Hiding

[theoprhan]

The dirty blond, blue eye child huddled in the corner of the cool warehouse. She did not want to be seen by the man that had taken it over, and she really hoped that he did not find her either. Her eyes travelled to her makeshift cot not far from her hiding place, and her fear showed clearly on her face. She had forgotten to break it down so that he wouldn’t have an idea that there was someone else here.

Joc heard the echoes of his footsteps as he got closer to her secluded piece of the floor, and she shrank back further into the shadows of the corner. She closed her eyes as if that would make her completely invisible to him. The sounds of his steps got closer and louder as he approached her spot. She was sure she had stayed quiet as a mouse, but she must have made a noise as she was suddenly yanked out of the corner and faced a mean looking knife. “I’m sorry. Please don’t hurt me! I promise I won’t tell anyone you are here! I’ll leave and never come back!” Jocelyn pleaded with the armed man; her fear was clearly visible and was literally rolling off of her in waves. The only answer she received was an insane laugh as he dragged her away and down to the others.

She had a feeling of forbidding doom and death as her captor showed her off as if she was some prize.

[The Joker]

The Joker was wandering through the empty warehouse working out his next endeavor to bring chaos to the fine people of Gotham. It was easier for him to think in a place that reminded him of home. Dark and dirty and alone.

As he came around a corner he saw her, the last thing he would have thought he would find in a place like this, he pulled out his favorite knife and grabbed her but the collar of her clothes. "Hello kiddie! what are you doing in my warehouse?" he cackled as he dragged her out into the open and then dropped her on the ground.

He knelt over her, running his knife along her hair line, but not applying any pressure to it. "There there little one, don't be scared, I'm a clown, children love clowns!" He laughed manically and looked into the girls eyes loving the fear in them. He briefly wondered what he should do with her. Shrugging he decided that decision could wait, he was going to play with her first..

"Whats your name then?"

[theoprhan]

Jocelyn sat huddled on the middle of the floor and looked up at the man that had thrown her there. She saw his makeup and screamed, she was afraid of clowns. Completely terrified of them. She posed like a deer in a pair of headlights, and her fear only increased as he ran that knife along her hairline.

Her heartbeat hitched and picked up in terror as she saw that this man did not have her best interests in mind. When he asked her what her name was, she only continued to stare up at him in fear for a moment and swallowed the knot in her throat. She finally managed to answer his question in a light whisper, "Jocelyn."

She only wanted him to leave her unharmed, and to go away. She had already told him she wouldn't tell anyone that he was here. What more did he want from her? What was he going to do to her?

[The Joker]

The Joker licked his lips and sat down beside the small girl, looking all around them, pushing his hair out of his face with his hand.

"Well Jocelyn, what are we going to do now? I know, how about a story, would you like to hear a story?" he asked her as he sat with his legs stretched out in front of him, his hands resting on either leg. He looked at her and smiled. "I know a good one!"

He laughed as he pushed his hair out of his face again. He was enjoying this, it was an unexpected turn to his morning but it was fun none the less. He briefly thought of Harley, she would like to have been there, she had a thing about mothering small things, something that Joker could never understood. Still the girl might make a good present for her, maybe he wouldn't have to kill her after all. But enough of that, he told himself. It was story time!

He loved telling stories, and his favorite was how he got the scars on his face, he found it a good story to break the ice at a party, like he had done with Harvey Dent's pretty little squeeze not to long ago. Ah memories... He sighed and turned back to the girl. "Well?"

[theoprhan]

Jocelyn watched him with fear as he sat down with his leg out in front of him and his hands laid on each one. He was asking her if she wouldn't mind hearing a story. She loved stories! Perhaps it would make her feel better if she did hear his. She swallowed her fear again, and licked her dry cracked lips.

"S..s...sure." She stuttered as she nodded her head in answer. She had noticed that he had scars at the corners of his mouth, but it only added to her terror of clowns instead of peeking her curiosity. Her breath became ragged as her fear continued to build, and she was straining to keep from running from him. She was sure that he could easily catch her, and then there was no telling what he would do to her then.

[The Joker]

"Good!" The Joker clapped his hands together and lent toward the girl with a terrifying grin. He pointed to his scars with his knife, turning his head from side to side for better viewing as he smiled. "You see these scars? Wanna know how I got them?"

"I was not much older than you you know, how old are you anyway?" he asked her, still leaning close to her. He could smell the fear on her, and it made him laugh hysterically in bursts between talking and serious moments when he remember the real way he got his scars, though he would never ever actually tell that story, no, his stories about it were different each time and very entertaining if you asked him.

[theoprhan]

As he leaned toward her, Joc leaned further back from him. She didn't want him that close to her. She saw as he pointed to the scars at the corners of his mouth. She nodded her head went he asked her if she wanted to know how he got them. When he finally got too close for her comfort, she turned her head and closed her eyes.

When he asked her how old she was, she only shrank back from him and in the same tone she told him her name she answered, "Eleven." She was already terrified of him, and with him being that close to her only frightened her more. She was beyond terrified now, but what was the next level of fear for her?

[The Joker]

"Yup, yup I was about your age then... you know what happened?" he asked her as he grabbed her face by the chin and made her look at him, even if her eyes where shut. "It's rude not to look at a person when they are talking to you!" he snapped at her in a dangerous tone.

"I was at school you see, and well no body liked me at school. You know why no body liked me Jocelyn? I'll tell you why, it was because I never smiled you see. Never, not once, not much to smile about when your Daddy is raping your Mummy every night you see" He told her letting go of her face, anger burning in his eyes.

"Then one day, after school some of the boys cornered me in an alley way, there was no way out." he looked at the girl and wondered if Harley really would like it if he brought her home.. Shrugging he continued with his story.

"The boys held me down and used a knife, a lot like this one actually" He held up his knife, close to her face. "and they did this, you see, you see?" he ran his knife along his scars again.

"and do you know what they said when I was laying there in my own blood?" he was shaking with rage now, he really was a brilliant liar. "They said 'there now you will always be smiling" He burst out laughing as he finished his story. It was not a fun laugh, but a terrifying one.

[theoprhan]

He grabbed her chin rather roughly and forced her to face him. When he snapped at her, she only flinched in fear and as a result, she opened her eyes. She was too scared to cross this man, as she believed that he would actually harm her. Her body was now shaking uncontrollably with fear. Tears were falling down her face freely now.

When he let her face go, she took the chance and scooted back away from him. She had no choice but to listen to his story as he told it. She strained her muscles again when he held the knife at her and flinched away from the sharp object that he had placed so close to her face. She was slightly relieved when he then ran the blade down his own scars. She then dipped her head as more tears fell down her face, leaving muddy tracks in their wake.

Then he laughed, not a fun filled one at a park or humorous, but one of terror. She then gave into her flight response and scooted away from him some more. After a few feet, she then turned over and scrambled to her own two feet before attempting to run. She kept slipping, but she managed to stay upright. After a few moments, she got her momentum going and began to run properly. She wished someone was there to help her, but she was always alone.

[The Joker]

The Joker watched as the little girl started to run away and burst out into evil laughter. He really didn't like it when his playthings run from him, something that seemed to happen a lot come to think of it. Shrugging and putting it down to a mixture of his charming personality and their stupidity he stood and called out to the small girl.

"Where are you going little one, come back, uncle Joker hasn't finished his story!" Laughing he ran after her, catching her easily as she kept slipping in her terror. He grabbed her up into his arms around her small waist and spun her around in circles on the spot. "WEE........." he said as he spun till he got dizzy and had to stop. He put her down, keeping a hold on her small arm so she would not be able to get away again.

"You really shouldn't have done that you know, I wasn't even going to hurt you... but I really don't like it when people run away from me!"

[theoprhan]

Jocelyn screamed when he grabbed her, and then it got louder when he twirled around. She was still crying in shear terror when he caught her and kept her from escaping. She just wanted to be safe, and not afraid any more. This man was scaring her out of her mind, and she hated it. She closed her eyes once more in another attempt to make him go away.

When he put her down, the room spun wildly out of control and his hand on her arm did not escape her notice. She began to shake as he restrained her. Her fear went beyond normal limits as she realized that he was now planning on hurting her, perhaps even killing her. She wished she had managed to escape. She began to fight his hold on her arm to at least give herself a fighting chance to survive anything he may throw toward her.

[Harleen Quinzel]

Harley hummed a made up tune and skipped happily through the warehouse looking for her puddin. He was a hard man to find, he never stuck to the same hideouts for long. And hardly ever told here where he would be, unless he needed her in someway. Which was totally fine which Harley, seeing as she almost always knew where to looks for him. A deserted warehouse like this was his favorite. Big, dirty and lots of broken things about to stick in his pockets. He was so cute, she could barely stand how darn adorable he really was. "Oh Mister J.." she called out in a loving "Honey I'm home" type of way.

With on last skip Harley hears a scream, from what sounded like a young child. She looked down from the 2nd level banister she was on and spotted Joker manhandling a little girl. "Puddin whatcha doin!?" Harley called out and leaped, in a very flippy, acrobatic way to the ground level. "Found someone to play with huh?" A bit of jealousy ran through her. She was supposed to be his plaything whats he doin with the little lady! Then it dawned on her, with the look on tha kids face, he was most likely thinkin of killing her. Which made Harley really sad, this kid was cute and above all, under her tough painted exterior Harls loved kids. "Heya Mr.J... hows about we don't hurt her.. that would just break my little heat." She batted her eyes sweetly at him, putting on the charm hoping he would at least listen to her this time.

[The Joker]

The Joker was just about to put his knife to work when he heard Harley's voice asking him not the hurt the girl. He looked up at her and frowned angrily. "And just what is it to you who I hurt? You never cared before, less it's that damn plant bitch you like so much" he asked her as he dropped the girl hard on the floor and moved to Harley, circling behind her and talking into her ear, his breath warm on her neck.

"Give me a reason not to kill her Harls, you know me, I'm an easy going man, I will listen to you." he almost whispered. He was going to listen to a certain extent. After all, until the girl had tried to run away from him he had been toying with the idea of giving her to Harley. "Well?"

[theoprhan]

With arrival of the other woman, the man dropped her rather hard and she landed on her rear with a loud 'thunk'. Her tears only fell more and faster at the onslaught of pain the drop brought her. It hurt too much for her to try to escape once more, and she only ended up sitting there hugging her knees. Her face was buried into them so she wouldn't have to see the two of them while they talked about her death.

Jocelyn looked up when she didn't hear anything for a bit, and she could tell that the woman was trying to save her from this man's knife. She looked up at the woman in hope that she would be able to change the man's mind. She just didn't know what she would have to give in return for saving her life. This new uncertainty only added to her fear...

[Harleen Quinzel]

Harley just about shrunk into a tiny little pile of nothing when Joker came and walked behind her. His hot breath shooting down her neck. It was fear mixed with.. well she really could put her finger on it. "Mr.J.. look shes just a kid, what trouble can she be?" Harls knew it didn't matter how old they were, who they were. If Joker wanted them dead then that's what he did. She never stuck her nose in where she knew it would get cut right off. But this time was different, this kid was cute and reminded her of herself when she was young, sorta. "She would be great help to me at home ya know, when your out bringin home tha bacon." She turned slowly and looked at him, trying not to look to afraid.

"What do you say puddin.." She wrapped her fingers round the his hand and the knife he was clutching. "Like one big happy family. Just like I've always wanted." One big crazy family was more like it. But fam non-the less, and it was about time she and her puddin settled down.