CHAPTER THREE

THE ZOMBIE FISH.

"What did you do to my fish?" A seemingly overwhelmed Steven cried out as he burst into the Price residence at 5pm on a Sunday.

Penny froze from her spot in front of the tv, pausing Judge Judy and slowly turning toward the man in her doorway. He was holding a cup and occupying the small dish was a goldfish.

"Oh my goodness." She jumped up, running toward Steven and snatching the cup out of his hand, closely inspecting the zombie fish. "It's a miracle! The praying worked!"

"Excuse me?"

"Aren't you happy? Gus is alive! I have no reason to feel guilty anymore. I told myself he was just napping, I must have like some kind of intuition or something cool like that! This is great-" The teenage girl rambled on, swishing the cup gently to make sure he was really moving.

"What are you talking about? Don't you see the fins?" Steven's eyebrows furrowed.

Penelope froze again, taking a closer look at the miracle fish. "Huh." She chuckled.

"'Huh'?" Steven quoted her, snatching the cup from her tiny hands. "Pardon me, but do you have any idea where the real Gus is? Because I seriously doubt that the old chap didn't just grow a fin overnight!"

Penny shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you Steven, maybe it's a different fish? Last time I saw Gus he was gray and deteriorating."

Her neighbor's face grew pale and he blinked a few times in disbelief. "What are you on about? That isn't funny at all."

"Is this some kind of joke? You saw him too! It was only last night, are you sure you didn't just buy a new fish after I left?"

"Last time I saw you was when I asked you to feed him, Penny! You weren't even in my apartment!" Steven started to hyperventilate. The situation was confusing for the two neighbors, the only sound heard was the steady beeping from the machine beside Penelope's grandfather's bed in the next room over.

"Steven," she paused, gauging his expressions, "that was Wednesday."

"Right, and today is Friday. I didn't see you yesterday, remember?"

Penelope's heart dropped. "Do you seriously not remember the two days that have passed since?"

"You know what, I'm just taking him to the pet shop, I'm sure the lady there will know what's up with the fellow." Steven seemed to brush the whole 'time traveling' topic to the back of his mind as he backed into the hallway. "Uh, thank you again. Can you still feed him tonight?"

He didn't wait for an answer as he sped towards the elevator in his pajamas. Penelope was left confused, rolling her eyes with a chuckle as she shut the door.

She didn't even bother questioning why he wasn't wearing proper clothes at five o'clock in the evening. "Huh," she shrugged her shoulders and walked back to her seat on the couch, rooting for the plaintiff on television.

••

"And then he basically said that he didn't remember anything that happened on Friday or Saturday." She laughed, "I keep telling him he needs to take a sick day to recoup but he's stubborn as all hell." Penelope threw her hands in the air, letting them fall back at her sides. "I'm worried about him, something's been up these past few days."

She took a seat beside her new found friend on a park bench. "I mean, maybe he should see a doctor or something. Like maybe he hit his head and is experiencing some form of amnesia. Or- or he has some sort of drug problem! Oh my gosh, what if I live next door to a drug addict-"

"Penelope, breathe." Miles chuckled at the frazzled girl, grabbing her hands to stop her rambling. "I'm sure it isn't anything like that. Maybe he's just giving you a hard time?"

"No..no, that can't be it. He's not mean like that." She looked down to her lap in thought, not even paying attention to her hands in his. "It's Monday, I'm not even sure if he is lucid today, it's like he's been avoiding me."

"Let's just say he's had a hard week at work. Okay? Would that make you feel a bit better, it's totally plausible, maybe this is his way of dealing with that boss chick."

"Yeah, maybe." She responded, staring off at the water fountain in front of them and the pigeons that bathed in it.

"Well," he patted his knee and stood up. "Would you like me to walk you home? We can stop for some ice cream on the way?"

Penny snapped out of the daze, smiling at the thought of the sweet snack. "Yeah, sure. That'll be fun." She stood up to match him, fiddling with her hands as she adjusted her bright Orange shirt.

••

"You've got some-" Miles paused to motion to where she left a drip of ice cream on the corner of her mouth. "May I?"

She nodded as he gently wiped the spot, ridding her face of the cold treat. "Thanks," she smiled, grabbing her spoon and tapping it against his nose, successfully getting some on his face.

"Oh, now you've done it." He laughed, pretending to wipe the ice cream. "Did I get it?"

Penelope snorted, he obviously missed the spot, but wanted to make her laugh. "No, here.." she reached up and wiped it from his nose with her thumb. "That's better."

The elevator doors dinged as they opened to her floor. The pair stepped out and walked to the end of the hall. "Thank you for the ice cream, next time I'm paying though." Penelope looked down with a smile.

"Next time?" Miles raised an eyebrow and smirked. 

"I mean, like if you want to hang out again because this was fun and-" she was cut off by the boyish laughter of the teenager across from her.

"I'm messing with you, there will definitely be a next time." He winked, turning to retreat towards the elevator before it opened up to a distraught Steven.

"Steve-" Penelope was once again cut off, but this time by the man himself.

"Hello Penelope, Penelope's friend." He nodded, rushing past the duo and hurrying to unlock his front door.

"How was work?" She asked nonchalantly, playing with her melting ice cream in her cup.

"Fine, it was fine. Why?" He looked paranoid as he quickly scanned the hallway every few seconds. "Damn keys."

Penelope's eyes widened as her eyebrows shot up. Never has she ever heard Steven curse and she never thought she would, especially not over keys.

"Excuse me," He smiled, yet sweat was clearly dripping down his face. Steven finally unlocked the door and slipped in quickly.

Penelope and Miles turned towards one another, making direct eye contact. "He isn't usually like that." She promised. 

••

"So clearly work wasn't fine..." Penelope awkwardly twiddled her fingers as Steven sat across from her in her living room the next morning.

He still seemed a bit jumpy and sweaty. "What's going on with you?" She asked desperately. "Should I like, call a doctor?"

"No!" He was quick to shut that idea down, Penelope jumped at the sudden enthusiasm. "I mean, no. I'm fine, just a bit frazzled is all."

"Was it the date? I told you it was Sunday, did you still end up going?"

"I didn't believe you, okay?" He snapped again, "sorry, yes, I did go and you were right. I don't know where this time keeps going. Have you- did you ever see me on Friday? Or- or Saturday?"

Penny gulped, taking a deep breath. "Yes, we spoke briefly Friday night. You seemed agitated. I just figured the date didn't go too well." She shrugged.

"I think I'm losing my mind." Steven whimpered as he buried his head between his knees.

"No, no I'm sure that's not it Steven. Did something else happen?" She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands as she watched him.

He flinched at the accusation, slowly looking up with teary eyes. "Yes." A broken whisper escaped his lips. "There was- there was a phone in my apartment and - and a few other things like IDs and such. A woman, she called me, she sounded angry with me." He cringed at the thought of making somebody mad. "That was Sunday night, then yesterday morning I went to work as usual and-" He paused again, taking a deep breath.

"-and then something else happened that night. There was a, uh, a man. It was like some kind of cult. But, but I've seen him before. I thought it was a dream though..."

Penny tried her hardest to keep up with the story, eyebrows furrowing as she nodded at him to continue. "Anyways, it was like some sort of cult. Then, then something chased me. It was a Jackal- and before you say anything, I know it sounds crazy!"

"A jackal in a history museum? This sounds like some kind of weird origin story. Did it bite you? You may turn into a werewolf or something?"

"Penelope, I'm not joking."

"And I'm not either! Werewolves aren't fun to mess with." She commented, folding her arms and leaning back in her chair. "Well? What happened next?"

Steven opened his mouth as if he was going to continue but closed it quickly after. "Nothing, I don't know."

"You don't know?" She had a feeling the man was lying, but didn't push. "Alright, well it's a quarter 'til. You should probably get going or else you'll be late. Want me to walk you?"

Penelope watched as Steven weighed the options, "I'm walking you." She decided, reaching for her shoes.

7.6.22
FINALLY back to writing for
Penelope! <- I love her.
Anyway, I'm so so sorry for the
short break I took, stranger things
distracted me from everything lollll
NOT PROOFREAD