Give Me a Smile

I cracked an eye open and looked around. I was standing alone in a tunnel. Joker had left me behind. I thought I could hear his mocking laughter far off. “Joker?” I called. My voice sounded tiny even to me. There was no answer, and I bit my lip, looking around. Dark tunnels stretched in every direction. I was lost.

I had thought I was scared before. This was worse. Thick, sickly fear crawled up my throat, made my stomach drop and my head spin. Every shadow seemed to hold a monster, ever drop of water was someone coming to kill me. I ran blindly about, calling for the Joker, but the only answers were my echoing screams.

I ran until my legs gave out and I tripped, landing face down in a dank puddle. I curled up against a wall and tried to breathe, to stop myself from descending into panic again. Closing my eyes seemed to help, although the sounds were amplified. I would jump and open my eyes whenever I thought I heard something, but it was always nothing.

That’s why it was kind of weird I didn’t even notice when something actually did come along. I was getting kind of sleepy, but instinct finally made me open my eyes. I was face to snout with some kind of sewer monster. It blinked glowing yellow eyes at me and snorted hot breath across my face. I went still.

The thing sniffed along my neck and clothes, then sat back and watched me. It was too dark for me to see, but I sensed the thing was huge. I thought it was an animal, which is why I was shocked when it spoke. “Girl,” he rumbled. It definitely had a male voice. “You smell...familiar. Funny.”

I nodded, trying to look strong and uneatable, but my lower lip was trembling. “Who brought you down into my home?” “Th-The Joker,” I whispered. “That explains the smell. Why would he leave you down here?” The thing paused. “Maybe he wants me to eat you.” I started sobbing, so scared I couldn’t breathe.

“Luckily for you, I’m not hungry. Perhaps we will meet again. Until then, Joker-girl.” The thing padded away, leaving behind a dry, animal smell and the scent of damp. I curled further into my knees and prayed he wouldn’t come back hungry.

The darkness of the sewer started to get to me, and I began to feel sleepy. I kept shaking myself awake, not wanting to be totally defenseless. I stood and started walking, hopefully in the opposite direction from that thing.

It was like being in a nightmare as time passed on. And on. The fear only built, and I was dizzy and starving. I could see nothing but flowing, twisted shadows. I jumped at every noise, and I was so cold the edges of my body were numb.

The hooker dress was wet and ripped, to the extent that I had taken it off and wrapped it around my shoulders. My legs burned and I had twisted my ankle some time before. Tears and snot mixed and dripped down my face, but I was too far gone to care. I even threw up a few times, probably because I had hit my head on a wall I thought was a tunnel, because my eyes couldn’t get used to the dark.

It was like being under the Scarecrow’s fear toxin again, only this time I was alone. I yelled for Joker again and again, searching for any sign of rescue. I had started crying for my mom when he found me. “Quinn. Shh, shh, it’s, ha, it’s okay. I’m back, Quinn. You’re safe.” Joker had found me. His hands were on my shoulders, thumb covering the tattoo on my neck.

“It’s only been two days, Quinn. Not so bad.” I pulled away from him and rubbed my eyes with the filthy dress. “That....that is bad. You left me alone down here in the dark, like I’m an animal,” I rasped. “Aw, come on, Quinn. I found you, didn’t I?” He took off his jacket and wrapped it around me. I could hear knives clanking in the pockets. I still wasn’t ready to forgive him.

“I thought you were never coming back. I thought I would die down here. You left me alone in a sewer! You’re a cruel, senseless man.” Joker pulled me close and held me, humming his weird lullabies. I hadn’t slept for two days, so my eyes started to close. “C’mon, Quinn. We’re all good now, eh? I, haha, I’ll always come back for you.” I nodded and curled further into his shoulder. “Mhm...we’re good.” He laughed and stood, still holding me. I fell asleep to his rocking walk.