Status: alive and kicking
In the Mind of Madness
Bat
“TGIF.” mumbled Kenna, throwing herself into her apartment and collapsing gratefully onto the couch.
She turned her face to the side so she could get some air, thinking over her day. After getting through her session with The Joker, which was just as draining and infuriating as usual, she had found a new case file on her desk. The Joker was hard enough to deal with by himself, but if Kenna had to work on another case she knew she would be slacking somewhere.
Besides, the violently bipolar man that was Kenna’s new case wasn’t remotely interesting compared to The Joker. She wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but she really did find him fascinating. The subtle way his expressions would change as he spoke, the odd way he held himself, the insane little gestures, the hidden meaning behind his words she could never quite understand. She was almost bored by the hyper-activeness and random outbursts of her new patient.
When her phone rang Kenna groaned and forced herself to get up off her sofa. She grabbed the phone off the hook and held it numbly to her face. “Yeah?”
“Hey, Kenna. What’s up?”
Kenna gave a weak smile at the familiar voice. “Hey, Darla. I just got home from work.”
“Cool. I want to check out a bistro on Main Street, and I wanted to know if you’ve been there.”
Kenna thought for a second. “Nope, I don’t think so. I don’t go as far as Main Street too often.”
“Great. Want to meet there for lunch tomorrow? Eleven-ish?” Darla sounded excited.
After deliberating Kenna decided it sounded fun, even with her exhaustion. “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”
Kenna hung the phone back up and went to get in bed. It was only seven, but she was having trouble even standing up. After she was in her pajamas she crawled under her covers, facing the window and sighing. A bed hadn’t felt that good in a long time. She opened her eyes a crack in a sleepy daze, looking out the window.
A scream bubbled its way out of her throat before she had time to stop it, and Kenna struggled up, tumbling off her bed. She hit the ground with a painful thud, her heart hammering. When she risked a peek over her bed, there was nothing in the window.
“Not this time.” Kenna growled.
She unlocked her window and threw it open in a hurry, sticking her head out into the fading light of Gotham. The wind blew her hair into her face, and she flipped it out of the way, looking around frantically.
“I know you’re out here!” she shouted, making a few people passing on the street look up at her fifth story apartment.
There was no reply. Kenna pulled her head back in the window and stomped her foot. She was not going crazy. There had been something in her window.
Something distinctly bat-shaped.
She turned her face to the side so she could get some air, thinking over her day. After getting through her session with The Joker, which was just as draining and infuriating as usual, she had found a new case file on her desk. The Joker was hard enough to deal with by himself, but if Kenna had to work on another case she knew she would be slacking somewhere.
Besides, the violently bipolar man that was Kenna’s new case wasn’t remotely interesting compared to The Joker. She wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but she really did find him fascinating. The subtle way his expressions would change as he spoke, the odd way he held himself, the insane little gestures, the hidden meaning behind his words she could never quite understand. She was almost bored by the hyper-activeness and random outbursts of her new patient.
When her phone rang Kenna groaned and forced herself to get up off her sofa. She grabbed the phone off the hook and held it numbly to her face. “Yeah?”
“Hey, Kenna. What’s up?”
Kenna gave a weak smile at the familiar voice. “Hey, Darla. I just got home from work.”
“Cool. I want to check out a bistro on Main Street, and I wanted to know if you’ve been there.”
Kenna thought for a second. “Nope, I don’t think so. I don’t go as far as Main Street too often.”
“Great. Want to meet there for lunch tomorrow? Eleven-ish?” Darla sounded excited.
After deliberating Kenna decided it sounded fun, even with her exhaustion. “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”
Kenna hung the phone back up and went to get in bed. It was only seven, but she was having trouble even standing up. After she was in her pajamas she crawled under her covers, facing the window and sighing. A bed hadn’t felt that good in a long time. She opened her eyes a crack in a sleepy daze, looking out the window.
A scream bubbled its way out of her throat before she had time to stop it, and Kenna struggled up, tumbling off her bed. She hit the ground with a painful thud, her heart hammering. When she risked a peek over her bed, there was nothing in the window.
“Not this time.” Kenna growled.
She unlocked her window and threw it open in a hurry, sticking her head out into the fading light of Gotham. The wind blew her hair into her face, and she flipped it out of the way, looking around frantically.
“I know you’re out here!” she shouted, making a few people passing on the street look up at her fifth story apartment.
There was no reply. Kenna pulled her head back in the window and stomped her foot. She was not going crazy. There had been something in her window.
Something distinctly bat-shaped.
♠ ♠ ♠
edit: August 15, 2011