The sound of the 6 a.m. Catholic church bells woke Adriana. She looked up at the grid of the glass window above and watched two birds there for a moment before one flew off, and the other followed. After a few seconds of momentary confusion, she remembered where she was. She remembered everything that she knew she would never be able to forget.

For a few moments, she wondered if it had been a dream.

Stay asleep. She told herself the words over and over in her mind. If she didn't move..didn't get up..didn't begin the day..maybe that would somehow make it not real. Stay asleep. Maybe it was a dream. She could sleep and then wake up at home, and laugh about how absurd this dream had been.

She closed her eyes. As soon as she did, she saw it over again. Flashes of embracing...writhing...kisses. At first she fought the memories. She twisted the sheets with her fist. It had not been a dream.

Her chest began to heave and she started to cry, at first with just her voice. But then eventually the tears began to fall. She turned over onto her side and cried her heart out. Her chest burned as she screamed into the pillow, bawling until her throat felt raw.

Adriana did not know why she was crying so hard. She did not feel sad. She did not feel hurt. She felt a type of relief she had never known before.

After she gathered herself, she left the bed, pulling herself slowly to her feet. She was alone.

While walking to the bathroom, she realized that her body felt different. She felt like she was floating, her feet barely touching the floor. She expected to feel filthy and racked with guilt and shame. But instead she felt cleansed. She felt a sense of purity.

Adriana stood in front of the bathroom mirror without looking into it. If she didn't feel it, she'd look it, she told herself. She imagined she would look completely trashed. Humiliated. And then she looked.

The look in her eyes...such a contrast to how she was used to seeing herself. Her entire life, she looked into the mirror and saw her eyes..wide open..a bit paranoid looking almost, but she figured that was just how she looked. A bit like a deer in headlights. She was always in headlights, always hearing thoughts, always a bit traumatized. Even in photos of herself as a child, she could see the distress in her eyes.

But now her eyes looked so relaxed, almost to the point of looking predatory. Siren eyes. Her eyes reminded her of a lion after a gratifying hunt. She moved her face closer to the mirror, trying to convince herself that she was imagining it...but she wasn't. Her skin was rosy and radiant. She touched her cheek with her fingertips. For the first time in her life, she looked into the mirror and felt beautiful.

.

.

.

After showering and putting on a huge t-shirt she decided to return missed called to keep herself busy once she was at home. Damien had called her 11 times..Harri twice...Bruce once. A missed call from Bruce. She imagined the previous night had never happened as she called him.

"Hello," Bruce said, straight away after picking up the phone.

"Hi, Bruce," Adriana said, hearing her voice for the first time that day.

"I won't take up too much of your morning-" he said to her.

"It's fine, I am not busy," she said. "What's up?"

"You attended the masquerade ball last night," Bruce said.

Adriana felt her blood go cold.

"Yeah," she said, cutting his words short. "I only stayed for a bit...left really early."

"Wish I could have seen you," Bruce said.

"I saw you," she said nervously. "You were a bit busy though."

"Right..." Bruce said, knowing that she was talking about the woman he was with. "Something happened."

"What? Did I miss something?" she asked.

"Well..the police arrested a man that was involved with the incident at the church a few weeks ago with the Joker. He was there," Bruce said. "The man was arrested, offered a deal, and he told the cops the Joker was present at the event."

"Oh wow.." Adriana said.

"You didn't...pick up on anything did you?" Bruce asked her carefully about her gift, not wanting to be pushy.

"No... I was only there a few minutes," she said.

"Okay," Bruce exhaled. "The police worked very quickly. Snipers, helicopters, everything set up in minutes. They were prepared for anything last night. The governor was there so no chances were taken."

"There were snipers?" she asked.

"Yes," he told her. "All permitted to shoot on sight if they saw the Joker. Police officers as well."

"Shoot on sight..." Adriana breathed. "But...that's really extreme...I mean what if he had a hostage?"

"Then I'm sure they would have done their best to avoid killing the hostage as well, but he's killed a judge on video with this new toxic compound he's created...The local authorities are at the end of their rope."

Adriana remembered the brief moment the Joker took his mask off on the dance floor to swallow the red potion.

"What about security footage?" she asked.

"It had all been corrupted," Bruce said. "Every camera appeared to have been recording but the footage was altered to make playback impossible."

"Wow," Adriana said tiredly but with relief.

"I'll let you go," Bruce said. "I know it's really early-"

"It's okay," Adriana lied, she was exhausted. She was sure she had slept less than an hour.

"Enjoy the rest of your day," Bruce said. "I hope I get to see you soon..sometime."

"Me too," she said, politely. "Bye."

Damien next, she thought, just wanting to text him that she was fine, but knew that wouldn't be sufficient for him. He had called eleven times.

"Finally found time to call me back," he said.

"Sorry Damien I was-" she started.

"We were in the middle of a potential crisis last night and you just disappeared. Looked everywhere," he said. "And you didn't go home."

"I'm fine," she said. "I just wanted to leave."

"You could have told me that instead of disappearing," he said.

"I know..I'm sorry," she said.

"Yeah..well...just don't do it again," he told her.

"I wont," she said.

"Where did you go?" he asked.

"Just...out.." she said. "I needed some space and you looked like you were busy with a woman."

Damien waited a few seconds before replying.

"I was not busy I was just saying hello to someone I recognized," he said.

"Okay...I um...have to go," she said. "I'm tired."

"Ok, no problem," he said.

"Bye."

Time to call Harri. She dialed Harri's number as she walked into the kitchen.

"Hello?" Harri asked sleepily.

"Hey..it's Adriana," Adriana said. "Sorry...it's way too early."

Harri was quiet for a few seconds.

"Video call," Harri said sternly and hung up.

"Um..okay," Adriana said and obeyed.

She called Harri right back.

"Good morning," she said once she saw Harri.

Harri was still in bed and her hair was in it's naturally curly state. Harris rubbed her eyes with the side of one hand.

"Good mo-" Harri said and stopped talking as she sat up. She was staring at Adriana. "Oh. My. GO-"

"Harri? What is it?" Adriana asked and pulled a bag of coffee from the cupboard.

"You!" Harri shrieked and her fiancee groaned behind her. "Sorry, baby!" Harri said and leaned over to kiss him before leaving the bed and going to the bathroom and shutting the door.

"Me?" Adriana asked and lifted a coffee filter after propping her phone up against a roll of paper towels.

"You! You! You!" Harri said in the loudest whisper ever. "You had sex!"

Adriana sat the coffee filter down slowly.

"Huh?" Adriana asked.

"Look at you!" Harri said proudly.

"Look at me? What do I look like?" Adriana looked at her reflection in the microwave for a second. She looked different.

"You look amazing!" Harri said. "Trust me, this is my gift and you can't lie to me about this!"

"Okay..." Adriana said slowly. "I did..But I really don't want to talk about it..Okay?"

"Why! I talk to you about everything-" Harri said.

"I don't ask you to," Adriana told her.

"Please?" Harri asked. "Was it Bruce?"

"No. Wasn't him. I just can't talk about it okay?" Adriana said. "It shouldn't have happened...I just can't even think about it."

"So..." Harri looked a bit confused. "I mean you just look so...tranquil and glowing and I thought...I mean...was it really that bad?"

Adriana put the filter into the machine and fell forward slightly, putting her forehead on the back of her hand.

"Aw..." Harri said, looking at her sister's slumped posture. "Sorry sis. I mean..at least you're taking steps to move forward. Bad sex aside-"

"It wasn't," Adriana said, still not looking at the camera.

"Wasn't what?" Harri asked.

"Wasn't bad," Adriana said and stood up straight, wiping her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" Harri wanted to know.

"Because..." Adriana said and scooped the coffee still unwilling to look at Harri. Her eyes were teary. "It was amazing."

"I knew it! I knew it!" Harri shouted out loud. "Sorry baby!" she shouted to Antonio, who Adriana could hear was protesting her shouting so early in the morning.

"Harri-" Adriana started.

"No! Tell me everything! And I'm not playing! I need details!" Harri demanded.

Adriana faced the camera with a serious look on her face.

"Was it a one night stand?" Harri asked.

"Yeah...one time thing for sure," Adriana said. "Won't ever happen again."

"Okay," Harri said sadly. "How tall is he? Was he hot? I mean of course he was hot-"

"He's..about six two," Adriana said.

"And hot?" Harri asked.

Adriana couldn't answer. She didn't have an answer.

"Sure. Whatever...I guess." Adriana said.

Harri nodded, smiling.

"So how big was it?" Harri asked.

Adriana glared.

"Come on you can tell me!" Harri said.

"I don't know," Adriana said.

"You don't know how big it was?" Harri asked.

"I don't know what you're asking," Adriana said, not wanting to discuss it at all.

"Look, it's a simple question. I mean was it like...the size of that plantain there on the counter? You know...a really nice...we'll call that one a stallion," Harri smiled and nodded.

Adriana looked at the plantain finally laughed. She started shaking her head.

"No..." she said "It was bigger."

"Really?" Harri raised her eyebrows. "Look, find something comparable and show me."

"Mmmkay," Adriana said.

Harri waited quietly.

"Like this," Adriana said,and showed Harri the object in her hand.

"30% more...free.." Harri read the words on the top of the large can of cooking spray. "Shit..that one we call a back breaker."

"No joke.." Adriana said and sat the can down.

"Nahhhh!" Harri started laughing. "Are you exaggerating, I mean that can is like-"

"I'm not exaggerating," Adriana said.

"But did you like it though? Did you...you know...reach the big O?" Harri asked.

Adriana sat the can down.

"Yes," she said.

"How many?" Harri asked.

"Honestly..." Adriana said. "I lost count.."

"Yes!" Harri said. "As it should be! So I guess that means he lasted for more than five minutes-"

"You could say that," Adriana said.

"I'm so so happy for you," Harri said. "And him too."

"Thanks...I guess," Adriana said.

"You have to see him again!" Harri said. "Aww I love seeing you happy."

"I look happy?" Adriana asked. She imagined that she looked sad.

"Yes," Harri said.

Adriana turned away to get a glass. "This can never happen again."

"Aww..why? Is he married?" Harri asked.

"No, Harri. He just.." Adriana sighed. She had asked the Batman to kill the Joker using his own poisonous concoction. "Won't be around much longer."

"Oh...rich traveler," Harri assumed. "A businessman."

"Yeah..sure," Adriana said.

"Well if he's not married you two should definitely keep in touch," Harri said.

Addriana closed her eyes for a few seconds.

"I have to go," she told her sister.