Status: alive and kicking
In the Mind of Madness
Shall We?
Darla followed the big thug that was holding the limp blonde, smacking him on the back of the head as he set her roughly on the seat.
“Be careful, idiot.” then she lifted Kenna’s face, opening her eyelids with her forefinger and thumb. “Hey, wake up. Open your eyes, Kenna.”
Kenna groaned and her lids fluttered up over her bright green eyes. Darla sighed, they were looking at her full of faith. And she was betraying all that trust. “Hi, Darla.” said Kenna in a weak voice.
“We need to get into Arkham without anyone seeing us. Can you tell me how to do that?”
Nodding, Kenna rolled her head onto Darla’s shoulder. “Sure. Back door.”
“Good. Drive it, Dope.”
The big guy growled something inaudible that was surely an insult at her and scrambled up to the front seat, putting the van in motion. Darla tried to keep Kenna upright and aware. They needed her if they wanted to get into Arkham unnoticed. Kenna sighed and hugged Darla’s arm.
“You’ve been a good friend to me, Darling Darla.” she whispered.
Darla clenched her teeth and looked out the window. She felt like such an asshole. Sure, at first Kenna was just the naïve psychologist that she was supposed to watch and then eventually kidnap. Darla was never one for friends, but she could play the part well if she needed to. Then Kenna seemed to genuinely trust her, and wanted to do things with her all the time. Darla felt an uncomfortable sensation of guilt in her chest as they zoomed through back alleys.
“Where are we going?” asked Kenna, leaning around Darla to stare out the window. Her eyes wouldn’t focus.
“Arkham.”
“I work there, you know. I like it very much…” then Kenna burst into tears, causing Darla to jump away from her in shock. “I’m such a horrible person! I’m lying to everyone just so I can keep listening to that freak spew lies at me every day! I‘m as bad as he is. Poor, poor Harvey…”
Darla didn’t know what to say for a moment. “Uh…you aren’t a horrible person, Kenna. I am.”
“Oh.” said Kenna simply, then she laid her head back and started singing quietly.
Shaking her head, Darla scooted forward to talk to the driver. “What the hell did you put in her drink?”
“I don’t know what it was. Guy that sold it to me said it would make her loopy and she won’t remember a thing.” shrugged Dopey.
Darla looked back at Kenna, who had fallen over and was giggling into her hands. “Loopy is an understatement.”
“We just need her awake so we can get in and get the boss out.”
“Right, right. I’ll keep her coherent.”
Sitting back in her seat, Darla reached over and pinched Kenna‘s leg. Kenna responded by gasping and then pulling her knees up to her chest. “Something bit me.” she told Darla fearfully.
Nodding and not paying much attention to the ramblings of the blonde next to her, Darla concentrated on what they were about to do. They’d been planning for weeks, finding it hard to get messages from the boss in and out of Arkham, even with a guy working as a guard on the inside. Kenna was the key, and they had to use her now while they had the chance.
*
“Be very quiet okay, Kenna?”
Kenna shook her head yes. “Okay. Through here.”
Darla kept a firm hold on Kenna’s arm, keeping her upright. She stumbled around drunkenly, but at least she was walking. Darla’s heart pounded as she fingered the gun in her pocket, ready if they encountered anyone. Kenna was leading them to The Joker’s cell, not seeming to find anything wrong with breaking in two felons and then breaking out another.
“Down there. Number 942.” whispered Kenna, pointing down a long hall of glass walls.
It was a high security cell block, the glass was probably bulletproof and soundproof. Many inmates didn’t even notice as they passed. Darla let go of Kenna when they got close to The Joker’s cell, causing Kenna to stagger and hold onto the walls for support.
The Joker was standing in the middle of his cell when they got to him. Slightly hunched over and smiling eerily out of the glass.
He nodded once to Darla and Dopey, then grinned mischievously at Kenna as she felt her way to his glass chamber. She saw him and groaned, flipping him the bird before sliding down to the floor. He broke into laughter, though they couldn’t hear it through the glass.
“How do we get him out?” demanded Dopey, glaring down at Kenna.
She started to close her eyes. “Keypad. 00618.”
Darla looked around for a keypad, finding a small silver one on the left side of The Joker’s cell. She typed in the numbers Kenna said, then watched as the glass slowly slid away. The Joker stepped out and grabbed Kenna’s elbow, lifting her up before putting an arm securely around her waist.
“Shall we?”
“Be careful, idiot.” then she lifted Kenna’s face, opening her eyelids with her forefinger and thumb. “Hey, wake up. Open your eyes, Kenna.”
Kenna groaned and her lids fluttered up over her bright green eyes. Darla sighed, they were looking at her full of faith. And she was betraying all that trust. “Hi, Darla.” said Kenna in a weak voice.
“We need to get into Arkham without anyone seeing us. Can you tell me how to do that?”
Nodding, Kenna rolled her head onto Darla’s shoulder. “Sure. Back door.”
“Good. Drive it, Dope.”
The big guy growled something inaudible that was surely an insult at her and scrambled up to the front seat, putting the van in motion. Darla tried to keep Kenna upright and aware. They needed her if they wanted to get into Arkham unnoticed. Kenna sighed and hugged Darla’s arm.
“You’ve been a good friend to me, Darling Darla.” she whispered.
Darla clenched her teeth and looked out the window. She felt like such an asshole. Sure, at first Kenna was just the naïve psychologist that she was supposed to watch and then eventually kidnap. Darla was never one for friends, but she could play the part well if she needed to. Then Kenna seemed to genuinely trust her, and wanted to do things with her all the time. Darla felt an uncomfortable sensation of guilt in her chest as they zoomed through back alleys.
“Where are we going?” asked Kenna, leaning around Darla to stare out the window. Her eyes wouldn’t focus.
“Arkham.”
“I work there, you know. I like it very much…” then Kenna burst into tears, causing Darla to jump away from her in shock. “I’m such a horrible person! I’m lying to everyone just so I can keep listening to that freak spew lies at me every day! I‘m as bad as he is. Poor, poor Harvey…”
Darla didn’t know what to say for a moment. “Uh…you aren’t a horrible person, Kenna. I am.”
“Oh.” said Kenna simply, then she laid her head back and started singing quietly.
Shaking her head, Darla scooted forward to talk to the driver. “What the hell did you put in her drink?”
“I don’t know what it was. Guy that sold it to me said it would make her loopy and she won’t remember a thing.” shrugged Dopey.
Darla looked back at Kenna, who had fallen over and was giggling into her hands. “Loopy is an understatement.”
“We just need her awake so we can get in and get the boss out.”
“Right, right. I’ll keep her coherent.”
Sitting back in her seat, Darla reached over and pinched Kenna‘s leg. Kenna responded by gasping and then pulling her knees up to her chest. “Something bit me.” she told Darla fearfully.
Nodding and not paying much attention to the ramblings of the blonde next to her, Darla concentrated on what they were about to do. They’d been planning for weeks, finding it hard to get messages from the boss in and out of Arkham, even with a guy working as a guard on the inside. Kenna was the key, and they had to use her now while they had the chance.
*
“Be very quiet okay, Kenna?”
Kenna shook her head yes. “Okay. Through here.”
Darla kept a firm hold on Kenna’s arm, keeping her upright. She stumbled around drunkenly, but at least she was walking. Darla’s heart pounded as she fingered the gun in her pocket, ready if they encountered anyone. Kenna was leading them to The Joker’s cell, not seeming to find anything wrong with breaking in two felons and then breaking out another.
“Down there. Number 942.” whispered Kenna, pointing down a long hall of glass walls.
It was a high security cell block, the glass was probably bulletproof and soundproof. Many inmates didn’t even notice as they passed. Darla let go of Kenna when they got close to The Joker’s cell, causing Kenna to stagger and hold onto the walls for support.
The Joker was standing in the middle of his cell when they got to him. Slightly hunched over and smiling eerily out of the glass.
He nodded once to Darla and Dopey, then grinned mischievously at Kenna as she felt her way to his glass chamber. She saw him and groaned, flipping him the bird before sliding down to the floor. He broke into laughter, though they couldn’t hear it through the glass.
“How do we get him out?” demanded Dopey, glaring down at Kenna.
She started to close her eyes. “Keypad. 00618.”
Darla looked around for a keypad, finding a small silver one on the left side of The Joker’s cell. She typed in the numbers Kenna said, then watched as the glass slowly slid away. The Joker stepped out and grabbed Kenna’s elbow, lifting her up before putting an arm securely around her waist.
“Shall we?”
♠ ♠ ♠
edit: August 15, 2011