Some Convinsing Nessasary Chapter 4

Penelope's heart dropped down into her stomach.  This was it, the moment she had known would come.  The "Ha ha!  I can't believe you fell for it!"  speech.  Of course there was no secret cult that was intent on avenging Dylan's death.  He probably wasn't even murdered like Lady Manson had said.  This was all just a cruel joke that the Mansons had cooked up to see how gullible she was.  Well ha ha Manson's, Penelope thought, I hope that you had a good laugh.  She let out a sigh, and got up from her couch.  Diana watched her go.

"What?"  She mocked as Penelope moved toward the door.  "Too much for the puppy killer?"  Penelope's hands clenched into fists.

"Will you just drop the act?!  Haven't you done enough?  You expect me to believe that you go around killing angels?  Tell the Mansons that the next time they want to hurt me with one of their tricks, come up with a better story."  Penelope snapped and she dashed out the door.

Logan was waiting for her outside the door.  "Hey!"  Penelope pushed her way past him and continued to rush through the circular room.  "HEY!"  Logan called, tagging along at her heals.  All eyes in the room followed them.  Penelope rushed through the door that they had entered through, stopping only momentarily when the warm light knocked the breath out of her.  By the time she had made her way through it, Logan had caught up with her.  "What's wrong?  Do you want to go home?"  He grabbed hold of her arm and started to pull her toward the old rickety door.  "I told him that you weren't the person for a job like this.  Come on, I'll get you out."  Penelope yanked her arm from his grasp.

"Just stop it Logan..."  She cried, the tears welling up in her eyes.  "Just stop pretending.  I can't believe that you'd so this to me.  Dylan's death crushed me! Every day for months I've had to convince myself that there is something worth living for.  Anything!  And here you Manson's come with your awful prank... What on earth made you people think that this was okay?"  She wailed as she started to sob.

"Penelope..."  He lightly touched her shoulder and guided her into a hug.  "Penelope... I don't know what to do now."  His arms tightened around her.  "I... I just want you to be safe."

"Penelope."  Ryan’s deep voice came from behind them.  Penelope spun around to see him standing there with an unreadable face.  "Diana told me everything.  So, you think that this is a joke, hmm?"

"Ryan..." Logan started.

"Shut up, Logan!  I thought I told you not to interfere!"  He growled.

"Stop it!"  Penelope yelled at him.  "Leave Logan alone.  You've had your fun, now I'm going home."  She turned on her heals and headed toward the door, but Ryan was suddenly there, faster than she thought possible, blocking her way.

"Fun?  I've had my fun have I?"  He asked, growing angry.  "I watch my people die every day for a cause no one knows about, and you have the gall to call it a joke and tell me I'm having fun?"  He asked in an angry whisper.  She stared at him in disbelief.

"You really expect me to believe that you go around hunting angels?"  She scoffed.

"What?  Do you want proof?"  Ryan said with an evil little smile.

"Like you can give any."  Penelope growled trying to get past him.

"I can if you let me!"  He hissed pulling her back.  She stared at him in astonishment.

"Why is this joke so important to you?"

He gave a sad smile. "It's my life, and, if I can convince you that this isn't a trick, it may soon be yours too."  She absorbed that for a second.

"Okay... give it your best shot.  Convince me!"

"’Atta girl."  Ryan smiled, taking her hand and pulling her to the old rickety door.  "Coming bro?"  Logan nodded and followed them with a new sad look on his face.  He trailed behind us as Ryan guided me back into the house, and toward the warm light, pulling me through before I had a second chance to marvel at its beauty.  When we got through, Diana was waiting on the other side, arms folded across her chest.

“And she’s back!”  She said with a smile.  I didn’t return the gesture.  I would smile at these people again until the magically made me believe in angels.  She just shrugged.  “I guess I understand why you’re so skeptical.  I didn’t believe in any of it, at first, either.”  She joined our party as we crossed the circle room and entered a huge, black, metal door.  It looked like it weighed a hundred pounds, but Ryan pulled it open with ease.  The room it lead to was pitch black, no light to be seen other than the light that spilled in from the open door.

“In we go.”  Ryan gave me a push into the black.  I looked at him, taken aback.

“Aren’t there any lights or something?”

“Will you just move?”  He asked exasperatedly.  Penelope gave him a hard look, and then turned back to the black.  She stepped forward, choosing her footing carefully.  In the bright light of day she had the astounding ability to trip over thin air, and now she could only imagine what could happen in absolute black.  Slowly she inched across the floor, unnaturally aware of her feet.  “You can stop right there!”  Ryan called.  Penelope froze, shivering in the cold of the room.  It was like a meat locker.  Suddenly, dozens of small lights eliminated the room, making her jump out of her skin.