Holding On

I woke up sweating…Again. I had another dream of him after 2 months since I moved in and I don’t know why?
I looked beside me on the nightstand at the clock to see it just turn 6am. I crossed my eyes, groaning and fell back on the bed and tried to go back asleep.

…

I got dressed at 8am, I didn’t sleep after waking up at 6. I don’t know why? But I went downstairs and into the large kitchen to see Ally laughing with Bruce on the breakfast table. Ally smiled at me, waving, as Bruce gave me a smile. I waved in return, shuffling my feet towards the table.

“Are you ready to go?” asks Ally,

“I want coffee.” I muttered.

“We can go to a coffee shop on the way, c’mon! I’ve been waiting for an hour for you to get up!” she whines,

Before I knew what was going on, we were walking around in the city. I guess I’ve been sleep walking, but Ally didn’t seem to notice anything. She was looking at the large buildings and went into some shops and got a few small things. Like, perfume, shoes, a hat. I still haven’t gotten my coffee, and I kept yawning which made me even more tired. But after I yawned, Ally yawned.

“Oh, damn. I can use some coffee!” she skips smiling over at me.

I gave her the most evilest glare I can make, “Really?” I raised an eyebrow.

“What? I’m falling asleep!” she huffs then walks ahead of me.

I rolled my eyes and followed her to the nearest Café shop. We got our coffee and sat down on their small tables. After a few gulps of coffee; I was feeling more awake.

Ally giggles, “Better?”

“Much.”

“Sorry.” She says, “I was too excited that I forget you need, like, need coffee!”

“Mmmhmm.” I mumbled in my cup.

“Sorry…I’m gonna get a muffin, do you want one?” she asks standing up.

“Sure.”

“Okay, brb.” She says,

I rolled my eyes when she used her texting language out loud. It’s annoying.

“We have just received a video from The Joker, so any children in the room; please get them out of the room as we play this disturbing video.”Says the news guy as it changed to a man in a chair on the ground with cuts and bruises all over him.

“Oh Mr. Freeman…We’re recording!” says someone in a creepy raspy high voice, “Wakey, wakey, Free man. Time for your debut!!” the man holding the camera says as he takes his purple gloves and grabs the poor mans face.

Another man comes into the picture and holds paper in front of the Freeman guy as he took his chair up right. The man looked tired as his head bowed.

“Mr. Free Man, read your script!” says the voice behind the camera.

“’My name is Dr Roger Freeman…I’m going to be set free after I have read this letter…’” the man swallows hard before continuing. “’My name is Dr Roger Freeman…I’m going to be set free before The Joker knows who the real Batman is…If you are listening…Show yourself; or more people will be set ‘free’. Ha ha, ha--’”the man couldn’t finish his last ha as he bowed his head ones again sobbing.

The Man behind the camera starts chuckling as the poor man.

“Please. I have a family!”Dr Freeman screams,

“Oh. I know.” The man behind the camera grabs his head and shacks it, “I know you have a family! But don’t worry. I’ll make sure little Lucy is safe and sound.”

“BASTERD!!!”

The man screams but the camera was turned away from him and now faced a man with a painted face and green hair. He wore white all over his face, with black on his eyes and red on his lips that formed up into a messy smile.

“Gotham is becoming more and more insane as the days go by…The Batman, who I am missing so terribly these past few months. But since he is not returning anytime soon, I’m going to have us do some rather fun and exciting activities this year with a couple of new friends. And the games start…Now.”

“Dr Roger Freeman was found in 5 locations, in pieces. Dr Freeman was a Doctor at Arkham, a loving Husband and Father.”The news guy says then continues on about Dr Freeman.

The man with the painted face starts laughing showing his yellowish teeth and then the camera moves quickly so no one could see anything clearly, but every one heard the horrible screams coming from Dr Freeman.

I looked around me to see everyone shacking their heads, rubbing their faces, crying, ECT. I turned around to see Ally mirroring my shocked face as she held two muffins. I bit my bottom lip then stood, grabbing one of the muffins as I past her out the door. She followed, and we started heading back to Bruce’s.

…

“Puddin’!! That was amazing!!! You did a fantastic job!! The Joker is back, Lady’s and Gentlemen!!!” yells a very hyper jester girl in a Boston accent.

“May I please shoot her?” asks a man in a green suit and hat with a question mark on it.

The girl glared at him as she linked her arms around the man with paint on his face known as, The Joker.

“Now Riddler…We need three to play the game.” The Joker says pushing the jester girl away. “And Harley is one of the three.”

“We can be fine with two. It is an even number after all.”

“I work with Mistah J. End of conversation!” Harley says grabbing her mallet and swinging it back and forth.

The Joker shrugs his shoulders and chuckles as the Riddler when he rolls his eyes.

“Where o’ where, is the Bat?!” Joker asks out loud, as he looked out the window.

…

Ally and I took a taxi, thinking it would be faster to get to the manor. We walked inside and headed towards the living room where Bruce and Alfred stared at the news replaying the Joker video. The Joker’s laugh gave chills up my spine. Alfred turned off the TV as he noticed us standing there. Bruce turns around to see us and sighs.

“Who is that guy?” asks Ally.

“The Joker. A psychopath that came to the city about 8 years ago.” Says Bruce, “He has an obsession with The Batman and blowing up buildings.”

“He blew up buildings?!”

“He blew up a Hospital almost a year ago…”

“Oh my god! Were the patients killed?” she asks,

“No. He gave a warning before he blew it up. Then afterwards he had cavillians go into one boat and inmates in another and told the boats to blow the others boat up before midnight or they’ll all die.” Bruce explains. “Neither did nothing and The Joker was going to do it himself but Batman stopped him and left him hanging off the building till the swat team came and took him back to Arkham.”

“That’s horrible.”

“Where’s The Bat guy now?” I asked,

“Nobody knows.” Alfred steps into the conversation.

“That’s crazy!” Ally says.

“That’s just what the Joker is, Al.” Bruce rolls his dress sleeves up, “There’s no records of his real identity, he has no name, no DNA, no birth certificate—nothing.”

I went to my room after Bruce stopped talking about Batman and The Joker. Gotham has changed since I left years ago. 9 I think? I was 15 when I left so yeah. 9. The Joker came to town a year after I left. Strange.

I ignored anymore thoughts about the Joker and got ready for bed. I heard a knock on my door when I just put my t-shirt on.

“Come in.” I yelled out.

I heard the door open and close as I turned around to see Bruce.

“Are you alright, Melinda?” he asks kindly.

“I’m fine, why?” I asked.

“It’s just this Joker situation…I don’t want you to feel worried…I just want you to know that you’ll be safe here.”

“Thank you Bruce.” I smiled up at him. He was about 6’0 as I stood 5’3.

“Your welcome.” He smiles in return, but it was the same smile as I met him and it gave me goosebumps and in a good way. “Sleep well.” He says then leaves.

I sighed heavily and fell backwards on my bed. I leaned my head upwards at the nightstand and crawls towards it, picking up the card. The boy in the jester outfit as a joker card.

Joker.

Ahh, I’m outta my mind!!