Every Penny Isn't Always Lucky
Once upon a time, a long long time ago there lived a teenager girl named Penny, who lived at a castle in the middle of a huge city. Although hearing the word castle you might think, pleasure, servants, riches, no duties and the "good life" well not really all that. When she was nine her parents couldn't afford to pay the Lord and Lady money for taxes and they had to give their only child up for the labor until they could pay. So here she was sixteen now and still a servant to those who took her from her family. She didn't give up hope though, sometimes at night when all others were asleep she'd stare out her barred window and watch for shooting stars, hoping to catch one and make a wish. Now as she layed awake next to her best friend Farren she knew and felt something down deep that sometime soon her life was going to change.
The next morning the sun was hotter than ever and kept everyone inside. Leaving her less chores and more free time to spend. The drafty halls of stone and floors of cobblestone echoed as all the servants were playing and messing around. With the acceptation of a few boys she was one of the younger girls there. Most of the servants at the castle were kids because they could work endlessly, survive on little, and be there for long amounts at a time.
She was playing hop scotch in the kitchen with Farren when the second oldest boy Henry walked in demanding breakfast from the Lord and Lady themselves.
"Lord Maron and Lady Elaina want cheese on bread, milk and eggs." Henry stated, looking over at Penny and winked making her blush. She liked Henry, he had always been nice to her since she came here and they had taken it upon themselves to become siblings.
"Will do Mr. Henry." the cook replied and went around gathering the supplies, shooing the girls out of the kitchen. Henry came out with them to wait for the meal.
"How have you been Penny? Haven't seen you in awhile." Henry smiled.
"Oh I've been just swell. How about yourself? Since you got moved up positions to aid the Lord and Lady I haven't seen much of you, since all that's in another hall. " She said smiling back.
"Yea I didn't know I wouldn't be seeing you much otherwise I would've told them no."
"You're fine Hen, its good you're getting in close with them now, maybe you could be the first one out of this place." Penny said sadly, knowing it would be good for Henry but she would miss him.
"Naw, I couldn't leave you. Besides all I've ever known is here in this castle, I don't plan on leaving it any time soon. Who else is going to look after you Pen?"
"Good point, um Farren will!" Penny said brightly looking over at her best friend smiling.
"Uh how about no, I get you into more trouble then you get me out." Farren said smirking back.
"This is true ha-ha, but that's what makes a friendship right? Always there to get them into trouble and always there to get them out." Penny said jokingly at Farren.
"That's how me and my pal Wilkes is." Henry chimed in grinning.
"Boys will be boys." Farren said rolling her eyes.
"Well story time can come later. Hey Penny can I talk to you for a second in private?" Henry asked.
"Sure, I'll be right back Farren." Penny walked a few steps ahead with Henry. He leaned down to her ear and whispered
"Come to my door at midnight tonight, I want to show you something I found."
"Ok, I'll be there." She whispered back, then turned to take Farren to clean their room.
"All right bye Penny! See you later Farren." He said just as the cook came out with the order he had given her. They waved goodbye and went their separate ways.
"What was that all about?" Farren asked when they got back to the loft where they slept and started to clean. Trying not to sound interested when she was very much so.
"Oh it's nothing." Penny answered giggling, Farren looking unconvinced, but dropping the subject knowing Penny was amazing at keeping secrets. Both a good and bad thing in some situations.
Later that night, 5 'til 12 Penny quickly got dressed and walked down the flight of stairs from the loft to the main hall. From there she then walked to the other side of the wing to the boy's rooms, picking the last door the left which was Henry's and waited patiently. She knew this because they had snuck out many times together A few minutes later Henry walked out.
"Oh wow, I didn't know you'd be here already. Right on time Pen." Henry smiled. He looked the same as usual but this time he had a glow about him that made him all the more cute.
They headed off towards the mess hall which Penny had never been to except on a couple special occasions when the Lord and Lady needed an extra hand for arriving guests for a big feast. But there was nothing else on that side of the castle except for the hall itself and a few storage closets mostly used now for hanging coats and purses.
"What are we doing over here? There's nothing over here except the hall? What's going on?" She asked Henry coming to a stop.
"Just follow me, you ask too many questions." He half laughed as he opened a door into one of the closets just in front of the doors to the hall.
"Well my questions need to be answered before I go into that closet with you." Penny said sternly as he turned around to give her a snide comment.
"This is just something you gotta see for yourself to believe, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." He said seriously, telling Penny that he wasn't kidding around and that he wasn't going to pull any funny business. So she followed Henry into the closet, sealing off what she knew behind her.
As the click of the door sounded, Henry turned around facing the back of the closet, feeling the back panels as if trying to find something.
"What are you doing Henry?"She asked getting all the sudden nervous they would be caught.
"Looking for the door." He said snidely as if she should have already known.
"Well you're looking the wrong way, its right here." Penny said pointing behind her.
"No, that's where you're confused Penny Camden, its right here." Henry said as he pushed on a little panel stuck in between two bigger ones, pushing the whole back of the closet back like a door. Penny's mouth dropped like she had just seen a person touch a rainbow.
"What…how…I…" Was all she could say, she couldn't believe it, as she stood staring at the opening that appeared before her.
"You let me do the explaining and soon you'll understand." Henry said quietly taking Penny's hand and the blackness engulfed them.
A little after ten minutes of walking down a long, dark, dank, small, hallway they came to a dimly lit empty room with no doors out.
"What is this place?" Penny asked in awe of the sacred feeling the room gave off to her.
"This was the old treasury before they ran out of things to put in here and moved it to somewhere smaller. That is if they even put anything away now, they need every penny to pay off the war debt." Henry said shaking his head sadly, letting go of her hand and walking to the middle of the room, looking up.
"Oh..." She said in disbelief, unaware things had gotten that bad on the upper level. From where she was standing she couldn't tell how big the room was so she went over to inspect. Taking no more than 7 paces she could reach out and touch the wall. Without thinking she pressed her hands against the wall the temptation all too tempting. A stone that she her hands were pressing on fell into the wall and then fell out, making a loud thud on the stone floor. Henry turned around and came up next to her.
"What did you do now?" He said to Penny as she looked up startled.
"I didn't do anything! I swear! I just pushed this stone, it was an accident! She half screamed but whispered so not make more noise.
"Well now why would a random stone just fall out?" Henry asked as if Penny knew all the answers. Her hand couldn't help it, it lifted up and reached inside the hole the stone had left, not looking first for she couldn't even see three feet in front of her. Her hand touched something cold, something small, glassy and round. As she pulled her hand out of the dark hole she saw a sparkle? A shimmer? Or what was it? They walked back over to one of the torches and when Penny opened her hand again, they both gasped of sheer surprise and shock.
A ruby the size of a large pebble, red as roses sat in her hand, clean and shinny as the mess hall floors after hours of cleaning. Penny's eyes got huge, the ruby's reflection in them.
"What are we going to do?" Penny screamed now not caring about who heard now.
"Well you found it first Penny, you can buy your freedom, go back to your parents, and you could even become a Lady right now if you wanted. Or better yet, pay off this war." Henry stammered throwing out ideas. Penny could hear the hurt in his voice.
"Well technically though Hen this is probably the Lord and Lady's, don't you think?"
"No, I've heard some rumors and true stories what was in the treasury and there hasn't ever been any word of any rubies of any kind. This one must have been left here from the old Lord and Lady who lived here before the Ashley generation moved here. It's all yours. See a penny, pick it up, all the day, you'll have good luck, see a penny let it lie, you'll wish you'd never passed it by." Henry smiled at her, she felt so loved by him.
He looked at her, tears in his eyes. He tried speaking with confidence but Penny could tell in his voice heartbreak was evident.
"I don't want you to go Penny but if I understand if you have to. Out of every kid here you've wanted to get out the worse. Because you miss and want something more than any of us." Henry said, a tear escaping his eye. She couldn't see very well in the dark but she could tell he was awfully sad.
"Hen, look at me," She said with clarity, her own throat welling up now, "I will come back for you, I will buy your freedom and Farren's too, I promise."
"Ok Penny, I'll be here." Henry said holding Penny's gaze for a few moments before dropping his head again, another tear fell. Falling to the ground, hitting the floor, the silence deafening.
The next morning Penny awoke early because she couldn't sleep a minute longer. She reached over to Farren fast asleep beside her, and shook her by the shoulder.
"Farren! Wake up! This is of extreme importance!" Penny said in a loud whisper, so she wouldn't wake the other girls. Farren stirred, opening her eyes and glared at Penny.
"What? What is so important Penny?" She asked quite annoyed, sitting up.
"I'm leaving Farren, and I'm coming back for you and Hen. I leave to tell Lord and Lady Ashley in 10 minutes." Penny said standing up. Farren was taken aback.
"What do you mean Penny..?" Farren asked quizzically.
"Henry and me, well it's a long story but I found a ruby in this old treasury and after I see my parents I'm coming back for you and Hen." Penny said rummaging around the room gathering the few belongings and clothes she had and put them in a little handbag. Where she has also put the ruby carefully wrapped in torn rags of the clothes she had when she was little. She whispered something into Farren's ear. Then turned and walked out of the loft.
Penny ran to the Lord and Lady's quarters upstairs asking to see them for it was an emergency. They came out a few short minutes later still in their night clothes.
"Penny, what do you want at this ungodly hour?" The Lord asked looking very groggy as he tried to rub the tiredness from his eyes. The Lady looking just as exhausted.
"Sorry my Lord and Lady Ashley, I just wanted to tell you that I'm leaving, I now have enough money to leave now my parents don't have to come get me." As the words came from Penny's mouth, it felt good to be hearing them and know it was true. The Ashley's looked very confused and they were about to ask Penny when she interrupted to not let them interfere with her joy.
"Now now, I know what you're thinking but no need, I love you like my parents, after all you have treated me so well here that I didn't think of this place as a prison or a punishment not once. But I do have my first set of parents, and I miss them dearly, I just want to be with them again. I promise to come back for I'm freeing two of my friends as well." With that Penny ran away, leaving the guard and the Ashley's in a total daze.
She didn't stop running, she kept running down the hall, down the stairs, down the entrance hall, and out the huge double wooden doors down the draw bridge the guards had lowered for her. Penny ran and ran and just about when her legs were going to give out she saw the city. She saw the city she could barely see from her window, and the only hope she had that she would see her family again.
She needed to make a detour to a childhood place, for she knew the ruby would not by safe in the city. Arriving about another half hour or so later she came to her house, her little wooden abode that she day dreamed about every day for six years so she wouldn't ever forget. Penny took in a deep breath and opened the door.
"I just can't believe it's you Penny, you look so grown up, what a beautiful woman our little girl has become." Penny's mom said endearingly after a couple hours of catching up. She totally forgot to tell them about the ruby though because she didn't even consider telling them, figuring they wouldn't care how she got here, but just glad she was.
"I know it's good to be back, I've missed you so much. I can't believe my stroke of good luck." She said warmly back, happy again life could be the same once again.
"How do you mean sweetie?" her father asked.
"Oh my goodness! I totally forgot, sorry. I found a ruby last night by pure luck in a dark abandoned treasury and that's how I came to be there today. That's how I'm going to free my friends as well." Penny said with satisfaction, that everything was going to be ok now. That everything was going to be back to normal, how it was when she was nine.
"You found a ruby? How come you didn't tell us sooner? Where is it?" Her mother asked all of sudden quite angry and frustrated with Penny.
"Why does it matter? I'm here now, that's all that matters." Penny said back, a little hurt that now she knew about the ruby her mother didn't even seem to care that her daughter was back.
"It matter because if you would've have told us earlier we could started preparations for all the stuff that needs paying for." Her father said sternly shaking his head in disappointment.
"I can't believe it…I just can't." Penny said stunned her parents were acting this way after such a joyous morning.
"Where is it? We need to see if the General Goods store is still open, and then maybe he can give us a chuck of what the ruby's worth now so we can start paying back the debt we owe." Penny's father said rubbing his hands together now looking at her.
"No," Penny said short, standing up "I'm leaving, I can't believe after 6 years you haven't tried to get me back at all and on top of that getting new debt. Did you ever care about me? Or even think about me?" she said choking on sobs and holding back tears. She couldn't believe it, after all this time she thought they missed her, thought they would visit her and do everything they could to get their little girl back. But no, she had been mistaken, and that hurt more than she could handle.
"What are you talking about? Sit back down. Hand over the ruby and we can start over, have a better life sweetie." Her mother said as Penny was already walking out the door, her father getting up to follow.
"No, go back in that house and stay there, I never want to see you again." As Penny turned around a couple hundred people had gathered around their home because the news of the ruby had spread like wildfire. And then for once in her life, besides being taken away from what she knew six years ago, she was scared.
"Let us see the ruby!" Someone yelled from within the crowd.
"Now see here Penny, just come back inside and we can talk about this calmly, none of these people have to get involved." Her mother said coming up to take Penny's shoulder.
"No! Too late for that, get away!" Penny yelled, pulling away from her mother's grip. The crowd chanting to see the ruby which she had safely hidden. But too late the crowd was moving in all eager to see the ruby and they all wanted it. Out of nowhere just before the crowd was upon her she heard the most magnificent voice she knew very well.
"Penny! Over here quick!" Henry yelled standing just around the corner a block away. Penny's heart jumped at the sight of him, she took off towards him the most of the crowd starting to run behind her. Just as she ran up to Henry, he once again took her hand and took off down the alley he had been standing in the entrance to. They ran together, legs in sync faster and faster they ran not getting tired. Penny's bag thumping against her side. She dared to look behind her and saw to her relief that none were behind them.
"There's no one behind us Hen! We can stop now." She said yelling above the pounding of their feet.
"Just a bit farther, I got a place in mind." Henry shouted back.
Just a few minutes later after they had relaxed their pace they came to an old junk yard behind a pub. Penny collapsed on a torn up couch, and Henry plopped beside her.
"I'm so glad you came when you did Hen, I don't know what I would have done with that crowd or my parents." Penny said all of sudden tired from her disappointing day. She put her head down on her knees and cried. Not even a second later Henry had her in his arms, her face in his shirt, telling her everything was going to be ok.
About an hour later after Penny told Henry what had happened she had calmed down tired from crying but felt safe in Henry's arms. He had been silent when she had told him what happened but now he spoke.
"Penny I know you're feeling down, but I'm here for you always have, always will. You were my lucky Penny I picked up the day I met you. Everything's going to be ok, you'll see. We'll go somewhere ok? After we get Farren, and then you can do whatever you want with the ruby." He said looking at her straight in the eyes. She started to cry again.
"I love you Henry, I have since the day we met. I'm so glad I have you and I can't tell you how much it means to me that you don't care about the riches." She sobbed in his shirt muffling her words. "I don't care as long as I'm with my Penny, you've made me the richest man alive." Henry said back kissing the top of her head. Suddenly the back door opened, and what looked like the owner of the pub came out, drunk as a mule.
"Heeyy yoouu" he said slurring his words, "What arre you dooing out heerree?" Henry stood up picking Penny up putting her on her feet and bringing her with him. They walked over to the owner.
"Hello sir, sorry we're just hanging out, do you want us to leave?" Henry asked politely.
"Heeyyy, ain't you that guurl everyoness lookinn fooor?" The owner said, now making it very clear that he was very drunk.
"No, she isn't. We'll leave, we don't want to cause any trouble." Henry spoke up, defending Penny quickly, making them both stand up.
"Ohh you don't saaay. Well stay if you ike. I'll be back in the mornin to care of the lot of youu." And with that the pub owner turned and stumbled back through the doorway.
"That was close, what are we going to do Henry? Everyone's looking for me, we can't stay here can we?" Penny asked frightened, sitting back down on the couch.
"You're right, but nowhere else right now is safer either. We will stay here for the night." He said sitting down next to her once again.
"Ok and in the morning we'll get Farren right?" Penny asked looking up at him.
"Yea, we'll get her next."
"I'm scared Henry, I don't know what we're going to do."Penny said putting her head on Henry's shoulder.
"Don't be, I'm here and I won't let anything bad happen to you." Henry said looking down at her.
"Hen, how did you find me? Or know where I was going to be?"
"I heard you talking to the Lord and Lady, after you left they asked me to follow you. To make sure everything was ok, and to make sure you got here safely. They said I didn't have to come back because they know you were already going to buy my freedom and they trust you." Henry explained.
"Oh I see, well thanks for coming Hen." Penny said as she yawned, all of a sudden tired.
"Anything for you. Go to sleep now, I'll be here in the morning." Henry said kissing Penny's forehead.
"Good night Henry, I don't know what I'd do without you." Penny whispered as she fell asleep. Henry fell asleep a little while later, holding Penny in his arms on a torn up old couch.
The next morning Henry awoke first, Penny still in his arms. He moved some hair out of her eyes, the next second they flickered open.
"Hello Penny, how did you sleep?" Henry asked, sitting her up.
"I slept well, thanks." Penny asked, groggy from the late night.
"What's the plan for today?"
"Go get the ruby, free Farren and leave this city." Penny said with certainty. Knowing that was what she wanted.
"Sounds like a plan, let's go." Henry said, standing to leave. Penny stood up as well. But just as they had taken a few steps the back door of the pub opened again. The same man stepped out once again, sick from the hangover but he was at least speaking more clearly.
"I told you I would deal with you guys. I knows it you sugar cakes. Hey Logan, mere!" The man yelled over his shoulder into the pub. A few seconds later whoever Logan was came out, sober, but that wasn't really a good thing in this situation.
"What do you want Will? I told you I'm busy." Logan said stepping out of the doorway. He came to a halt however though when he saw Penny.
"You that girl with the ruby? Everyone's been looking for you. Where is it?" Logan asked angry all of a sudden, walking towards them, eyeing Penny's little hand bag by the couch.
"It's not her, you're mistaken, back up Logan." Henry said stepping in front of Penny.
"Hey now, all I want is the ruby, no one has to get hurt here." Logan snapped back indignantly. He lunged for Penny, Henry lunged back as well knocking Logan to the ground. They began to fight, Henry getting a punch in, then Logan. Penny was freaking out, she was yelling at them to get off each other. Just when things couldn't get scarier, Will was starting to walk over. And she knew she needed to get Henry and get out of there.
"Get off him!" She screamed, bending over to try and get the two fighting away and off each other, she was running out of time. Will might've been a bit hung-over but he was making his way over, slowly but surely.
"Run Penny!" Henry yelled taking a punch in the jaw, jabbing a fist in Logan's stomach. Blood running from both men's mouths.
"I am not leaving you Henry!" She screamed back. Running to where the guys lay fighting she kicked Logan in the side as hard as she could, knocking the air out of him. Will was almost upon them. Henry got off Logan and they started to run, but Logan quickly got his footing and was chasing them. Not making it even half way across the junkyard Logan took a jumping leap landing on Henry, bringing them both back on the ground. Henry didn't move, he laid face down in the dirt. Penny stood where she was not a few feet from Henry staring disbelieving. Logan got off Henry, blood on his hands, leaving his knife in Henry's back. Logan then looked at Penny, infuriated. Will had stopped over by the couch, and had already rummaged through her bag.
"Logan, the ruby, it's not in here." Will said throwing the bag down and once again started to walk towards everyone.
"Girl, where is the ruby? I know you've hidden it somewhere, tell me where and I'll spare your life." Logan said taking one step towards Penny.
"You…you killed him!"Penny screamed not even hearing Logan, she was still looking at Henry where he laid. Angry tears welling up in her eyes. She looked around through blurry vision, assessing all possible alternatives besides running. Her gaze fell upon the ground where an empty glass bottle laid a few feet from her. Logan was still talking to her, but his voice was distant and she couldn't hear anything besides a faint echo. Will was still walking over, he shadow moving sluggishly. As soon as Logan was almost upon her, she leaped the few steps between her and the bottle and as Logan came up she pulled up her arm and let the bottle come crashing down as hard as she could on top of Logan's head, the glass bottle breaking, blood everywhere. Logan fell, dead before he hit the ground. Will seeing this picked up his pace, stumbling but coming faster. Penny again fell to her knees beside Henry, took the knife out of his back, and threw it at Will. The knife hit him square in the heart. He looked confused, grabbed at his side and then too fell to the ground, dead. She was too scared and full of adrenaline to know fully what happened but she knew Henry was hurt. Penny ran to his side, flipped him over, tears running down her face.
"Henry! Henry! Wake up! Don't you die on me! I need you! Henry!" she screamed through her heavy sobs, "please don't leave me, I love you. Henry." She said a bit more softly through blurry eyes. He moved in her arms, her heart jumped to her throat.
"Henry?" She asked quietly, "Everything's not ok now, I need you, please don't leave me." He stirred, and opened his eyes.
"I love you too Penny, All lovely things will have an ending, All lovely things will fade and die; and youth, that's now so bravely spending, Will beg a penny by and by." Henry whispered looking up at Penny. She took his face in her hands and kissed him, her tears streaming down his face now too. And he did kiss her back, but Henry would not ever open his eyes again.
"Please no, Henry." Penny whispered softly, knowing now that he was dead. She put her head down on his shirt and sobbed. When the guards arrived a half hour she was still crying, blood had seeped onto on her clothes and lay in smudges on her skin. They picked her up off the ground, she didn't even try to resist. She didn't care anymore, she didn't want to run.
The next day, the gallows were full of the people from all over the city. It was mid July but the sun was hidden behind clouds and the air was cold, oddly the same cold as the night in the treasury room. She searched the crowd for familiar faces all of which were crying. Farren was crying, laying sympathetic hand on the Lady's shoulder who didn't even bother trying to be brave, for she was crying as well. Most of the servant girls were or at least were close to. The Lord, from what Penny could tell was very grief stricken. And last but not least, her parents were there as well, right in the center of the huge crowd that had gathered around her. They were crying as well, but not for what would've been the right reason. She looked down at herself, Henry's blood still on her clothes.
"Penny Camden, any last words?" asked the executioner walking up the stairs, putting his hand on the lever. The crowd became very quiet, waiting to hear if she would say where she had hidden the ruby or why she had killed two people.
"Yes I do," she looked around, looking at all the faces watching her, and then she said "I guess there are just some pennies you shouldn't pick up in this world." And with that she smiled content with her fate. The drums stopped, the floor boards under Penny fell as well as tears from everyone who saw.
Just outside of town where Penny had always gone to play as a kid, a barren little field, next to the picket white fence, buried a few feet down in a jar full of pennies. The ruby lay where it had been hidden that one fateful day.
The End