I wasn’t quite finished with the story I was telling by the time 2025 ended and so decided to continue it until it reached an ending point. Then I will start a new one. Besides, I kind of want to see where Penelope ends up. And so we have…
Day 189: Michaelson reached up and pulled them out of the air.
Michaelson reached up and pulled them out of the air. He marveled at the bullets a moment and then slipped them into his pocket. Those who arrived in the other car were yelling at Agent Johnson and the older woman. Michaelson stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind him.
Figuring that if the houses magic defenses stopped bullets, then she could probably safely get off the floor, Penelope started to rise. “Good house,” she said as she maneuvered herself into a sitting position.
She winced. When she hit the ground she landed on her broken arm, and it was now throbbing with pain. “I may have to actually take one of the knock me out pain pills,” she decided.
“After everyone is gone,” she amended. Penelope pushed to her feet wanting to see how long it might take for everyone to clear out. She wondered if she would be needed. “I also wonder if they will let me get my shopping trolley.
When she and Michaelson eased themselves into the house, the items she picked up at the secondhand store were left behind. “At least they are in my patio area and not in anyone’s way,” She thought.
Thinking of the charm that helped her, Penelope reached into her shirt and looked at the charm. It was cold in her hand, despite being pressed against her skin. “All the luck currently drained. Still it lasted longer than I expected it would.”
She dropped the charm back into her shirt, hiding it from view. While she didn’t plan to count on luck, the charm seemed like a handy thing to have around. “Of course, I still don’t know what I actually picked up at the store.”
The packages were mystery bundles. The charm made them feel right, but until she opened them, she wouldn’t know how successful the luck charm identified things. “It could have just been mystery bags there when I wanted mystery bags and not charmed jewelry.”
She looked to the door.
Penelope was standing too far back to see what was going on, but she could hear it. Agent Johnson was still claiming to be an Agent. It didn’t sound like the other agents were buying it. She moved closer to the door and looked out. The older woman looked angry. Her face was scrunched up and she had her arms crossed over her chest. She seemed to be glaring at Agent Johnson but Penelope remembered the distain she aimed her way earlier.
‘I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise there are divisions,’ Penelope thought. “I suppose I didn’t really believe he magical community was one big happy family. Not when there are so many protection charms and people like Peter Sinclair running around.” She thought about her reading. “Someone was even trying to go after Amelia.”
Penelope took a deep breath and decided that at some point she was going to read the last of Amelia’s journals and find out how that story ended.
The door muted the words, but the angry tones were clear. She tried to decide if opening the door so she could make out the words was a good idea or not. ‘The bullets didn’t get through,’ one side of her brain said. ‘They could have bullets that can make it through now they know the shield is there,’ replied the other half.
Penelope left the door shut.
The men who arrived in the cars in front of her building herded Agent Johnson and the older woman into one of the cars and drove off. Michaelson remained and Penelope decided it was probably safe to open the door. The pain in her arm was radiating through her and making her feel vaguely nauseated. She swallowed back the bile and opened the door.
Michaelson looked after the cars as though he wanted to follow them. He didn’t. Instead, he turned and gripped the handle of her shopping trolley. He turned and rolled it towards the door.
“I believe you left this behind,” He said.
“Thanks,” Penelope replied. She stepped back as he wheeled it inside the house.
Ten til Midnight 