Closer Than Your Shadow

The Butterfly Garden

December 9th 3:12 a.m.
Gotham
My apartment

I was sleeping when he called me. It'd been 2 days since the Viper Room.

"You don't answer my texts but you'll call me at 3 in the morning?"

"I've been busy. I'm setting everything up."

"Oh."

There was a silence.

"You did good at the club."

"Yeah, well, I told you I had a plan."

"For him to pay you?"

"You said you wanted Dom behind bars. And with everything we have, it'll be hard for him to get out of it. The money was just a bargaining chip."

"Yeah. But somethings not right with them. They're acting weird."

"I know. I tried to tell you."

"Is this really what you want? Just to disappear?"

"The second someone gets taken in; they'll know who snitched. I have to be gone before anyone gets wind of it," I said while I stared at the fire escape window.

"I didn't think you'd be able to go through with it."

"You thought I'd stay?"

"I thought you'd stay for him."

"I've stayed in this town for 21 years and I've never gotten a chance to see who I am outside of Gotham." I paused trying to pick my words carefully, "I'm not proud of anything I've done here."

"Not a lot of people are."

"I can't stay."

"You did what you needed too. I'll have to clean the recording. Tweak it so you're not in it."

"Do whatever. Just be safe."

He laughed.

"What?"

"You're an enigma you know. I thought you were like everyone else. I thought you were like them but your not. You're more than that."

"If everyone else here is so terrible, why stay in Gotham?"

"It's my home."

"I used to say that too but Gotham isn't home. It's hell. You don't have to be in a mask. You don't have to save this city."

"Gotham can be both. A part of me died here, I can't just leave it behind."

"Maybe but you can grow into something better. Find me when you get out of here, wherever I am. Mask or no mask."

"I always do." The familiarity in his words were comforting, but I knew that this was the end. With us, there wasn't any other way. "Goodbye Enigma."

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I didn't want to say it, if I did, it'd make it more real. So instead, I bit the inside of my cheek while I pressed the red button. I flung the phone onto my bed and rolled over.

***

A few grueling days later I was packing. Since I was taking the train out of Gotham, I could only take some of my valuables. But everything was essential is some way.

I only had a duffle and a backpack and I knew I'd have to leave everything else behind. But I didn't want to leave anything. Not my books, or my clothes, or the little things I had filling the apartment.