The walls had begun closing in on Jervis. In desperation at losing his mind he'd fled out onto the streets. Now in the fresh air he reflected at the absurdity of it. He'd spent months locked up in a cell at Arkham… why should sitting in a flat bring on an attack of claustrophobia?

Perhaps it was the lack of company? he mused. In Arkham he'd had daily contact with others… either in the form of doctors or inmates. Even on a bad day he'd been able to speak with the guards. Out here, though there were certainly plenty of people around, there was no-one he could talk to. He remembered something Jonathan had once said… It is often much harder for a man to be alone in a crowd than in the desert. He sighed and let his feet carry him along the busy streets.

Looking up he recognised his old workplace… Wayne Industries. Without guidance his feet had carried him along remembered routes. He felt a sudden desire to see Alice. He remembered how her smile used to brighten his day… even when he was feeling low. More than anything he just wanted to see a familiar face. To be reassured he wasn't forgotten in the world.

Cautiously he headed towards the building. It was coming up to 5 o'clock. If she was still working here then she'd be heading out soon. Without hesitation he headed round to the car park. A quick glance confirmed she was still here. And she was still driving her little old car. He remembered how fond of it she'd been. She'd told him how she'd had to save for it. Looking at it now he wondered how anyone could stand to drive such a battered vehicle when it was so easy to come by better if one were only willing to bend the rules.

Waiting in the shadows he heard her voice, calling goodbye to some colleague. He was struck by how strained it sounded. So false. Had she sounded like that when she'd spoken to him? Had her cheerful manner been an act? Jonathan always told him his memories were seen through rose tinted glasses. Was it all really true? He watched her walk over to her car. He was shocked at how ordinary she seemed. Her hair was a dull blonde… not gold. Her eyes looked lifeless… no sign of the sparkle he remembered. There was no warm smile… only a somewhat stressed frown. Probably worrying about something mundane like what to cook for dinner. He almost laughed. He'd tried to show her the possibilities of a life less ordinary. She couldn't break away from her safe routine.

Sadly he shook his head. Without a sound he let her get in her car and drive away. They were truly world's apart now. He could see that now. As he walked away from his old life he wondered what might have happened if she had chosen him. Would he be even now worrying about a mortgage? Would their lives together revolve around a hurried meal and watching some TV drama? Both too stressed and tired to bother with enjoying life? He couldn't imagine living that life now. And she clearly hadn't the imagination to see what life could really be.

He glanced about himself as he realised he'd left the busy thoroughfare. He was in a quaint little street with curious shops. To his side was a window display filled with antiques. On a whim he stepped inside and began to browse through the curio on display. His ear caught a conversation from the counter.

"Look kid, you don't have any kind of experience of what it takes to run a shop. Though you're keen I'll grant you that. How old are you anyway?"

"I'm nineteen and I've helped out at the shop where I used to live, in Pennsylvania, every weekend since I was sixteen. And it's Miss McArthur, not kid." The guy at the counter sighed.

"Alright. I'll hire you part-time so long as you go to college, get a degree in art history or library science or something like that. But if you start missing classes or if I hear you're failing then that's it. Got it?"

"Absolutely Mr Harper." He gave her a long look before nodding.

"Fine. You can start next week. We'll arrange your hours once you've got your college schedule." With another Cheshire cat grin the girl turned and left.

Jervis watched her go out of the corner of his eye. There went someone who knew what she wanted and worked to get it. Again he shook his head. He was surrounded by people living life by the rules. Didn't they realise how easy things could be if you just went beyond those bounds?

Alice was trapped by her own sheep mentality. That girl thought she was taking life by the reins, when in reality life was still controlling her. They were both the same. Just like the White Queen who was also the Sheep. He grinned at the thought.

Leaving the shop he began to trudge back towards his bland flat. Life shouldn't be like this. Why should he settle for this drudgery when it would be so easy to set himself up comfortably somewhere else? Somewhere no-one knew him. Away from the damned Bat. One big job and he could leave all this behind. If he managed it carefully he might never need to look for money again. His thoughts wandered to a life of luxury on an isolated island somewhere. No job to tie him down, only leisure to sip tea and read. No people to disapprove, though maybe a few friends staying with him for company. Nothing to worry him…

He stopped in mid walk as his mind focussed on the word 'worry'. He could feel his mind beginning to buzz as a plan started to form.

"You want a paper?" Suddenly he realised he'd stopped by a newspaper stand. The guy running it held out some rag and instinctively Jervis took it. After a hesitation he reached into his pocket and passed over some change. As he continued to walk he felt the initial buzz of the idea begin to fade. Details were what were needed now. His eye scanned the paper in front of him and were caught on a small article barely a couple of inches long. As he approached his own front door again a Cheshire cat grin spread across his face.

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My thanks to Jenni Lynn for allowing Alysyn McArthur to appear in this story. If you want to see her future read 'Down the Rabbit Hole' .net/s/4923030/1/