After enjoying some time with Jezz getting coffee and snacks, Penelope walked through the door of the Filmore mansion with a huge pep in her step. She felt so good about her time at the pool that she couldn't wait to tell Derek, Lilly, and Dan all about it!
When she reached the living room, Lilly was in one of the chairs reading a book. "Hey, there Sweetie! How did it go?"
"It went great! The coach is going to put a program together for me and I get to start working with him on Monday morning. I'm so excited! I forgot how much I used to love to compete. It was such a rush just being in the water again. Swimming for my life but not."
"Well I think I know where your true passion lies." Lilly said, wrapping Penelope in a hug. "I'm happy for you!"
"Thank you." Penelope said warmly. Now that she'd had a taste of doing something she loved, she realized that there was more that she wanted to achieve. She just didn't know what else she wanted to do. Whatever it was, she would work for it.
"Since you're home, there is something that I need to talk to you about, dear. And I'm sorry, but its going to spoil the mood."
An overwhelming sense of dread filled Penelope as Lilly gestured for her to sit down, and she plopped down on the couch. Lilly filled her in on the affidavit that Mary's lawyer had submitted, and showed it to her, noting that Dan and his legal team were already working on a response for her to review later.
"Now that you're eighteen, you're not going to be protected as you would have if you were still a minor. Pretty sure this was calculated, but that's besides the point. I know its scary, but we need to be prepared for a fight. The Witch is not going to make it easy on us."
Penelope was in tears. Things had been going so well! She had been blossoming into a different person, and as the anxiety crept in, she found herself melting into a ball of nothingness as reality sank in. "Why does she have to be such a horrible person? What did I ever do to her?" She sobbed. Lilly moved to sit next to her and pulled her into her lap. She rubbed Penelope's back in an attempt to comfort her while she cried.
"Some people are just like that, sweet girl. They live off the fear and misery of others because they are miserable themselves. We cannot change them. All we can do is keep living, and don't let them see how they effect us. Otherwise, they win."
"I know." Penelope sniffed. "I just… I thought it was over! And now, this! Right when I was starting to feel happy, too. And safe. What if she drags me to jail with her? What do I do, then?"
"I don't know that she will be able to prove that any of this happened. However, we do need to prepare for the possibility that the jury will side with her. Just in case. We have plenty of time to prepare, though, and we are going to make it very hard for Mary to prove her claims."
Penelope heard what Lilly had said, but all she could think of was how Mary was going to drag her down with her. It was as if her nightmare was never going to end. It was always something with that Witch. Always.
"Lets dry our tears. Shes not worth it." Lilly said calmly and quietly.
Penelope knew it was worth it, but she shook her head. "I think I need to be alone right now." She said. Before she could get up, Lilly wrapped her arms around her.
"That's fine. Remember that you are not alone, sweet girl. I am right here. And so are Dan, Derek, and your father. We are all here for you, and don't you forget that. Got it?"
Penelope nodded. She already knew this, but that didn't make the situation any better than it already was. She made her way back to her room and flopped down on her bed face first. There was no telling how many times she had done this through the years. Mary had sapped the life out of her so many times.
Every time, Mary imagined this beast who was surrounded in fire that grew and grew and grew until she was towering so far above her thata she was a mere speck on the ground. Mary would rage at her, opening her mouth to show pointy teeth that would come down around her and swallow her whole. The world would go dark, and Penelope would always feel empty inside. It awas as if her existence had always been up to Mary.
Penelope knew that she couldn't let the situation get to her in this way. It wasn't worth it! The abuse had been going on for so long that she couldn't help herself. Mary would consume her and then she would imagine fighting back like she was braver and stronger than she thought she was.
She had a sword in her hand. It glowed brightly, exposing the insides of Mary's massive mouth. Penelope held it up, blasting Mary's mouth apart with its life. She was in front of her, the sword steady in her hands between the two. Mary raged and so did she. Penelope saw an opportunity to lunge at the monster and went straight for her heart, but was swiped away.
"Not today, you little shit!" She bellowed. "You're mine! You can't win. You never will!"
Was it true? Penelope was finally away from her, and yet Mary was still haunting her, even in the safe space which existed in her mind.
Mary was never going away. She was never going to stop. Penelope lunged at her again, this time, heading for a foot. Mary cut her down again. She tried many more angles, but Mary surpassed her each time. Was this what her life was going to be like?
Her daydream turned into a nightmare as Penelope fell asleep. Her body quivered as her mind ran through several scenarios where Mary won and she was left in a hole of her own pity. "You are a horrible person!" she screamed at Mary over and over.
At one point, Lilly came up to wake her for dinner, but Penelope didn't stir. So she draped her blanket over her and walked out of the room. The warmth settled her momentarily, but the dreams picked back up where they had left off. Eventually, darkness came.
A large figure entered Penelope's room. Her shaking slowed down- but didn't stop- as Derek crawled into bed next to her, pushing her over gently to make room as he wrapped his arms around her. "Please save me." Penelope wimpered.
"I'm right here, baby girl." Derek whispered as he ran his hand over her hair. "Nobody is going to hurt you." He assured her.
Penelope's body settled down a little bit more, but her nightmares didn't end. They were never going to end. Not even if Mary did get what she deserved. This was Penelope's curse. She didn't know what she had done to have it cast upon her, but whatever it was, it was always going to be there to haunt her.