CHAPTER 3
I woke up to water on my face. Just sprinkling. It was freezing though. And it felt like rain. I finally adjusted my eyes, only to see I was laying in a bathtub. My limbs helplessly hanging in or out of it. My back ached so much , along with my head. That's when I remembered being dragged into the bathroom. He must've dumped me into the shower. But the water felt particularly cold all over. To my horror, I saw my little black dress was gone. I glanced around, I was still in my underwear and bra, thank god. I tried searching for a towel, or some clothes. And nothing. I could only imagine how hideous I looked. Bruised, beaten, and smudged make-up. I let my head fall to the tub again. Closing my eyes. I wanted the tears to come, but they wouldn't. I wanted to feel something other than my achy body. And then hands were pulling me out of the tub by my hair. Anything but that. Horror struck through me as I realized once again, none of this was a dream.
"Wakey, wakey." said that horrific voice. I was on the floor now. He was standing above me, his legs straddling me. "Thought you may need a shower." He laughed, and stepped on my sore hand as he left the bathroom. I slowly pulled myself up, resting my back against the tub. When he came back in he dropped clothes in front of me. The Joker used my hair to yank back my head, forcing me to look at him. Then he yanked my hair really hard, and I heard a rip. He pulled out a fistful of my hair. "Still working on your haircut!" He laughed hysterically while dropping my hair onto me. Then he kicked my side, I swore I felt a rib break. I clutched my side and let out a small whimper. He giggled and left, shutting the door.
I took this time to get dressed. And to look for an escape route. There was a window. But it was too small. Way too small. Even my hips wouldn't fit through that. I sighed, opening the door. I looked around and the hallway was empty. I took this time to run for it. Which I did. Down the hall. When I made it to the other side. Uh wait. I didn't know which door to go through. I didn't hear the footsteps until my face met the door. A hand was on the back of my head, clutching my hair.
"Hmm wrong way, we're going this way." He grabbed my sore hand, squeezing it tight, so I whined with pain. "Please, let me go. I don't want to be here." "Okay." He chuckled. I couldn't help but seem a little confused. "We're leaving anyways." All my hope dropped. How stupid of me to even think twice that he might let me go. He continued to drag me through the hallway, leading to stares. I noticed his purple glove was leaking blood. The pain in my hand led me to know it was my hand that was bleeding. I tried not to focus on the pain. Instead I looked down at what I was wearing. Black sweat pants, and a black hoodie. So bland. I was actually hoping the clothes would be more colorful. Then I felt my foot slip, and his hand release. I went falling down, hitting my chin hard on a step and continued to roll down. I heard the Joker. Laughing. "That's a good way to get down faster!" I winced at the pain. My chin hurt the most. I could feel it bleeding.
It definitely would need stitches. But the Joker reached down, and dragged me by my hair. Forcing me to get on my feet and walk. I spit out blood on the concrete floor. I hated the way it tasted. My stomach was in knots. Then we were in what looked to be a garage. "Damn it!" He screamed, throwing me across the ground. "They should be ready!" He looked over at me, a smile fitting his lips.
"Did I ever tell you how fun you are?"
I spit up more blood onto the ground, only to hear him laugh. "Why are you doing this to me?" He laughed and came over to where I was laying. He bent down so I was face to face with him. My stomach churning at the sight of him. "Because you're everything I am not." He laughed yet again. Sending a deathly shiver throughout my body. He seen me tremble and only laughed harder. I was sitting now. My knees up to my chest. So I could hold myself together. "All I ever did was try to help you." I began crying. He started laughing, "Oh boo hoo! You want to cry? I'll make you cry!" He lifted his hand and at full force hit me. The force caused me to fall backwards. I rolled onto my side now, crying even harder. "I see this as tears of joy. You've never been happier in your life to see me!" He laughed, finally standing up. A door was opening now. And in came a black van. The driver popped out of his seat. He looked down at me then back at the Joker.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be late." And without a second thought, a gunshot. The guy fell to the ground, his body inches from mine. I screamed, and jumped up. Feeling a little dizzy doing so, I began to fall. My arms flung out aimlessly, trying to grab whatever I could. I grabbed something. To my horror it was the Joker's arm. He smiled. Grabbing my arm and lifting me up. His hand grabbed my hair then, leading me to the van. He opened the back doors, and threw me in. All I could think was where were we headed. I seemed to then catch the presence of three others. All dressed in black, wearing clown masks. Staring back at me. And then the van started moving at full force. I clutched onto something, I think was a pole to hang on.
I heard his laughter, as he whizzed through the streets. The slightest bump made my body jump in pain. I fought back the urge to scream. Oh how I wanted to. It was quite scary. Surrounded by more clowns, in complete darkness. I tried my hardest not to touch any of them. Tried my hardest to stay in my seat. But I watched the city fly by. Trying to picture this as just my imagination. The van seemed to be slowing. I wasn't sure why. I didn't know where we were headed. But then it came to a stop. The other guys jumping out one at a time. I remained seated. I heard the Joker talking to them. "Let me have the fun and then you do what you please." Then his eyes went to me. I stayed huddled in the corner of the van, clutching onto the seat.
"Oh Emma. Come out here." I didn't say a word, hoping that maybe I would just disappear. Or he'd go on without me. But how could I think such? He only crawled into the van, and grabbed my ankle. I held on tightly to the seat, hoping he couldn't pull me out. But then in one yank, I was flat on my back, laying in the road. "Ha-ha. You see how much fun you and I are? I bet people would pay to see this!" His laughed seemed to echo through my head. And then he grabbed my arm, pulling me to my feet. I then recognized it was a bank we were entering. His little clown friends entered first, followed by him. He shot at the ceiling, his laughter echoing throughout the whole bank.
"Don't a single soul move. Consequences will be dire." He laughed dragging me along with him. He went up to one of the bankers. "Well how are you beautiful?" He asked the banker. She was shaking so hard. Her hands already running over the computer screen. "How much?" She asked. He laughed, "What? For her?" I cringed, he was talking about me. "I got her for free. Actually, now that I think about it. She came right to me." He laughed harder. The banker was now in tears. Shaking her head, like she didn't know what to do. I then felt being yanked back, a man stepping in front of me. I saw him tap the Joker's back, who turned around. A fist on the Joker's right eye. He laughed again.
"So someone's going to try and be the hero? Doesn't anybody learn? Heroes are nothing more than a person who fights back." He pushed the man back, he went tumbling onto the floor. "Oh Allen!" A woman cry, crawling over to her husband. The Joker smirked. "Too bad you had to bring your wife into this. She looks good when she's frightened." He lifted the gun, pointing it at her. She began screaming for her life. I couldn't take it. "Stop!" He looked over at me. The gun still aimed at the woman. "Don't hurt her, please." She smiled over at me. "Okay, then you shoot her." He handed me the gun, forcing it into my hands. I froze. My head started shaking. There was no way I could. "Shoot her, or I'll shoot you." The feeling of a gun to your head is indescribable. No one should feel this way. I held the gun in front of me. The woman begging for her life. Now her eyes connected with mine. "I can't….." I barely whispered. "You can! It's so easy, just pull and.. BANG!" I started crying. "I can't I can't!" I dropped the gun, watching it land to the floor.
Then I heard a gun shot. And intense pain in my right leg. I looked down to see blood oozing from my leg. My body crashed to the floor. "Then I'll just kill you both!" Two gunshots filled the bank. I watched as two more people lie dead in front of me. The gun shots still echoing through my ears. He laughed. And I noticed a huge bag of money, laying next to him. He picked up the bag, then grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me towards the main door. "Okay, boys. Do as you please." He laughed while a chain of gunshots filled the air behind us.
I was thrown back into the van. My leg hitting hard against the wall. The gun shot wound felt on fire. I couldn't stop crying. I felt like everything I knew was shattered. I was in college, doing so well. I had great grades, and great friends. Depending on how long I've been here with the Joker, they might not even know I'm gone yet. They probably think I'm still out having a blast with Amanda. Oh poor Amanda. I thought about her mostly, she's been my best friend throughout college. No one could ask for a better friend. I ruined her wedding. It was my fault. I ached to see my mother and Ally. And Daddy. All of which I haven't seen since Christmas, about 5 months ago. I wanted to see them one last time. I cried viciously. Hysterically. While we drove recklessly back to the hideout. Some of the others were whispering about me. I knew it. But the whole time I could only concentrate the Joker. Watching him drive recklessly though the city. It was a wonder why the cops weren't chasing us. But soon. The car stopped. I didn't even notice until I seen the others leaving. I watched as they took off their masks, revealing their hideous faces. And high-fiveing each other.
I was thrown from the van. And dragged. By my hair of course. The Joker laughing the whole way upstairs as I banged my knees and shins against the steps. We must've gone up three flights before we went through a door. And walked down a hall way. The Joker opened a door, revealing the same dull grey room. He pushed me aside. Returning with a bandage. He looked at my helpless form and smiled. His hand lifting up my sweat pants. I cringed at his touch. He found the bullet wound. He slowly eased two fingers into the wound. I screamed in pain. My hand clutching the Joker's arm. He laughed of course, and next I saw him pull out the bullet. "Ouch. Did that hurt?" He asked, while laughing wildly. I cried. Which only fed him more. He then wrapped my leg, to stop the bleeding. But not because he cared. I don't even think the Joker knew the meaning of that word. No but because he didn't want me to bleed to death. He wanted me to suffer.
When he was done though. He brought a needle out of his jacket pocket. I froze in horror. I absolutely hated needles. His smile seemed to grow as he watched me squirm. But he had a good hold on me. "This is because I'd like you to shut up for a while." What? I freaked out. Viciously throwing my arms at him. But he seemed to dodge my every attempt to hurt him. "I promise, you won't feel a thing." He held my hands down with one of his. He stuck the needle up to my neck. "Any last words?" He smiled evilly. "Why? Why are you doing this to me?" I screamed. He laughed. "Well you see, Emma. You and I are alike." I laughed a little myself. "You are so wrong!" He laughed. "I'm serious. Have you ever felt like there was no one out there for you?" He asked me. "Don't lie. I hate liars." "You and me both," I replied. He looked at me. A harsh ravenous look in his eyes.
"Have you?" He asked again. I narrowed my eyes at him. I have, but I didn't say a word. "Tah dah!" He screamed. Plunging the needle into my neck. I thought 'This is my death.' But it felt too peaceful to be dying in the arms of the Joker.