ᴏʙꜱᴛɪɴᴀᴛᴇ | ᴄʜɪᴄᴀɢᴏ ᴘ.ᴅ.

ɪɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ

"He killed him!" 

Penelope stood in the doorframe of her home, leaning on it for support as she watched a boy - a boy she knew quite well - shout at her father as her brother, Lonnie, stood mere feet in front of her. 

"He killed Ben!" 

Penelope's eyes traveled to her brother, his stance was ridged and stiff, but he always stood sort of tensely, like he was a statue. Her eyes then went back towards the boy as he looked her way, a defeated but angry look on his face, as well as a hint of what Penelope could only digest as utter disappointment. In what, she didn't know. She could only assume herself, for not helping him. 

Phil, her father, took a big step towards the boy. "Listen here, boy. If you ever come back here-" 

The boy's eyes hardened. "Your sicko son is going to kill me too?" 

With that, the boy stalked off, anger and determination in his every step.

Phil rushed Lonnie back inside, pulling Penelope with him as he slammed the front door shut, turning around with his eyes sort of wide as he glanced between his children before simply walking into the kitchen without saying a word. 

╚»★«╝ ★ ╚»★«╝

Lonnie glared as Penelope stopped him in the hallway of their home, her brown eyes staring him over accusingly. 

"Did you do it?" 

Those words were simply. Straight to the point, really. Not for Lonnie Rodiger, though. 

"What?"  Lonnie's ridged stance returned as his whole body stiffened. 

Penelope's eyes narrowed. "Don't act dumb, Lonnie." 

"I don't-" 

"Did you kill Ben Corson!" Penelope's voice rose significantly, causing Lonnie to jump. 

"Oh, not you too." Lonnie complained. "First, that stupid kid and now my own sister. I mean, come on, Imogen." 

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that." Penelope's eyes narrowed into a glare at her older brother.

Lonnie let out a chuckle Penelope could only describe as creepy as he took a step towards her until she was backed into a corner., his fingers toying with her hair. "I'll call you whatever I want. And even if I did kill that little boy, you wouldn't tell anyone. Right, Imogen?"

From then on, that night would be one of the worst nights of Penelope Imogen Rodiger's life, for more reasons than one.