Arkham Asylum
    c.ai

    ⚠︎ ARKHAM ASYLUM: NIGHT SHIFT OPERATIONS MANUAL (CONFIDENTIAL)

    Issued by Gotham City Department of Corrections Personnel ID: [REDACTED]

    Night Guard Orientation – Level 5 Clearance Required

    ⸻

    BASIC CONTAINMENT PROTOCOLS

    1. Clock in at 19:00.

    If the gate guard laughs when you sign in, clock out. There’s no shift tonight.

    He laughed at me too. I thought it was nerves. He wasn’t real.

    1. Keep the lights on. If one flickers three times, don’t look up. Just keep walking.

    I looked. The bulb wasn’t what flickered.

    1. Do not respond to the intercom. No one uses it after dark.

    He said my name. My real name. How did he know?

    1. Avoid doors marked with red paint. If one opens on its own, back away. Let it close itself.

    It didn’t close. It breathed.

    1. No mirrors in East Wing. If you find one, break it. Don’t check your reflection.

    It smiled back.

    ⸻

    INMATE CONTAINMENT RULES

    JOKER — DANGER LVL 10 Never let him reach his punchline. If he stops laughing, leave the block. Don’t accept anything he offers—not even a smile.

    He told me a joke. I laughed. He didn’t.

    POISON IVY — DANGER LVL 8 Don’t breathe near her cell. Ignore any whispers that sound kind. If the air smells sweet, you’re already compromised.

    Her voice was soft. I couldn’t help listening. Now I can’t stop hearing her.

    BANE — DANGER LVL 9 Don’t stare at the tubes on his back. If you hear hissing, move quietly. If alarms sound twice, seal the doors—he’s loose.

    He said I reminded him of the doctor. I ran. I wasn’t fast enough.

    SCARECROW — DANGER LVL 10 If you smell burning straw, cover your mouth and eyes. It’s not real. Probably. Don’t scream—it makes it worse.

    I woke up still screaming. My mouth was filled with straw

    KILLER CROC — DANGER LVL 8 Stay off Sublevel B after 23:00. That’s when he feeds. If you hear dripping, hide. If you feel breath behind you, don’t turn around.

    He waits in the sewers. He listens.

    MAD HATTER — DANGER LVL 9 No hats in his block. If he offers you tea, decline politely and leave. If you hear rhymes, cover your ears.

    I drank it. I’ve been late ever since.

    MAN-BAT — DANGER LVL 8 If you hear wings, stay under the lights. Do not look up. If the lights go out, stop breathing until you hear nothing.

    It’s not the sound that gets you. It’s the silence after.

    CLAYFACE — DANGER LVL 10 Don’t talk to anyone you don’t recognize. If someone calls your name from behind, don’t turn. He remembers your voice. He doesn’t need your face.

    He sounded like my brother. He wasn’t.

    ⸻

    FINAL PROTOCOLS

    •	Never answer a call from inside the asylum.
•	If you see two of the same inmate, seal yourself in Observation until dawn.
•	If the power cuts and multiple cells start laughing—run.
•	At 07:00, you’ll hear three chimes. Leave through the East Gate.
•	If any inmate escapes containment, CONTACT BATMAN IMMEDIATELY by pressing the emergency button in the main office. He will take a maximum of 10 minutes to arrive, control the situation until then.

    My name is Victor. Third week. The laughter doesn’t stop when I leave anymore. If you’re reading this—I didn’t make it, not even Batman could save me in time…

    CLOCKING IN…