Chapter 1:
They say shrinks are just as fucked up as their patients. Makes sense, the only way to know the language of crazy is to be fluent in it yourself. My colleagues are the only people who understand my obsession with fucked up people. Which is why my end goal was to work with the worst of the worst; and today I got my wish.
I still was feeling the adrenaline rush. 5 hours ago I accepted a position with the Gotham's craziest, Arkham Asylum. A psychiatrists scary wet dream. Monday, Dr. Harleen Quinzel will make her appearance but tonight, it's all Harley.
"Harley!" I glanced over at my friends waving at me in the crowd as I joined them in the madness in one of many Gotham's nightclubs. It was loud and dark with gogo dancers placed in cages. The walls were lit up with pink and purple lights flashing to the beat of the bass, the place felt like one living breathing entity. I felt my friends hands pull me towards them on the dance floor and I quickly became a part of it.
How long had I been dancing, I wouldn't know. By the time we left the club I felt my ribcage still vibrating from the music. We stumbled on to the street at whatever ungodly hour it was. While my friends left in a cab with only room with 4 people, Tanya and I were left waiting for another.
"Oh God Harley I need to barf." Tanya moaned leaning against the stop sign. "Just let it out." I said trying to hail anything at this point. You'd think a blond dressed in the skimpiest outfit could get anyone to offer her a ride.
"What the hell is taking so long." Tanya slumped on the curb. That's when I began noticing through my drunken haze the cabs were not even stopping for anyone.
I started to get uneasy, something was up. "Tanya, let's start walking." I went over grabbed her hand and started to drag her towards the direction of my place.
"Whoa, slow down or I'll projectile everywhere."
"We got to go!" Suddenly it was quiet but kept moving. We didn't make it very far when the silence was broken shouts. The ground started to rumble and people began to scatter. Something was coming, we heard the loud popping and and screeching before we actually saw the cars.
That was when I heard it, maniacal laugh. It was laugh that sent chills down your spine and made you want to disappear. I could feel my heart beating so fast that I swear it was trying to tear out of me to hide.
It all happened in a split second but I swear it felt like an eternity, the army of vehicles paraded down the street sprinkling everything in it's path with bullets taking any unfortunate soul in its way. I broke into a run with Tanya in a tow. No way was I planning to die looking like swiss cheese in my louboutins.
"Oh my god Harley, I don't want to die!" Tanya was screaming as I dragged her down an alley. "Just RUN!" The popping and explosions were louder, confusion and panic filled the streets and others had the same idea we had of trying to escape in the alley. The laughter was still getting louder and louder until I heard the crack of the bullet as if it was next to my ear.
For a moment everything was suddenly silent and muffled and the ringing in my ear grew louder as time seemed to move slowly. I was jerked back, the weight of Tanya's body falling to the ground reminding me how tightly I was gripping her hand. I lost my breath as I turned around watched Tanya's life fade before me and all was left was her lying in a pool of red.
I saw others jumping into dumpsters to hide, on the street there were people with guns and wild costumes running around causing havoc everywhere. I didn't care, one of my best friends was gone with a simple pull of a trigger. I fell down beside her staring at her lifeless wide eyes strangely me of a doll I used to have.
'Haaarrrlllley…..' a whisper in my head.
'HARLEY!" the voice shouted and snapped out of my daze.
I looked up staring down the barrel of a gun held by a man in face mask. Without even thinking, I grabbed his wrist off to the side twisting his arm and wrapped around me until I heard a sickening crack. The gun dropped off to his side and I shoved him off. I quickly grabbed the gun and that's when I noticed one of my heels. One of my Louboutins heel had snapped off just like my sanity at this moment.
"You fucking ASSHOLE." growled at man writhing in pain. Another crack of the gun only this time I pulled the trigger and left a sizable hole on his foot.
'Holy shit I just fucking shot a guy.'
'Sure did toots.' that small voice spoke again. I groaned inwardly, the Whisper was back.
He screamed in pain the sound was so ungodly it alerted the others who started to head toward us. Outnumbered by more people in face masks, I ran toward one of the fire escapes getting rid of my Louboutins in the process.
Being practically born into gymnastics winning a bunch of competitions and going on to earn a full ride scholarship paid off. I maneuvered with whatever limb could connect up the fire escape quickly. I was barely managing to escape the bullets hitting everything but me. I made it into an empty apartment who had a window open ducked below the window until I heard the shooting abruptly stop.
I took a peek outside and saw that gunmen stopped and that was when I saw him. The owner of that maniacal laugh. The infamous Joker of Gotham crown Prince of crime. I had heard stories and every now and then read about his doings in the paper. This was the first time I had ever seen him in person. He had slicked back green hair his skin was white and had on an oddly fashionable purple shirt, black vest and pants.
I dare moved back on the fire escape quietly, curious as he seemed to be talking to them. I was too high up to catch what he was saying but his body language was outright bizarre. His movements clearly not of a sane person; fluid, animated and clownish, the combination of this and a gun made him one really dangerous person.
Without hesitation or forewarning he shot one of his gunmen in the head. 'GET BACK TO THE CARS.' he shouted. Those left alive ran back to the street and left him alone with the gunman left on the ground still clearly alive.
'Joker sir, please please sir." I heard him beg. He fell to the ground cocking his head like observing him like some sort of specimen. He noticed my shoe next to him and picked up the unbroken Louboutin.
"It was that bitch she went up the fire escape she's still there, I can see her, I can still kill her." he shouted.
'Shit.' Standing up quickly and accidentally knocking off a damn flower pot. The Joker turned his head quickly up at me and stood up with a gun pointed at me and my shoe in the other hand. He shot at me but it only hit fire escape barely missing me but stopping me from moving.
Eyes locked on mine, I froze immediately under his gaze. He was definitely going to pull the trigger and I'm going to be dead.
'Please God, if survive this, I'll tell my children and all the future dinner parties about the night I landed the coveted job, lost a friend, shot a man, stared down the Joker and started going to church this moment on.'
"Silly, we hate church." the Whisper said. I need to get home and take my pills.
"We won't need them if you're dead." The Whisper burst into laughter. It grew louder and louder in my head.
"SIR BATMAN." My haze was broken when a group of gunmen ran up shouting Batman. But the Joker still stared at me as if he was still deciding whether or not to kill me.
"SIR!" He grounded his teeth and turned to them and cracked his neck in irritation. He shot the gunman on the ground silencing him forever and followed the rest out of the alley and speeding off.
That was my first interaction with the infamous Joker that I will never forget. I returned home with a police escort after relaying my story and omitting the fact I shot a man.
"You got him killed." the Whisper snickered. "SHUT UP." I said loudly. I quickly went to my bathroom knocking everything out of my vanity looking for the damn pills.
"Don't forget your dead bestie too."
Ignoring it, I downed the pills without water. The Whisper makes an appearance every now and then in my life and the pills help quiet it when it gets too loud. I slid into my hot bath that quickly turned red from Tanya's blood and god knows who else. I stared at my toes peaking out over the red water reflecting on the nights events. I should be crying. Crying for my friend, crying for the people who died, crying for the death and trauma I experienced. Not a single tear and that is the most disturbing thing about it of all.