The Loneliest Girl in the Universe

Chapter 12

Ash had fallen asleep first. It was 2:10am, her body jerking itself awake. She watched her boyfriend snore into his pillow, sleeping peacefully. She sighed, leaving the bed slowly. Penelope had tried to reach on his side of the bed, getting under to be able to reach for the gun. She cursed silently when he began to stir, making her abort that mission.

Her sweatpants and a plain shirt were already on her, not needing to change. She knew everyone was asleep by the lack of sounds coming from the house. She grabbed her cell phone, and tip toed slowly to Fez's office, her plan b.

His office was not big, and he had unlocked the safe plenty of times in front of her that helped her know the code. Once opened, she grabbed a gun and some money just in case she needed it.

Penelope had lived too long as the victim. Her family had terrorized every part of her being since she had known them.

They weren't allowed to taint the one good thing she had. Even if she lost them, she preferred them safe.

It didn't matter to her that Ash might hate her for this; she preferred him safe.

She left the house, walking and opening her phone to call the unknown number.

"Where do I meet you?" she spoke detached and cold. He gave her the address of where to go, hanging up.

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By the time Ash had woken up, Penelope was gone. He reached over her side of the bed, seeing it empty and cold. He picked his head up, a cloud of worry filling him. Something didn't feel right.

He got up, feeling the gun still under the mattress. He opened his computer, looking into the security system of the house to look over the footage. Surely enough, Penelope had grabbed one of Fez's guns, and some money.

He got dressed quickly, grabbing Fez's car to look for her. There was no fucking way she would leave with a gun for no reason.

He calls her over and over and over again, pleading with her to answer the phone. He would hate himself if anything happened to her.

His hands are gripping the steering wheel, his nerves and dread crawling on his skin. He went to the school, to the bar, the library. Finally, he remembered the warehouse right outside of town, where junkies stay. Fez and Ash used to sell there.

"Goddamn it Penelope." He muttered to himself, parking and getting out of the car with his gun on his waist. He pulled it out, the handgun gripped tightly.

Ash walked around, a scowl on his face, the junkies dusted in dirt and smells of putrid avoiding the man with a gun.

In the back of his mind, he regretted not waking Fez up to let him know the situation. Truth is, there was no room in his mind for critical thinking; his mind was flooded with worry over his girlfriend.

On the next floor of the building, he hears arguing, and and then a banging noise. His blood runs cold, gravitating towards the sound. He ran into the room, finding Penelope on the floor, being dragged by the hair by a man he deduced might be her father. There's a gun on the floor, looking like it slid away from both of them.

Ash took the safety off his own gun, pointing the glock on the man's head.

"Get the Fuck off," Ash seethed. He heard a tiny gasp escape Penelope. She fell fully on the ground, watching the man turn, gritting the teeth he still had left, looking angrily at Ash.

"You got your little boyfriend to join us?" He directed himself to his daughter. Ash used the butt of the gun to wack him on the temple, causing him to hiss and double over in pain.