Mortality

Penny lurched back even farther. Her reality was slowly falling away and exposing something moldy, damp, and squishy in nature. But slowly her mind began to detach from the situation and a movie began to play forward. It was as if she was watching this horror show where she was a lead character, but if she wanted, at any moment she could move, go get popcorn or visit the restroom.

Penny, who described herself as slow on the draw, but seemingly always had a comment, looked at that which had once been Joan.

As if the words were coming from someone else, Penny found herself asking, "If you are not Joan, then who are you?"

The creature did not move, not even the lips, but spoke, "I am everything. The name does not matter." The words hit Penny in a way that made her flinch as though someone had just made a motion to strike her. This made no sense.

"Then what do you want?"

Still no movement, "It is not what I want, but what you must do. This is a warning, Penny. You must change or change will destroy you."

A small throbbing began to grow inside Penny's head. It was as though the creature were speaking a foreign language she could not understand. Yet, she knew the words. Each in its own right made sense, but not put together.

"Hear me, Penny. You must tread carefully or you will be doomed."

In that moment, Penny felt the shiver of true panic run down her spine. Doomed for what? Doomed how? And she also began to feel her mortality.