Psycho

2

Harley

She was 17. It was her friend's birthday party, she was invited. Since it was at the same time as Halloween, it required a costume.

To be honest, she never really had any friends. She had been merely invited of convenience and well, because she was pretty. But at the time, she didn't realize it, and she couldn't wait to go to that party. She had been shopping with her mom for a new costume, especially for this occasion. She wanted to be creative and original, so she went as a clown. As a Harlequin. It ressembled oddly her name.

She did her makeup, her hair and she finished her look with a little heart on her right cheek.

But when she got there... When her friend, Marilla, told everyone to be in costumes, she meant dressing up as sluts with cheetah printed boots. Compared to them, Harleen was, well... very weird. As soon as she walked in, everyone eyed her, but resumed their drinking and partying without as much as another look at her direction.

So, she stayed alone, the entire night, sitting uncomfortably on the sofa, with her tight Harlequin suit. She was on the verge of crying, and her parents couldn't pick her up, since they were to busy with work.

It was time for cake, and Mrs. Loud, her friend's mom, invited her to join everyone else, out of pity, Harleen assumed. Her friend, Marilla cut her cake, then she turned around suddenly. So suddenly, that the knife she was holding cut right through Harleen's costume, in her arm.

It seemed as if Marilla did it on purpose. She laughed uglily, followed by the rest of the party.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were an extension of the cake. My bad", she said, tearing from laughing.

She was referring to her colored costume. Harleen tried hard not too cry on the spot, or show any sign of pain.

"You do get the joke, right?", said Marilla.

Harleen could remember exactly what she was feeling. Her blood boiled in rage. All she could think about, is how much satisfaction she would get out of snapping her neck, or driving the knife in her cold heart, like the snake she was.

She thought about for weeks. That's when she realized that there was something about her abnormal.

She had a side of madness in her, that she constantly tries to suffocate.

...

_____________________

Joker

When he woke, he knew what was waiting for him. The guards took him out of his cell, and he rolled his eyes at their dull faces. They grew accustomed to the Joker. Well, he'll show them.

The pain. Completly submerged. He will be getting his tenth session of shock treatment. 450 volts of electricity in the head. No matter how many times he did it, it still hurt like hell. Told him, it's for is own good...

"What a load of crap", he giggled when he lied down.

...

Harley

The asylum's manager, Dr. Presley was examining the patients one by one. Harley came in, ready for her official first day of her internship. Yesterday, she was merely taking a tour. She was more than ready to begin with the day.

And well, to see the Joker. To study him, she convinced herself.

"Oh, hi Dr. Quinzel! You came in surprisingly early... It's very rare here" said Dr. Presley, partially joking.

" Yes, well I'm excited. The mind... It's just amazing to study how some people work. Don't you agree?"

"You don't work 20 years in an asylum and still gets excited to see some nutjobs. It's only your first day, you'll get used to it."

Dr. Quinzel smiled, but didn't pursue the subject.

"So, humm... Who am I going to be studying this morning", she asked, trying to see the schedule on some calendar of the office.

"Let me see", said Dr. Presley.

She went through some papers and ran her fingers down.

"You're going to be working with an easy one. It's a woman named Jenny Smith."

"Oh..." Dr. Quinzel said, trying not to show her disappointment. Why was she disappointed in the first place?

"And in the afternoon?", she asked, trying to see if there was any name with a J on the list.

"This afternoon, you'll be free. Since it's your first day, I didn't want to overwork you. Besides, it's only and internship. You need more time to settle in and get through the beginning process.", said Dr. Presley.

Oh well... Harleen had to admit she was kind of right. She had her hoped too high. Of course, they won't trust her with the craziest criminals yet... It made sense.

Dr. Harleen walked out of the  office and walked through the long narrow white corridor to her first case. She could taste the bittersweet feeling of disappointment in her throat. But, she had principles, and one of them is to get her job done right.

Faintly, she could hear several men scream of pain.
God, she didn't even want to know the reason...