It's the most wonderful month of the year to me. Spooky stories, costumes, caramel apples, The Creature From the Black Lagoon, jack-o-lanterns and the driving need to write creepy stories. So, I have four tales, one a week, to celebrate Halloween. Hopefully some of you have a spooky tale or two of your own to share.
Penny looked at the wires in Amy's hands with trepidation. She snorted to herself, knowing Sheldon would be dubious that she even knew the meaning of that word. "So, explain again what you're going to do."
Amy smiled benignly. "I'm going to measure the way your mind reacts to some photos."
Penny relaxed and got comfortable. Amy attached the nodes and left the room. The screen on the desk powered up and Penny focused on the pictures.
Amy wrung her hands in agitation as Howard studied the printouts from her computer. She flinched as Leonard slammed a fist down on the desk. Bernadette and Raj were across the room, trying to figure out how to disconnect Penny from the scanner. Worst of all, Sheldon was standing beside Penny in the next room, arms hanging loose at his side, his eyes focused on Penny's face.
"This doesn't make sense!" Howard exclaimed. "It's like her mind has fused with the computer somehow. I can't even tell which readout is her brain and which is the computer's processor. They are scrambled together."
Raj shook his head worriedly. "Every time we try to dial back the power, her heartbeat slows."
Leonard spun and raked a hand through his hair. "This is impossible! A human cannot fuse together with a computer!"
"Penny can." Everyone looked over at Sheldon standing in the doorway.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Leonard yelled.
Sheldon looked over his shoulder, his expression remorseful. "Penny isn't exactly… human."
Everyone started talking at once, demanding explanations or calling him insane. Sheldon turned and walked back over to Penny. He shoved her shirt up, exposing her torso. He pulled a pocket knife out and slashed across her stomach before anyone could react. Howard and Bernadette jumped forward to restrain him while Amy and Leonard screamed. Sheldon pushed the Wolowitzes off him and grabbed the skin above Penny's navel. He ripped upward, and everyone froze.
Amy approached slowly, one hand extended. It shook slightly as she hesitantly touched the uncovered cluster of wires and circuit boards. Threaded throughout the electrical parts were muscles and veins, all exposed to the open air.
Sheldon sighed softly and reached up to brush Penny's hair back from her cheek. "My greatest achievement," he murmured. He looked at Amy with a wistful smile. "There was never a Penny. She was some hooker I found living in a rundown trailer park. Half dead from malnutrition, abuse and depression, she was easy to take."
"Take?" Leonard repeated apprehensively.
Sheldon nodded calmly. "I took her away from that life. Brought her here to Pasadena. It was surprisingly easy. She was so receptive." He bent and placed a fond kiss on Penny's forehead. "She wanted to be better, so I improved her. I fixed her. I essentially re-wired her brain. I even made her forget who she used to be. There was damage to her body that would eventually be terminal. So, I replaced those organs with cybernetic parts. I made her… special."
Bernadette shook her head in disbelief. "This is wrong," she whispered in horror.
Sheldon looked at her with anger. "How?" he demanded. "She is better than she was! She is happier! She would have died in her old life! Drugs, a violent John, or maybe even HIV. I RESCUED HER!" he shouted.
He looked at Amy with anger. "I told you not to use Penny for your experiments! I told you she wasn't right for this! You have fried her positronic circuits!"
Howard looked at Sheldon as if seeing him for the first time ever. "You're a madman."
Sheldon sighed and looked down at Penny. "I'll miss you," he said softly. Sheldon straightened and moved quickly. He was through the door before anyone could react. The sound of the door locking made Raj jump. Leonard ran over and tugged on the handle.
Amy moved to the window and watched as Sheldon opened his messenger bag. He pulled out a bottle of lighter fluid and sprayed a stream over the computer, desk and walls. He spared a moment to look at the horrified faces of the people trapped in the lab.
"I'm sorry it had to come to this," he said calmly. "You have been amusing company for the most part. But, for all intents and purposes, you five killed my child. Over the years you have driven her back to alcohol and depression. You have to be punished for that. And I have to start over without the worry that one of you will try to interfere."
Leonard and Howard worked frantically to try and open the door. Bernadette and Amy wrapped their arms around each other, tears pouring down their cheeks. Raj closed his eyes and turned to a wall. He knelt and began to pray.
Sheldon pulled a Zippo from his pocket and lit it. He took one last, heartbroken look at Penny and tossed the lighter onto the desk. Flames erupted, quickly forming a wall between Sheldon and the others. He turned and left the observation room, locking it behind him.
Sheldon sat down on the park bench, leaving a foot of space between him and the redhead. She was maybe 22 years old. She would be pretty once she was cleaned up. He held out a small cup of coffee. "I'm Sheldon. What's your name?"
She looked at him with empty eyes. "Whatever you want it to be. For $25."
He smiled gently at her and held out a wrapped cheeseburger. "I have a proposition for you. How would you like to start over? Have a whole new life?"
She snorted and grabbed the burger. "Yeah, right. What are you? A fairy godmother?"
He laughed softly and shook his head. "Actually I'm a genius. And I can change your world for the better." Sheldon smiled as a glimmer of hope shone bright in her eyes.