A Joke By Any Other Name - L. D. Manning (books suggested by elon musk .TXT) 📗

the wide filing cabinet. I tried to pull away from him but his grip was to tight. And only seem to dig into my arm more as I struggled against him.

Finally irritated with my needless struggling the Joker pushed me to Butch. Who wasted no time stuffing my small form in to the filing cabinet.

"Oh almost forgot, here's your water."

 

Blaming

 

Chapter Eight

Blaming

 

 

It was hard to move. And with that the wood in place blocking out the room light, I was covered in darkness. Unable to move my knees from my chest and barely able to shift from my back, to my right side, see as that was the only thing I could do.

The first few hours were sobbing and pleading, all answered with silence. After that time moves slow, even covered in my own filth. On the edge of just wanting to die. I begin to imagine a place far from this darkness. A place where Harris was still there, he would come and save me, he would come and love me. More than his wife, more than his kids, more than anything in the world.

And yet every time we were about to kiss. Everytime Harris was about to give me everything I ever wanted. 'He' would show up, the monster, called Joker, the man that I couldn't escape, not here, my safest place, my dreams. He found me and every time he found me he stab Harris in the neck.

His blood splattered across my face, as I stood stunned and frozen with terror.

And yet with in that bone chilling terror, I found that I could only watch. Watch as the Joker grabbed my face, with his blood soaked hands, his eyes so intensely focused on mine as he gave me a big creepy smile. "You can't escape me, I'll always find you." He kissed me and even as I tried to move my face away, I knew he was right. There was no running from him. So i accepted him, his kiss, his touch. I wanted it needed it. Only he could save me, from himself.

"Your mine. . . To have. . . To toy with. . . To kill. . ." Insane as it was. With in this moment, of fear and terror. I didn't fear death or feel the pain, from the unnatural possession I had been placed in. When I was a sleep, and dreaming of the Joker, I felt like I had escaped my nightmare.

But, then it would come back… the awful, awful nightmare

 

“Come on Harris come down.” I tried to step closer.

“Don't come near me! God why don't you get it, I don't love you! I will never love you.” Harris through his empty liquor bottle at me, missing by only inches. “Haven't you taken enough from me! My wife, my kids haven't you taken everything.

“You don't need them, if they really loved you they would have stuck around like I do, like I can.” Stepping closer I reached my hand out to him. “I Don't Need Your Love! I have enough love for the both of us. So please come down.”

“Oh God, he was right, the Joker was right.” He laughed hysterically. The force of it seeming to tip him over the edge of the roof.

I was too far away, I couldn't get to him in time.

No, no, no it wasn't me. . . I grabbed my head and screamed.

No, no, no it wasn't my fault

It was The Jokers fault.

He had put these thoughts in his head.

That's why he kill himself.

 

Humiliation & Accusing

 

Chapter nine

Humiliation & Accusing

 

 

 

"Knock, knock." A monovalent voice said from the other side of the wood. A voice I knew yet still felt surprised at hearing. "Would you like to come out?"

"Yes please." I shot out quickly my eyes tearing up as I leaned my head against the wood.  

"Are you going to be good. . . no more lies."

"Yes please, I promise."

Silence meet my ears then .

"Please don't leave me. . . I don't want to be alone.” I said bagging my head against the wood as I cried harder and harder. "I'll do anything."

For a long time I heard nothing not even the sound of breathing. Then it came like light with in the darkness. A voice asked me. "who was it that left you, your mother or father."

I didn't want to say, but I didn't want him to leave me alone again. "Both, it was both." They hadn't loved me like they had loved each other. Even used me to hurt or manipulate the other.

"How pathetic, a girl not even a mother could love." A high pick of laughter scratched at my ears. Making me shut my eyes just to try to block it out. Having barely any room to move made it hard to even touch my face.

"No worries. . .I won't abandon you." It was said in a way that suggest fear should be felt and though I did feel a small amount of fear. I also felt a bit of happiness, at the thought of never being lonely again.

No. . .no that was just something wrong with my brain he was crazy he locked me in here. He was going to let his men kill me. Though I did lie, and if I hadn't jumped at him then maybe his man wouldn't have had to step in.

Maybe my mother and father had been right. It was all my fault, I was never good enough any way. If I did better then things would be better...maybe they would never have left me.

"Maybe instead of sitting there quietly you can say ‘think you’ and not be an idiot.

". . . thank you."

A hard bang jolted me from the wood I had been laying my face on.

"That's no proper thank you."

"Thank you Joker." Another bag came, this one shaking the entire cabinet.  

"That's not what you call me, now is it? Now say it again and with the accent.

"Th- thank you Mr. J, "

"That a girl."

It was then the pieces of wood was pushed away. The high blinding lights almost blinding me to the sight, of a pale smiling face. Behind him stood his men laughing and pointing at me some even going as far as trying to wave away the smell, that emerged with me.

Embarrassment filled me, even more so when he encouraged me to come out as if I were some wild animal. As if I had crawled into the cabinet of my own accord.

 

“It's your own dum falt.” the voice of my father swap through my mind. His big beefy hands pushing my small twelve year old back into the wall. “Maybe if you stop listening to that bitch. And listened to me, shit wouldn't happen to you.” His fingers poking me with each word. Filling me with that same sense of helplessness, and fear.

 

A whistle drew me quickly from my pass, and back into the small space I was now too afraid to leave.

“Come on girl, you can do it.” the Joker said patting his legs as if I were his dog.

Perhaps I was.

My legs and right arm couldn't move. Leaving only my left arm. As I clawed my way from the filing cabinet. Sore and aching pain moved throughout my body. I felt so broken and humiliated. Here I was a woman crawling to the man that did this to me, that had put me through so much pain  My slow crawl to freedom only stopped by the pale hands that picked me up into his arms.

Walking me into the bathroom, the joker kicked the door shut. Then sat me down on the toilet. He had already brought in a washcloth, towels, and a change of clothing.

Silent and patient I waited as he wet the wash cloth.

When he turned back to me, I instantly started to take off my clothing. Only to have the Joker turn away, as he handed me the washcloth. The act of chivalry surprised me, but it didn't stop me from trying to clean myself as quickly as I could.

“I told you to stay away from me didn't I.” The Joker said his back still to me, as he passed new clothing to me. It was one of the white and black jumpsuits.

“Yes.” letting go of my old clothing so it wouldn't dirty the clean ones I had on. I walked out of the stall, and to the sink. Where I washed my hands. The cramping pain that taking over my body, had lessened enough for me to move around on my own.

Through the reflection of the mirror I saw him. His eyes wondering over me and yet, when he finally met my eyes, is when he spoke to me again. “Are you waiting for him?” I blinked unsure of who he was speaking of. He came closer now, his eyes still locked on mine as he put his hands on my shoulders. “Batman, have you been waiting for batman to save you?”

I opened my mouth to speak, then stopped myself. He wanted the truth. . . but one that would stroke his ego. “ In the beginning I thought about it alot. . . but now all I can think about is you.”  

He lightly chuckled as his hands crapped up my neck. The feel of his breath as it lightly blew against my hair, made me close my eyes.

“Honestly darling it's not my fault you dont lesson.” his hands moved in to my hair, as he grade a hand full of both sides. Pulling them up until they made tight pigtails.  “You should have your hair like this more. It frames your face beautifully.”

Opening my eyes I looked down and nodded my head. “Thank you.”

Letting go of my hair the joker walked to the bathroom door. “Lets go Harley we have work to do.”