October 3rd, 1999

"Mommy! Daddy!"

"Rene, calm down."

"But, I wanna go in the castle!"

"We will go to the castle."

"Can we go now?"

"No, we'll go a little later. Look at the ticket line."

"Pwease daddy?"

"How about we get some ice cream first sweetie."

Okey dokey!" The father picked his daughter up by the waist and sat her on his shoulders. She wrapped her arms around his neck, not tight enough to choke him; but enough to hold on.

"Don't let her fall," the mother said cautiously.

"I won't." Rene giggled as her dad bounced her up and down on their way to the ice cream stand.

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About an hour later, when the little red head finished her ice cream and her mom cleaned her face, they bought tickets to go to the castle. Rene rushed to the front and looked up at the gargoyles. Her father came up behind her and picked her up.

"Come on. Let's all go in."

Inside, the brick walls were covered in silk tapestries. Precious jewels and handicrafts were placed on small cherry wood tables. They walked around, looking at the kings and queens that once had ruled.

"Oh, lookey!" Rene ran ahead of her parents, turning down different corridors until she was lost. "Mommy? Daddy?" The redhead looked around, but saw only the dark brick walls. Tears flooded her vision as she sat down and cried, the only thing the five-year-old could do in this situation. After a few moments, a man walked out of the shadows. He had green hair and a pure white face with a plastered smile.

"Little girl?" Rene stopped crying only slightly. "Little girl please stop crying." She looked up at the man, unsure of who he was.

"Who are you?" she asked, a whimper in her voice.

"I'm, your new friend," he replied. "You can call me Joker." Rene wiped away her tears and took his hand to stand up.

"Will you help me find my mommy and daddy?"

"Of course darling. First, we have to make a small detour."

"Okay Mister Joker."

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A few minutes later, the two of them walked into a dark room. The walls were covered in dark brown tapestries and only a small speck of light shined through the room. Joker clapped his hands and powerful lights turned on, making Rene squeeze her eyes shut.

"Sorry sweetie," he said as he picked her up. "I couldn't see my play room." He sat her down in a chair, and before she could move, her strapped her down.

"Ouchey!" Rene yelled aloud. "Wh-What are you doing Mister?"

"Oh, you know." Joker smiled at her. "Just playing with my new toy." A needle came out of the chair and punctured her arm as he pulled down a lever. The small red head yelled, kicking her legs against the chair as it started to take some of her blood. "Oh good! Your parents will hear you!"

After screaming and yelling for what seemed like forever, Rene's parents ran in.

"Joker," her mother growled.

"Why hello!" He waved to her. "I was just playing with my new doll. She's so cute, isn't she?"

"I want her back."

"But I don't want to share."

"Give her back to me!"

"Oh, you got feistier since the last time I saw you." He clapped his hands. "Good for you!" Rene's mom extended her arm and slowly clenched her fingers, choking the Joker on the opposite side of the room.

"Give. Her. Back!" The needle finally escaped from her daughter, causing Rene to pass out.

"Fine!" Joker choked out. "Take her!" The mom released n\him and ran to her daughter; but the father was frozen in fear. She undid the straps and held Rene in her arms. When she looked back, the father was gone.

"Joker, what did you do to-" But Joker was on the ground, coughing up blood. Rene's mom quickly ran to the outside of the castle. Slowly, the small child awoke.

"M-Mommy?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Where's daddy?"

"I don't know. He's gone." The little girl would've started crying; but all the tears had left her body already. The two of them walked away. And thankfully, the little girl didn't remember anything about what happened in the castle.