"Ahhhh!!!" Leo screamed as his body plummeted under the force of gravity. "I will do it! I will do it!"
His body stopped just before his face was about to hit the ground, the rope tied around his belly stretching taut. The rope was hooked over a branch thick enough to bear Leo's weight. Its other end was held in one hand by the Joker, who lay lazily in the shade of the tree.
On the trees neighbouring the one where the Joker lay, six girls and five boys hung. These teenagers included members of Leo's team and the two teams that had come as reinforcements. The scene looked horrific, as if ghosts were hanging from the trees, with the bruises on the faces of these poor teenagers adding to the effect.
The boys were upside down, the ropes tied to their ankles, while the girls were tied by their bellies, most probably because their skirts would otherwise have flipped over.
This little consideration by the Joker was the only reason the victims still believed he was human...or maybe not.
