An obligation, not out of love.
I'd quickly made my excuses and hurried to the bedroom.
Hurry into bed, I’d quietly cried myself to sleep that night, preparing myself for what I needed to do the next day.
What I have to do... whether I want to or not.
For me... and for Ben...
I heard Ben's truck pull out and I got up, got dressed and started throwing my things into plastic trash bags.
I loaded everything into the back of my crappy little red hatchback and went to the garage for the gas can I now know Ben keeps in there for emergencies.
I put the gas into the tank and put the can back.
Locking up the house behind me, I gave it one last glance before I got into my car and drove back home to Viv.
I didn't feel like I was driving home anymore.
Ben's house would forever be home to me from now on.
Home is where the heart is, isn't it?
Bennard
I tried calling Penny, but she wasn't answering the phone.
I left work early and headed home.
My worry was rising with the number of unanswered phone calls I made.
I pulled up into the drive and quickly shut off my truck.
Glancing around, I frowned.
Something’s not right.
Something just feels… off.
I jumped out of my truck, hurrying to run up the steps.
I started to panic when I realized the house was completely dark, not a single light on or anything.
I know it's still daylight out, but my little wife has a terrible habit of leaving a light or two on throughout the house.
I unlocked the door and went inside.
It was quiet in the house and I didn't hear the shower on this time.
"Penny?"
I went to the bedroom, but the bed was made and she wasn't anywhere in sight.
I went out the back door, thinking maybe she's feeling better and went to mess in the flower beds.
She loves that.
I yelled her name out loudly, hearing it echo back to me from across the open space.
Nope, no little wife anywhere.
I went back into the house, heading to her work room and almost broke my neck when I tripped over something.
I got up from my sprawl and held up what I'd tripped on.
It was a shoe, but not just any shoe... it was one of Penny's shoes.
My heart squeezed in my chest as a moment of panic hit me. An entirely different kind of panic.
"She wouldn't, she wouldn't," I chanted as I ran to our room, the shoe clutched tightly in my hand.
I started pulling out her drawers, only to find them empty.
"No, no, no," I told myself, panicking even more, but it was no use, I knew what had happened as plain as the eye on my face.
I sat down on the bed and gripped the shoe I had in my hand tighter.
I didn't even flinch when the heel of the fancy shoe popped off and hit the floor, shooting part way across the room.
"My wife left me.... my little wife ... she left me," I said dazedly, in shock.
I threw the shoe across the room and bellowed.
It didn't help the situation any, but I needed to, so I did it again.
And again.
I needed to do something or I felt like I would explode.
My eye turned red as I got up and paced the room angrily.
She can't leave me, she's mine... I don't care how long I have with her, she's not going anywhere!
"However long my little Penny is on this earth, she's going to be spending it with me," I seethed.
How the hell am I supposed to find her though?
I've never been to the Human realm...
Wait! I thought suddenly, pausing.
I know! I'll ask the Werewolf...
Will said the wolf dude got his mate from the Human realm-unwillingly on her part-at first, but still.
If anyone could help me find her, it would be him.
Will had said they lived by him and if I can spot the prick’s ugly assed truck... then they shouldn't be too hard to find.
I gripped my keys hard, storming out of the house, letting the bite as the keys bit into my palm ground me so I didn't go into a rage and fuck something up.
A Cyclops in a red eyed rage can do some serious damage.
We're even stronger than we look.
Add to that our increased strength when the red haze takes over and you've got a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.
I could have easily squeezed that Werewolf's head right off of his neck when I'd picked him up, if I'd felt the need, popping it like a pimple.
Guess it's a good thing I'm not a particularly violent type, huh?
Her car, I noticed just now, is missing too.
How did I miss that before?
Duh, dumb ass, you were too worried about Penny to really pay attention, to notice.
I have to get her back, I thought, starting my truck, tossing it into drive. I love her, I need her, I'm hers as much as she's mine.
I need my wife back!
I took off, spitting gravel and dirt everywhere as I tore off down the drive.
****
It was easier than I'd thought, finding the Werewolf's house.
Their property butted up right against William's.
I pulled up in front of the Lupenstein's and got out, walking quickly up the drive.
I knocked on the door impatiently and waited.
Of all things, a Troll answered.
"I need to see, uhh... oh, um, Alfred. I need to see Alfred," I told the Troll.
"My Mistress is in labor, they're at the hospital," his deep bass rumble, voice gravelly.
I cursed, loudly.
The troll in front of me frowned.
My shoulders slumped and I clenched my fists at my sides.
No, damn it!
"What did you need, Cyclops?" his deep bass boomed.
"Help finding my wife. She's in the Human realm and I don't know how to find her," I confessed to a total stranger.
I'm desperate right now and I'm going for broke.
He nodded and waved me in.
"You're the Billy Goat's friend," he clucked and chuckled.
"Damn it, I'm not a freaking billy goat, Sedrig! So shut your damn pie hole!" William caterwauled from the living room.
I walked in and glanced around, noting that Plant boy was here also.
"Marshmallow," I said in greeting, just to piss him off.
"Man of the Marsh, you one-eyed asshole!" Plant boy screeched, face flashing from fleshy pink to earthy green, vines peeking up from his dark hair.
Oh, no, someone's going green beans on me, watch out! I thought sarcastically, snorting at him.
The Troll, Sedrig, laughed uproariously and slapped my back.
I oomph-ed as I fell forward, staying upright only because I caught myself in time.
"William, I see you still have a big mouth." I glared at him accusingly.
"Oh, I didn't tell them anything. I told Katarina, then she told them," he said, motioning to the other occupants of the room.
"Well, Penny left me and I don't know how to go about finding her. I don't know where she used to live and I've never been to the Human realm before..." I trailed off.
The Troll looked at me thoughtfully for a moment, then looked over at William.
"Is this the one who has a Human wife and wants to change her?" Sedrig asked Will.
Will nodded 'yes' and I shook my head 'no'.
"I don't want to change her. I don't fucking care anymore! I just want her back, alright," I told them, pulling my hands through my hair in frustration. "I don't even know why she fucking left!"
"Really? You're actually surprised she left you? Seriously? You're an assh..."
I popped Greniv in the mouth, before he could finish that sentence.
The troll chortled, smirking at Greniv as he flew back, hitting the grou
nd, clutching at his jaw.
"Good. You do not need to. There is another way to keep her, without changing her."
"There is?" the three of us, Plant boy, William, and myself included, chorused at him.
"Yes," he said simply.
Plant boy glared at me and wiggled his jaw around, testing it out.
"Do you have a picture of your Penny?" Sedrig asked, changing the subject.
"Well… yeah," I said slowly, confused, and pulled out my phone.
I pulled up my favorite picture of her and showed Sedrig.
She was wearing a low cut black sweater, smiling sweetly into the camera, her dimples out on display, black glasses framing her sweet face, grey eyes shining at me.
A pang hit my chest as I glanced at it.
"Do you have something of hers?" he asked, studying the picture.
"No. She took everything of hers when she left. I'd know, I checked.”
I thought for a moment and remember something.
"Well... I do have one of her shoes... but I kind of mangled it and threw it..." I said a little awkwardly, “uh... somewhere...”
"You worry for nothing, silly Cyclops," he chastised, raising a bright red brow at me.
He was pointing to her picture on the screen.
I frowned at him, completely confused.
"Huh? Wanna run that by me again, bridge dweller?" I grumbled.
He snorted and pointed to the picture again.
"The necklace... don't tell me you can't see that through your big Cyclops' eye," he chuckled.
"What about it?" William asked, coming closer to get a look at the picture too.
"It's a mating necklace. What I was going to tell you about, for your little wife." He smiled. "But it looks like she already found one. Smart, your wife is," he said smugly.
"A mating necklace?" Plant boy asked Sedrig, still rubbing his sore jaw.
"Don't you three know anything?" Sedrig grumbled, exasperated.
"Apparently not," I muttered dryly.
William piped in sarcastically with, "Oh, wise King of the Trolls, please fill us in, would you."
The huge troll rolled his large purple eyes, his shaggy mane of red hair rustling about him as he shook his head.
"The mating necklace binds your wife to you forever, like a Werewolf's mating. ...and depending on how strong your bond is, she can develop some of your affinities or abilities, whatever it is you possess," he said, like a haughty school teacher to his students.
I grinned at the Troll like an idiot.
"You mean she'll live as long as me?" I asked excitedly.
The Troll nodded his head 'yes' and I whooped and picked him up in a hug, then squeezed the crap out of him.
I set the startled Troll down and went to do the same to William.
He protested of course, but I didn’t give a shit at the moment, too happy to care.
Will's hair flopped off his forehead, exposing his miniature horns as he punched me in the shoulder.
"Put me down, you man handling nut! You’re messing up my hair!" William shouted at me.
"You have bitty baby horns, Billy Goat," Sedrig observed, chuckling, grinning at Will mischievously.
"Stuff it, Troll, you have a face only a mother could love, so there!" William huffed.
Sedrig chortled.
I think the Troll enjoys verbal sparring.
"Let's get back to the issue at hand, shall we? Why do you need something of Penny's, Sedrig?" I questioned him.
"To scry for her, of course." He shrugged, like this was something everyone should know.
"You can do that?"
I’m impressed, I thought, surprised.
"Yes. Trolls have Earth magic." He straightened his shoulders proudly. "If her feet are touching the ground and you have the right things to scry for her, I can find her," he said confidently.
"Wait!" Will exclaimed. "Penny let me borrow this the other day." He produced one of Penny's favorite music CD's from his coat pocket. "I forgot I'd left it in there."
"That'll do," Sedrig said, holding out his hand for it.
"We need a plan, fellas," William grinned, handing it over.
"Count me in," Plant boy enthused, "Operation 'Pick A Penny Up', is under way."
He laughed and we all huddled together to get a game plan going.
I'm going to get my lucky Penny back, if it's the last thing I do!
Penelope
"We could go to the movies?" Viv suggested.
"No, thanks. I don't want to," I answered her miserably, snuggling into the giant blue bathrobe I'd taken from Ben's.
It still smelled like him and I felt my eyes watering up, just thinking about it.
"He's stupid, he doesn't deserve you, Pen. Don't cry, hun," she soothed rushing over to hug me on the couch.
She rubbed my shoulder as I began to sniffle again, resting her head on mine as she handed me a tissue.
"Do you want me to kill him, Pen? Because I will, if you want me too," she offered and I laughed.
She sighed dramatically and grabbed the television remote.
"I'm just saying, we could make it look like an accident... no one else would have to know..." she continued and I started cracking up at her.
"God. I love you, Viv. Don't ever change," I said pleadingly.
"I don't think I could, even if I wanted to," she sighed, and got another laugh out of me.
We channel surfed restlessly, unsure of what we should watch.
We eventually decided on a scary movie and mocked it the whole time.
At midnight we put on a slasher flick and loaded the coffee table up with snacks and each grabbed a drink.
It was just at the part of the movie where the killer sneaks up on his next victim and you watch on as you see him behind her, but she doesn't.
The doorbell rang and we both looked at each other.
"I'm not expecting anyone." I shrugged
Viv piped up, shrugging as well, "Don't look at me, I'm not either."
"Must be the wrong address. They'll figure it out and go away," I told her.
We turned back to the movie and the lights all went out in the house, the electricity suddenly shutting off.
I glanced at Viv and she stared at me wide eyed.
"Hey, I paid the bill, swear," she promised.
The front door rattled and we both froze, heads cocking to the side as we watched, stuck in place.
The door busted in and we grabbed onto each other on the couch, clutching at one another desperately as we lost our shit and screamed like ninnies.
Large, black clothed men filed into the room and we screamed even louder, looking around frantically for a convenient weapon.
Anything would do!
I got up and ran to the fireplace, grabbing the fire poker, swinging it around like a sword.
"Run, Vivi! Run!" I screamed as I swung it at our would be attackers.
Vivi ran to the back of the house and I prayed she made it out the backdoor before they caught up to her.
No one chased after her and I glared at the group of men as they slowly approached me.
"Don't come any closer!" I squeaked, voice as high pitched as it could go.
Vivi came rushing back into the room, Daddy's shot gun aimed at their chests.
"Get the hell away from my sister!" she screeched, her hands steady as she got ready to fire.
A large shape came up behind her and grabbed the gun out of her hands, snatching her up with lightning quick speed.
The man put the gun down and covered Vivi's mouth, so she couldn't shout for help.
My distraction cost me and the other men rushed me.
I hit the first one in the knee with the poker, swinging it at him like a baseball bat.
He let out a pathetic yelp and backed away, limping and cursing a garbled blue streak.
“Take that, asshole!” I yelled in victory.
The biggest one was missing and I swung around, trying to find him.
I shrieked as he yanked the poker out of my hands, grabbed me up in his vice like grip, covering my mouth with his hand.
"You didn't think I was just going to let you go, did you, little wife? You're mine, Penelope Ochulles. Mine forever and I'll kill anyone who tries to keep you from me," he grated out harshly in my ear, his voice an almost animalistic growl.
I shivered.
"You married me, sweet wife. You're mine as much as I'm yours. You don't like it, tough shit. You're stuck with me."
At his very gruff, yet heart felt announcement, all the fight went out of me.
Ben!
It’s Ben!
My Ben!
My big, asshole of a husband came for me!
He really does care!
He's pissed at me right now... but that's okay! Because he cares! I thought ecstatically.
He carried me out to a van and jumped in the back, getting settled in, situating me in his lap.
I sat quietly, happy to be his kidnap victim and kissed the hand covering my mouth.
I know, I know! I’m sick in the head! But it’s my Ben and he loves me! Odd methods aside... and he came for me!
I’m too happy about it at the moment to gather up some real mad for him...
Doors can be fixed, right?
He did it for me...
I'll have to chew his ass out later for his stupid, hair brained, barbaric tactics... Ever heard of just knocking on the door until I answered, manclops? But for now, I'll take what I can get...
He looked at me, surprised, and frowned.
"Why aren't you fighting me, wife? Your sister looks like she's going to chop Sedrig's dick off the second he lets her go."
He eyed me suspiciously, but took his hand off my mouth.
I waved my hand around.
"Oh, I'm plenty mad, but it's being trumped by relief at the moment. Let me build up to it and I'll chew your ass out later, caveman," I said primly, giving him a warning look, a promise of things to come.
William chuckled and Greniv snorted.
"You're an idiot," I continued, warming up to my shtick, "You could have done things differently, you know, obviously. Dramatic much, hmm? But that's neither here nor there. Let's cut the shit, shall we?"
He blinked, staring at me, surprised.
"Why did you come for me?" I questioned, hoping I hadn’t just stupidly gone with him, only to find out he’s just collecting me out of some stupid sense of obligation... which really wouldn’t make too much sense at the moment... so I’m going with ‘he loves me’.
In Her Eyes Page 10