Harley

The Steps

I sat on the floor of my shower with the hot water beating down on my head and my entire body. It was scalding, my skin was beginning to turn red but I felt numb to it all. My skin wasn't the only thing that was red. The blood from my attacker and blood from me crept its way down the drain and tinted the water a vibrant red and pink.

My tears wouldn't stop flowing and I couldn't tell them apart from the water that poured down and streaked my eye make up.

The water was this hypnotic mix of black and red, my tears subsided as I watched the two colors swirl down the drain.

Here I was all grown up and still playing pretend, pretending to be this well put together gal with a plan. I found myself on the floor of the shower sniffling as memories wrecked my brain.

Memories from just minutes ago, from the break room, and the steps.

Those fucking steps.

Those polished wooden steps and the chandelier made of crystal that reflected the warm lighting. The piano playing on the radio in the grand living area.

"Harleen don't you walk away from me!" he barked as he followed behind me, I rushed down the first small flight of steps.

The older man caught up to me and pushed me into the wall, the paintings behind me fell to the ground and shattered. The chandelier gently swayed back and forth, he continued to scream in my face.

He spit as he spoke, the wrinkles in his face were hardened due to his harsh expression. Tears were beginning to form in the corners of my eyes, my tears felt hotter than the stars in the sky.

Still despite the shouting the piano was joined with low cello, I always found it funny how something so pretty could play as something so horrid took place.

I was trying to leave the house, to get away from him and this hell hole that he kept me in. I wanted to leave just for a day, to breath and getaway. All throughout my life I had been trying, pleading, and running. Still, people asked why I would ever want to leave, well I hoped they would ask in my fantasy of being emancipated.

The public thought he was generous, benevolent, the founder and owner of ACME chemicals took in his poor estranged granddaughter.

He showed me off at fundraisers like I was a trophy.

"Harleen is going to Gotham University on a scholarship!"

"Harleen is a prodigy in gymnastics!"

"Mr. Kane is doing an excellent job at raising little Harleen."

I only studied hard so I didn't get beaten by that sick man, Gymnastics was my only way to get out of the house so of course, I would be good at it, and that man was a fucking creep.

"Leave me alone please!" I covered my ears, he quickly pulled my hands away from my ears.

"Harleen if you don't get up those stairs now I will put you in the room." he threatened, his finger was pointed at my face.

The room.

He would leave me in a dark room for days and only the maid cared enough to sneak me some food. I sat in darkness in this tiny space where no one could hear me or see me. The room was bad but the other punishments were far worse.

Sometimes he would give me shock therapy, he said that's what happened to bad girls when they don't listen. I had received so many volts to my brain I was shocked that I could still form a coherent sentence, I had a hard time grasping what was real most of the time.

The fantabulous Harleen Quinn, the darling doting granddaughter sunned from any light or human decency.

I knew he would put me in that room even if I walked back up those stairs so on a foolish whim I tried to sneak past him. I made my way to the first step before he grabbed my arm.

"That's it Harleen, I'm uping the voltage!" he pulled me back and started to drag me up the steps.

I panicked, I promise I did.

As he wrestled to get me up the steps I pushed him, I pushed that fucker with all my strength. I had never fought back before and it was apparent by the shock in his face.

He let go of me and fumbled to hold onto the freshly polished railing.

He missed and went tumbling down the steps.

I heard it all, the bones crack and his screams.

The blood decorated each step that he lingered on.

He landed on the bottom of the steps not moving at all.

I stood at the top for a moment, my hand covered my mouth. It was silent despite the piano and orchestra swelling on the radio in the living room.

"Har...leen." I heard his small weak voice call out.

I gasped as I watched his eyes open and look up at me from the bottom of the steps. The blood was pooling from a large crack in his skull and his neck was all displaced and disgusting.

He slowly reached his hand out to me.

He probably would've made it if I called for help. In fact, the paramedics said they wished I found him earlier than I did.

"Poor Harleen, having to see such a traumatizing image of the man she adored."

I didn't shed a tear as I watched him take his final breaths.

I was smiling.

It was the first time in my miserable life where I felt happiness.

 ~~~

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my eyes were red and puffy. My hair was a mess, in all honesty, I looked like a drowned puppy. Bruised and cuts covered my naked body, I was disgusted by myself.

The way people saw me was so far off from what I wanted to be.

Accepted and loved. That's all a girls ever wanted!

It became obvious, like a light in the dark that I wouldn't get that from anyone. The dream of belonging that had kept me going on those days in the room had been broken down overnight.

I didn't feel like Harleen Quinzel anymore, I felt like someone much more explosive.

Someone who would stand up for themselves because no one else is this shitty town ever did it for me.

Like the Joker, he looked out for the little guy. Everything he did pave the way for all those less fortunate to be heard.

There was something there but I couldn't exactly place what it was.

I felt like I was on the verge of uncovering something major, like when you can't wait to turn the page on a juicy novel.

The next page would have to come along sooner or I was gonna tear the entire book to shreds.