CHAPTER 7
Jade was cold.
And hot.
And shivering.
And sweating.
And her head felt like it would crack open from the headache that woke her from her restless sleep.
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"
Jade heard a voice that separated itself from the ringing in her ears.
It was deep and rich, and accompanied by a cool touch on her burning forehead.
"Thou art more lovely and more temperate."
Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare. She hadn't heard that sonnet since she was in high school.
It was a bit different when vocalized by this deep and velvet voice.
I must still be asleep or hallucinating. Did I dream going to the asylum?
Then she remembered the Joker.
"Am I dead?" She asked the voice.
That's when the laughter started.
The keening, mocking, and insane laughter.
Then there were footsteps leading away to a slamming door.
And then there was only quiet.
Jade had still not opened her eyes. If only she could go back to sleep, if she could live each day from dream to dream, then maybe she could make it.
Her stomach churned at the thought of what tortures the Joker had in store for her.
Would he beat her? Maim her? Kill her slowly?
Would he make her wait until she would welcome death with open arms?
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The Joker chuckled to himself as he swiped some white cake makeup across his forehead.
This was going to be too easy for him.
All he had to do was charm the girl. Make her feel like she was special, like she would be different.
For goodness sake, he found her in a gun store for a one way ticket to the afterlife.
He could smell her desperation for love and acceptance.
What a joke.
Ha
Ha
Ha
After a little while, she would need him, love him.
And then he could do it.
End it.
End her.
Teach her that there is no such thing as real love.
There was one thing that the Joker hadn't anticipated though.
He hadn't expected how easy it would be to slip into his old self.
It was almost like he was a young man again as soon as he wiped off the clown face.
He could almost pretend that there weren't any scars when she had subconsciously leaned her head into his palm.