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Penny Dreadful Chapter 1

Penny Intro To Madness

By Christopher ShaversPublished about a year ago 4 min read
1

Prologue

Dear Diary,

I met the cutest cat today. She was hiding behind a dumpster by the bakery. I was hungry and thought Mr. Joe would have some cold rolls. But seeing such a cute cat behind the dumpster was a bonus. I took her to the bakery with me. I planned to get us both something sweet. Mr. Joe was extra nice today. It was weird. He seemed focused but in a different way. After ordering, he started to cry. He told me that I was going to be his last customer. Some mean loan guy was going to close Mr. Joe’s bakery. Which I can’t let happen. Where else am I gonna get my slightly cold bread from? I’ll have to think of a name for the cute cat later. Oh, and sneak her into my apartment. She’ll have to stay with Miss Cat Lady until I get back. In the meanwhile, I need to help Mr. Joe. I have the bestest idea. I just need to try to remember the loan guy’s name.

-Penny.

Act 1

A man was sitting in his office, counting money. He was counting to himself. Hearing a thump, he paused counting. Silence. He went back to counting. Then a gunshot and the shattering of glass. He yelled for his bodyguards to stop messing around. Silence. He attempted to count again but it was interrupted by the door of his office creaking open. He slammed his hands on his desk and yelled that he didn’t pay his men to do anything but one… He didn’t get to finish his statement. Not with a knife between his eyes. The last thing he saw was a twirling bloody skirt getting closer. Soft giggling echoed in the halls of the large house. The figure in the bloody dress skirt skipped by the shattered glass of a window. They skipped to the bodyguard at the bottom of the step with the slit neck and missing eye. They skipped over to the bodyguard with the missing hand. They skipped out the front door. They placed down a duffle bag full of money and lit a lighter. Skipping back to the bodyguard with the missing hand, they took out the flash in his coat pocket, poured it over them, dropped the lighter, and skipped back outside.

Once outside, the figure paused as if they were trying to remember something. Looking back at the burning home, they shrugged and skipped away into the night.

Act 2

Mr. Joe closed his bakery when Penny appeared behind him. Mr. Joe clutched his chest and screamed as he didn’t recognize her initially. She apologized and gave Mr. Joe a briefcase. She told him that she couldn’t stand to see him close the only bakery with good bread. Mr. Joe tried to tell her he couldn’t accept it. Penny expressed that if he closes then she will stop eating altogether.

“Penny. You can’t just stop eating.”

“I only eat your food…”

“That’s not healthy and is really confusing. There’s no way you eat only from my bakery, you wouldn’t be so skinny.”

“It’s true. And if you don’t open back up, I won’t have anything to eat anymore…”

“Penny… How about you use your money to buy new food? If you really don’t like the other food by next month, I’ll open up again. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Act 3

A young detective walked onto the scene of a murder.

“Officer Richardson.”

“You must be the new guy.”

“Yes, Detective Soung from the mainland. Top of my class at…”

“Yeah yeah Soung. It’s a simple deal gone wrong. Col Phisk is none for being a loan shark with his hands in the pockets of businesses on the island. From the lack of struggling, he likely made a deal with someone bigger than he was. Phisk died almost instantly. Forensics says the bodyguards died in the order from closest to Phisk to farthest. So it’s obvious the person was in the office with Phisk, didn’t like the deal, killed Phisk and the bodyguards on the way out.”

“Were there any broken glass or damaged doors?”

“Just the one window.”

“How many sets of footprints?”

“We’re assuming three minimum.”

Detective Soung looked around with a confused look. “Send me the full report as soon as possible. I don’t think this was just some petty deal gone wrong.”

Officer Richardson sighed as he walked to his squad car. Detective Soung looked up towards the top of the steps as if staring at something.

SeriesShort StoryMysteryHorror
1

About the Creator

Christopher Shavers

Start writing...I am the Author of Circus by Christopher Shavers and the Author in Faceless Entertainment. I love to write and perform. Be it me bringing nightmares to life in stories or my journey through poetry. Enjoy the Show.

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