Driving Me Crazy

The Girl In 47B

JW

In Central City the sun almost always shines. But not today. It's as if the whole world knows where I'm going, and it changed the backdrop just for me. I'm going to Arkham Asylum, even though it's 2 hours out into the middle of nowhere and closer to Gotham than Central City it somehow still belongs to Central. The fuel light comes on and I pull over at a small gas station to refill. Since it's such a cloudy and stormy day one of employees is filling up the tanks. I crack the window when I get under the awning and ask the worker: "Three gallons please."

"Right away sir." The person pumping gas is a teenager who looks to be around 17. He has shaggy brown hair swept pop-star style and blue sunken eyes, it's obvious that he hasn't slept for several nights. "If you don't mind me asking where are you goin'?" The boy exclaims not looking up from pumping gas.

"Arkham Asylum." I reply casually, as if I visit a mental institute everyday.

Obviously the boy doesn't think that it's something you do everyday. The second I say my destination the boy's head shoots up and his hand lets go and grabs the car handle, as if he's trying to prevent me from leaving. "You shouldn't go there; bad things happen. Even though we're twenty minutes out I can hear the screams of the patients in the night. If you go there don't expect to leave the same as you came." A concerned look fills the boy's eyes.

"I'm a cop, I'll be fine." I respond top this unusual comment, although I am a little shaken by the screams in the night, that's completely normal for Insane Asylums... Right?

"No one is safe at Arkham Asylum." The boy replies, his pupils still filled with terror. He calms down and his face returns to the simple smile he had before he started talking about the asylum. ¨That will be $7.20 please.¨
¨Oh, um, here you go.¨ I exclaim, handing the boy the money.

¨Have a good day, but if you really want to don't go to Arkham.¨ The boy says, his grim expression returning with the last part of his sentence. 

Rolling down the window I hesitantly say ¨Thanks¨ and continue driving down the road.

~ ~ ~

When I get to Arkham Asylum it's not what I expected. The front room is painted white and everything seems very clean- but it's too perfect. The clerk at the desk has a large smile permanently pasted on her face. Her blonde hair curls around her cheeks and she, like the lobby, is wearing all white. Her lipstick is perfect and her posture is straight.

There are several people waiting in the lobby, but their less picturistic. A man in one of the chair is wearing a blue jean jacket and has his head in his hands, a woman is nervously bouncing a toddler on her knees, and a middle aged couple are crying in the corner. A nurse is walking by with an empty wheelchair, she has the same white uniform and perfect smile on her face.

¨Excuse me sir.¨ The receptionist says. Her smile is just as big and her teeth are white and straight. She has dimples on her cheeks and her eyes are smiling along with her face. As she's speaking the curls framing her face bounce around her cheeks. ¨What are you looking for?¨ 

¨I'm the detective. I'm here for the missing persons report.¨ I hesitantly reply. People who are sugary sweet often aren't actually that sweet.

When I tell the woman who I am her face lights up like a christmas tree. She somehow smiles even brighter. ¨Oh! That's you! My name is Olivia Smith.¨

¨Nice to meet you Mrs.Smith.¨ I reply, not really paying attention, I'm too busy peering behind the help desk to see if anything shadier is going on here. This place doesn't seem like the screams in the night hospital I was expecting.