{Narrator's POV}

The room was silent.

Jack was standing next to the bed with wide eyes. Never had he thought that a woman would get the best of him—let alone TWICE!

The monochrome clown took a deep breath and gritted his teeth angrily. The urge to spill her blood over the hotel's walls was too great for Jack to contain anymore. He would give anything to gouge out her eyes or rip one of her limbs off. She was indeed becoming a meddling nuisance!

"'Round and 'round the cobbler's bench the monkey chased the weasel", Jack muttered the nursery rhyme under his breath as he stomped toward the door. His head popped out into the hallway and he looked both ways to catch sight of the woman.

"Curse tonight! ...and here I thought I'd have lots of fun!" Filled with frustration, Jack shook his head and stared down at the floor. He closed his eyes and listened intently on the silence. The woman couldn't have gotten very far, and lucky for him he knew he was close enough to sense his music box. All he needed to do was wait...

Jack's eyes shot open and he stared at the ground once again in shock. His expression soon changed and his smirk soon returned.

"The monkey thought t'was all in fun, Pop! Goes the weasel! Ahahaha!!!", Jack cackled as he suddenly raced down the hall and smiled like a maniac.

His horrid laughter could have woken up the whole building but his magic was too strong to let them. It didn't matter though, the only person he wanted hearing his beautiful voice was the woman. Hopefully, she was trembling inside a corner praying that she'd survive tonight's dreadful events.

That sure would send a smile to Jack's face.

The monochrome clown grinned from ear to ear and advanced toward the direction of his precious toy box. With every step he took, he knew it would only be a matter of time before he could finally slaughter the woman for what she's done to poor old Jack.

"Yes! I can already smell it in the air! My glorious candy melting inside her pulsing organs!! How enticing!! Ahahahaha!!!

~*~

{Reader's POV}

I clutched my aching neck as I ran down several desolate halls. The clown's insane laughter could be heard from where I was and it only sent my heart racing. I panted harder as I searched every nook and cranny of this hotel for a cell phone.

With every second that ticked by, the hairs on the top of my skin stood on their ends. My eyes were wide with fear and my staggering strides reflected my desperation. I felt a cold sweat run down my back and with the clown's laughter growing louder, I bit on my lip to muffle my cries of fear.

Lucky for me, my wounds healed right before the clown decide to kill me, otherwise I'd be an easy target.

That's right, the clown is actually going to kill me.

The thought seemed foreign to me while I was in the hospital—I had never imagined he would actually do it. I was stupid to think he'd overlook a witness.

However, I should have known better. The odd, curious box the parents had given me should have been my first clue, but in the heat of the moment I missed the obvious connection. The boy had referred to the clown as LJ and on the box it read Laughing Jack.

It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together.

Taking a few deep breaths, I tried to calm myself as I leaned against a wall for support. I had already worn out my legs and a striking pain shot through my chest as I tried to catch my breath. My eardrums shook as the clown's mocking words and teasing laughter grew louder and clearer by the minute.

I don't want to die.

I covered my ears with my hands and fell to my knees in defeat. A shadow appeared on the walls and it's silhouette sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

I don't want to die!

I glued my eyes to the dark figure and trembled in horror. Somewhere inside my head, I'd figure that it would bring the clown great satisfaction to see me in this position—weak, vulnerable, pathetic, amusing...

I DON'T WANT TO DIE!

I gritted my teeth and dashed toward another hallway. As paralyzed with fear as I was, I wasn't going to let that clown enjoy himself!

I darted from room to room and peered into each of the resident's belongings in search of a blasted phone.

I quickened my speed and panted as I raced down the empty halls. My heart was pounding in my chest and I was on the verge of losing consciousness. My poor limbs and heart couldn't take more of the adrenaline I was manifesting and soon enough I'd pass out from exhaustion.

I suddenly stumbled and lost my balance as I reached the end of the hall. I slumped over and with my feeble arms I clutched the side of a door and panted. My vision was blurred and if I were to talk I'd only be able to let out a small croak.

Things were looking bad. The clown had already reached the beginning of the hall and he stood a mere eight feet away from me. His wicked smile was the first thing I noticed, the second was his barely audible humming of the nursery rhyme I heard the toy box playing before.

The toy box!

My eyes shot open and I froze on the spot.

As the clown slowly approached me, I tensed up and clumsily dug through the pockets of my pajamas. My hand roughly pulled out the music box and I stared at it in utter shock.

At first I thought I had lost the cursed thing!

That's why I handed over my jewelry box to the clown. The thought of seeing anger cloud his face at the realization I had lost his box had filled me with dread.

But this entire time, I actually had it!

"Hehe! Is that my music box you're holding? Isn't it lovely? I spent years locked up inside of it once. Terrible experience to be honest, but after I was released, boy did I make up for all that time I lost! Hahahaha!!", the clown's deep, masculine voice echoed through the hall and made my trembling more violent.

I stared down at the box he referred to and wondered what I was going to do next. The cold breeze that nipped at my skin made the fear of death even more evident than ever. The cold. That's what I feared the most, being cold, on the inside and out. I shivered at the thought of me having to feel that retched sensation even when I would die.

Wait.

A breeze?

I knitted my eyebrows and turned my head in the direction of the breeze. I almost felt the box slip out of my hands as I stared in shock at what I had found. I once again gripped the box as I ran toward my last salvation.

A window!

The clown noticed my sudden reaction and he furrowed his eyebrows in anger as he chased after me. I stumbled over my feet and clutched the toy box against my chest as I aimed for the window. The clown was on my heel but at this point I had already won.

I held the the box in my hand and stuck out my arm through the window. The clown came to an abrupt stop and glared daggers at me as he realized what I was doing.

"I swear! If you drop that box, I'll rip your pathetic little heart out and STUFF IT INSIDE YOUR MOUTH!!", the clown's menacing words struck me hard and a slight shiver ran down my spine. I tried to calm myself as I stared at the clown but as I took one look at his deadly gaze, I began to shrink back.

"I won't. Now I'm keeping this!", my words echoed through the hall and silence soon followed. I calmed down my shaking hand and brought the box back into my chest. I held it gently and stared at it's contents.

"And what makes you think I won't rip it out of your hands?!", the clown snarled and I flinched back in fear. I knitted my eyebrows and stared at the clown with seriousness clinging to my gaze.

"I don't think you've noticed this but... This wood was crafted in the 1800s, its very old and, unlike you, it's already aged. Unless you've got a magic trick up your sleeve, I can easily break this box in a matter of seconds", I paused and noticed the fury building up inside of the clown. He was now trembling and for some reason I could sense his strong desire to kill me.

"Fine... Keep it...but that doesn't mean you're getting rid of me just yet! In the very second you so much as loosen your grip on that box, it's your funeral." At the sound of the clown's words, I dropped to my knees and sighed with relief. The clown merely grunted and crossed his arms as I smiled and gripped the box closer to my chest.

However, as I reflected on what had just happened... I realized the grave mistake I had just made.

Now, I have to LIVE with him!

As my eyes widened and I stared down at the box in horror, I head a faint crumbling sound from above and I raised my head to find the clown shooting a candy wrapper in my face. He smirked as he popped a candy into his mouth.

"Want one? It might be your last~!", he said and his sudden perky change of mood sent my face in awe.

My father was right—I'm still reckless as ever.

_____

Oooohh!!! How the tables have turned! Hit that vote button if you like what you see!! :)