All writing is an experiment, so here goes another one.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Wish I did...but alas, I do not.
Chapter 1: For those who come
The plane landed yesterday. Sunday. She'd been told Gotham was an eye-opener. Well she'd found America on her first visit to be eye-opening. Too overdone and exaggerated for her tastes.
But Gotham didn't even qualify as eye-opening. It was so beyond it that she could find no words to describe it as the train flew through the city, delivering her to Arkham Asylum.
Monday. She'd always hated Mondays, but she was hopeful about today. She'd heard excellent reports of the work done by Dr. Benjamin Sawyer from her father, but even more impressive were the stats on Arkham's head psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathon Crane. Her boss.
Her father may hate Gotham, but he spoke most highly of Jonathon Crane—calling him a valuable asset to the world of psychiatry. Turns out, an opening as a research assistant appeared at Arkham a few months later, and at her father's urging, she applied.
The train lurched to a rough stop, jarring her from her thoughts. The train was almost empty by this point, and she quickly exited, glancing around her.
A little run down, and it was most certainly an industrial neighborhood. And as she neared Arkham, she began to see just how terrifying this place would be at night, and she sarcastically questioned why anyone would choose to work here.
"Good morning. May I help you?" The woman at the reception desk asked, smiling pleasantly.
"Yes, I'm Evelyn Werren, Dr. Crane's new research assistant."
"Oh of course—from England correct?"
"Yes ma'am." Evelyn nodded respectfully, fully aware just how much her English accent stuck out.
"I'll notify Dr. Crane immediately." Evelyn nodded in thanks as her eyes scanned the room. Their security looked tight…very tight—what with the heavy, locked, sliding doors and almost no windows, even in the reception area. It was why she suspected Dr. Crane was needed to give her access behind the sliding doors.
The sound of heavy moving metal reached her ears as she calmly turned towards the door. She met with intelligent blue eyes shielded behind thin, square-framed glasses.
"Ms. Werren, I presume?"
"Evelyn Werren, yes sir." She shook his offered hand.
"Jonathon Crane."
"A pleasure." She said offering a smile.
"Welcome to Arkham," he said almost stiffly as they passed through the sliding doors, "lets get you situated and then we'll start to work. I'll see to it that you have a security pass card before the day is out."
"Thank you sir."
"Jonathon." He cast his eyes to hers for but a second, a small smile on his face as they continued down the hallway. Evelyn could say he was handsome…in a sophisticated, almost enigmatic, svelte way. "So where in the UK are you from?" He casually asked.
"London originally," she said, "grew up and lived in Swansea until a few years ago."
"First time to the states?"
"No. I spent a semester in college studying abroad in the US. In Swansea, I heard from my father about the work being done here, and it greatly interested me, so here I am."
"And not a moment too soon," the hint of a light laugh sounded on his words as he opened a door, revealing a small, nicely furnished office, "well, however unexciting, this is your office," he said, a true lack of interest on his voice, "the work you do will mostly come from me. And most days, our agendas will coincide—researching medications, treatments, patient histories and even some counseling sessions."
"Not be offensive, but it sounds like glorified secretary work." She commented, watching surprise discreetly fill his eyes.
"On the contrary," he replied almost pointedly, "you'll be acting and working as my right hand. And it will be meticulous, detail driven work."
"It wouldn't be a job otherwise."
"No it wouldn't," he agreed, an almost lightness to his voice mixed with something heavier, "my office is across the hall, so once you're oriented, bring the notebook in your desk to my office and we'll begin."
"Thank you Jonathon." She nodded, offering a warm smile.
"Of course Evelyn." He nodded before disappearing out the door. Evelyn turned to the desk, setting down her bag.
Interesting chap, Jonathon. At times he seemed genuinely interested and warm…other times almost cold, condescending even. But Evelyn couldn't say for sure, after all she'd only just met the man.
She sighed, quickly scanning the room, finding it satisfactory, before fishing for the aforementioned notebook. Confidently, she tucked it under one arm and set off across the hall.
chapter one...now onto chapter two...