'I counted the shadows. One, two, three. I found their owners. A crow, a lamp post, a tree.' This is how it was in Gotham. I had never been thrilled on the idea of moving from my small town in Maine, to a big city like this; and I especially wasn't accustomed to living on my own. Or walking home alone at night. Curse my work schedule. But, money was tight so I was given little room to complain. I got myself stuck in the most crime populated areas in america. I'm a genius.
I had to admit, there was a glamorous allure that led me here. The fact that there was a masked vigilante that ran around the city, and incredibly devious villains lurking behind every corner. It keeps everyone on their toes to the point where it amazes me everyone didn't flee from this war zone years ago. I stared at my dingy apartment as I arrived home and sighed silently to my self at what a shit hole I live in. Turning the key into the lock, the door was jammed again. I gave it a little push and it came wide open with a cloud of dust going down my throat. I'd drink some water to stop my coughing but no one in Gotham in their right mind would ever use the faucet water after how many incidents have occurred with villains contaminating the water supply. I decided to run a bath and get dressed for bed, at least I had all tomorrow to work on my poems before going to work. I love writing. It's truly a passion of mine. During work, in between filling out paperwork, I would either watch Doctor Who on my laptop or work on my writing. My biggest dream in the world was to be an accomplished writer. Someone to inspire others, so they could have someone to relate to. I had always wished I had had someone who understood me. 'One day', I thought.
The next morning I got up, had breakfast and obsessively started on my poems. However, I always started my day with a reading of one of my favorite poems. I used it as kind of a fortune telling for the day. This one read:
"I know the bottom, she says. I know it with my great tap root; It is what you fear. I do not fear it: I have been there. Is it the sea you hear in me, Its dissatisfactions? Or the voice of nothing, that was you madness? Love is a shadow..." -Sylvia PlathI'm a receptionist at Arkham Asylum. A terrible job, I realize. They've never even really had a receptionist before me, but they needed one to handle job applications and to talk back and forth with the police and court about incoming patients. I sat behind my little glass box, separating me from the inmates. This is what it was like every day. I had been here a month and every time a high level inmate would walk through that door with guards at their side, I'd sink back into my chair and cringe. They always stared at me through the glass as I helped the guards fill out the necessary paperwork. They could feel my fear, and I was truly afraid.
So why would I ever take such an awful job? I got a certain kind of rush from fear truthfully. And I was so bored, so so bored. I didn't want to be confined to a life of normality. I wanted a rush. And working at the asylum, even in such a simple job; it truly gave me that rush.
I glanced over to the TV to hear that The Riddler still hasn't been found. After he broke out of the asylum three weeks before I started working here, he still hasn't been found. Apparently he's been leaving dark riddles for the commissioner. Therefore the police were a little uneasy and working around the clock to find and contain him.
I started working on my part of the forms to fill out for the arrival of Becky Albright. I was pretty fearful about her arrival. She's actually very sweet and often makes small talk with me while the guard fills out his part of the forms. But she was coming alone this time. Jonathan Crane wasn't currently at the Asylum. Therefore I knew he would be coming to get her. I only hoped it wouldn't be during the night shift.
"Ms. Denton..." I turned away from my TV to see one of the night guards with Becky cuffed standing next to him.
"Hello Ame" Becky smiled with a playful roll of her eyes that said, 'Here I am again, did you miss me?'.
Everyone knew me as Amethyst and everyone called me Ame (pronounced Am-ee).Sometimes people confused it for annie. It didn't really bother me. I had legally changed my name when I was eighteen. I had a habit of collecting crystals and amethyst has always been my favorite. So it just kinda stuck.
"Wheres Jonathan?" I asked and then immediately regretted asking.
She giggled and stated, "Oh he'll be here soon."
The guard and I exchanged glances of 'Oh fuck here we go'.
It's nights like these where I think somewhere in the budget some money should be spent on employee gas masks.
It was gonna be a long night.
