More bad news

                                    

                                          
     The wails of the patients echoed throughout the asylum hallways. I sat alone in the centre of the silent Rec room with my hands in my lap, not a soul in sight. Everything was just as it was before the breakout, the same layout, the same board games, the same magazines, the same crippling feeling of vulnerability. The loud sound of the buzzer makes me jump, I shove my fingers in my ears to block out the deafeningly loud noise. Then the caged room begins to fill with patients, a river of black and white stripes. They growl and snarl at me like animals, their eyes were almost black with bloodlust.
                          
       I jump from my seat when one of the inmates swipe at me, panic taking over my body. Frantically I search for Jerome, shoving my way through the crowd desperate to find the only person who could truly keep me safe. Hands grab me, clawing at my skin and pulling me into the crowd of inmates. "Jerome!" I scream at the top of my lungs "Jerome where are you!" I fight with everything I have but the inmates pull me to the ground. I lie on the floor, paralysed by fear as I look up at the faces above me. Each one twisted and disfigured. 
                          
      The crowd suddenly opens, making way for a new figure.Theo Galavan stands above me, a taunting look on his face. I try to run, to attack, to move but I'm frozen. My eyes fall to Theo's hand to see he's gripping a knife, he raises it ready to strike at me. I can feel my body shake in fear while I hold my breath waiting for the impact. Then he swings.
                          
        I jump bolt upright sucking in a strangled gasp, my T-shirt hugging my sweaty back "Galavan's in jail, he can't hurt you" I pant to myself closing my eyes. When I finally open them I lock eyes with Magnus, who is standing at my door, wide eyed. To my surprise Selina is just behind him. 
                          
"More nightmares?" He questions with a frown.I nod still panting, the rapid beating of my heart beginning to slow. I reach up and rub my face with both hands, falling back in my bed.
                          
"Cat, long time no see" I say as casually as I can while the two approach my bedside, she nods with a small attempt at a smile. I can tell something's wrong.
                          
    "Sage, I got somethin' to tell you" she begins as I sit back up, she seems almost nervous.I swallow anxiously, my body numb with nerves. I nod slowly, Selina looks at Magnus for approval before she continues. "It's Barbara, she took a bad fall" 
                          
"Is she okay?" I ask instantly
                          
"She's alive, been in a coma for about a week or so. They sent her back to Arkham for treatment, I just heard today" Selina says, her eyes falling to the floor. I let out a sigh, running my hands through my hair not knowing what to say. They were watching me again, I hated that. It made me feel judged, crazy even. I needed to get away from my friends for a while to deal with my emotions alone.
                          
"I think I need to get some fresh air and alone time" I say standing up, the two share a look then Magnus nods, finally agreeing to let me go out alone.
                          
     As soon as Magnus and Selina leave I get dressed and leave. Rain stings my face as I step out of the old, beat up building.I pull up my hood as I begin to walk through the depressing, Graffiti covered streets of the Narrows. I nod a silent hello to a man standing at a small stand, last weeks papers lying on the small table waiting to be bought. The man starred at me bewildered, I was used to their intrigued eyes following me wherever I went. I wondered if he was a part of Jerome and I's anonymous, self proclaimed cult. 
                          
     I turned the corner, stopping at a large drawing of the graffiti that had been appearing more and more frequently.My eyes trace it before I look up at the sky, sighing heavily as the rain falls on my face.
                          
"I don't know if you can hear me Jerome- God you'd probably laugh at me for even saying that" I say quietly to the sky, chuckling at the way the ginger used to tease me. A tear falls from my eyes as I continue "things have been hard since you died. I miss you. I miss you sneaking into my room at night, I miss you making a show in front of the others, I miss you always being there... I really hope Barbara's okay, I feel like she's my last link to you. She was there when you died, she knew what we went through and she saved me." More tears fall from my eyes as I trace the graffiti with my finger once again "the people haven't forgot about us J, I hope you know that. Hell, we got our own cult for god sake... I hope your watching over me and I hope I'm gonna make you proud. I'll get revenge for what Theo did to you, I promise. I love you Jerome" 
                          
     I sit down under the graffiti for a while before I turn back, ready to go home. The man at the paper stand was nowhere to be seen, in fact the street seemed to be eerily empty. I pull my jacket closer to myself as I hurried to get home, I must have stayed out longer then I thought. I listen to my footsteps as I walk, they bounce off the walls and echo down the path. Then I hear it. I freeze abruptly and sure enough an extra step is heard. I hold my breath, spinning round quickly to catch the stalker only to see an empty street. I scan the street for any sign of movement before turning back confused, beginning to walk again when I hear footsteps approaching me fast.
                          
      I whip round just in time to dodge a hand that had been coming for my head, a strange cloth in a fat mans hand. He clearly did not belong in the Narrows as he wore a fancy suit and greased back hair, maybe one of Galavan's men. I move forward, kneeing the man in the groin. He lets out a groan, bending over and giving me time to run. Another man suddenly steps out from behind a dumpster in front of me, I skid to a halt, eyes wide in surprise. "Shit" I whisper, turning back around to the direction of the older man just in time to see a plank of wood swing at my head before everything goes black.