One Fateful Summer's Eve…
Disclaimer: The Joker is property of DC Comics and Warner Bros.
"WHO THE HELL DOES SHE THINK SHE IS!"
The Joker lashed out, punching a trash compactor. He howled in pain as his fist made solid contact with steel. His eyes glowed with rage as he turned back to the direction he had come from. Maybe he could go back and apologize... NO! What the hell was he thinking! She had thrown him out. It wasn't as if he had done anything wrong. So maybe he had gone a bit far with the... NO! She's riding the red tide and that gives her the right to throw him out on his ear!
"NO!" he screamed aloud.
Shifting his weight on his heels, the Joker leaned against the trash compactor. He crossed his arms across his chest and glared at the asphalt. He ground his back molars together.
"Hmph... Can't say I'm surprised... Can't trust anything that bleeds for seven days and doesn't die."
He'd strangle her with a MaxiPad! Drown her in Summer's Eve! Choke her with a bottle of Midol! His trademark smile crept across his face. He unclenched his teeth and let his spine-chilling cackle echo off the walls around him.
The night was looking better as he stepped out of the alley. The dim streetlights gave his violet trench coat an ethereal glow. The wide, purple brim of his hat hid his chalky visage, but his eyes shined like distant stars. His suit was darker than the night sky. At first glance, no one would guess that this dark stranger was the Clown Prince of Crime. He looked more like a shadow with a lilac outline.
A child ran down the sidewalk. As she passed the purple penumbra, a gloved hand clamped down on the girl's shoulder, stopping the child in her tracks.
"Now, now... Where are we off to in such a hurry?" the shadow cooed.
"My momma's going to kill me! I'm past my curfew! I gotta go mister!"
The clown rubbed the girl's checked collar between his fingers. "Tsk, tsk! That simply won't do! Where are you off to young lady?"
The child squinted, trying to see the face that accompanied those sparkling eyes. "Third and Lincoln."
"And you're going on foot! No, no, no... I won't have it."
The Joker approached the nearest vehicle, patting the child's golden locks as he passed. He stopped in front of a tan Volvo and turned back to the child. He fumbled around in his pockets, looking for imaginary keys. As he rummaged about, he tossed a whoopie cushion, "chattering teeth", a rubber chicken, two hand grenades, and a fuchsia dildo onto the sidewalk. He grinned and shrugged his shoulders, thrusting his elbow behind him through the car's window. He unlocked the door and opened it, gesturing to the interior.
"Get in."
"That's okay, mister. I can walk from..."
"I wasn't asking. Get in."
The girl's lower lip quivered as she stepped toward the car. She looked up at the shining orbs under the hat brim. The Joker turned his head at an angle, exposing his rictous grin.
The child screamed and turned to run. A gloved hand grabbed hold of her hair, pulling her back. In one fluid motion, he threw the girl into the passenger seat and got behind the wheel. He held her head to the dashboard as he fiddled with the wires under the consol. A spark and a second later, the Volvo sped down the street, fading into the night accompanied by the Joker's laughter.
Mrs. Alex White was worried sick, pacing about the kitchen. Her daughter had gone to the library to grab a book for school and hadn't returned. Why had she let her go on her own? Gotham was a dangerous city, certainly no place for a wandering child. She closed her eyes and sat at the table, holding her head in her hands. She picked her head up as the telltale sound of screeching tires sounded from outside.
She went to the window and moved aside the drape. A tan car (maybe a Volvo?) sped away, weaving across the road. The vehicle went up over the curb and onto the sidewalk. Trashcans and mailboxes flew up over the hood, scattering their contents into the air. Remnants of coarse laughter cut through the silence. As the makeshift confetti settled, Mrs. White stepped back from the window, shaking her head. Movement on the sidewalk redirected her attention. Was it… a body?
A wave of terror washed over her as she ran to the front door. She did her best to keep the ugly thoughts from her mind. She paused behind the door, taking a long, slow breath before facing the stark reality outside.
She moved onto the front porch, her eyes locked in on the slumped shape on the sidewalk. Her lip trembled. She could see her daughter's tartan jacket.
"God… Oh God… Oh no…" she whispered.
Her daughter was lying facedown on the sidewalk. Mrs. White crouched down laid a hand on her shoulder, gently rubbing it. No response.
"Hailey? Hunny?" her voice quaked.
She rolled her daughter over and screamed. Hailey's lifeless lips were frozen in a dreadful grin.
Mrs. White sat on the curb, pulling Hailey into her lap. There she sat with her daughter until dawn.