Story #242 - Penny Earned

Penny Earned

“It wasn't her.”

That was Eric talking, but I ignored him, instead shoving another camera into my bag. I'd only been able to find three in the apartment, and I was debating picking up a fourth one on my way out of town. My roommate moved to block my way as I headed for the bedroom, throwing his arms up.

“Look,” he said, his eyes intent, “I you know miss her, alright? But she's not coming back, and you sure as hell didn't see her in the woods.”

“I...” I started to answer, but drifted off. He wasn't going to believe me no matter what I said, and night was coming on quickly. There was no point in arguing.

“Adam!” He cried out as I pushed past him. “Please! Look, I miss Penny too, but this kind of stuff isn't going to help you – isn't going to help anybody. I can't let you go.”

Grabbing the jacket from my closet, I turned to face him, a smile on my face, the first genuine one I'd worn since Penny's death. “Oh really?” I said. “And what are you going to do to stop me?”

Eric was half my size, and though he'd been working out recently, I could throw him around like a rag doll if I wanted to. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that, but I wasn't about to let him get in my way, no matter how well-intentioned he was.

In response, he raised his hands and took a step back, jaw clenching. I tried hard not laugh; with his thumbs curled under his fingers, he'd as likely break a bone as hurt me.

“Eric,” I said, “you've got to put the thumb on the outside if you're going to hit someone, OK? Leave them the way they are, and you're going to get hurt.” He looked embarrassed, but gave no ground. Apparently, I was going to have to be more convincing. “Look, how about if you come with me? Then, you can see that I'm not crazy, and you can be around to protect me if it turns out I'm a total whack-job?” I extended a hand. “Sound good?”

There was a long pause, then he reached out and took my hand, pulling me in for a quick man-hug. I appreciated the sentiment, but for the first time in three months, I didn't actually need a one, didn't need the comfort. Penny was out there, somewhere, and I was going to find her.

***

“Tell me again where you saw her,” Eric said as we sped out of town in my '81 Malibu. The thing was a tank, but it had gotten me wherever I needed to go for the better part of a decade.

“It was right after the curve by Mann's Mountain,” I gestured with my hands as if that would help him understand. “She was slipping through the trees, wearing the same white dress we buried her in.”

“And exactly when did this happen?”

I ground my teeth. I knew what he was getting at, still trying to convince me that this was a bad idea. “When I was coming back from her parents' place, after the funeral.”

“So, you don't think -”

“No, goddammit!” I reached over to give him a hard smack on the shoulder. “I let you come along so that you could see I'm right, not so that you could talk me out of it. Unless you've got something constructive to say, shut the hell up!”

Ten miles passed in silence before he spoke again.

“What did she look like?”

“I don't understand the question, Eric – she looked like Penny.”

“No,” he hesitated, “I mean, did she look – dead? I know when we found her she...she wasn't in the best shape.” I understood why it was hard for him to talk about. Penny had been on the way to our place, and when she didn't show up on time, we went out looking for her. Finding her beaten and bloody in an alleyway had been the worst moment of my life, and probably Eric's.

“Not even a bit, man. She looked exactly like she always did – hair in a pony tail, eyes all big, the works. It was her, plain and simple.”

“Right.” The doubt was loud in his voice, but at least he didn't say anything else about it. He'd see when we got there.

Getting there took until the sun hit the horizon, which was fine by me. Alive, dead, or some kind of spirit, I had knew Penny preferred the night. She had when we were together, and I doubted that had changed.

“Here,” I said, pulling over the car. “I saw her between those two trees.” I pointed a pair of tall white birch, both swaying slowly in the wind.

“Dude, I -” Eric cut off as we both saw movement. “Holy crap! What the hell was that?”

I was out of the car in a flash, camera in hand, calling out. “Penny! Penny! Over here! Come to us!”

“Wait!” I could hear Eric's voice behind me. “Wait, you idiot!”

The figure in front of me slowed, then turned. It was Penny, right enough, but there was something around the eyes that didn't make sense, a blackness that hadn't been there when we buried her, as though she was suddenly part raccoon.

“Adam!” She said, her voice bright. “I knew you'd come! They told me if I waited here...” she trailed off, and it seemed as though she was shaking slightly.

“Who?” I said, stepping forward, but Penny didn't move to meet me.

“Did you bring Eric?” She asked, and I nodded.

“They,” she shuddered this time, I was sure of it. “Won't let me go without a sacrifice, and it can't be you.”

I spun quickly, knocking Eric to the ground with an outstretched arm. This was not going to be easy.

- D