Penelope

Penelope Chapter 1

Some people say that fear is in the mind, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. I'm here to tell you that fear is real. And it wears the blood of whoever crosses it's path. Nobody knows where it dwells. All we know is when it's here, it doesn't leave until it's satisfied.

It was a cool, breezy afternoon in town. The weather called for rain but the clouds had a different idea. Sitting on the back porch I can see the golden, glowing rays of sun peek through the trees. The trees are covered with orange and red leaves. You can hear them russell with the soft gusts of wind, creating the most peaceful sound.
The sliding door to the porch opens and my brother, Ryan, steps through.

“Get in here, Vanessa, mom and dad have been calling your name ten minutes.”

“S-sorry I couldn't hear them.”

“”Yeah, no shit.” He says jokingly.

“I'm coming.”

I walk inside, closing the door behind me. I walk in where my parents tell me to sit down at the table for lunch. It was grilled cheese.

“So, what were you doing outside?” Asks my father, sipping on his cup of apple cider.

“Oh, I was just relaxing.”

“And how was that?” He snickers.

“Relaxing.” I said, smiling sarcastically.

“Well, I guess I didn't expect a different answer.”

“Vanessa, are you excited?” Asks my mother.

“For w-what?”

“It's fall! You know, pumpkin spice, crisp leaves, the smell! I know how much you love the smell especially.”

“Oh! Yeah, of course I'm excited, what kind of question was that?” I playfully ask.

We finish eating lunch. A couple hours have passed and it is now 6 o'clock, but it's darker than it usually is, due the the season of course.

“Vanessa, dear can you take out the trash please?” Says my father's voice coming from the kitchen, where he and my mother clean after dinner.

“Why can't Ryan do it!? He's a healthy teen too y’know!”

“Vanessa don't make a fuss please, just do it.”

I sigh and walk into the kitchen to grab the black, red handled bag from the can. I proceed to walk outside to the curb. On the way something catches my eye. I can't quite tell what it is, but it's definitely interesting. As I get closer to to curb the distraction becomes more clear. It appears to be a woman, she's just standing still on the other side of the street. Her body is placed partially behind a car. I place the bag in the spot where the garbage men pick it up at. The woman turns around and starts to walk away, the motion of her body appeared to be like she was hurt, almost like a slight limp, but like the limp where you can still keep a good pace.
As the woman walks into to the darkness and out of sight, I myself turn around and head inside. I close the door, lock it, and yell to everybody goodnight.
I lay there wondering if the woman was okay. Was she crazy? Was she trying to find something? Was she just taking a walk? Lots of things went through my head, each thought different.

I toss and turn until I decide to get out of bed. I get up and stretch my arms, and I look out the window.

It's the woman again. But she's looking at me. Standing there looking up to my window from the street. I stood there in shock for about a minute, trying to see her face. She turn to her right and walks away, but slowly. Even though she was walking with that weird walk, slowly, it didn't take her long to make herself hidden.

I shake my head and rub my eyes. I sit down on my bed, after closing the curtains, debating on if I want to get a glass of water. Or something to relax me.

I decide to I want to get a drink, I open my door and turn the light on, the light in the hall and my bedroom.

I walk down the stairs, and when I reach the bottom a clicking sound echoes from a couple rooms away.

Click, click, click.

It wasn't stopping, I turned on the light when it got to its loudest peak.

There she was.
The woman.
She was standing behind the island counter.
Lifeless.
Emotionless.
Her face hidden.
She was holding what looked to be an axe.
She tilted her head.
Slowly.
Almost as if she hesitated to do so.

“Who...a-are you?” I ask trying to swallow my fear.
No answer.
“What do you want?”
She tilts her head to the other side. Its silent. If silence could kill, I'd be buried by now.

“Do you see...what I see?” Says this thing with a shaky voice, which makes me doubt she, or it is even a woman at all.

Out of nowhere she lunges at me, I let out a scream that seemed to echo forever.

I wake up, it's daylight.

The dog is at the side of my bed wagging his tail looking at me as if I was confusing him. I was breathing like I ran a mile and back.

To be continued...