Smile for Me

I was sleeping when the Joker came back. He shook me awake, hard enough that I almost fell out of the bed. “Whad’ya....wha’s goin’ on?” I mumbled, still half-asleep. “Quinnie...haha, Quinn, I brought a friend,” he crooned, hands soothing on my face. I slit an eye open and saw vivid blue eyes.

Blue eyes that were too intense, too focused, like they wanted to break my head apart and peek at my insides. Scarecrow’s eyes. The mask dangled from his left hand. I yelped and scurried backwards, hitting my head against the wall. Scarecrow. Scarecrow, the man who scared me more than anything, here. Straw poked out from his sleeves and collar.

The wall pressed against my back so I could go no further. Joker cackled hysterically and pointed at me. “You, ha!, scaredy-CAT!” Scarecrow didn’t say a thing, but I made sure to watch his face. Joker switched to one of his gentle moods and reached forward, cupping my cheek. “Quinn, Quinnie, it’s okay. Don’t be scared. He won’t touch you. Promise.” I nodded quickly.

Joker smiled so wide his molars showed and glanced at Scarecrow. “Quinnie, dear, go sit on that chair,” he said softly. I stood, careful not to touch Scarecrow, and sat on the rickety wooden frame of the only chair in the room. Joker crept up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders, leaning over to murmur in my ear, “Close your eyes, Quinnie.”

There was a tense, uneasy feeling low in my stomach, but I ignored it. I shut my eyes and waited, trusting him. There was a hissing noise and I smelled chemicals. I coughed, opened my eyes, and realized I’d fallen into a nightmare.