Penny Dreadful Chapter 4

Prologue

Dear Diary,

That feeling from a month ago has finally started to go away. The terrible gas station explosion news still makes me sad but there’s not a lot of that news anymore. I think I’ll stop watching the news for a while. The talk about the crop blaze a few villages over gave me mixed feelings. I got over it by seeing Mr. Joe at his new bakery. He looks happier.

-Penny

Act 1

A young woman was crying as a masked man held her at knife point. He demanded all her money. She cried and begged for her life. He told her that as long as she does what he says then she will walk away with her life. She gave him her money and jewelry. He got in closer to pat her down. The young woman took that moment to knee him in the groin and run away deeper into the alley. He cursed her out as she ran crying out for help. She took a left, a right, a right,and a left. Thinking she was mixing him, she found herself at a dead end. She could hear shuffling and groans getting closer. Panicking, the young woman looked around for windows and banged on doors while screaming for help.

The man stumbled into the dead end and slowly made his way over. The young woman froze still as she heard him say, “You did this to yourself.”

He told her to stay facing away from him and to undress. He warned her that if she made any more noise then he would slit her throat right then and there. She closed her eyes and began to cry silently.

The man froze as he felt that he was in grave danger. A female voice behind him made his spine shiver, “You did this to yourself.”

He turned around as two thin blades went into his eyes. He attempted to yell. A thin blade went into his neck. Then another. Then another. Before long, a fury of blades were thrown into numerous parts of the man’s body. 

The young woman began to cower as she could hear the squishing of the blades violating the man’s body. She opened one eye, a blade zipped by her cheek and stabbed into the wall in front of her. She let out a squeak. A female voice spoke at the back of her neck. “Sorry but I need you to do me a favor. I’m going to need you to turn around slowly and walk away without looking back.”

“But he…”

“He will not bother you. I promise. But I can’t be seen and I’m sure that you don’t want to see him. So please.” 

The young woman felt something be put in her purse. She nodded and slowly turned around, looking at the ground. The only thing she saw as she left was a pool of blood that she had to step over to get away. The young woman went back and forth between crying and laughing hysterically as she got away. The female squatted over the dead man and carefully plucked the blades out of his lifeless body.

Some time passed before she came out from the alley, wearing different clothes. As she walked out towards the sidewalk, a familiar voice yelled for her in the distance.

“Penny? Penny!”

She hesitated for a moment before turning to face the direction of the voice, seeing that it was the baker Mr. Joe, she smiled and waved dramatically, “MR. JOE!!!!”

“Been a long time. Come in and I’ll make you a personal pizza.”

“What’s a ‘pizza’?”

Act 2

“Penny, come out of the bathroom already. I gave you an apron, not a dress.”

“Coming.” Penny sang before twirling her way out of the bathroom.

Mr. Joe watched Penny twirling around happily. He chuckled at seeing her so carefree. Penny twirled around the small shop, humming “London Bridge”. She danced around the room, weaving to and fro. Dancing as if dodging the unmoving tables. Mr. Joe felt as if he was in a trance watching her move around so elegantly. For a moment he even thought she was moving like a feather. Weightless. Effortlessly. Free.

“It’s so cute! I love it! Can I keep it?!”

Mr. Joe smiled, “Of course. If you really want, you can work here too.”

“Wait, really?!”

“Why not? Do you have a job already?”

Penny giggled to herself, “Not really.”

“Come work with me and my son. We can guarantee that you eat well every day.”

Penny stopped moving. Mr. Joe tried to explain that he noticed that she had gotten skinny since he last saw her. Penny did not respond. Mr. Joe continued to tell her about all the different kinds of food that he and his son could make for her. Penny remained silent. Mr. Joe offered her the job again. Noticing her odd silence, he asked her if she was okay. Penny’s face appeared to be lost in thought. She reached in behind the apron, touching the thin blades she had hidden in her sleeves. She caressed them with her index finger as she thought to herself. How much does he know? 

Mr. Joe sighed and apologized, “I didn’t mean anything by it. I don’t have a daughter. Maybe it’s a fashion thing. I am just worried about you. I want you to be happy and healthy.” Penny gasped, realizing what she was thinking. She felt her eyes tearing up as she felt guilt growing in her chest. She couldn’t believe that she actually thought about hurting someone who has always been nice to her.

“Can I… Think about it?”

“Of course. If you decide that you don’t want to work here, you can still keep the apron. My door is always open to you.”

“Thank you.” Penny began to cry.

“Sorry if I offended you or something. How about I make you a pizza for you to take home as an apology?”

Penny spun around to face him with a big smile while wiping her tears away, “Can I get whatever I want on it?”

Mr. Joe smiled, “Of course.”

Act 3

Officer Richardson was at his desk, typing aggressively. Some of the other officers commented on how they think that he has lost a lot of weight and obviously stopped shaving. He pretended not to hear them. He was having issues making sense of  Shell’s death. The more he looked at the facts, the more he felt as though he was missing something. He could not shake the feeling that Shell’s death was no accident, as the case was documented to be. He made up his mind to go back over to autopsy and request the report again.

Detective  Soung put his hand on Officer Richardson’s shoulder.

“Richardson, maybe you should take that leave of absence the Chief suggested a while ago.”

“I’m fine.”

“Please don’t make me report you again, Dan.”

Officer Richardson pulled away, “We aren’t  friends.”

“No but that doesn’t mean I can’t care about your well-being. I know what exhaustion looks like. I know what obsession looks like.”

“I’m not obsessed.” Officer Richardson said through gritted teeth.

“Yes. You are. For your health, let it go.”

Officer Richardson stood up and walked out of the station.

As he walked down the street, he stopped at a small shop he had never seen before. Thinking that Reese had probably skipped lunch, just like him, Officer Richardson decided he would order something to eat for him and Reese.

“Excuse me. I’m new here. What’s good?”

Mr. Joe turned around to face Officer Richardson and greeted him with a smile, “Everything. But since you’re new, may I interest you in my son’s red croissant sandwich?”