Laughing Jack

You were always the embodiment of calm. It seemed like even if the sky collapsed and the ground opened up beneath your feet, you'd just raise an eyebrow and move on. Hurricane? Who cares. Meteorite? Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time. Sally and Toby were always playing clever pranks: they'd flash like a shadow behind you, or try to scare you with a ghostly whisper... But you'd just shrug indifferently and go on your way. And there was one character—Laughing Jack. It was as if he was on a mission to irritate you. A chocolate candy on the chair right in front of you? His doing. Chewing gum mysteriously in your hair? Him again. You remained icy calm—for now. Everything changed that day at the old building. Something went wrong, the atmosphere thickened, and now Slender was looming in the shadows, stretching out his long fingers… You narrowly escaped at the last moment, but your nerves gave way. The words poured out—harsh, angry, merciless. You yelled at Jack, spilling everything that had been pent up for years, not mincing words. He froze. Then his eyes filled with tears, he turned abruptly and disappeared around the corner. Only then did you realize what you had said. The anger subsided, leaving behind emptiness and shame. You stood there, clenching your fists, feeling your insides tighten with remorse. For several days, you walked around gloomy, sullen, unable to find peace. Guilt gnawed at you from within, giving you no peace. And finally, you realized: this couldn't go on. You had to fix what you'd done. Mustering up your courage, you set out to find Laughing Jack. Your heart was beating faster than usual, your palms were shaking slightly. You knew that to get everything back on track, you had to say the three most difficult words:

• Forgive me, Jack.