Black Jack

         The doll stared at him. Its voice radiated through his mind. Always mind your elders. Always make responsible decisions. He closed his eyes and nodded. “I know,” the boy said to the doll. “I’m not a bad boy. I’m a good boy.”
         Prove it, the doll told him. Prove that you are a good boy. Punish those who fail to follow the rules. Punish the bad boys. Punish the bad girls. Let none escape retribution. Become the hand of justice. Punish all who disobey.
         “But…” the boy began. He was puzzled. He looked straight into the doll’s glass eyes. Not for the first time, he marveled at its snow white face. He stared at the bright red painted over the doll’s lips, curved into a smile. The doll had once been in the shape of a normal man, but it wanted to be a clown. The boy could not disobey him. He was a good boy.
         But what? The doll asked. Are you saying you will not obey me? Are you being a bad boy?
         “No!” the boy said desperately. “I’m a good boy! I’m a good boy!”
         Then do as I say, the doll told him. Punish the wicked. Become the hand of justice. Kill the bad people!
         “Yes…” the boy said. He wouldn’t disobey the doll. He was a good boy. “Kill the bad people…”

         Jacquie took a drink of her beer and looked around at her party. Her parents were away for the weekend and what better way to celebrate than to throw a party?
         She was 17 years old and greatly enjoying herself. She took another sip of beer. This was the first time she had drunk beer. She was surprised to find herself gulping the rest of it down.
         Music roared over the sound of chatter and dancing. Jacquie started to dance with some guy she didn’t recognize. Everything seemed to be going so well…
         And there was something moving against her leg. Absent-mindedly, she swat at it. It just kept moving. What was it? Oh yeah, her cell phone. She had forgotten about that.
         “Hold on!” She shouted at the guy over the music. She walked uneasily into the kitchen and closed the door behind her, trying to block out the music.
         She raised the phone to her ear. “Yeah?” she asked.
         “Hello, Jacquie,” a voice said. “I understand you are holding a party… while your parents are away.”
         “Who is this?” Jacquie asked.
         “I can even smell alcohol…” the voice continued, ignoring her. “You know, Jacquie, your speech is kind of slurred. Are you drunk, by any chance?”
         “What? No?” Jacquie lied. “Of course not! Who are you again?”
         “Ah, yes,” the voice said. “Please forgive how rude I’ve been. Just call me Jester.”
         Jacquie laughed. “Jester?” she asked. “What? Is that some sort of nickname?”
         “My name is Jester,” the voice said, its tone had an edge to it.
         “Well, what do you want, Jester?” Jacquie asked, laughing.
         “I think you’ve been a naughty girl,” Jester said. “Go to your room.” He was interrupted by Jacquie’s laughter. “Go to your room right now!” he barked angrily.
         “OK, OK…” Jacquie said, smiling. “I’m going to my room, don’t freak out.” She put the phone away and went back out into the living room. Go to her room? Like hell. It was party night!
         She went back to dancing, this time with a different guy, whom she also didn’t recognize. She danced and danced. All throughout the dance their bodies were getting closer together. Finally, the guy spoke into her ear. “You want to go some where private?”
         “Sure,” Jacquie said. “How about we go to my room?”
         As soon as the words left her mouth, a body tumbled down the stairs. Everyone at the party stopped and stared. It was Jacquie’s older brother. He was half undressed and a knife stuck out of his neck. His eyes were wide open, yet there was no life in them. Seconds later, another body, a blonde girl in her underwear, tumbled down the stairs. A similar expression was on her face, and a knife stuck out of her neck too.
         Jacquie stepped back in shock. Her cell phone started to vibrate again. She answered it reluctantly, feeling that she knew who was calling.
         “H-hello?” she asked.
         “What naughty children in this house!” Jester’s voice replied. “Why haven’t you gone to your room, Jacquie?”
         Kids were running out the door in terror. Jacquie looked around for the guy she was just dancing with and caught a glimpse of him as he ran outside.
         “Did you…?” She began, but couldn’t find the words.
         “Yes,” Jester replied. “They were naughty. They had to be punished. Bad girl… Bad boy…”
         Jacquie slowly walked up the stairs, her heart pounding. She could feel tears running down her cheeks.
         “Are you going to your room?” Jester asked.
         “Yes,” Jacquie replied.
         “Good girl.”
         Jacquie reached the door to her room and slowly pushed it open. “Look down,” Jester ordered, and Jacquie did so.
         A deck of playing cards was laid out facedown on the floor. “Pick up five,” Jester said. “You like games don’t you? If you get a Jack of Spades or a Jack of Clubs, a ‘Black Jack’ so to speak, I will let you go.”
         Jacquie bent down and picked up five cards. A Queen of Diamonds, a Jack of Hearts, an Ace of Spades, a 10 of Clubs, and a 7 of Hearts. No “Black Jack” anywhere to be found.
         “Did you find a ‘Black Jack’?” Jester asked.
         “Y-yes,” Jacquie lied, terror swelling up inside her.
         “You’re lying,” Jester said. Then he hung up.
         There was silence as Jacquie put her phone down. She felt cold. Her heart beat had sped up considerably. That’s when she felt a wire tighten around her neck.
         Jacquie tried to scream, but no sound came out. The wire kept getting tighter and tighter. Jacquie couldn’t breathe.
         Darkness began to cloud her vision. And darkness overtook her.

         The boy ran from the now empty house. All the bodies had been lain out in the backyard. He ran home. He had to get there. He had to tell the doll of his success!
         He had killed! He had punished the wicked! An overwhelming feeling of pride and power washed over him. He felt so alive!
         He reached his house and ran inside. He found the doll sitting on a dresser in his room. Well? It asked.
         “I did it!” the boy said excitedly. “I punished them! Three children! All were executed for their crimes!”
         Well done, my son, the doll said. You are a good boy. A very good boy. I am proud of you.
         “Thank you!” the boy said happily. “Thank you!”
         In another room, just across the hallway, the bodies of the boy’s parents lay in growing pools of their own blood.