Something to Remember
As a couple more weeks ticked on and September rolled along, I had gotten the rare chance to sigh with relief. I dared not to get my hopes up, however. They'd be crushed down brutally with time anyhow. The Clown wasn't through. He'd be at his heinous antics again anytime. Remaining oblivious to when that time was to arrive was slowly eating me alive. It was September 2nd at this point. How much longer until the Joker would be interrogating (then slaughtering) another member of the Enterprises?
Bruce had taken a strong course of action after Lucius' death. He required that the place be closed down by 9:30pm each day, and that they enforce more security guards around the main entrance. The place had more security cameras installed to Bruce's ordering, and there were more weapons abundant in the office areas. These new adjustments would hopefully prove beneficial, though like I implied, I was not to get my hopes up.
It was a Saturday when I decided to head back to my apartment one last time to pack up and bring over the rest of my things. There wasn't too much left, just some of my old coats, comforters and a desk mirror. Bruce was at the Enterprises; it was 3:00pm. So against more rational judgement, I drove over to the complex with an empty box to load the last of my stuff in, then check out of the place for good at the receptionists desk. It was doubtable that the freak would be showing up to my apartment at this time of day… and I'd be quick. Just a minute or two and I would be out.
I'll admit that I was exceptionally cautious when opening up my door. It had been just over three weeks since I'd entered the place, and I was with a well-prepared Bruce, gun in hand as well as a few of his infamous 'Bat weapons'.
After a long thirty seconds of excessive angst, my door was completely open. I warily stepped in, the large box was grasped in my right hand as I made my way in. I decided not to close the door all the way, just in case someone were either already in here, ready to attack, or they were on their way. I'd be able to hear them coming for my door and at least get a chance at making an escape… with much prayer.
I headed to my closet and yanked my remaining coats and jackets off of the hangers and tossing them into the box. Then I gathered my comforters and folded them up and in the box they went. Though as I was making my way over to my desk to garner my large mirror (that I probably didn't really need since Bruce had to have like a billion mirrors around his large home) a heard an abrupt tune cut through the silence that I had just gotten used to, scaring the bejesus out of me. I sighed in relief once I'd acknowledged that it was merely my cellphone going off in my back pocket. I reached around and pulled it out then answered. "Hello?"
There was a moment of silence. I just heard light breathing on the other end for a good twenty to twenty five seconds. A wrong number perhaps? It didn't recognize it, anyway.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" I repeated, on the verge of hanging up, until a familiar voice sounded on the other end.
* "...I was just thinking about the life of a pumpkin. Grow up in the sun, happily entwined with others, and then someone comes along, cuts you open, and rips your guts out."
Oh nice, it was my bipolar foe, Selina Kyle.
"...What?"
"How ya been, Dian?" she piped in cheerfully. How have I been?!
"Why are you calling me?" I was straightforward and concise with my question. I was planning on keeping this conversation very brief. I was in no mood for her bitching.
"Rude. I just wanted to see how you were doin' is all…"
"Fine."
"Oh, well, that's good."
"Is that all?"
Some more silence, then a light sigh. "Look, D, I'm sorry about the little spew we had last month. I was just… a little cranky is all. Ya know? Some bad PMS, ya get me? We're both girls...of course you'd understand."
"Selina, you clawed at my face. Bad. So, no, I'm afraid that I do not understand. You're confused."
"Hey! Shuddup and listen to me! Okay… I know what I did was unladylike, and I apologize sincerely, babe. You know I have problems… You've seen my wrists! They speak for themselves."
"I'm hanging up. Don't call me again."
"NO! Please, just listen to me for one minute, please, Dian!"
"I'm counting."
"Okay… I've come to terms with you dating my former man… yeah, it's cool. I just wanted to tell you that. Now, I want to meet up with you again. I really want to show you something. Look at this as an opportunity to rekindle our friendship, D."
"What is it you want to… show me?" I asked suspiciously.
"You'll see. I'll surprise ya. How about I swing by your place today and we can go out and have some fun like young ladies should."
"I'm leaving. I've moved in with Bruce. I'm in my apartment now just packing up the remainder of my things, actually."
She was silent again, probably disliking those words to a powerful extent.
"...Ooookay, then. I'll just uh-"
"Alright, I'll pick you up," I grudgingly suggested. I should have been hanging up right now. Hanging up, changing my phone number, and keeping her out of my life. Why couldn't I do that? It sounded so simple…
"Nice! 5:00 sound good?"
"Well um-"
"Great! See ya then!"
The flake had hung up. Now what? Was I really going to go through with this bullshit? I certainly didn't want to, after she lashed out on me last time. She was so unstable. What if she was planning to kill me?
I had to take this matter up with Bruce.
"You went up to the complex?! Dian, we discussed this! He could've been there! It's far too risky," Bruce scolded me over the phone after having learned that I ventured back to my apartment to gather the rest of my things, all by myself.
"I was only in there for a few minutes. It was daytime, so I figured that he would not be there-"
"He could have been! You know he's extraordinarily unpredictable, Dian. You should have waited for me."
I rolled my eyes. "Can we get back to the current issue here? Selina wants me to come over to her place to do God-knows-what. Now she's the unpredictable one."
"I wouldn't do it, Dian. After what she did to you last time you two spent time together…"
"Alright… I think I should give it a chance, at least. I'll bring some mace just in case she turns on me. She sounded desperate to see me."
"Doesn't it raise your suspicions? She waited nearly two months to contact you. She may have something vice in mind." He was right. Chances were that she would be chucking something vicious my way upon arrival, but I felt the need to at least take a chance.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. It's not like I haven't handled her before. I've already seen her at her worst. If anything goes wrong, I'll just threaten her with my pepper spray, and hopefully that'll fend her off. I'll call you if anything goes askew, Bruce. I've got to get going."
He sighed then gave his final goodbye before hanging up. I headed for the door and left. I was probably being too nonchalant about this, but I was sure that I had things under control. She was just a moody woman. Well, a very moody woman. She certainly didn't raise my stress levels like the Joker did. Not even close. I could handle her. Maybe I could even help her, if she'd just give me the chance to.
…
I'd barely laid my knuckle to her door a third time before she swung the door open, a big smile formed on her glossy lips and jeans and a revealing tank top for attire. Her black curls hung loosely just down her shoulders, and her eyes were far from being bare, having plenty of thick mascara swiped on her lashes and a thick line of eyeliner drawn on her eyelids, as usual.
"Selina…"
"D."
She backed up and opened up the door a little more, gesturing me to come inside. "Why don't you come inside." I reluctantly stepped in and scanned the apartment. It was more on the unkempt side, for the clothes spread throughout the room on either the floor or hung on the couch's arm rests. I glanced down to notice that she had cleaned up the cigarette ash that she had crushed into the carpet on my last visit, though a small, gray stain was still noticeable. A purple bong by her closet door caught my eye, as well as a few large and empty wine bottles tipped over on the floor by her couch. Then there was a good ten empty boxes of Marlboros all spread throughout the floor of the small living room, and a couple worn lighters were spotted on the coffee table...she'd been busy, alright.
She improvisationally rubbed the back of her neck and smirked. "Been meaning to clean up, just haven't exactly had the chance."
I stepped in further. "I can see that." Oh, I hoped that didn't offend her. She could be so damn sensitive.
"Yup, been busy lately… So, would ya like something to drink?"
"No thank you," I replied, wondering when she was going to cut to the chase of my nearly required stop over.
"Well, how about we go and do something, I don't know, get something to eat? Then I can show that really cool thing I found."
My stomach turned in slight fear. What 'cool thing'?
"Yes, sure, okay then," I replied tensely, while she showed off her shockingly pearly whites again and grabbed her purse off the coat hanger.
"Kay, let's go."
…
We rode in her silver Sedan just outside Gotham's city limits. We were headed to a small cantina for dinner, as she'd suggested. She'd happily complied that the tacos were to die for. I shrugged indifferently. I didn't care where we were headed for dinner. What she had planned later for me was what was lurking cruelly in my mind.
"What are you going to show me?" I decided to ask. She returned a smug grin.
"It's a surprise, 'member?"
"Huh… would you at least tell me where the 'surprise' is?"
She clicked her tongue playfully a few times, contemplating my question thoroughly. "It's in the Gotham museum. There's this little room that's abandoned, or at least, I think it is… no one ever goes down there except me. Anyway, I found something really cool in there a few weeks ago. Thought I'd show it to ya. It's pretty neat."
"Museum? Aren't they closed right now?"
"They're open till nine on Saturdays. So, we'll have to keep our stay at the bar brief."
"Selina, I hate to be a party-pooper, but I'm really in no mood for exploring the museum tonight…"
She didn't favor my statement.
"But, that was a part of the deal…"
I frowned, confused. "What deal? I never made a deal with you."
"Not the point. The point of tonight's escapade was to show ya the amazing little secret I discovered upon snooping up in the GM."
"Then why don't we just skip the cantina and go straight to the museum?" I suggested, pointlessly.
"It's cooler to the eye when one's got a little buzz on first."
…
She led me in through the dimly lit bar, her tall heels clanking loudly on the hard, stone floor, men drawing their drunken eyes to the two of us as we strode towards the front, Selina flattered by their gazes, myself disturbed.
We sat on the stools in the front at the counter. The bartender, an older guy looking somewhere in his mid forties, approached us with a wry smile on his lean and scruffy face.
"Heyy, what can I get ya ladies tonight?" he inquired, his tone sounding pathetically suggestive. While I was slightly perturbed by his demeanor, Selina wasn't hardly phased.
"Hi Xander. *giggle* I'll have one of those, em, small taco things, and some tequila, and uh...fire away, D." She turned to me, as did the semi perve.
"Just a glass of water, please. That'll be all."
He turned away to gather the drinks while Selina shot me a funny look. "God, 'just a glass of water, please', so boring, I swear."
"I'm driving, in case you forgot, Selina. I need to remain sober."
She shrugged. "Yes, because God forbid you get one DWI in your perfect life…" She was correct about that.
He returned minutes later, giving me a suggestive wink before taking off. Loser. I slowly sipped my water while Selina crunched away at her regular looking taco that she claimed was fascinating…
"Wanna bite?" she asked with a full mouth.
"No thanks." I glanced at the clock. It was already 6:04. I sighed and rested my head in my palm, waiting for her to finish up so we could get this stupid thing over with. I was sure that she had nothing astonishing to show me, anyway. Probably just some leftover fossils or a mummified creature of sorts...it would be nothing that I haven't seen.
She flirtingly waved goodbye to the bartender, who blew a sloppy kiss her way in return. We headed out, and it appeared that I'd be driving indeed, for she had helped herself to a few glasses of the hard shit.
She seemed giddy the whole car ride to the museum. Maybe this 'surprise' was more interesting than I'd thought… We got there at 7:09, so we had just under two hours to check this thing out. She eagerly grabbed my hand once I had parked.
"C'mon!"
I rolled my eyes and sighed at her over-joyment as we got out and headed in. I hadn't been inside the place for quite awhile, maybe around five years or so. It was very spacious and appealing to the eye for sure. Everything from the paintings on the walls to the ancient bones hung above us. She was leading me a longways. We'd been walking for nearly five minutes before she stopped suddenly before a door.
Typical. The door had a bold sign nailed to it that said: DO NOT ENTER
Selina was a rebel without a cause. A gifted rule-breaker. She'd be entering, but not me.
"I'm not going in there, Selina. Look at the sign."
"God, what a goody two shoes. There's no one around here! C'mon, it's this one small thing in here that I wanna show ya. You won't be disappointed, I promise."
I met her pleading, brown hues and hesitantly gave in. "Really fast."
She chuckled lightly to herself and pulled a small key out of her pocket. Ugh.
"And where did you get that?"
"Somewhere," she deadpanned then opened up the forbidden door. She sashayed inside and then pulled a small flashlight out of her pocket. She turned it on then… then descended down stairs. Now I really didn't want to go in.
"Selina, I though you said this was just a small room," I argued, while she was four steps down already.
"It is...but it's down here."
I groaned, then warily followed her. I closed the door behind us so the staff wouldn't notice that there were people in their forbidden little room that was supposed to be off limits. I followed right behind her down the old and cemented steps, becoming increasingly reluctant to continue by the step.
After having descended what was presumabley 40 steps, we were in a dark and cool room with nothing but concrete walls, a few boxes, and a display in the corner of the room. It was a glass case that was filthy with dust on the top, until Selina blew it all off, expertly I might add…
"C'mere."
I walked over towards where the light was being shown on the glass table. Inside was a small, sealed up vase, that was painted all black mind a few symbols of some sort of ancient text shown on the sides.
There was an old and tattered scroll aside it. I was right. It was something that I had seen before. Inessential and a massive waste of my time...oh, Selina, you goof.
"Fascinating…" I grumbled, then turned around for the stairs. I was getting the hell out of there. She had yet again wasted my time. I jumped in my place before I'd made the first step and my heart fluttered when I suddenly heard the glass case break open.
I spun around and drew my eyes to the many shards on the floor. I then glanced up at Selina, who had just used her bare hands to break open the case, her hands were covered in blood and she was smiling wickedly.
"Fascinating indeed, hon," she sneered, while reaching inside the now open case and retreating the vase and scroll.
I was mesmerized. What the hell did she think she was doing?!
"What are you-"
"Oh, Dian. You have yet to really discover the surprise...poor ignorant one, he he. You're really in for a big one." She stalked towards me.
I backed away up a couple steps. "Selina...what is that?"
"Oh, this? It's just uh, like this ancient prophecy of sorts...I'm not 100% on the full analysis, but it provides some promising results.
What the literal fuck.
"You're out of your mind." I continued up the stairs, nearly stumbling from agitation. What was she going to do?
"Maybe I am, but you're not. You're perfect, Diana. Just excellent." She leaned in closer, for I was frozen in my place. She said something to me that she had once told me before. "Oh, what I'd give to just be ya."
What the hell did she mean by that?
"Selina, whatever you've got in mind, don't-"
I was swiftly smacked across the face yet again, this time, no claws were met against my cheek. "What the fuck is your problem?!" I couldn't hold back. She grimaced.
She then set the vase down and unraveled the scroll. She then began to read through something in another language, Arabic, I believe.
I stood then and bolted up the stairs, luckily still swift and agile from my previous Wonder work. I also had my long legs to thank, and lack of heels, unlike the weird bitch just feet behind me.
"NO! GET BACK HERE, DAMMIT!" she screeched, as it echoed through the concrete-walled room.
I made my way up the top of the stairs and threw the door open - then bolting out. I ran down the long and dark hall of the large museum, never ceasing my momentum, Selina right on my ass.
"We have to be alone in the same room for it to work!"
What to work? Christ, she was really off her head!
Looked like I'd have to find the security at this point. I thought that her next motive was to kill me. I panted and my chest hurt as I'd ran into a guard up towards the front.
"Sir! Pl-please h-help me! I'm being chased-" I instinctively continued to sprint when I noticed her still bolting right on my tail, unphased by the security.
I heard hollers and some things get knocked over once I was outside the doors. I couldn't afford to go back in and see if she had hurt them. I had to get help. I felt around my back pocket for my phone - shit! It was in her car!
Oh well. I continued to sprint for the nearest building, thinking I could seek help in there. I ran inside of a tall building, the doors having been left unlocked. I assumed that it was an apartment, but didn't bother to look for an indication while running for my goddamn life.
Once inside, I noticed that the whole place was dark, and the stairway was sealed off with crime scene-like tape. This was an abandoned apartment, it seemed. There was no time to turn around and go back out there. I was trapped.
I jogged over to the stairway and ducked underneath the tape and made my way up the stairs. I was around the corner at the top of the flight when I heard the door get swung open, then the loud clank of stilettos emanated from the first floor.
"Come out and play, Dian. I'm not gonna hurt ya…" she announced teasingly from down the stairs, while I carefully made my way down the hall on the right and towards one of the rooms that would have a good lock.
I heard her waltz around slowly, perhaps even mockingly down the stairs, before she stepped up the flight one by one, her heels frightening me more than ever before.
"I know you're up here, D. Come on. You lost. I won. The end. Pay up."
Pay whatup?!
Just before I was to slip into in an old hallway restroom with a lock on the open door, I had unbelievably stumbled over a free brick that laid on the floor by the wall, from having been pacing backwards in order to keep watch of the top of the flight.
SHIT.
I was down. I suddenly heard the lunatic holler "HA HA!" just as I'd scrambled to my feet and backed away. She was mere feet away from me. I bolted up the next flight and onto the next floor. I felt nauseated and dizzy from fear. What the hell was she trying to accomplish here?
I went into an old bedroom and swung the door shut, then locking it, though I wasn't sure if the rusty, loose thing would hold shut too well. Only one way to find out.
I collapsed onto an old mattress while she banged away at the door, screaming like a madwoman. My heart throbbed intensely in my chest. God, I was going to vomit in any given second.
"Stop it, you crazed bitch! What are you doing?!" I hollered through the door, as she continued to bang away. Suddenly, the banging ceased. Silence followed.
…
I'll say that I waited nearly two hours before I *stupidly* got up and opened the door, assuming that perhaps she had given up and went home, yeah right. I was pounced by the Cat out of nowhere in a flash, her weight, though light, felt heavy on me as I was thrown to the floor. She got to her feet and slammed the door shut, then locking it. She still had the vase grasped tightly in her left hand, the scroll in her right.
I backed away towards the mattress on all fours, terrified to death. She had completely lost it now. Literally.
"Selina… listen to me, whatever you are doing, just-"
"Shh. We're doing this tonight, bitch." She remained on her feet and again unraveled the scroll, having the small vase tucked underneath her bent right arm. She began to read something.
" A form Xkenj facilitated Hat j-sik - Wyeth in form of a Wish to Cape - Fraa Mi Sol Fromm Wits Harina dust - Aloo be it simple Into thi - Ooh, Grant Mai Thi Boer - Ooh, Grant Mai Thi Boer!"
After shouting that last bit of gibberish, she let go of the vase. It crashed to the floor, bits of hard clay flew up briefly then bounced on the floor, then dust seemed to fill the entire room after having escaped the broken vase. Is the gray powdered substance ashes of the dead? I couldn't help but think.
Right before slipping into darkness.
A/N: thanks to my readers, followers and reviewers. They are all encouraged :)
* : a quote from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season 4- Fear itself
The scroll contained Arabic text, that translates into:
"A form exchange is what I seek
With you that form I wish to keep
Free my soul from its current trap
Allow it access into the opposition
oh, grant me the power
oh, grant me the power"
