over. It was taller than the one I was climbing, so I could see the top of it from where I was. I just wish I couldn't.
The empty roller coaster cars had reached the crest of that hill, and were now making their descent headed straight for me. I was in a lot of trouble. Just then a hand shot through the space between the slats, grabbed my hand and pulled my arm through. I cried out as my face smashed painfully into the track, and then cried out again as I peered between the slats; it was Mace. He had climbed out on the scaffolding and come up underneath the tracks under me while I was frozen. I tried to yank my arm free, but found I couldn't; he had it pinned against the underside of the tracks, and I realized with great fear what he was planning. He was going to hold me there so the roller coaster would hit me.
"NO! LET GO! LET GO! LET ME GO, YOU BIG FREAK!" I shrieked, and began swinging wildly at him between the slats with my free arm.
Mace tried to catch my other arm too, but failed. I got a lucky hit, striking him on his sore nose; he put one hand to his nose, but kept my arm pinned with the other. I looked up and saw that the roller coaster had reached the crest of the hill I was on… it was now or never. I hit Mace again, at the same time pulling hard on my trapped arm; he overbalanced, and fell out of sight into the darkness below.
I overbalanced too and tumbled partway down the track, and then went over the side. I fell for a few feet, arms flailing around, managing at the last second to grab a hold of a metal bar on the scaffolding. I closed my eyes and clung frantically to the bar as the roller coaster rattled and clattered overhead. When the scaffolding finally stopped shaking, I opened my eyes and looked around… and almost lost my grip on the metal bar when I saw how high I was. How in the heck was I supposed to get down?
Felix: Thank you! I'm glad you like the story. Yes Joker will be making another appearance... I just can't say when or how yet (I have to get Kami off of the rollercoaster tracks first).
Forensic Photographer711: Yeah, I thought the cliffhanger in the last chapter was pretty bad myself... and this one is even worse. Believe me, I don't plan them this way... the story has a mind of it's own. I'm glad you like the story though. It gives me a boost to write.
Tool of a Higher Power: Thank you! I'm glad you like the story so far. I hope you'll continue to read as I continue to post.
Killing Joke: It only took you a half hour to read? That was quick, lol. I just wish I could write it as quickly. Thanks for the great review! I hope you like the rest of the story as well.
Flamestrike: I'm sorry it took so long for me to update. Real life continues to intrude, as does writer's block every now and then. Would you believe I had Kami trapped under the bench for five weeks, because I couldn't figure out how to get her out?
Cyn Wraith: Thank you! I really appreciate your comments. Batman is coming... I just can't say when. Joker's even more antsy about the absentee Batman than we are, and he's got a few tricks up his sleeves to flush him out. Also, I was going to explain a little about Kami and Tommy in this chapter, but it was taking too long to write. I'll have to save it for the next chapter. I just hope you're still reading then.
Melissa Ivory: I'm glad you like Kami. I'm a little attached to her myself. :-) I think it's cool that you have so much in common with her! In answer to your question, She's around 120 lbs, but I don't really think her weight is important. She's just an average build, semi-athletic person who likes to run and hit things with her baseball bat... although she doesn't have her bat at the moment, and she is currently spending her time running from madmen. I do try to keep her as normal as possible, though it's a little difficult with the trouble her bad temper causes, and the weird situations she keeps finding herself in.
SpiderFreak: Thank you so much! I do my best to keep true to Joker's character... always asking my sisters and nieces, "Would Joker do this?" or "Does this sound like the Joker?" My 14-year-old niece says in response, "YOU sound a little too much like the Joker... I'm slowly backing away now." She's hilarious. And thank you for your comments about Kami! I'm thinking of creating a sequel with her, but I have to finish this one first.