The Rebirth of Harleen Quinzel

IV.

The ever-so-blinding beams of the 7AM sun illuminated my dreamland in a fiery orange and all I could see now was the light from behind my eyelids.

I knew I should've slept in my bed.

I reluctantly began to open my eyes when I winced and turned my head to the right to avoid the blinding sun. Though my movement was fast, it made my head spin as I wasn't quite ready to wake up just yet. The spinning motion from my sudden movement confused my sleepy brain and I felt myself quickly drifting back into my sullen dreamland.

...

"Whadda' we have here?!" Mr. J asked casually as I heard his footsteps crunch over the shattered glass.

I flinched as I saw the lamp above me suddenly drop inches above my face, blinding me with the harsh light in the process. Mr. J moved it slightly to my left as he brought his face into my clear view. I looked up and immediately felt myself being sucked into those deep blue whirlpools of eyes.

"J..." I muttered breathily as if it was my last to take before drowning in him. He just stared back into my eyes expressionless as if he knew he was taking my breath away; taking my life effortlessly at his will. As I felt like my lungs were just about to catch on fire, he rose up slowly from being so close to my face and it was as if he was allowing the air to come back into my lungs slowly but surely.

"Thank you," I whispered as I slowly squirmed an arm out of the poorly fastened belt over my chest.

With my free arm, I unfastened the belt completely and sat straight up from the patient bed. I looked around and saw no one but J, staring back at me, this time with a slightly different expression. A vein in his forehead twitch as I got off of the patient bed and made my way to him. He stared into my eyes, but this time I felt like I was in control. He backed up a step when I got too close.

"It's okay," I began, reaching up to embrace his face with my hands. "I'm not a threat to you."

His eyes never left my own as I continued to gaze back into his. The expression he had looked to grow more solemn by the second, something I had never seen before. It worried me and I felt a instant rush of emotional pain. I wanted to cry, but I kept my focus into his eyes. His crimson red lips parted as if he wanted to speak, but couldn't.

"It's okay," I said again, hoping he would believe it. My hands slowly dropped from his face and down to his bare-tattooed chest. This moment could go on forever, I felt like I broke through something and all I wanted was for this to last. I smiled slowly, but J didn't reciprocate. Instead, the vein in his forehead twitched again and I watched as his solemn expression slowly turned into a hostile one.

"No," he finally said, more loud and clearer than I expected. My heart dropped in an instant.

"No?" I asked every bit of confused.

"No."

"J,-"

"Go!" J screamed suddenly as he quickly jammed a set of electrodes into my temples.

...

I jolted awake and found myself on the couch, the sun now reflecting off the white walls of my apartment. My heart was beating as if I just ran a marathon.

What the f-

RING RING

My heart suddenly skipped a beat, and I wondered if this was actually safe for my health. My eyes darted to my ringing cellphone and I reached over from the couch to retrieve it on the coffee table where it buzzed frantically in place.