Criminal History.

Chapter Twenty-Nine.

I woke up screaming and with sweat pouring off of me. Panting like a maniac I lept out of bed, trying to get away from the invisible feeling that someone, was watching me.

Once my breathing had slowed to a normal rate, I ambled into my kitchen. My legs still shaking from the evening’s events I ensured that my apartment was empty before running and climbing into a bath.

Every time I closed my eyes I could feel my skin crawl. I washed and washed and scrubbed for about half an hour before just giving up and letting my emotions take over. The fear and pain that I’ve pent up just fell on me like a ton of bricks. I could feel the tears falling down my face as I remained motionless and slowly sinking in my tub.

I held my breath as I closed my eyes and submerged my head at the bottom of the tub. I could feel everything just… melting away. The warm water soothed me, I felt protected, safe. I thought back to happy memories of scuba diving with my dad and lazy days on the beach with my mam, memories of a time before my life turned to rubbish.

I opened my eyes and looked through the clear waters to the crudely drawn question mark above the tub. I forgot I was submerged as the fear again took over me. I involuntarily screamed as I tried to get to the surface of the tub but something felt like it was holding me down, I thrashed and thrashed, but my back felt like it was glued to the bottom.

I stopped screaming, trying to relax myself to establish a logical train of thought. I was gasping for air but I didn’t want water entering my lungs so I held on to the last parts of my air, ignoring the light-headedness.

With my eyes now closed and my body motionless I could feel myself becoming loose from the bottom and then suddenly being yanked from the water. The air felt freezing on my warmed, wet skin.

My eyes shot open as I gasped for air. I stared at the ceiling, staring at the green mark before jumping to my feet, barging past a worried Spencer and into my room where I dried off, sitting on my bed, staring at the wall.

I didn’t even remember Spencer was in my apartment until I felt a hand on my shoulder making me run from him and sit in the corner. I closed my eyes and mentally pictured my scattered mind. I imagined myself filing everything away, everything in it’s place, everything tidy.

As my mind cleared and became ordered, my breathing slowed down, my body relaxed, I went back to normal. I opened my eyes with a little smile as I looked around my empty but furnished bedroom. I took a deep breath before I stood up and changed into my Harley Quinn jumpsuit.

Similar as yesterday I piled my makeup up into a bag and grabbed my Harley hammer before walking back into the living room. “Oh… Hey Spence… when did you get here?”

He looked back at me bewildered with his arms folded in front of him. “what just happened in there?”

“Hm? In where?” I asked grabbing a pop tart from the cupboard before looking at the time on my phone 6:35. “Hey we’re late!” I jogged out of my apartment and down the stairs before waiting at Spencer’s car. I kept playing with my fingers as I waited for Spence to catch up.

I waited and waited…. I could feel that it was going to happen today. The Riddler will make his move today. I watched as Spence fiddled with his keys, while he walked perplexed, towards me. As soon as I heard the click signalling the doors had been unlocked I happily jumped inside the car, avoiding hitting myself or the car with my hammer, which is harder than it sounds.

We drove in silence, but it wasn’t a comfortable silence, it was a strange silence. “Hey… are you ok?” I couldn’t help but ask. I placed my hand gently on his just as we pulled up to the FBI car park. “Spence? What’s going on in that genius head of yours?”