Palindrome

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny sniffled and looked up at Christian. “You’re right, but still… without you, I wouldn’t have been here in the first place to save myself.” Penny didn’t want to let go, not with the comforting pressure of his warm hand on her back, but she let go anyways and took a step back. She wiped the tears and snot with the sleeve of her shirt and chuckled. “Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “I actually read about Redcaps a little while ago. I’m surprised I was able to recall anything about them under the pressure of almost dying. Again.”

Penny crossed her arms in front of her and gave Christian a smile. Her hands still shook a little bit, but Penny found that she wasn’t as traumatized from this experience as she was from the vampires. Penny saw this as a win. If she was going to hunt down the supernatural, she couldn’t be traumatized after every encounter. “I’ve been putting off hunting down the vampires. I guess I’m still scared. Plus, I’ve never killed anyone or anything before… well, until now. But still, vampires look like actual people. Redcaps don’t.”

Penny sighed. “I was going to call those people on the list you gave me in the morning, but I think I should call them tonight. I’m tired of being scared and waiting to kill those monsters. After all, they sent these things after me. It’s time I returned the favor.” Penny bit her lips and took another step back to easier look at the man in front of her. “It’d be nice if I had someone by my side when I did. I’m not asking you to kill them for me, but maybe you could stick around for a little bit?” It came out as more a question than a statement and Penny mentally cursed at herself. She didn’t know how to feel about Christian, but she knew she wanted him there. It would make things easier. She didn't know what his work schedule looked like though. Do Reapers even get time off? It sounded absurd in her head, but she didnt know anything about his world.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Relief spread through Penny's limbs and she rested her forehead on the dusty floor. She let out a sob and moved her arms to pull herself out from under the bed. Her wounds ached, but she pushed through the pain. It was nothing compared to the feeling of having your body drained of blood. These were little bruises and wounds from rocks being pelted at her. They would heal. She blinked a few times when the light hit her eyes, but finally, she was able to stand up. Christian stood in the middle of the room, casual, as if nothing had just happened. Penny blinked and before she knew it, she was directly in front of him, her arms thrown around his torso. For a second, she thought she would walk right though him, but he was solid and warm. Penny buried her face in his shirt and let a few tears escape.

A small voice in the back of her head told her this was ridiculous. She was a grown woman and Christian was someone who she hasn't known long. Not just that, but he was a supernatural being. Surely her seeking comfort in a reaper was absurd, but she realized that she didn't care. Christian had been there during the two biggest traumatic experiences in her life. First, the vampires, and now the Redcaps. Christian gave Penny a sense of comfort and safety and right now, she needed that.

"You saved me again." Penny gave a watery laugh, face still buried in his shirt. "I'm so pathetic." Penny would call those phone numbers Christian gave her tonight and then in turn get her revenge, but Penny couldn't muster the courage to let go. She was too embarassed.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny opened and closed closets, looked under her bed, checked the bathroom.. heck, she even checked under the couches and in the trashcans! There was nothing. Penny rubbed a hand through her hair in frustration. She was not crazy. Something was in here with her. She was sure of it. There was a suffocating aura within the room that made it hard to breathe. Almost as if she were being scrutinized. Penny took a deep breath and steeled her nerves.

"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Penny felt super ridiculous talking to what seemed to be an empty room. She was glad no one besides whatever entity she was talking to was here to see her make a fool out of herself. There was a grunt and multiple pairs of heavy footsteps surrounded her. She could see their imprints in the hotel carpet and she wondered how she hadn't seen those before. Penny squinted her eyes and willed these creatures to appear visibly to her. Her new sight ability was something she still wasn't used to. Some creatures were immediately noticeable, but with others, she had to almost focus on the area they were in. If she didn't, they would remain invisible. Penny's heart felt as if it were about to burst through her chest. Her hands shook and she felt sweat build up on her brow, but sure enough, five ugly looking creatures appeared. They looked like old men, with long stringy hair and sharp teeth. They were surrounding her in a circle, her at the center, but the first thing she noticed were the blood red caps on their heads. Penny's eyes widened. She recognized these creatures. She thought back to the online article she read yesterday about Goblins. She remembered reading about Redcaps and the thought of 'man, I better not run into any of those anytime soon', had crossed her mind at the time. Penny cursed her bad luck.

"I know what you are. Why are you here?" Her voice trembled. These guys killed their prey for sport and bathed their caps in their blood. She wondered whose blood stained the caps of them this very second.

There were some grumbles and grunts before one of them spoke up. "You're very unlucky, human. You have some very bad people who want you dead."

"Who?" Thoughts raced through Penny's head. She was lucky she got them to say anything. She didn't even think they spoke her language. She tried to remember how to get rid of Redcaps. The article said something about scripture? A crucifix? Penny cursed. She didn't have a crucifix with her, but all hotels had a bible in the drawer next to the bed. If she read out of that, would they die?

"Some old friends." Somehow, Penny knew they were talking about the vampires that kidnapped her and her fear was pushed to the side to let anger and dread settle alongside it. She waited too long. She should've gone and killed them already. Now they were after her again. The Goblin that spoke produced a rock in his hand. Penny didn't know where he got it, but that didn't matter. He had it and Penny didn't like what he was planning to do with it. He drew his arm back, almost in slow motion, and threw the rock at Penny. She yelped and ducked to the floor as the others threw rocks immediately after. There were crashes as they put holes in the walls and knocked down pictures and mirrors. If those rocks hit her, she would be in big trouble. They were so fast. Penny looked across the room at the nightstand that stood next to her bed. She needed that Bible.

The Redcaps, seeing she was on the floor, aimed the rocks downwards this time and Penny all but jumped up and bowled right through their small statures. She felt a rock hit her in the back and exploding pain traveled up her spine. She cried out, but kept stumbling towards the drawer. Another rock hit her in the arm, but she pushed through the pain. Opening the drawer, she grabbed the Bible that sat there and flipped open to a random page, crying out again when another rock hit her. There were footsteps trampling after her and she flung herself under the bed in an attempt to get away from the barrage. She felt itchy blood run down her arm and back. She laid on her stomach, Bible laid out in front of her. There was enough light to barely make out the words. Here goes nothing.

"Behold, O Lord; for I am in distress; my bowels are troubled: my heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled; abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death. Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for ally my transgression: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint."

There was yelling and groans of pain. Penny could tell it was working. She continued reading what she could see. After a few more verses, there was the sound of burning before the yelling and rock throwing stopped. Penny remained under the bed, shaking. She sighed in relief, which then in turn caused her wounds to burn and hurt more than they were before. Penny groaned and rolled out from under her bed, careful to avoid the broken vase and the glass shards on the floor. She needed to make some calls. Tonight. But first, there was a presence in the corner of her mind and she knew exactly who it was.

"Christian?"

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny sighed from her hotel room. It had been three weeks since she was released from the hospital and she had done nothing except research what should be myths. She didn't know what kind of lore about all these creatures were true. Was Wikipedia right? Were the fairytales she read as a kid right? What was correct? She hadn't called Christian at all in the last three weeks. She didn't want to feel like a burden and he was probably really busy reaping other souls.

Penny tapped her nails on the desk, next to her laptop. What was next? Penny looked at the slightly crumpled piece of paper that sat on the table next to her laptop. It had probably the neatest handwriting ever on it and it contained names and numbers of 'hunters'. Despite not contacting him for the last three weeks, Penny knew that he was the culprit for this information. Perhaps tomorrow she'll call one of those numbers and start gathering the proper resources for vampire hunting. Penny looked out her window into the dark city. It was well past midnight, but sleep eluded her. In fact, she probably hasn't slept a full eight hours in the last week and a half. After Christian left her room, she took a week and a half to recuperate and get her life together. She sold her small house, rented a car and is basically living out of this hotel room now. Penny was still hesitant to live by herself in a neighborhood that could harbor enemies with ill intent. She knew that she would have to get over it at some point. Christian was right. Her post-trauma reactions would not help in a fight. Maybe that was part of the reason why she hasn't killed those vampires yet.

Her skin itched again and she clenched her fists to stop herself from scratching. Don't do it Penny. Don't think. It's not real. She had gotten a therapist last week, but she didn't know where to start or what to say. 'Hey, I got attacked by vampires and almost died? And then this cute reaper came and was gonna take my soul, except he didn't. And now he said he would kind of help me hunt them down, but also not really.'

Penny laughed. Yeah that would go over well. She'd be put in a mental institution immediately. She stood up from her computer desk and went to lay down on her bed after turning out the lamp. To say she wasn't lonely would be a lie. To say she didn't miss Christian a little bit would also be a lie. He was the only one that knew what she went through. She had no one else to confide in, but embarassingly enough, she was nervous and scared to talk to him. It was best she didn't.

Penny's eyes felt heavy and she shut them a few times, only to wake up to the feeling of being watched. It happened at this time exactly every night for the last week. She swears she could see little beady eyes staring at her from the corner of her room, but everytime she turned on the lamp, they were gone. She figured she might still be a little shaken up from her kidnapping, but after doing some research, she figured it could be like goblins or something. Since her incident, she's been able to see things that aren't normal. She's occasionally seen a couple other vampires, but she kept a wide berth. There were a few times she thought she ran into a couple of demons, but they looked normal enough. It was their aura and eyes that sometimes looked off. However, none of them targeted her outright, so she kept a low profile.

Penny turned her lamp back on and sat up. She was going to do another sweep of her hotel room and hope that something didn't jump out at her from under the bed. Besides a pocket knife, she didn't have anything to help defend her against the supernatural. Would a pocket knife work? Probabaly not.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny almost choked on her water at Christian's words. Did she want to forget? The idea sounded nice. She could go about her day without the fear of being kidnapped again. She wouldn't have nightmares anymore. She'd be... free, in a sense. But did she really wanna live that way again? Her eyes had been opened to a whole new world hidden within her own. It was terrifying, but as she thought about the other people out there who live in ignorance and without a clue in the world to what's underneath their noses, she realized that she didn't want to live like that. If she got kidnapped again, or saw something she shouldn't have, how would that affect her life then? Would all the memories and horrors come rushing back? Penny didn't want to go back to being the way she was before this happened. Timid, scared, shy... she didn't know how to stand up for herself. It was amazing what a near death experience could do to ones personality.

Her skin itched.

"A part of me wants to say yes." Penny paused and traced the rim of the cup Christian handed her. "But I don't want to forget. What happened was... terrifying, but it has made me stronger." She looked up at him and smiled. "I don't want to go back to living without knowing. I feel like I'd wander around aimlessly, missing something but not knowing what. I also," Penny paused. She didn't know Christian very well, but she couldn't deny the connection she felt with him. Maybe it was because he was there in her darkest, most scariest moment and not only did he help her, but he comforted her. "I also don't want to forget you." Penny stood up and placed her cup of water on her nightstand.

"If you're not going to help me, then I suppose I'm going to have to find someone who can." The prospect of looking for danger scared her, but she was going to get her revenge and she was going to live while trying. Penny brushed past Christian and opened the door to her room. She knew he didn't need to leave through the door, but she used it as a sign. Something to say, 'If you're not going to help, leave'.

"Thank you, Christian. I would hate to get you into even more trouble. I'm indebted to you, even if you don't want me to be. Anything you need, say it and I will do my best to help you." Penny's lower lip trembled and she pursed her lips to stop it. She didn't want him to leave. She wanted him to stay and agree to help her. "I think I better get some sleep. Traveling from the hospital to here has made me tired." That's not what she wanted to say. Stay. She knew as soon a she closed her eyes, she would have nightmares and his offer of forgetting sounded appealing again, but she shook her head. No, she didn't want to forget. She would deal with it as she dealt with her childhood abuse.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny clencched her fists and mimicked Christian's action, standing up as well. "You're the only one I know that can help me with that. I can't sleep at night. Everytime I go anywhere, I feel like someone is always watching me, waiting to attack." Penny felt her breathing pick up and her lungs ached slightly. "Every other person I come into contact with seems to have a weird aura and I don't know if I'm imagining it, or if they're dangerous."

Penny took a few steps closer to him, but kept a respectable distance. "I want to live and I promise I will do everything I can to keep that promise, but is it really living if I'm just surviving? I'm tired of being scared all the time! Today was my first time in the real world since the attack and it terrified me!" Penny felt lightheaded and spots danced in her vision. She was discharged from the hospital, but the doctors did warn her that she may still experience bouts of lightheadedness from the blood loss. She took a few steps back and sat back down on the bed. She gulped down air and tried to slow her breathing.

"Please, Christian. I'm not asking you to break any more rules. I'm not asking you to follow me or be my partner. I'm just asking for information on how to get revenge." Penny felt her eyes water and she lowered her head to hide it. She wanted to stop being a cry-baby, but Penny knew that it was ingrained in her very being. She was an emotional person and it wasn't going to go away any time soon.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

"Oh! Um," Penny looked down to find the blood spot and quickly crossed her arms, covering it up. "Sorry. It's... itchy." Penny didn't tell him that she also sometimes felt like she could feel the saliva from the vampires run through her blood. It made her veins itch and she felt dirty. Still, she wouldn't trade it for her death. This was one of the consequences of asking Christian to help her. She only hoped she didn't get him into too much trouble.

"Thank you, for meeting me. I realize that you are probably busy." Penny paused in her wording and finally looked away from her crossed arms to meet Christian's eyes. They pierced through her very being, almost as if he could see down to her soul. She was pretty sure he actually could. She took a deep breath. "Image my surprise when I woke up in the hospital almost two days after the attack. The last I remember is collapsing outside the house, but even then everything is fuzzy." She turned away from him and moved to sit on the bed. She left space next to her in case he wanted to sit down as well, but she knew that he probably wouldn't.

"I know it was you who took me there. I didn't want to get you in trouble. I don't know what reaper politics and job rules are, but you seemed like... you were risking a lot to help me." Penny's fingers trembled and she wanted to itch her arms and neck, but she refrained. "I owe you a debt, Christian. Whatever it is you want me to do, I'll do it."

These last couple of days, Penny obsessed over one recurring thought that just wouldn't leave her alone. Revenge. She wanted to track down those vampires and maybe others and make them pay for what they did to her. Possibly save a couple other people in the process as well. The hatred that boiled in her veins scared her. Not even her mom had been able to put this feeling inside her and Penny didn't know how to handle it. She took a deep breath and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But also... I want revenge."

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

Penny exited her cab and walked through the entrance of the Hyatt Place Hotel. She carried no luggage and no clothes with her, so she just walked in with what she was wearing. Lukcily, the police had gone back to her house to get her an outfit to change into once she was discharged, but that's all she had. She refused to go back there. At least... not without somebody who could keep an eye out for her.

She walked to the receptionist and smiled. "Hello. I have a room booked. My name is Penny Lowe."

The receptionist smiled and Penny found something off about it. She blinked and the feeling went away. Penny placed a hand to her head. She was going crazy. She was seeing vampires and monsters in everybody she ran into. Was this PTSD? She didn't know. "Hi Penny. Here's your room key. You'll be in room 306. Have a wonderful stay."

Penny nodded and took the room key. She felt the same warm prickle on the back of her neck and she turned to the lobby of the hotel. People sat and chatted and others milled about the open space, but Penny had eyes for only one person. The figure that was slightly blurry in the street outside the hospital was now completely clear. Christian stood in the middle of the room, but Penny frowned when she saw people walk past and through him, as if he were a ghost. Penny scratched at her arms again and nodded. It made sense. He was a reaper, right? He was probably invisible tot he naked eye. Penny continued to scratch at her arms. Why were they so itchy while healing? It made her irritable. A voice inside told her that if she kept it up, she would scrape through the bandages and cause her wounds to bleed, but she couldn't care.

She approached Christian before pausing. If others couldn't see him, then why could she? She looked up at him, making eye contact and her eyes widened. He had noticed her. She cleared her throat and motioned him to follow her as she walked tot he elevator and made her way to the third floor. It was a fast elevator ride and Penny exited to find her room just on the right. Using her keycard, she unlocked the door and walked in, leaving the door open for Christian, though she didn't think he needed it. Could he go through them?

The door swung shut and Penny took a few steps into the room before turning to face him.

"Um, hi." Penny internally winced. Yeah, that was bad. She felt tingles and a crawling sensation under her bandages again and itched at them. They stung and Penny dropped her hands before she did any more damage.

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

"Alright Penny, you are free to go. Don't forget about your checkup in three months. We just want to make sure everything is okay." The hospital receptionist down by the front doors of the hospital gave Penny a small smile and Penny nodded.

"Thank you. Um, for the insurance bill, can I just pay in full with cash? I... don't have a mailing address." Truth was, Penny did have a mailing address, but she didn't dare go back to her house. Not after the vampires that lived next door to her did what they did. Everytime she closed her eyes, she felt fangs sink into her neck and arms. She felt the pain of her blood being drained out of her... Penny wanted to forget. She wished she had amnesia like she told the detectives. Most of all... she wished Christian was here. She wanted to thank him. Not only thank him, but apologize as well. He broke rules for her and she owed him a great debt.

The receptionist frowned, but nodded. "Yes, I can take cash. It's only three-thousand dollars. Your insurance paid the rest." Penny took money out of the ATM earlier that morning, so she handed the receptionist the money and waved.

"Thank you. Have a nice day."

Penny walked through the doors of the hospital with slight trepidation. The sun was warm on her face and the breeze was slightly chilly. She inhaled and exhaled deeply. She was alive. She was alive and feeling the warmth and the cold. She was looking at everything with her own two eyes. She watched as people walked past her and drove cars down the road. She wondered what was going through their minds right now. Were they glad to be alive as she was? Maybe. Maybe not.

She took a few steps down the sidewalk and raised her hand to hail a cab. It pulled up to the curb and Penny was about to open the door when she felt a warm prickle on the back of her neck. She turned around to see if anyone was watching her. but despite a few pedestrians waiting for a bus, there was no one. Penny furrowed her eyebrows and went to open the door again, but the feeling didn't go away. Warning bells rang in her head and her hands started shaking. Was this another vampire? A different monster? A different being watching her? Or was she just paranoid?

Penny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Are you getting in or not, lady?!" The taxi driver yelled through the window.

"Yes, sorry." Penny opened the door and put one foot in the cab before stopping once again. Maybe... He had ignored her since she woke up in the hospital, but could that feeling of being watched... could it be Christian? She looked again across the street from the hospital doors and squinted. Maybe, if she focused... there was a figure. Blurry, but there nonetheless. It looked like Christian, but she didn't know for sure. She shook her head and sat down in the cab. "Hyatt Place Hotel please."

"Yes ma'am."

Penny looked out the window at the blurry figure. It disappeared after driving past a pole, but Penny closed her eyes. "Christian. If that's you, I really need to talk to you. I'll be at Hyatt Place Hotel. Please. Just, let me say thank you in person."

"Did you say something miss?"

Penny cleared her throat and itched at the healing bite marks on her arms that were covered. "No."

Hidden Among the Shadows - A Supernatural Inspired RP

"Bite marks... lacerations... bloodloss... pecuiliar case."

An unfamiliar voice spoke from a distance. Where... what..?

"Penny Lowe. Born August seventh. Called 911 thirty-two hours ago claiming she was being chased. We sent an ambulance and a cop car, but she wasn't at the residence. In fact, it was empty besides a pile of blood surrounding a chair in the basement. Next thing we know, she's somehow on a gurney in the emergency room. You didn't see anyone enter with her?" A stern, husky voice permeated the air. Penny furrowed her eyebrows. She was in a hospital? Why?

"No, Detective Miller. We even checked security cameras. There was no one. It's like... she just appeared."

"Interesting. I'm going to go get a cup of coffee. Call for me if she wakes up. I need to ask her a few questions."

"I don't think..." The lady's voice trailed off and Penny heard footsteps leave the room. Penny licked her lips. They were chapped. Thinking hard, she tried to recall what happened. She had apparently been unconscious for... thirty-two hours? That was a long time. There was... pain. A lot of it. Pain she's never felt before and bite marks. Vampires? Reaper... Penny inhaled sharply and snapped her eyes open, only to close them again tightly. That's right. She was kidnapped and attacked by vampires. Did she dream it all? Penny opened her eyes again, slowly and took in her surroundings.

A window was on her left, past the numerous hanging bags and IV's. Penny's left arm felt itchy and she brought it up after a few moments of trying to get it to work. It was wrapped up and there were IV's tucked into the bandages. Not a single piece of skin showed through. She looked at her other arm and felt her neck. Her entire body had been covered in gauze, yet she could still see some patches of blood where her wounds refused to stop bleeding. Penny stared at the white ceiling and felt like she wanted to cry. How did she get here? She thought for sure she was a goner. Vampire dinner.

A kind smile and kind eyes flashed in her mind and she sat up. That's right. Someone helped her. A Reaper... Christian? Did he get her here?

"Christi-" Penny's throat was dry. She coughed hard into the air in front of her and a nurse came rushing in a few seconds later.

"Miss Lowe! Oh my goodness, here!" She put a glass of water to Penny's lips and Penny gratefully took a few sips. She wanted to whine when it was taken away, but she refrained.

"Christian. Where-?"

"Miss Lowe, you should not be sitting up! You lost almost all of your blood! It's a miracle you even survived!"

Penny gritted her teeth when the nurse interrupted her. "Where is Christian?"

The nurse stopped tampering with the machines and frowned. "I'm sorry dear, but I don't know who that is. Was he with you?"

Penny stared at her. She knew for a fact she didn't hallucinate him. Did he leave? Did he not save her?

"I'm going to get a detective for you. He's the one studying your case. Hang tight." She left the room only to come back a few moments later with a tall man. He was caucasian and had salt and pepper coloring in his hair and tidy facial hair. He looked stern, but had a kind glint to his eyes.

"Hello Miss Lowe. My name is Detective Miller. Can you tell me what happened?"

Penny stared, no sure what to say. Did she tell them about the vampires? No. They'd put her in a mental asylum. Best to play dumb for now. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, detective, but I don't seem to remember anything."

He raised his eyebrows but nodded nonetheless. "Very well. It's understandable, you went through a traumatic event. You had puncture marks all over your body. They looked like bite marks as well as a few scratches. But the most alarming was the fact that you had almost no blood left in your body. How you managed to survive is a mystery."

Penny gave a tight smile. "A miracle indeed, detective."

He was silent for a few monets before frowning. "Now, tell me about Christian. You muttered his name while you were unconscious and just now, your lovely nurse told me you were asking for him. Is he the one that hurt you? Did he save you?"

Penny remained silent. She had a bad feeling from this detective. Maybe she was still on edge from the vampires, but despite the kind twinkle in his eye, she knew it was a facade. "No, sir. Like I said, I don't remember anything. I just remember his name. I don't know what his role was."

"I see. Well, Miss Lowe, I will leave you to rest. If you remember anything, please don't hesitate to reach out." He placed his business card on the table next to her before giving a nod and leaving. The nurse tampered with a few more things before leaving after him. Penny sighed. Her body still ached, but it wasn't as painful as when she escaped. She looked around, hoping Christian would pop up out of nowhere, but there was nothing.

"Christian?" She murmured quietly, hoping for an answer, but she got nothing.