Greatstone Asylum: A Ghost Story (Fanfiction)

Chapter Two: The Voice

When school was over I decided to walk home instead of take the bus like mostly everyone else did. Scarlet had offerd to walk with me, but I told her I was fine on my own. In all honesty I wanted to be alone. And she seemed to understand that. So I watched her climb on the bus after Wally, and then I started walking down the darkening Gotham streets.

Everything is mostly silent. Which is odd for Gotham. Maybe the criminals were taking the night off. Ha! Yeah right. Crime doesn't rest. I should know. Up ahead I spot a streak of blonde dart around a corner.
Slowly I move toward it, noting the movement is suspicious. Peering around the corner, I get the shape of the firgure. Slim, and wearing green, it looks like. The firgure moves quickly down an allyway. And me being me, I decide to follow it. But when I get to the allyway, the figure had gone. "Drag..." I mumble aloud, angry at myself for letting the person get away. But then I notice a shadow up ahead. Slowly I walk towards it. Suddenly, I feel myself fall forward and a female voice says suddeny "who are you?!"
I look up to find myself face to face with an arrow. And recognising the green costume, blonde hair, slim figure, and masked face, behind it, I frown. Crud! It's Artemis.

"Well?" She says prods me with the sharp tip of the arrow on the nose. "Who are you?" I get to my knees and dust myself off. She doesn't know who I really am. Bruce has forbidden me telling my friends. The only few who know are Scarlet, Wally, Cassandra, and the Teen Titans. Also my best friend since I was very young Theo.
I flash Artemis a smile and act cool. "You don't know who I am?" She glares at me. "If I did I wouldn't have asked." I cross my arms. "How about a little reminder then. 'we'll laugh about this some day.'" At that Artemis lowers her arrow.

"Dick? Dick Grayson?" I nod and wink. "You bet. That's me." She puts away her bow and sets her hands on her hips. "And you know who I am?" Her eyes narrow. "Uh... Yeah? Your name is the same in and out of costume." I state. "It's not to hard to put it together."
"No. I guess it isn't. So, what are you doing down here?" She asks changing the subject. Following you, I think with a smirk. "Uh... I'm taking a short cut... Mt. J-" Suddenly, I stop. Total facepalm moment.

Artemis's eyes grow wide in surprise at what I said. Quickly I try to think of something else to cover for it. "Uh... what I meant is I'm going to... the library.... To study... Mountains." Way to go, Grayson. Why don't you just tell her all your secrets! Honestly. Bruce would kill me for nearly slipping like that. Thankfully a scream suddenly echoes through the night, meaning that someone is in trouble.
"I have to go." Artemis says and fires an arrow at the roof of a building. I watch her grapple to the roof and disappear. That was close... Too close.

~

When I get back to Wayne Manor I'm met at the door by an angry looking Bruce. "Where have you been?" He demands as I walk in. I shrug. I'm in no mood for talking to Bruce right now. "Doesn't matter." I say simply.
"Of course it does! You can't just vanish, Richard!"

"What's the big deal? You vanish all the time!"

Angrily, I stomp off to my room, leaving a stunned Bruce behind.

I walk in and shut the door, and throw myself onto my bed. Today was just horrible. I really just want this day to end. I roll to my side and look at the clock. 4.30. Drag. I yawn suddenly very tired. And I drift off to a dreamless sleep.

I awken a half an hour later, and decide to apologise to Bruce. I hadn't meant to lose my temper at him and I now feel bad. I slide out of bed, noticing my shoes are still on, and cross my room to the door. Opening it, I step into the dark hall. "Bruce?" I call out. No answer. Odd. It's only 5:00. He shouldn't be asleep yet.
I start down the hall, when I suddenly hear a crash from downstairs. I run down the stairs quickly and end up tripping over a broken flowerpot. I throw my hands out to stop myself from falling, and push myself back up. Wonder what knocked over the flowerpot.
Something soft hits my face and I stagger back. On the ground in front of me is a small, torn, eye missing, dirty, stuffed bear. I throw a hand over my mouth to hide my startled yelp.