Brucie Boy part 21
Curiosity finished the dinner they had left her that night. Recreational time was about to start soon. She had originally been brought a bowl of pale looking macaroni but she had innocently told them that she was allergic to the cheese. They persisted a little but she explained that unless they wanted to clean up a huge mess and possibly have to take her to the hospital then they didn't want to give her that macaroni. So, after about ten minutes of arguing the orderlies had finally given in and one of the two had come back with his dinner… a rare steak. He had already eaten half of it but he had evidently cut it and she decided it was ok. Besides… she loved steak and it was cooked just the way she liked it…
When she finished and he left the other orderly escorted her to the recreational room.
Finally, she would get to meet Zai. If things were going to work however, she would have to play, she rolled her eyes in disgust, nice… Besides, she didn't have her pocket knife or anything else fun like that so this was really her only option… at least until she got out of here.
Zai sat on a couch on the left side of the room. Curiosity smiled politely and walked over.
Zai was scribbling in a sketchpad and didn't realize Curiosity was standing in front of her. Curiosity sat down, causing Zai to jump nearly a foot.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you…" she said biting her tongue to keep from laughing at the scene, her sharp teeth causing blood to pool in her mouth, tingeing her mouth with a slightly metallic taste. She liked it…
Zai smiled embarrassed.
"It's alright. I didn't hear you coming."
"Yeah, my mom used to say I needed a bell…"
Curiosity smirked at the faint memory. Her mother had died in a car accident when she was 6.
Zai closed her sketchpad and set it in her lap.
"So, you know my name but I'm afraid I don't know yours."
Curiosity thought and smiled.
"You can call me Sadie."
Zai flipped open her sketchpad once more and started drawing on a new sheet of paper.
"Can I ask what you're drawing?" Curiosity asked.
"Sorry, I don't let other people see my drawings."
Curiosity nodded.
"Ok, I won't look at it. I was just curious."
Zai continued to draw and Curiosity starred nervously at the back of the sketchpad. Ironically curiosity was getting the better of her.
"Hey Zai, I'll tell you what. If you show me your drawing I'll tell you a secret…"
"Sorry, I don't show people my drawings." Zai repeated.
"Well could you at least TELL me what you're drawing?"
Zai thought about this and finally caved.
"Maybe… it depends on the secret…"
Curiosity grinned, showing Zai her sharp teeth.
Zai looked at her oddly but was patient. She scribbled a little more in the sketchpad.
Curiosity leaned in close.
"I was the one who blew up Dr. Strange's office…"
Zai's eyes widened.
Curiosity grinned even wider.
"But…but how?"
"Eh eh eh… quid pro quo."
Zai sighed. "Fine, it's a picture of you. You have really sharp teeth, I thought I'd try to draw them." She muttered under her breath. "Since Joker's not here to pose…"
Curiosity didn't seem to hear this and her eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
"Cool!"
"So how exactly did you manage to blow up his office?"
Curiosity grinned, showing her teeth.
"I'll tell you if you show me the picture…"
Zai closed the sketchpad.
"Sorry, no deal."
Curiosity frowned but then she sighed and muttered under her breath.
"You showed Joker your drawings…"
Zai's blood ran cold. How did she know that? Had she been watching them? She thought back. She hadn't remembered seeing the girl but then she thought back to what Sadie had said before.
"My mom used to say I needed a bell…"
This was all just in her head… this girl wasn't watching her. She had merely seen Joker posing for her one day… right?
She quickly changed the subject. This girl was starting to creep her out.
"So… do they give you the paste they call macaroni of am I just lucky?"
Curiosity laughed.
"They tried but I convinced them that I was allergic to the cheese so I got half of one of the orderly's steaks. Might as well, it's not like they're going to look it up." Curiosity suddenly stopped, realizing that she had almost let something slip.
Zai didn't seem to have noticed anything out of the ordinary and Curiosity almost let out a sigh of relief.
"I wish I'd thought of that! I only get the pasty macaroni…"
Suddenly Curiosity smiled really wide.
"There is ONE benefit of having pasty macaroni…"
Zai eyed her skeptically.
"Like what? Macaroni paintings?"
Curiosity laughed. "I guess you could but that's not what I'm thinking about. You could always shove that stuff in the orderly's face and steal his keys… lock HIM in and let ME out…"
"What about the cameras?"
"Who cares about the cameras? We'll just jump through the laundry chute before they can get to us…"
Zai didn't seem to be buying into this.
"The laundry chute has a lock on it, only laundry staff have access."
"No wonder I couldn't find it last time…" Curiosity muttered.
"How'd you get out then?"
"I'll tell you if you help me escape…"
Zai considered this. What did she have to lose? Being thrown in solitary would be unpleasant but as long as they didn't take her sketchpad she'd be fine…
"Deal…" Zai felt as if she were going to regret this later but if she changed her mind later who REALLY was going to stop her?
"Ok, the cameras in my old hallway were dummies so after I finished with Dr. Strange's office I jumped down a chute. I thought it was the laundry chute but evidently it was the garbage chute. I smelled like old french-fries and cheese for a couple of days but I climbed out no problem. So as long as you don't mind smelling like old french-fries for a couple of days we have a way out."
Zai eyed Curiosity suspiciously.
"If you got out last time fine by yourself why do you need me?"
Zai watched as Sadie's eyes grew venomous and she fell silent.
"Look, do you want out or not? I thought I'd help you out of here. Joker isn't very happy with you and where do you think he'll come first? If I were you I'd find a rock and crawl under it for awhile because he isn't going to just come by and pose for some more of your little pictures…"
"How do you know Joker's angry with me?" Zai demanded.
"A little CAT told me…" she said as she got up to leave with two of the orderlies.
A shiver ran up Zai's spine. So many questions raced through her mind… Just who was this Sadie Curio? Was Joker really THAT angry with her? Was he really coming to find her? Why did Catwoman tell Sadie about Joker and herself? Her head hurt as she allowed the orderlies to escort her back to her cell. Sadie was already in her cell and she watched Zai carefully, her eyes following her silently as she walked out of view.
Sadie spoke through the wall when the orderlies left.
"Tomorrow at dinner. Don't forget…"
Zai rolled over on her bed, facing the ceiling.
Tomorrow at dinner… Don't forget…