*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*
"Ugh," I moaned, sleepily opening my eyes. I turned over in my bed trying to ignore the piercing cry of the alarm, but sadly, the effort was in vain. I pulled my arm out from under my chest and flung it sloppily at the alarm clock. It fell to the floor in a crash, but it was to late; the damage had been done. I Jerald Kelvan, was awake.
Wearily I dragged myself up from my small bed and walked towards the door into the kitchen. I frantically searched the cabinets and found a box of "Little Her-o's". Yea it's a kid's cereal, but hey when a "grown-up cereal" company can produce a cereal with marshmallows I'll buy from them. I filled an empty bowl full, added some milk, and sat down at the table.
Reaching for the remote I turned on the television. The anchor man's voice filled the room. "… and at the increasing price of up to $4.09, it seems like we're going to see a lot more people 'riding the rails'. In other news the Batman has struck again with yet another act of proclaimed heroism-"
I nearly choked through the spoonful of cereal. "The Batman" how could the people of Gotham think that he's helping. He'll need to try harder to convince me it's working. "- Police found notorious drug runner Jonathan Doenun tied to a lamppost, in the narrows district. Clear signs indicate the Batman's involvement, but a statement is yet to be made by the police. We'll continue more with this story at the top of the hour. And in politics, it seems like congressman David -"
I turned the television off; no need for it to dampen a perfectly good morning. After a quick shower, I put on my suit and walked out the door. The six flights of stairs didn't even phase me. I briskly walked through the apartment lobby and waved to the doorman. "Morning Jerald!" "Good morning Winston!" I replied.
The morning seemed ever so bright today. Even through Gotham's towering skyscrapers, it seemed like the whole world was lit up. "A nice day for a bit of walking." I observed. I strolled down the street on my way to work, knowing today was going to be great. I turned at the corner of Spruce and Cypress, eager to get to the office.
I always liked walking down Cypress, as it was a bustling market street. People laughing and talking, and the bakeries filling the streets with aromas, were especially delightful. There was even an ice-cream shop in the middle of the street! I began my stroll past the shop, and I noticed a child cringing. "Hey," I asked "are you ok there kid?" Tearfully he looked up at me, and I sensed the disappointment on his face. "My ice- my ice-cream…." he moaned. Sure enough he was holding a barren cone, and staning on what appeared to be a melting pink snowball. I smiled and reach into my pocket and pulled out a couple of bucks. "Here you go kid," I said, handing him the money "go get yourself another one." His face instantly lit up, and he threw his arms around my legs. "Thanks mister!" he exclaimed "You're the best!" Then, taking the money, he ran at full speed back into the parlor. I chuckled silently, and moved on.
While uneventful, the rest of the walk to work was fairly relaxing. Down streets and boulevards I wove, making my way to the factory. In no time I arrived at the gates. The sunlight seemed to pierce the grim covered walls which gave the place a sense of wonder that seems to often be over looked. After pausing for a moment to observe the beauty, I decided to go on inside.
Up to the stoop of the main doors I marched, eager to start the day. I turned to the dirty white intercom box on the wall of the door and pushed the button. *BZZZZZZ* "Hello?" Came the crackly voice from the intercom. "Hello," I called back. "This is-" I was interrupted by the doors flying open and nearly smacking me in the face. "Jerald! Oh of course that's you! I'd know you anywhere!"
I gazed up at the tall figure that almost knocked me over. There he stood tall in his flaring suit. His hair was slicked back, and his shining pale white face was shining in the sunlight. The Clown Prince of Crime, The Chaplain of Chicanery, The Monstrous Montabank; The Joker himself.
"Good morning boss." I said cheerfully. He smiled (as usual), and put his arm around my shoulder. "Come on in Jerald," he said as he led me inside "I've got some brand new ideas that your just absolutely going to love! We've got a lot of work to do!" And with that we turned an walked inside. I was eager to start the day.
