COUSINS
Chapter 13: Her Final Request
The next five days did not pass without pressure. It was some of the darkest days Veltron had seen in a long time. The Able Sisters were constantly attempting to halt the execution, but were unable to succeed. Cheri, Olive and Cupcake were able to enjoy five days without Penny bothering them and this was pleasing. T-Bone and Vesta visited daily and brought them fruits and vegetables. Cupcake occasionally cooked for all of them.
The morning of the 11th was sunny. The sky was partly cloudy. It was 6:00 AM and Punchy was looking out his front window and admiring the view down by the beach. "This is so... stupid!" he screamed. "If I had been able to cure Cheri and Dizzy after failing numerous times before, why isn't there anything I can do to stop this? But that's saving, not curing. Should it matter? Why don't I have a say in any of this?" He sighed angrily.
As if coincidental, the weather agreed with everybody's mood; most were tired, but some were looking forward to the event that would likely become a part of Veltron history. The grass was soggy and flowers were withering in the sunlight. The animals didn't understand why this was, especially since it had rained regularly with little issue.
By 8:00 AM, there were already six animals at the Wishing Well: the Able Sisters, Mathilda, Susanna, Static, and T-Bone. Most would arrive within the next hour since they didn't want to miss the event. One animal referred to the execution as "a lightly-taken reminder that justice is still justice; nobody is exempt in the game of life" and while most agreed, some questioned whether Penny felt the same way. She had poisoned her life.
Cheri, Olive and Cupcake had woken up at 8:00 that morning, unusually late for two and early for one. They didn't begin eating breakfast—a half-eaten peach pizza from the night before—until 9:00. There was no discussion and the only sound was the ticking of the clock. Cheri was upset from the past week's incident and Olive was thinking about how the day was going to turn out; was Penny really going to be dead by its end? Cupcake continued to assume what would have happened if Penny successfully killed her when the rock destroyed the kitchen's window. Would her cousins have moved home?
It wasn't until later that morning when Olive asked, "Are we really going to watch Penny die?" She poured the remainder of her coffee in the sink. She wasn't thirsty. "I don't want to face her and then wonder about this whole ordeal until I die. At least if we don't go, it won't be as bad... right?" She put her hands on the counter and turned to look at the other bears, who were still sitting at the table with their coffee mugs. Neither one answered. "Well it's your choice. I hope you make the best one now."
As Olive was about to sit down, Cheri over exaggerated a sneeze. "Then don't come! That's fine by me!"
"You're just saying that because Penny beat the shit out of you and our friend!" Cupcake exclaimed. She eyed Cheri. "Why don't you have any sympathy for the little rodent? She might be one of the ghosts of your life, but even if she's a massive bitch, you can't simply remember her as the one responsible for your fainting. And I can't remember her only as the mouse who busted the kitchen window, which could have seriously hurt me. What about Violet Meadows? That was a flabbergasting experience! Cheri, what surprises me is that you didn't go back there since our visit. And you're the one who loved it so much. Could you tell us why?" She folded her arms.
Shrugging, Cheri replied, "It couldn't be bothered. It's not a big deal, anyway. Penny showed it to us, which means that I've got no loyalty for that place anymore. In my book of life, when you lose somebody's loyalty, everything goes downhill from there." She rose from her seat and walked towards the bathroom; she was completely disgusted with the mouse she was talking about.
Olive slid into her seat. "Will Cheri learn? What does loyalty have to do with an animal's death? Can I go over to her and punch her, Cupcake?"
Smirking, the elder cousin replied, "You do that and you might not see colours ever again."
"Whatever..."
---
The town bell rang. It was 11:00 AM.
The Wishing Well was filled with the village's residents. The ceremony would not begin until noon, but all the animals had arrived early. Cheri and Dizzy were there chanting with the supporters of Penny's death, but there were still four that had yet to arrive: Olive, Cupcake, T-Bone, and strangely enough, Pelly, the daytime postal worker. The four were having a conversation underneath a tree near the dock.
"This is where Dizzy was burned last week, I see," Pelly commented. She walked around the tree several times and looked at the burnt branches. Patches of grass were brown. "I suppose we could look at it like this: Penny's punishment is basically what she asked for—not once in my life did I have to see a living creature suffer an emotional breakdown. I don't kid you either. This is the first—and hopefully the last—time any of us have to endure such terror. Penny is the epitome of terror." Pelly touched the tree and rubbed her wing on it. It was smooth, yet exuded an unpleasant aura.
Cupcake wiped the gathering tears from her eyes. "You can't say that. That mouse was doing what she couldn't control. If I were you Pelly, and had been living in debt for all those years, then I too would have probably imploded along the way. So many people break down and whine about the mess they'd created. That's just my theory, of course. Please don't take it literally." She laughed and turned away from Pelly, who pretended to ignore her. "There's a chance I'm going to miss Penny. I don't know whether I'll regret saying that now or later."
Pelly's frown faded and a smile came to her face. "Maybe I'll miss her as well."
Time continued to pass. Not one second passed without anxiousness. There was no sign of comfort or pleasure at the Wishing Well. Everybody was scared for the afternoon. Typically, before an animal was executed, they would be allowed one last opportunity to speak their feelings to the village and what they did or didn't achieve in life. Officer Copper was diligent with this, but most were curious to know how long Penny's speech would last or if she would make one at all—her life would end immediately following.
"Does anybody wanna predict what Penny's going to say before she's assassinated?" T-Bone said to himself. He hung his head in shame.
Olive and Cupcake looked at each other and then away from the emotionally-confused bull. They were unsure of a lot now, but Pelly offered them a short suggestion. The pelican said, "She is going to say sorry. She is going to say that she regrets what she has done this past week. She is going to say that she didn't mean to hurt Static at the dinner last week. Unfortunately, she will likely continue to loathe Mathilda and Sue E. since they never got along well. The one thing she is going to say and mean the most is that she never got to experience life without debt. The fragrance of a daisy without a price tag, the touch of the ocean waves without a pay cheque, and the pain of stubbing your toe without its repair fees. She did not have that chance. All she knew about was life in debt, and although she didn't get to live without worrying about her mortgages"—Olive found this entertaining—"she is going to say that everything was worth it in the long run. In my opinion... there should not be an execution. It is too much for something so small." Pelly stopped.
The wind began blowing. Cupcake looked at Pelly and said, "But she could have killed me. If that glass hit me, I could have been hurt badly."
Pelly nodded. "I understand. But were you hurt?"
The pink bear turned away. Beneath her breath she muttered, "No... thankfully." Suddenly, Cupcake began running in the direction of the Wishing Well. She didn't understand what force was taking her, but whatever it was, she was obeying it as it commanded her. It wasn't long before she reached the Wishing Well.
"Oh no!" T-Bone shouted. "Cupcake is gonna try and interfere with the ceremony! Just brilliant!" His voice indicated sarcasm. They chased after her.
It was 12:00 PM. A sharp, thick sound was emitted throughout the air. The townspeople covered their ears to block it out. This indicated that the execution was about to begin. The sound settled two minutes later to everyone's satisfaction.
An eight-metre fence was set up around the Wishing Well. There was a large stage resting beside the well itself. The Mayor had it constructed so that the execution looked more professional; he sadly admitted that Veltron was currently experiencing a money shortage and that they didn't have the appropriate funds to purchase a proper stage. The citizens didn't appear overly surprised. Lieutenant Booker and Officer Copper appeared on stage with the hand-cuffed Penny, who wore a depressed expression on her face. Her mouth was covered with a white bandana. A hush fell over the crowd as the two officers began speaking.
"I will not say the word 'never' since that would be a tremendous lie!" Copper exclaimed. He punched the tree that the Wishing Well was constructed on. He then turned to Penny and punched her in the shoulder. This caused her to fall down and she could be heard screaming beneath the bandana. The citizens were shocked and some, even Cleo, gasped at this. Booker grabbed Penny by the neck, pulling her up.
"This is Veltron's first criminal in six years. We will not discuss the infamous murder of Rolf J.V. and how he deceased. This execution is about a mouse who attempted to demolish our innocent village!" Booker roared. "Today, on June 11, this rodent will be put to death. I presume you figured that there would be a hanging today, yes? Of course you did. Who wouldn't? That is what happened with Rolf J.V.'s murder. Alas, we do not want to repeat offenses; today is going to be different. There will not be a hanging and instead we are going to drown Penny—my personal favourite, if I might add."
Chaos emerged amongst the crowd and animals started screaming profanity and different comments at the law enforcement officers. Mathilda too was shocked and shouted, "You want to drown the girl? You can't do that because it's inhumane! That's like taking a fish out of its bowl and throwing it to the floor! You imbeciles! Release that mouse and return her home this instant! You heard me, let her go!"
As the commotion continued, Cupcake came flying out of the bushes and over the fence. She landed with her feet planted firmly on the concrete ground. "You're going to let Penny go!" she announced, which had the villagers looking in her direction. "You're going to let her go right now, too! Come on, you disgusting pest!" She put one foot forward and made a fist with both her hands. "Let her down!"
Another gasp came from the animals.
"Hey!" Olive turned her head to eye the townspeople. "Is it possible to make an entrance without such an astonished audience? Jeez." She returned her attention to the three animals in front of the well with her gritted teeth. "Have you heard of something called redemption? I certainly have and if you ask me, that is what Penny deserves. Not death. Instead of going to the most extreme and threatening of all situations, why don't you try compromising first? Is it too much to ask? That way, you'd look more like trusted police officers. Not ridiculous idiots. Did that ever occur to you?"
The two police officers stared at Cupcake. Penny didn't move. Booker said, "Arrest her!"
The commotion became more than overwhelming. All the animals started jumping the fence and attacking the two officers, including Cheri and Dizzy. Penny was knocked over, but quickly rose to her feet when Susanna lifted her up and proceeded to take her to Mathilda's house. At that same moment Olive and Pelly arrived and saw the disaster that was Penny's execution.
"Hey!" Pelly pointed in the distance. "Isn't that Mathilda over there?" After receiving a nod from Olive in response, they began running towards the black kangaroo. They followed her half-way to her house and noticed that she was with Susanna Ester. Seconds later, they saw that Vesta was chasing them and stopped. The sheep caught up and they said hello to each other since it was the first time they had spoken that day. They continued their path to Mathilda's house and upon arrival, knocked on the door continuously. Finally, the kangaroo answered the door.
"What? What the hell do you animals want? Do you not see that I am busy and that I have other important things to do other than answer the door for filthy trash that doesn't have a meaning in this world and should be executed on the spot!" Mathilda stopped to catch her breath. She realized that Olive, Pelly and Vesta were standing before her and she said, "Uh... hi? What do you want? I don't have all day, you know."
Inside Penny was being beaten physically by Susanna. When Olive, Pelly and Vesta noticed this, they barged passed Mathilda, which caused her to fall over, and attacked the purple-coated pig, while motioning for Penny to run for the front door. Susanna started screaming for help, and Olive and Pelly quickly fled from the house. They helped the mouse and began running to the train station with Vesta behind them. As if somewhat coincidental, a train's horn was blowing from the western end of Veltron, indicating that one was ready to pull into the station.
When they arrived, Pelly ran up to Porter and asked him when the train would be departing.
"In five minutes," was his response. "If you want to buy a ticket, then you're going to have to right now. The office will close in three minutes until the next train arrives." Pelly purchased a ticket immediately and handed it to Penny, who was no longer hand-cuffed. The animals ripped the bandana off her face, and Olive took her by the shoulders and looked at her in the eye.
"Listen, Penny," they all said. "There isn't much time. You have got to get on this train and flee for another town or else you are not going to live. As much as we either hate or love you, you must leave no matter what. This is your last chance for survival. Booker and Copper will be here shortly, and if they catch you, it won't be you alone that has the anchor attached to their leg at the bottom of the pond. You are aware of this. Get on the train right now. Leave!" Vesta pushed her onto the train.
Penny nodded. "Wait! ...My house still has some things I need to take with me. Two of you have to run back and get them. I need them."
Both Pelly and Vesta decided to return to Penny's house, leaving Olive and Penny by themselves.
"...Why the hell are you helping me?" Penny asked Olive. The bear looked at her. "You said that you hate me and that you could never forgive me for everything I've done this past week. I totally respect that, because if I were you and were me, then I would never look at your face again. I suppose this must mean that your heart is, maybe, not as cold as mine. I was always told that I could never stand up and just be who I was—who I am. Sometimes I believed that. I believed that I could never be me. But you opened my eyes, Olive. You and your cousins helped me. So did T-Bone and Vesta and everybody else. You breathed new life into me. I need to take what I've learned and use it properly... to wherever this train takes me."
Olive smiled speechlessly.
Pelly and Vesta returned with two suitcases full of different articles. One carried four pairs of clothing, bath necessities and three pillows, two of which were couch pillows. The other pillow was falling apart. The second suitcase carried a fragile exotic lamp, a computer with wires, kitchen utensils, an owl clock, and the modern bed pieces that Penny would have to reassemble when she arrived at her new home. She gracefully accepted the suitcases and thanked Pelly and Vesta for retrieving her belongings.
"Really, thank you so much! I love you all!" Penny exclaimed. "You will always hold a special place in my heart. I love you, Olive! I love you too, Pelly, Vesta! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!" The mouse took her seat on the train as it was about to pull out of Veltron station. "When I settle in my new home, I'm going to write all of you. Try not to change your addresses! Say hello to everybody for me! Say hello to Cleo, that old horse she is, and say hello to Cheri and Cupcake for me, Olive!" As the train began departing the station, Penny looked outside the window and screamed, "Girls! I have one final thing to request of you!"
"What's that?" Vesta asked. The train was pulling out of the station.
Penny inhaled a deep breath of air. "Whenever you see T-Bone... tell him that I loved him and it's too bad things ended up this way. Also, please tell Dizzy that I'm sorry and that I'll write him too someday! Remember that he cannot change his address!" She blew kisses as the train's horn began to whistle. "Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye!"
The train sped off into the distance with the echoes of Penny screaming, "Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye!" filling the hearts and memories of the three animals standing by. They continued to watch as the train sped off into the Veltron Tunnel. Finally, the smoke had entirely disappeared. Then they returned to the well.
To their surprise, the Wishing Well was empty. The townspeople were gone and the stage had been taken away. Only Cheri and Cupcake were standing at the well, looking up at the great big tree that it was erected into. As Olive, Pelly and Vesta approached the two bears, Cupcake started frantically saying, "What happened to her? Is she all right? I wonder, is she... free?"
Vesta told them the story, and how Penny asked them to inform T-Bone that she loved him.
In the moonlight of the dark evenings that Veltron experienced over the course of the following two weeks, howls could be heard; they were carried on the wind. Some animals refer to it as Penny's spirit haunting the town, but others call it a brand new beginning for the mouse, full of wild adventures that were to last a lifetime. As time passed, the villagers hoped to forget Penny and what she did to Veltron. Cheri, Olive and Cupcake would never forget her; she was a running engine that would blow up and refuel all over again.
The cousins couldn't wait for Sunday, June 30. They would see Maple once again.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Woo! Talk about exciting! I never thought I'd get this chapter done, but here it is! And just to let everybody know, there will be two more chapters of this fanfic! Not just did I think I would be discontinuing it by the third chapter, but I would have never predicted it to come all the way to the end! I amaze myself sometimes. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and prepare yourself for the final two!