The Last Laugh

A gruesome tail of what happens to a poor mute named Miley who is murdered cold blood and finds himself in a realm known as the Jinxed Circus

Finally it was time for me to get some sleep, the only time my mind could be at rest and I would have a chance to escape the cruel life I had been given. I know everyone has it hard and life isn’t always fair, but that seemed to be an understatement for me. I was an orphan who lived in a Catholic foster home. Despite how many times sister Mary told me I was loved, I knew I was truly alone. No one had ever stayed to be my friend because I was a mute. It hurt never being able to have a voice or say in anything that happened to me, of course I mean this quite literally. It seemed everyone went out of their way to ignore my gestures when I tried to communicate on what I needed and how I felt about anything.
I was always laughed at and made fun for my lack of communication. You’d think a bunch of church raised orphans would be understanding of someone of my condition, but that was not the case! I was a freak amongst those who considered themselves to be the children of God. What an ironic title. Even sister Mary didn’t seem to bother with me. She rolled her eyes and complained I was too complicated to figure out and would tell me to go clean or pray when she got frustrated with me. Like most who suffer from my condition, I would attempt to reach people by use of writing or sign language but even Father David would pretend not to notice my notes or gestures at all. I was alone in the world and I could never vent my isolation and loneliness to a single soul. I tried to pray in hopes that by some miracle I’d be blessed by the presence of an angel but I was never destined to be my fate. I loved the evening because when I could sleep I could finally escape, even if just for a little while. In my dreams I could speak and never be ignored. In my dreams I wasn’t dehumanized due to the absence of a voice. It gave me a break from the alienation of the world.
As I was fixing to sleep I felt a sharp pain thrash against me and I opened my mouth wanting to scream, but as always no sound came out. I winced in agony and opened my eyes to see my room mate had hit me with a wooden bat. I tried to gesture for them to stop but he only continued to bash me over and over. My entire body ached I felt the tears roll down my face. I knew exactly why he did this every night…I was an easy target. I couldn’t scream for help and he could take out any frustrations on me in complete silence with out ever receiving punishment for doing so. Every time I tried to tell anyone why I was always covered in bruises he would say I fell down the stairs again or did something else clumsy. What did I ever do to deserve this? Why would a so called merciful God curse me to live such an agonizing life? My body began to grow numb from the pain. I could feel my legs were broken as well as my collar bone. He bashed me over and over harder and harder each time as I cried in silence. I could do nothing but wait for the horror to end. As I felt each bone break and fracture I felt my self grow colder and colder. “Finally…” I thought to myself, perhaps the mercy of death would soon greet me at last. Before another thought could surface I saw the wooden bat swing towards my face and my world went black.
“Hey…wake up! Hey, are you alright there? Wake up!”, I heard a strange voice say. I groaned and slowly opened my eyes and jumped startled by the sight before me. There was a man in a white and red jester suit. His hair was white as snow and he looked like a phantom almost. I froze in confusion and attempted to ask “Who are you?” in sign language. The jester smiled understandingly and bowed tipping his hat. “I am Jest the friendly Jester, here to extend a friendly gesture”, the stranger laughed with glee. I moved my shoulders as if to show I was laughing and gave a weak smile. To my surprise I didn’t feel anymore pain, I looked down and saw I was entirely see through and looked at the jester confused. The jester seemed to pick up on my train of thought and pulled me into a hug that made me feel a bit worried. Who was this man? Where did he come from? Where on Earth was I? All these questions swarmed my mind as I could only stare in confusion and wait for a possible explanation by the stranger.
“I understand you may be confused. I’ll explain everything shortly, but first I’d like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine.” The jester said with a warm smile. I nodded softly and followed his lead. It was strange to me that I could walk after the horrendous event I recall happening before I passed out. This must be some peaceful dream, was I in a coma? I wasn’t quite sure what was happening but anything was better than the torment I just under went. The jester lead me in through a white and red striped circus tent and I ducked in following after him. He smiled and boasted, “Jinx! We have a visitor!” I looked curiously around the curtains and saw the most eccentric and beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
The woman had exotically vibrant orange hair complimented by a pale freckled complexation. Her eyes were a most peculiar neon green color I had never seen before. She wore a black crop top with purple suspenders and a tutu that was black and purple. Her legs were decorated with checkerboard print leggings. Half the woman’s hair was black and shaved in an undercut fashion while the rest of her long hair was the bright and radiant orange color that made her hauntingly green eyes seem to glow. I could’ve spent hours gazing at her radiance. Amongst her side was a snake tattoo and some other tattoos all across her arms. The last tattoo I noticed was a black sun on her chest. She looked beautiful and exotic and I couldn’t help but stare in awe at her. She was breath taking in every way. The green eyes woman smiled and bowed at me holding out a hand and said, “Pleasure to meet you, my name is Jinx. Jinx the Enchantress”. Her voice was bubbly and witty it made me smile brightly at her and wave. I tried to tell her my name in sign language and to my surprise she understood what I was saying! “Well hello there, Miley! You know I think your name should be Smiley instead, that smile could light up the room!”, the Enchantress said with a warm smile. This only made me smile wider. I had never been treated so kindly by anyone before. This must be heaven, I thought to myself. It was all so perfect.
I then saw a pen and paper and quickly scratched down, “Where are we?” As I held up the paper the jester and Jinx exchanged a look at one another and nodded as if to be communicating with one another by just eye contact. I grew puzzled as I watched the two. “You’re home, Smiley. You’re what the humans know as the Jinxed Circus” Jinx said with a soft smile. I felt a wave of unease come over me. Something about the way she said it made me feel sick. Jinx seemed to quickly pick up on my confusion and sighed sitting next to me. “Perhaps I should explain, it’s a lot to take in.” Jinx said with a sympathetic look on her face . I looked puzzled and waited for her to continue. “We are just like you, Smiley” the Enchantress said. Before I could write down another question she explained further, “We were once outcasts of the world. We were bullied and eventually ended up hear due to the cruelties of man kind.” So that must confirm it then….I really was dead, I recall thinking to myself.
“I was bullied at your age too” the jester said softly for once showing a serious face. “I was never like the other kids….the doctors and my mom said I was special. But soon the words they used to describe me were stupid and brainless”, the jester said softly. I felt my heart sink in empathy as I watched his expression darken. “One day, I thought it was all going to change. I was invited to my first pool party by this popular group of kids, being so desperate for friends I agreed.” The jester continued in a solemn tone, “long story short they painted my face and called me a clown and pushed me in the pool and continued to splash water at me so I couldn’t catch my breath……I swallowed so much water I could not longer tell I was crying.” The jester said as he trailed off clearly reliving each and every moment. I placed a hand on him and wished I could help him somehow. I turned to see Jinx who also had a melancholy expression on her face. It was clear she was having flashbacks of her story as well.

“I was an orphan like you, Smiley…I was raised in a Catholic school and was isolated from the world due to my misfortune. They called me Jinx because I could see tragedies happen…and then….they would happen shortly after I predicted them. Many of those tragedies lead to death. I was called a devil child. Sister Theresa always said I was a wicked girl…..one day….a girl named Britney had finally pushed me to my limit….she wouldn’t stop hitting me and I had enough. I didn’t know what I was doing at the time, but I raised my hands to block the attack and a giant glass window fell on her and killed her., I was then burned at the stake for witchcraft”, she said softly as the look on her face showed she was reliving every moment of her torment. I wanted to hug her so badly. My heart ached for both of them. “I was a witch….though I never knew it. My parents gave me to the church to cure me of my…wicked ways but I never knew until it was too late” Jinx looked away from me clearly trying to hide the tears beginning to form in her eyes. I finally understood where I was. This is where freaks like us go to when we die. Whether it was hell or not, I had no clue. But for once I didn’t feel so alone. I didn’t feel alienated and the pain I felt was lifted…..even though the hatred I felt for those who hurt me and my new friend’s only grew more and more. “Turn that frown upside down, Smiley, there’s still one thing you haven’t heard! I promise it’ll brighten things up!”, the jester said with a reassuring smile as I turned to listen intently. The jester and the Jinx grinned at each other and said in unison, “We always have the last laugh”
At first I didn’t know what they meant but to my guilty pleasure I quickly learned. The three of us were the bringers of justice. We were the voices for the voiceless. We were every bullies biggest nightmare. Sometimes when the soul has been hurt too much the gods give them a chance to tie up loose ends. The gods had granted us the gift that humans call karma. Those who cause harm to people like us were damned to have the most unforgivable fate. My friends and I were destined to always have the last laugh. For every mean spirited soul was at our mercy. Each of us lurked within the shadows of the human world to claim the souls of the damned. Jester would trick them to follow him to his Play land and promise to be his friend to the end, little did they know the end was far closer than they ever imagined. Jinx was the one who granted bad luck and unfortunate events. From hurricanes, to tornadoes to earth quake and the most tragic disasters of the history of man kind, you name it. Every freak event was courtesy of Jinx the Enchantress. If you ever watch the news and hear a criminal had been slaughtered or driven to suicide by madness or in some freak accident, you can thank her for that. As for me, I had the most fun. I make my victims see the monsters that they are. I appear as their reflection in the mirror dressed as a mime with broken and contorted limbs and a bloody smashed face with mime makeup to force the appearance of a bloody smile and crawl out to give them the same fat as me. Starting by removing their tongue or stitching their mouth shut so they don’t get any last words, just as I wasn’t able to have a single last word when I was killed. But that all doesn’t matter anymore, my new friend’s from the Jinxed Circus and I will always have the last laugh.

Author's Note

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