fines

Thorn.

Penelope's Pov:


September 19th, 2020.      
3:41 PM

Moved to another room.

Moved to another room.

Moved to another room.

That seems to be all I've done in the past day or so. Moving. I've been moved, for now, to a room with Addison...and right now we're just trying to put together the way to get out of this place. We didn't know where we were even located, just that we were in some crazy nuthouse. I could use my phone to get help...if only this Michaelson guy hadn't confiscated it. Addison didn't have hers anyways, it was still at home.

Home.

I missed it. My dad, my friends, even school. School beats this place any day. At least there, we get some freedom. Here, it's basically a prison, or a war-camp of some type...

I was in my pajamas for over a day, I'm guessing (we didn't have clocks to tell the time, so I really don't know how much time has passed), but they facilitators gave us both access to a cold, near-broken shower, and fresh, army green jumpsuits to wear afterwards. How stylish. I looked down at the ugly ensemble, rolling my eyes as I looked back up. "So...maybe, there's like an air duct somewhere that we can crawl through, somehow? I don't know, Penny....I just know that we have to break out", Addison said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "I know, we have to get o--", and then I stopped talking. The steel door to the room was opening slowly and quietly. I figured it was to move me, yet again, and I went ahead and turned around, waving another silent goodbye to Addison. The person walked into the room and I expected to be carried away right then....but, that wasn't anyone I had seen before.

This was a teenage boy. He looked around my age, maybe a year or so older.

Very tall, 6'2 was my guess...muscular, but not too muscular...dark, dark brown/blonde hair...blue eyes that were sharp and haunted...

"Hey", he spoke with a deep, broken voice.

"Hi?", Addison and I both responded at once.

"Uh...I'm Thorn...", he introduced himself.

Thorn. Interesting.

"I'm Penelope...Penny", I introduced back to him.

"Addison, people call me Addy though", Addison piped up from a few feet behind me.

She walked up and stood by me. She was taller than me, younger though. I guess I'll explain that later..

"What are you doing in here?", Thorn asked us.

"Basically, these random guys showed up at our house looking for our dad because apparently he had this fine due and he never payed it. I guess our dad knew they were looking for him, so he left early that morning or something, not bothering to tell me or Penny...so, in turn, the goons took us, and not him", Addison explained. "Wow", was all Thorn said. "Thorn? Do you know where exactly we are?", I asked. "Not really...", he trailed off. "Oh...wait, why are you here yourself?", I asked this new, mysterious character.

"Pretty much the same as you guys, I guess...except it was my granddad...I live--lived--with my grandparents," Thorn said, while taking a seat on the floor of the room, the door already shut. He motioned for Addison and I do sit as well. He continued once we were all situated. "You know, the man always told me to be a good person, have manners, respect others....pay your debts. Funny thing is, that last thing is what he neglected to do. That last thing is the reason I'm here. I was raised by a hypocrite. He screwed my life up even more than my mom did when she left...my grandma left him when I was about ten, and she tried to take me with her...but I looked up to the man so much, I wouldn't go with her. I wanted to stay with him...do you have any idea how much I wish I would have gone with my grandma? And she never came back for me either...I mean, I'm sure she knows I'm here...she could come get me out....but she doesn't. Been here for over 6 months...been trying to get out too...obviously, I haven't had any luck..", he gave his speech, and by the end he was almost in tears. As he spoke, I couldn't help but notice the hurt look in his eyes... He was damaged, and for some inexplainable reason, I wanted to hurt the old man who did that to him. Make him feel the same pain. I found myself wondering about where his dad was, but I made the mental decision not to ask. The way this boy's life had gone so far made me question whether or not he had ever met his father, and the sad thing was my answer to myself: 'probably not'.

"I'm 18, by the way...what about you two?", Thorn asked, changing the subject, though the mood itself couldn't be shifted from obvious sadness. "17, and 17", I spoke. "Twins? Fraternal, of course...", he asked. It seemed like every time he spoke, he was unsure how to end his sentences...like he wasn't confident enough to end them on his own. "Nope...not even close", Addison answered. "Then..?", Thorn asked. This time, I think it was more that he was at a loss for words, rather than he was just unsure how to finish alone. "I'll tell him, Pen....", Addy looked over at me, getting more comfortable in her spot on the floor. I nodded an okay to her, and she began with the story.

"Okay...so, my mom, Willow, married her dad, Philip, when I was two, and Penelope was three. I'm four months younger than her...her birthday is June 9th, and mine is October 15th. You know, we grew up calling each others parents are our own, I mean, I think of her dad as our dad, he raised both of us...Anyways, when we were eight, Mom got diagnosed with a brain tumor....a year and a half later, she was gone. Dad had to take over all responsibilities for us. After the funeral, of course. It was extravagant, I don't see where he got the...money...to pay for it..", Addison trailed off slowly. I knew exactly what she was thinking, when she yelled, "PENNY! DO YOU THINK THAT'S WHY DAD BORROWED SO MUCH MONEY?! MOM'S FUNERAL?!" "Addison, I think you're onto something here...if we could just get this RJ guy to answer some simple questions...we could get out of here, find Dad, get the authorities on this place...RJ gets arrested...Adds, we have to get out of here, fast.", I spoke so fast and so emphatically that by the time I finished, I was exhausted. "Wait, you mean...you plan to get this guy arrested?", Thorn hid concern in his voice, but I saw it within his words and eyes. His eyes; they were a tell-tell sign of his affection and emotion. "Yeah, obviously. Don't you want him to get locked up? You've been here longer than us, you must hate the guy even more than we do, right?", Addison asked, and I saw him shift uncomfortably, before responding with "Yeah, uh..yeah..."

"Okay, then it's settled...will you help us, Thorn? We'll get you out too...?", Addison asked.

I sat there trying to figure this guy out. He really didn't seem very enthusiastic about getting Michaelson jailed.

Thorn looked at both of us suddenly, and seriously, and said:

"Of course, I am going to help you get freed. At any cost...cost, that doesn't matter to me anymore. I've been here long enough. I don't even care about getting out of here myself, I just know that, some way, some how...I will get you out of here."