Status: In the process of being rewritten.
Like a Child
3; Like A Face in the Crowd
Lee felt dizzy. It was as though she really were in a dream, and she was floating off to the side, watching the horrors unfold. She almost couldn't believe the words, "I'll do anything," left her mouth. She pledged herself to Gotham's Most Wanted lunatic.
And now she vaguely saw herself kneeling, kneeling in front of him. Her wide blue eyes met his deep, dark ones, and she was hypnotized, held by his mad stare. Together, the two painted a picture of obedience. Five minutes and he had her on her knees for him, begging for mercy, for life. Begging to be used.
Suddenly, his foot lashed out, and she was sucked back into her body painfully fast. Wind rushed from her lungs, and she thought she heard - rather than felt - a rib crack. Spit and tears flew down her face and onto the grimy carpet.
The Joker was now kneeling in front of her, so their eyes were level. She wanted to back away, to shrink into the floor and disappear. She wondered at how, even at the same height, he could seem so terrifyingly huge.
"Listen, doll," he said dryly. "I don't need another nuisance running around on my coattails. And I certainly don't ... want one. I need results. You gonna give me results?"
Her jaw dropped open, but she had no time to say anything before her interrupted again.
"Ahh ... I don't think so. You're going to create more problems. And ... as much as I like to cause problems ... I don't like dealing with them. So, you leave here in a body bag, or you don't leave at all. Ever, toots. What'll it be?"
She shook her head, but found herself saying, "I'll stay."
He rolled his eyes. "What a sur-prise," His gaze flicked over her shoulder and back to her face. He cocked his head to one side. "But, but, but ... ahh, why should I care? Why should I take you in? You're nothing. Scum, a petty thief," he said, waving his hand in the air as though trying to fend off an annoying fly. "Use-less. Look at you!" At this, he grabbed her jaw and squeezed, making Lee feel terrified and ridiculous all at once. Her lips puffed out like a goldfish's. He turned her head sharply back and forth, grinding her joints and making her wince. "Why, you wouldn't hurt a fly, would you? Not, not even if it flew up your nose. You'd probably just let it live there, wouldn't you?" He shoved her away, and she went sprawling onto her side, cringing as her cut shoulder hit the floor. He got to his feet and sucked his teeth noisily. "What ... what would I ever do with a little nothing like you? Nobody would remember you."
Lee, her lips trembling and her shoulder throbbing, stared up at him from the ground. For a moment, she was at a loss for words, and she had resigned herself to death when something sparkled in his eyes. He knelt down suddenly, and grabbed her jaw again, but not as harshly.
"A face nobody remembers ..." he muttered, almost to himself. Her breathing and heart rate quickened. He looked her straight in the eye suddenly. "You killed the anchor man. You killed him. Didn't you?" he demanded.
Spine tingling, Lee nodded slowly.
And now she vaguely saw herself kneeling, kneeling in front of him. Her wide blue eyes met his deep, dark ones, and she was hypnotized, held by his mad stare. Together, the two painted a picture of obedience. Five minutes and he had her on her knees for him, begging for mercy, for life. Begging to be used.
Suddenly, his foot lashed out, and she was sucked back into her body painfully fast. Wind rushed from her lungs, and she thought she heard - rather than felt - a rib crack. Spit and tears flew down her face and onto the grimy carpet.
The Joker was now kneeling in front of her, so their eyes were level. She wanted to back away, to shrink into the floor and disappear. She wondered at how, even at the same height, he could seem so terrifyingly huge.
"Listen, doll," he said dryly. "I don't need another nuisance running around on my coattails. And I certainly don't ... want one. I need results. You gonna give me results?"
Her jaw dropped open, but she had no time to say anything before her interrupted again.
"Ahh ... I don't think so. You're going to create more problems. And ... as much as I like to cause problems ... I don't like dealing with them. So, you leave here in a body bag, or you don't leave at all. Ever, toots. What'll it be?"
She shook her head, but found herself saying, "I'll stay."
He rolled his eyes. "What a sur-prise," His gaze flicked over her shoulder and back to her face. He cocked his head to one side. "But, but, but ... ahh, why should I care? Why should I take you in? You're nothing. Scum, a petty thief," he said, waving his hand in the air as though trying to fend off an annoying fly. "Use-less. Look at you!" At this, he grabbed her jaw and squeezed, making Lee feel terrified and ridiculous all at once. Her lips puffed out like a goldfish's. He turned her head sharply back and forth, grinding her joints and making her wince. "Why, you wouldn't hurt a fly, would you? Not, not even if it flew up your nose. You'd probably just let it live there, wouldn't you?" He shoved her away, and she went sprawling onto her side, cringing as her cut shoulder hit the floor. He got to his feet and sucked his teeth noisily. "What ... what would I ever do with a little nothing like you? Nobody would remember you."
Lee, her lips trembling and her shoulder throbbing, stared up at him from the ground. For a moment, she was at a loss for words, and she had resigned herself to death when something sparkled in his eyes. He knelt down suddenly, and grabbed her jaw again, but not as harshly.
"A face nobody remembers ..." he muttered, almost to himself. Her breathing and heart rate quickened. He looked her straight in the eye suddenly. "You killed the anchor man. You killed him. Didn't you?" he demanded.
Spine tingling, Lee nodded slowly.