Big Bad Joke

"And I to love you Miss Riley, take care," Alfred smiled and waved his hand once before I stepped out of the back seat, it was raining again. That's all it had done for the past week, downpour, monsoon and a little bit of flooding. It just wouldn't stop.

"Would it be too much to ask for a little bit of sunshine," I grumbled as I walked up the steps to my apartment, it was a nicer type apartment complex, it had new siding and well basically everything was modern. I didn't like it to much because it declared me as wealthy and it made me feel bad because my friends always said so. I grumbled again as I made it to my door only to see a stack of mail leaned against my door, why the mail man couldn't just put it through the mail slot was beyond me, "Mail, I hate mail," I wanted to scream as I noticed how everything was smudged from the rain, I picked them all off the floor and walked into my apartment, of course after finding my keys, fighting the lock and tripping over the entry rug. "Bill, bill, invitation, bill—what?"

I stopped at the bright green scribbled letters on the faded white envelope; it had my name written out sloppily across the title. I dropped my bag, keys and the rest of the mail on my side table beside the door before I opened the top of the envelope, I ripped it open and took a deep breath in once I seen who it was from. Joker.

Little Miss Rich Girl,

Seems a little strange doesn't it? Being watched by everyone around you? Even me. I hope to see you soon, seeing as I know where you live, work and where you play. Park ring any bells darling? Hahaha! This is actually fun, kind of like hide-and-seek or tag. And guess what?

You're it.

Jokes on you,

the Joker

I put the letter down and looked around me; he wasn't inside, at least in the living room. I decided to check every room, under everything and on top of everything. Every now and then I'd find a Joker card with the words not here on it in big, messy letters. He was beginning to scare me, yes I was scared, but not of him but the element of surprise that he held over me. That, is a scary thing to deal with. Hide-and-seek plus tag, equals one missing jokester. "Where are you, Joker?"

I didn't get anything, no noises and no hints. He was playing the game well; I never liked tag or hide-and-seek because I honestly was no good at it. I could never hide and after a while I gave up on seeking the others and just left them in places for a good hour or so. Maybe he knew that? Maybe he figured I would give up? But I wouldn't.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You're a very brave girl," Joker laughed as I walked up to his in a brisk pace, I was about to smack him but he grabbed me and pulled me to where my back was against his chest and his lips were against my ear and his knife at my throat. "Or a very stupid one."

"How about a very pissed off player, I never liked games, let me go," I wiggled away from him, but failed to get far because he grasped my arm and pulled me back, but the knife didn't go to my throat again it was gone. "I don't like being stalked."

"Oh but don't you?" his eyebrows raised and his smile widened. "Don't you talk about me? Like the rush of being watched by someone you fancy so much. I heard you talking, I hear you all the time. I'm never gone, never far from you."

"I hate you."

"On the contrary," Joker smiled as the knife suddenly appeared back in his hand, the one he was wildly waving around in front of me. "I've been watching you, since the day I caught you. The day I branded you mine."

"I'm not yours," it hurt to say it, but it needed to be said. I wasn't his; I came to face the fact. "And I will never be. Joker you are insane if you think so."

"Then call me crazy, I wasn't the one that came looking for you this time darling," he pointed the knife at me. "I stood here all by my lonesome waiting for something less boring and then you walked up!"

"Well," I grumbled as I crossed my arms. "How did you know, know I would find you and that I do like you."

"Well, I didn't," he started to laugh again; manically it turned after a short while. "You just told me! It's true I've watched you but think about it honestly, I can't watch you every second. I do have a life you know."

"You're not funny," I grumbled as I glared at him angrily, he just had to act like that. Sarcastic and sexy. Jerk.

"Oh, but I am," he smiled as he pulled me even closer than before, he leaned down to stare me in the eyes before he poked my nose gently. "Or else why would I be called the Joker?"

"Because you’re a big joke!" I snapped and so did he. He grabbed my hair and pulled it back, jerking my head back. "Ow!"

"Listen Little Miss Rich Girl," he growled in my ear as his lips touched the top of my cartilage. "I don't like it when you pop off at the jaw, sweetheart it would be best if you kept you mouth shut and…smiled!"