Sam & Penny Short-Stories *English*

JOURNEY INTO THE FUTURE - Memories

Hey you. Here's some heavier fare that gives us an insight into how Penny has been in the 5 years without Sam and perhaps explains one or two things that happened in the last chapter, or maybe what's to come. Have a good read.

>Penny's POV<

I forced myself to calm down and went out the back door into the hall. I leaned heavily against the door and tried to process what I had just experienced...to understand it. None of that could be true. First Steele made such a bad joke with me and then there was actually Sam standing in front of me. Frustrated, I ran my hands over my eyes and into my hair. I desperately needed to wake up from this nightmare that felt so painfully real.

When I looked up I saw a piece of respiratory protection equipment lying on the test table that was scratched and covered in soot. I hesitantly walked over and looked down at it. Carefully, as if it might vanish into thin air at any moment, I placed my hand on the bottle where its numbering was spray-painted. I wiped it and the red spray-painted 01 - Sam's bottle, appeared. No one else wore that number. We never assigned that number again after he disappeared with that bottle. Just like we never filled his place.

It had already caught my breath when I had just heard Sam's voice, but now something tightened painfully in my chest. My breathing became labored as I tried to fight the pain. I still couldn't believe that the encounter with Sam had actually just happened.

As if automatically, I removed the bottle from it's harness and hesitated only briefly before sniffing it carefully. The smell of smoke and Sam's unmistakable scent overshadowed the strong smell of the equipment and hit me instantly. I hadn't been able to smell him for so long. Now it immediately brought tears to my eyes and brought up unpleasant memories of pain and torment.

Jupiter's gate began to move and I knew that the others had returned from their mission. My only thought was to escape. No one should see me like this...never again. I ran out of the hall as quickly as I could until I reached the training room. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, just staring blankly into space without fixating on anything. I just wanted to be alone so I could compose myself because my heart was racing and my breathing had increased so quickly that you'd think I'd just come from jogging.

It really was him. Sam. He was back. He was alive. Oh God! He was alive!

Hot tears burst forth and I covered my face with my hands - a desperate attempt to stop them or at least muffle my sobs as I slid down the door to reach the floor, wrap my arms around my knees and to hide my face in them.

The memories hit me so suddenly, with all the suffering and pain that I had thought I had long since overcome. I thought about Sam so often, but only managed to remember the beautiful moments with him. Now the repressed moments caught up with me and it still hurt just as much as it did back then. The wound had left scars, all of which were now reopening and it seemed to hurt even more.

"SAM!" I shouted over and over as I worked my way through the rubble of the old mill. I looked into every gap, pushed pieces of wall aside where I thought there was a cavity, only to be disappointed to find that it was empty again. My gloves were torn, as were my pants in countless places. My whole body was covered in scratches and bruises where I had hit something when I slipped. "SAM!"

"Penny, he's not here. We've already searched everything three times and even Saturn's thermal imaging camera couldn't find anything of him. Come on, we have to mount a guard and..." I ignored Ellie's objection as she climbed over the rubble over to me.

"He has to be here. He can't just disappear."

"Penny." Her hand on my shoulder stopped me in my tracks. But just for a moment. "The fire was out of control for a moment. He could..." She trailed off, but she didn't need to say it. I knew what she was getting at.