Chapter Text
Many people would say that Penny was a realist.
A life being “the poor girl” in a small town had rooted that trait into her early. Never want for anything you can’t work for, and never dream of a place far away you can’t get to on your own two feet.
That was the realistic ideal that had been set and expected of her from the start, and from sun up to sun down she maintained that mindset. Never want for what you don’t need, Never be who you aren't already are.
But after the sun had set? When she was in the comfort of her own tiny room in the back of the trailer, tucked away from the world where only her books existed, Penny could finally let the dreamer out. It was the library's fault, and by proxy, it was Pam's fault too for letting Penny into the Library in the first place. For the minute she was able to read the dreamer was born. With every new story a world opened up for Penny, with places she could explore and people she could meet.
With it she began to want more. More than the trailer, more than the town, and more than her own life. She wanted to be the heroine in a great adventure novel, a chosen one, with hidden potential only a realization away. She wanted to go out and see the world, beyond the valley, explore the hidden depths of the caves, and crest over the peaks of the distant mountains. She would read, and want till she couldn’t keep her eyes open, and when she drifted off to sleep her dreams would take her to the places she had only seen on the covers of her beloved novels.
When she woke, she was Penny. Chosen by no one, with only herself to rely on. She could leave the chosen one stuff to someone with more potential, like Abigaile or Leah, two women in town who both fit the bill far better than Penny ever could.
And Penny would stick to secretly wanting in the meantime.
That was the plan, until the night when Penny saw the first sign.
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It was a particularly long day at the start of October. Vincent had been more resistant than usual for their history lesson, and Penny was at her wits end after discovering the many smuggled snails he had somehow fit into his pockets. With Jas being no help at all, calling him names as they walked out the door of the museum and into the chilled October air.
Penny took a deep breath, trying to inhale enough cold air to ease the oncoming headache of talking to Jodi again about Vince’s bug habit.
“Ewwww…” The headache immediately came back, Penny looked over to where Jas was watching Vince release the poor critters back into the grass.
“You’re pockets are all slimy now” Jas wrinkled her nose at Vince “Your mom is going to be so mad when she has to clean it out again, gross”
“I’m not gross!” Vince retorted belligerently
“Are too” Jas snipped back
Penny quickly interjected before Vince could snap back with the inevitable “are not”.
“Okay you too, let's not fight about this” -again, Penny silently added “It’s been a long day of hard learning so why don’t we call it for today?”
Vince shot up with a- “whoop!” fists in the air in celebration. While Jas had the decency to at least keep her relief to herself, Penny could see a bit of mirth enter her eyes as she watched Vince celebrate.
Penny let herself laugh a bit at Vince’s excitement. While he wasn’t the easiest student, he had enough spirit and optimism to light a ball park. That kind of energy was bound to get him somewhere in life. And then there was Jas, so smart and capable even at her age with the potential to go so far in life.
During difficult days Penny reminded herself that even if she may never leave the valley, she had to give it her all for these kids. So they didn’t have to hide inside their own fantasies, and could go out and do whatever they set their minds to because someone gave them a chance to do so.
Penny opened her mouth, about to call the children back when a slight movement in the tree line caught her eye. Just beyond the fence the kids were playing in front of was an old oak, whose trunk was hidden in the thicket of the tree line. The lights pouring out from the museum's window cast an eerie shadow into the forest, far too dark for the time of day.
Penny stared into the dark, trying to locate what had moved.
In the shadow of the old oak, the dark stared back.
Penny’s blood ran cold. Without warning she quickly grabbed both Jas and Vincent by the arms, spinning them both around and marching them towards the bridge at a hurried pace, where the lights of town shone bright.
“Ms Penny?”
Jas’ voice sounded so far away as Penny kept all her senses trained on the tree line as she continued to quickly usher the children towards the light of town.
“What are we doing?” she distantly heard Vince ask, “Is this some kind of game?”
They were almost at the bridge when Penny heard the rustle of leaves. Instinctively she whipped around, arms spread wide. To do what? Penny wasn’t sure.
The breeze rustled the leaves of the old oak tree. The shadow- or whatever it was, was gone.
Penny couldn’t help but let out a shuddering breath and she felt her arms go slack at her sides.
“Ms Penny?” Jas’ voice sounded far more concerned than a child's ever should, it startled Penny enough to look back at the two kids. Standing on the bridge side by side, wearing twin expressions of confusion and concern.
“Why did you suddenly grab us?” Jas asked
“Were we taking too long to put the snails back?” Vince questioned sheepishly
Penny snapped back to the present, realizing how startling that must have been for the two of them.
“No- no, I’m sorry I just thought I saw… a raccoon in the bushes” She replied carefully
“A Raccoon!” Vince’s worry washed away in an instant, starting back to the tree line “I want to see!”
“No!” Penny burst out suddenly, Vince turned around looking even more confused.
“Uhmm, Raccoons can be a bit temperamental. We don't want to get too close and risk getting bit, do we?” Penny asked, feigning her cheery educator voice in hopes of dissuading Vince, who gave a disappointed and reluctant-
“Yeah”
“Wonderful! Why don’t we head back then? You wouldn’t want to be late for dinner would you?”
“I heard your mom say you’re having boiled beets tonight!” Jas yelled at Vincent from atop the bridge
“Are not!” Vincent cried in disgust.
As the children crossed the bridge, bickering all the way Penny glanced back at the old oak tree. Nothing but the wind carried any hint of motion beneath the canopy. She hoped she had just imagined it, it was merely a trick of the light and her own mind, likely a result of her staying up late reading Elliot's new mystery and suspense novel that had made her think that something was there.
Yes, that was a fine explanation. It suited her. Silly old Penny let those old books get to her head and now she thinks that shadows are staring at her. That worked as a fine explanation. Thus she tried to push the matter out of her head and followed after the kids, over the bridge and away from the oak tree.