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“She deserves whatever happens next.”
Penny looks at me.
“That was harsh.”
Her head drops back onto my leg.
On-screen, the woman hides inside a bedroom closet.
I groan. “Oh, come on.”
The music builds.
I know what's coming.
She knows what's coming.
Penny probably knows what's coming.
Yet somehow, the idiot hiding behind a row of dresses apparently does not.
The closet door flies open.
I jump. Popcorn scatters across my blanket.
“Jesus!”
Penny bolts upright.
My heart pounds as the woman screams.
I laugh at myself and reach for the pieces of popcorn around me before Penny can eat them.
“This was a terrible idea.”
She gives me a judgmental look.
“I know, I know. Not the best idea to watch a horror movie before bed.”
She sighs like she can’t fathom my stupidity.
She suddenly goes still.
I pause, clutching the pieces of popcorn in my hands.
Her ears perk. The right one twitches.
“What is it?”
Penny stares toward the window.
I follow her gaze.
Nothing.
Only my reflection against the dark glass.
Beyond it, the porch light casts a warm glow over the front yard before fading into darkness near the trees.
