Sucker for Pain//The Joker

Chapter 12: We Put the World on Our Shoulders

            I wake up the next morning to the familiar sunlight shining in my eyes. I slide the silky sheets off of my body and stand up but I feel sore all over. I notice markings on my arm and I see that I am covered in bruises and burns. The memories from the previous night come flooding into my head. Anger boils up inside me. How could he do such a thing? Do I really mean that little to him, if anything at all?

         Just as I am thinking he walks in and looks surprised to see me. He wears a long, purple trench coat and his usual, black pants and a loose, button down shirt.

          "You're up earlier than expected." He states simply. I feel as if steam is coming out of my ears, I am fuming with rage. I look next to me on the bedside table and grab the nearest thing I can find to throw at him. The alarm clock goes flying through the air but he ducks and it misses his head. Next I throw a few books and one or two of them manage to hit him. I even go as far as to chuck the lamp at him but he catches it with one hand and sets it down on top of the dresser.

          "Sophia, listen I-" but I don't give him a chance to finish his sentence. I pick up one of the books and start whacking him with it.

          "How the fuck could you put me through something like that, you psychopathic maniac! You kiss me twice and then throw me in a cage? What the hell is wrong with you?!" I yell choking back tears. A few manage to fall from my eyes but I ignore them and throw the book at his feet.

          "Sophie, listen, I'm a psychopath. What were you expecting me to do? Give you your freedom and let you run away?" he snickers, laughing maniacally. There's the Joker I know. "I still want you to join my crew, and if you won't these are just things you're gonna have to get used to. I throw a lot of parties, sweetie."

         "Stop playing with my emotions! I'm a human fucking being, J... just let me go, I wanna go home, and I don't want to join your crew." I say, my voice breaking. I really miss my home and my job and my friends. He rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

          "You can't go home now, you've seen too much. You'd go straight to the police and where would that put me? Right back in Arkham Asylum, that's where." He says wondering over to his desk. He rummages through the drawers and finds a handgun and plays with it in his hands. "Unless, you'd rather me kill you?" he says with an evil smirk. My stomach drops and I freeze in fear. He steps closer towards me but doesn't look up from the gun. I see my chance and kick him in the shin and just as planned he drops the gun. I pick it up and point it at him, clicking the safety back. He puts his hands up in mock fear and pretends to be afraid. "What, you're gonna shoot me? You really think you can shoot me? You gonna try and shoot me?" he mocks stepping closer in line with the gun. He takes it from my trembling hands. "Here, let me make this easier for you," he says pointing the gun at his own head. He smiles crazily at the look of horror on my face and lowers the gun. Suddenly he hits me over the head with the barrel of the gun, knocking me to the floor.

          "What am I to you? I'm not just some toy," I spit. He laughs patronizingly.

"Oh honey, I own you. You're whatever the hell I want you to be." He crouches down and looks into my eyes. I glare at him and he sneers back. He sticks his tongue out and smiles, standing up to leave.

          "I think you're just afraid," I challenge, pulling myself back up with the help of the bedside table. He stops in his tracks and cocks his head to the side. He clenches and opens his fists, looking ready for a fight.

          "Afraid...of what..." he says through gritted teeth. "I am the infamous Joker, the king of Gotham City, I am not afraid. Not afraid of anything." He screams, turning around quickly.

         "I know a few things you are afraid of, Mister J." I threaten once more. He walks towards me until we are face to face, nose to nose. He grins.

          "And what would that be?" he asks, batting his eyelids innocently.

          "Love, commitment, and everything that comes in between. You were starting to fall for me, that's why you've gone back to being your crazy old self. You're afraid I make you sane, and that makes you afraid you'll lose your crazy. If you lose your crazy then you won't be the 'King of Gotham City' anymore. You're afraid where that'll lead you, what you'll become after that. After all, crazy is all you've known all your life, isn't it, Joker?" his smile fades more and more the longer I talk. He turns around and looks down at the floor, bewildered.

          I decide to sum it all up for him as one last blow.

          "You are afraid of me."

Oh my kind of a cliff hanger! I'll be back tomorrow at noon with another update as usual :)

-elkj13