Locks

"You're not goin' out today," Pam shouted as she blocked Penny from reaching the door of their trailer. "Just stay home until I get back, you hear?"

Penny scowled at her mother and stomped her foot firmly, shaking the aluminum storm door on its hinges. "I am a grown woman, mother. You can't keep me locked up just because you disapprove of my courtship with Elliott!"

The curly-haired woman scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest, the pink sleeves of her tracksuit stained from last night's beer. "Is that what they call fornicatin' nowadays?"

"We were only kissing!" Penny corrected her with a sass that Pam did not appreciate. Still, her daughter was pink. "And you ruined our first one!" Pam realized that even with her daughter's smart mouth, Penny was clearly embarrassed she had been caught philandering out in public.

Pam sniffed in disgust. "Looked to me like ol' Fabio knew a thing or two about kissin'." At this rate, her sweet Penny was going to be corrupted by this no-good son from a family with old money. They were just built differently than regular folks.

Her daughter became as red-faced as her hair used to be before she dyed it such a Yoba-forsaken brown. "He was engaged once," Penny informed Pam in a low voice. "It makes sense that he has some experience with that." The bus driver could tell from her daughter's tight jaw that it bothered Penny to be reminded that her new boyfriend had a serious history. But Pam herself had not suspected Elliott had been engaged. That only made things worse in her mind, since the flaky man's promises meant nothing.

Pam stared her daughter down. "You're stayin' home today, Penny."

Penny glared at her defiantly, fists clenched at her sides. "You can't keep me in here!"

"Watch me!" The bus driver grabbed a second set of keys from the hook beside the door and slammed it shut behind her. Before Penny realized her mother's plans, Pam had already applied a padlock to the external safety hasp, locking her daughter inside the trailer. Now Penny could not leave even if she wanted.

It did not take long for Penny to test the door to work out what happened. "Mom!" she shrieked. "Let me out!" The door of the old trailer rattled violently, but as a mother, she held firm with her decision. This was for the best.

Still, Pam felt a twinge of guilt. Her willful daughter might hate her now, but Penny would thank her in the long-run. It was not like she was supposed to teach the kids today, so Penny could just sit at home and read all day. That was what the kid did most days anyway. In the end, there was little harm done, even if it did make Penny madder than a hornet.

The blonde knew that her daughter would not make a racket for long, Penny was too proud to draw attention to herself in an embarrassing situation, even if the kid did feel wronged. At least they had that in common, even if Penny resembled her no-good father more than she did Pam now that she dyed her hair back to its natural color.

Pam scanned the area to make sure no one was around to see what just happened. Luckily, the coast was clear. So, the woman headed toward the bus stop to wait for any potential travelers. Shane might take the bus to his appointment in the city today, after all. Pam needed to be sure that the new mayor who gave her a job did not find her slacking off on her duties.

Eshra Talla never considered the possibility that a mere mortal would begin to see through her magical disguises, yet the fact that the Doctor dared to insinuate that her magic was weakening proved that something was terribly wrong. Yes, Talla could quietly admit that she had been in a bad state in Thorn's desert, but she had fully recovered!

Though now that she was aware that her mortal companion saw glimpses of her true form, the syren noticed the Doctor occasionally giving her queer looks, but the human man did not offer any explanation. Had she completely misjudged the human male as a harmless bottom-dwelling catfish when he was in fact a whale shark that could swallow her whole? Had the Doctor made a pact with Yoba to attempt to entrap her? Treachery could be the only answer, and yet...

No, it was impossible! She was the most powerful being of her generation - an Immortal of Sea and Song. The emotionally-afflicted Catfish was surely just that. He could not possibly be a spy or agent of another deity. Talla could tell from the way he treated the stupid humans who came to him in hopes he could mend their fragile, ailing bodies. Doctor Harvey suffered from an ailment that could not be cured without a traumatic dose of reality: unconditional kindness.

Despite the evidence to the contrary, the demigoddess could not help but suspect her travel companion had somehow weakened her. She did not require sleep, so when would the Doctor have the opportunity to drug her without notice? Did mortal medicines even affect her? Talla never tried, in all her life she had never been in danger of death. Though, for a moment, the syren considered that cursed day in the desert.

Had the Doctor taken some of her power while she lay prone in a weakened state? Perhaps he had a latent ability of which the man himself was unaware. Yes, that might explain it. If he had siphoned off even a bit of her magic, that might provide the mortal with the ability to see through her disguises. But how to test him?

The syren was certain that if she merely touched the Doctor, she would be able to detect a magical presence. Taking back one's own power should be easy… Talla mused pensively. But how to sneak up on him without his notice? The mortal rarely left his tent, save to relieve himself. Talla hissed in frustration, pacing outside of the medical tent until an idea struck her.

Without bothering to check whether a human patient was inside, the teal-haired syren burst into Harvey's makeshift exam room. "Doctor!" Talla exclaimed, causing the fidgety mortal to jump slightly and thus prompting a cry of pain from the man he was stitching up.

The large-eyed man regarded her with thinned lips stretched in annoyance. "Talla, you can't just come waltzing in here anytime you please," Doctor Harvey scolded the demigoddess in a stern tone of which she had not thought him capable. "You hired me to be a traveling medic, so this tent is the only private space for my clients and I expect you to respect those boundaries." He pointed a finger toward the exit. "Please wait outside until I am finished."

Stunned, the syren wordlessly backed out of the enclosure. How could a mere mortal dare to speak to her in such a manner? Talla was in a sour mood. Perhaps she would go for a swim in the river to calm herself. Now that the flood waters had receded, the current was slow enough for her to swim upstream if she so wished. Talla knew well that snapping at the Doctor would not prove useful if she wanted to test whether or not he had inadvertently stolen a fragment of her power. So she headed for the river, eager to feel the warm waters envelope her.

Elliott stood before the mirror mounted on the wall of his humble abode, turning to inspect his appearance at every possible angle. He could tell from the rays of light pouring in from the windows that it was an unusually bright autumn day. The poet decided it was a good omen. After all, his best features were highlighted in natural light and he desired to correct Pamela's sour impression of him as a suit for her daughter.

He wore his hair loose today, not only because he gifted Miss Penelope one of his finest silk hair scarves but due to the fact his bronzing-gold locks had dried in a most attractive fashion after his bath this morning. Elliott's attire had also been washed and pressed neatly. The man longed to make a lasting, positive encounter to assure Miss Penelope's mother that he would never impugn a lady's honor. They two were simply caught in a moment of mutual affection and shared a kiss. Elliott swore they would not forget themselves again so as to invite the anger of Miss Penelope's mother or their esteemed neighbors.

Once content, Elliott stood at his full height, puffed out his chest which was decorated with his finest scarf, and squared his broad shoulders. Pamela would recognize that he was a gentleman - Elliott Montmorency would see to that.

Elliott typically sauntered as he walked, taking in the scenery with his senses. But today his errand was of the utmost importance. The poet trotted along the sandy shore and over the sturdy stone bridge that crossed the river, heading straight for the home of Miss Penelope and her mother.

As he approached the mobile home, Elliott detected a muffled sobbing coming from nearby. "Is someone there?" he called out with concern. It was his duty as a gentleman to assist those who needed his aid. "Are you harmed?"

Unexpectedly, it was Miss Penelope's voice who responded. "Elliott!" she gasped and the metal door of her home rattled gently. "Is that you?" The silky-haired author gasped when he discovered the sturdy lock on the door's exterior.

"Are you alright, Miss Penelope?"

Although he was unable to see her face, the lady was clearly holding back her tears. "My mother locked me in," Miss Penelope replied, her voice trembling from the effort of containing her distress. "Please let me out."

Elliott was shocked that Pamela would resort to imprisoning her daughter. His bosom overflowed with righteous indignation. "I will find a way to free you, Miss Penelope," the man vowed solemnly. His honey-hued eyes examined the padlock. I will require a method of either breaking or cutting this horrid lock. "Do not worry, I will return shortly."

It was already the last week of the term and Sebastian began to feel the pressure of the upcoming finals getting to him. The jittery, caffeine-induced movements of the lower classmen could only be ignored for so long until he felt his own nerves begin to fray from close proximity.

His professors were still teaching new material in his courses this week, but a lot of it was building off the previous lessons to use what he already knew and applying them in novel situations. Sebastian was nearly complete with one of his final projects. He spent the term converting the variables of Solarion Chronicles to code so that it could be played via computer. While it was not a particularly earth-shattering project, it showcased his skills. For the first time in a long time, Sebastian was proud of his work.

The rest of his exams would be in-person practicals, which required finding and fixing bugs in a given code or a task to accomplish using a specific coding language. Sebastian knew fully well that this week he would be spending more time in the computer labs. It was best to have a quiet space to review his course materials, memorizing common errors and their possible corrections, and drinking far more caffeine than usual.

Sebastian noticed a shift in the atmosphere the instant he stepped into the computer lab for his second class of the day. All eyes of his fellow classmates turned their attention to him as he sat down. Several giggles erupted from huddles across the room.

"Hey, it's the sexual deviant!" a male voice jeered and a collective snicker rippled through the clique huddled in the corner of the room. What a weird thing to say in class. People were weird.

At first, Sebastian assumed they were talking about someone else, but when he sat down at his usual seat, a young woman from the corner crowd approached him. She was a blonde woman Sebastian recognized from a few of his classes, but he did not know her personally. Flashing her teeth in a mischievous grin, she presented her phone to him. "You're famous, Sebastian!"

On the screen, Sebastian saw a still photo of a couple sitting at a booth in a restaurant with a caption that read: "Granny B Strikes Again!" Sebastian vaguely recognized the restaurant, but he could not quite place it.

As his classmate pressed the triangle to play the video, he heard a strangely familiar voice. "Get it out of your system in the supply closet or get a room across the street and leave the rest of us in peace!" an old woman yelled as a pair of keys went flying toward the couple.

Sebastian felt his gut drop as he recognized the faces of the pair fleeing the restaurant. He didn't realize anyone recorded him and Violet this weekend! The dark-haired man did his best to shield his face, but the snickering from his classmates was undeniable. Another member of his cohort chimed in. "Ol' B sent you and your girl to horny jail, eh, Sebastian?"

The young man's breath caught in his throat and all Sebastian wanted to do was disappear from sight. He felt sick, knowing that just beyond the fleece of his black hoodie, a dozen pairs of eyes were staring at him. It was too much, Sebastian's heart began to race frantically, and a nausea built in his stomach to the point he was sure he would get sick. However, the wave of nausea vanished in an instant, almost as quickly as it started and the classroom went eerily quiet. The sounds of swift footsteps and the door being thrown open, then the unpleasant, guttural noises of someone retching.

There was an awkward moment of nothingness and Sebastian did not dare leave the safety of his hood. Finally, a mousy voice broke the silence. "Uh, Melanie?" It was one of the students who had not joined in on the teasing, Sebastian knew that much. One of the quieter girls in class, but Sebastian did not know her name. "Do you want help getting to the bathroom? I'll hold that trash can for you..."

Did… Did I do that? Sebastian wondered. Despite himself, he could feel his sense of horror tinged with relief. He dared not look up for a moment for fear that there would still be eyes upon him, but the programmer realized that he may be in over his head. Between the magically radioactive water, freezing his classmates on occasion, and now this - Sebastian conceded that he might have to seek out a master. And the only known magic-user with any experience in Pelican Town was none other than Abigail's new father. This is going to be a pain in the ass.

Elliott was the last person Alex expected to see running around as he stood outside his house, tossing the gridball up into the air to train his reflexes. The guy was not even dressed in athletic wear and his form was terrible. But as soon as the fancy-dressed man saw Alex, he sprinted toward him.

"Please… help!" the long-haired guy gasped. He was so out of shape, despite his decent build. Probably all thanks to a healthy diet and not much aerobic exercise, Alex figured. Finally, the guy managed to say, "Penny… trapped!"

This immediately got Alex's attention. While he and Penny were not super close, they were neighbors and they talked occasionally when the red-head - wait, her hair was brown now, wasn't it? - did not clam up the instant he tried talking to her.

Alex sprang into action, but then quickly realized he had no idea where the heck he was supposed to go. "Where is she?"

Elliott elaborated as he pointed toward the trailer, still panting for air. "Pamela… locked her inside... against her will!"

The jock knew that Penny's relationship with her mom was total garbage, but Alex never would have imagined that Pam would do something so messed up.

The spiky-haired brunet jogged over with Elliott close behind. Without thinking, Alex kicked the lock in the hopes of breaking it off. Penny screamed. "What are you doing? You'll break down the door!"

Alex was dumbfounded. "Isn't that what we're supposed to do to get you out?" The jock assumed that Penny was not in a position to be this picky.

"A-Alex?" Oh yeah, he supposed he forgot to announce himself or something. "Yeah, Elliott got me to help get you outta there." the jock explained. "If I break the lock, you can get out."

"My mother would be furious if we brought the whole door down, too," Penny objected, though Alex could hardly understand why his neighbor cared so much about what her mom thought at a time like this. "Is there a way to get me out with the door still intact?"

Elliott interrupted. "Could you climb out the window, Miss Penelope?" he suggested in his fancy, overly-polite way of talking. "We would surely catch you so you do not injure yourself."

There was a pause. "I tried that already…" Penny said. "The grilles are stuck tight."

Alex glanced over and noticed the metal bars crossed over the windows like a plus sign. Yeah, there was no getting out that way, either. Not unless you were willing to break something. The jock closed his eyes. It was easier to think without visual distractions. Or at least, that's what Maru told him. Who would have something to break a lock? Shane might have access to something as the mayor, but he was always in ZuZu City on Monday mornings. Lewis might have something in storage, however he doubted the old guy was going to come out of hiding from his big house, even if they knocked.

Who else? Alex cackled as an idea struck him. Maru built robots. She probably had something that could cut metal. "I'll be right back!" he shouted over his shoulder as he sprinted toward the clinic, not bothering to tell the others his plan.

"Maru!" Alex hollered as he threw open the door of the hospital, accidentally scaring his friend into falling off the stool she sat on. "I need to borrow something that can cut metal, do you have something I can use? Penny's locked in her trailer and can't get out."

Maru, who luckily recovered quickly when she saw it was just him, shook her head. "No, you're not trained on how to use a cutting torch." Maru smiled at him, "But this morning has been slow and I'm sure I could leave a sign on the door that I'll be back shortly."

Alex caught on. "So you do have something!"

The local genius nodded. "Lucky for you, I've brought most of my robotics projects into town to work on during the week while I'm living here at the clinic," she informed him with a satisfied smirk. "But no way am I letting you use such dangerous equipment!" The jock bobbed his head. Maru was teasing him in good fun and normally he would engage in a little light teasing, but he was in a hurry.

Alex waited as patiently as possible and Maru came back down the stairs with a metal tote filled with gas canisters and a thin hose attached. "Sorry, I had to switch out the welding torch for the cutting torch," she apologized. In the other hand, Maru held a heavy-duty metal mask. "Lead the way, Sirius!"

When the two returned to the trailer, Maru inspected the padlock intently. "Penny, if you really want me to keep the locking ring intact, I can cut through the padlock's u-ring, but it will take longer," she communicated to the gang. "Is that what you want?"

"Yes." Penny's voice was quiet and sad. Alex could even tell from the otherside of the door that she had been crying. What happened that Pam would do this to her? It was not right to trap someone in the trailer no matter what, but Alex could not help but wonder.

After what felt like ages, the heavy bottom of the lock fell free and landed on the soft ground with a thump. Using her heavily gloved hand, Maru lifted what was left of the padlock from the locking ring. "You should be good now, Penny. Open the door!"

The girl practically fell out of the trailer once the door opened, but Elliott caught her and hugged her tightly. "Shhh…" the taller man stroked Penny's hair to calm her down. "It is alright now, Miss Penelope. You're safe now."

Alex felt like he was intruding on a moment and his dark eyes scanned toward Maru, who tilted her head back toward the center of town. "We'll be going now," she told the couple. Alex saw something glint in Maru's eyes - like she was sad or something, but he could not figure out what there was to be sad about now that Penny was not being held prisoner in her own home anymore. Alex wanted to know what was wrong, but then she blinked, and the look was gone.

"Let me know if you need anything else," Maru stated, packing up her things.

Penny choked out a "Thank you, Maru," but could say little else and she buried her face into Elliott's chest. The duo took this as their cue to leave and Alex and Maru were out of sight, they could hear the poor girl break into tears.

Uncomfortable, Alex turned his attention to Maru and caught that same face again. This time, since they were alone, he decided to say something. "What's up, Glasses?" he asked. "You seem down."

Maru frowned and without warning, she started tearing up, too. "I just... feel like I'm losing my best friend," she replied, her voice was low and her knuckles went white around the mask she carried. "I know how strongly Penny feels about Elliott, but we're best friends, so I never dreamed it would feel so awful to share her," she admitted. "I'm kind of jealous and sad that she wanted comfort from him, and not me…"

Maru sighed heavily. "But I've been so busy ever since I took over the clinic, part of me understands where she's coming from. It just…" her voice lost its strength mid-sentence.

"It sucks, doesn't it?" Alex offered, taking the protective gear from her hand to help out. It was surprisingly weighty. Maru was stronger than he expected.

She smiled sadly. "Yeah, it does suck," Maru agreed. "I guess you understand since Haley's been hanging out with you less lately, too." Her warm eyes rested on Alex for a moment and she grinned, this time without the sadness. "At least I have you, huh, Sirius?"

Alex fumbled for words and he could not hide the heat rising in his face. The jock did not want to confess his feelings now, not when Maru was feeling so crappy. That would be such a dick move. "Uh… yeah," he finally decided, faking a sudden interest in a flock of birds flying south for Winter overhead. "You'll always have me, Maru."

Maru still felt a bit down even after her shift at the clinic ended, but Alex had invited her over for dinner tonight. Mondays were not her usual day to eat with his family, but Alex demanded she get a good meal after saving Penny today and she did not have the energy - or the will - to argue. Granny Evelyn's food was delicious and the company would be good for her, Maru decided.

The meal - a hot soup with hearty vegetables and tender chunks of meat - warmed Maru and as always, spending the evening with the Mullners lifted her spirits. By the time the meal was over, George spoke up. "Now, I know you might get sick of us old farts," the elderly man began, "but in addition to your regular Tuesday dinner with us tomorrow, I want to invite you to my birthday dinner on Wednesday, Maru." He beamed genuinely, the wrinkles on his face smoothing as the muscles beneath his skin stretched. "You've grown on me, miss."

"Then I'd be honored to attend your birthday dinner, George," Maru responded without hesitation. The Mullners were like a second family to her now and it was the least she could do to honor how welcoming they were toward her. "But that means you'll have to accept a birthday gift!"

"Bah!" George swatted a hand in her direction. "Forget it," he countered dismissively. "I'm old, I've got everything I need by now." He shooed her and Alex out of the kitchen. "Now run along, you two. Evelyn and I will handle the dishes tonight."

Maru wavered, but Granny chuckled. "Don't worry, dear. We'll let you and Alex handle them on George's birthday if you really insist." Her beady eyes turned up toward her grandson. "Alex, why don't you walk Maru home? It gets so dark out so early this time of year."

Alex's shoulder rose and fell. "Sure, no problem." He offered Maru his hand, "C'mon, Glasses." Maru beamed and placed her palm against his.

"What a gentleman!" the young scientist laughed, grabbing her bag and heading toward the door with Alex. "Thanks again for dinner, Granny! I'll see you all tomorrow."

Once they were out into the night, Maru turned to Alex. "I completely forgot with everything going on this morning, but what did you find out about the magic Rasmodius said was in the house?"

The spiky-haired athlete's shoulders drooped. "Granny didn't know anything about it," Alex groaned in annoyance. "And Gramps was even less helpful, if you can believe it. He thought it was a joke and got a real kick out of it, but then he looked at me like I was a weirdo for even asking when he realized I was serious."

Maru's lips thinned as she contemplated the information. "Another dead end…" she muttered under her breath. "We'll have to explore other avenues then."

It was a short walk, so the pair had already reached the teal door of the clinic. Maru dug the keys out of her bag and went to unlock the entrance. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" she inquired.

"Wait, Maru…" Alex placed his hand lightly on the door. "I…" he faltered, as if he was unsure what he actually wanted to say. He bowed his head and rubbed the back of his neck before opening his mouth to speak. "I just… want to thank you for believing in me," Alex asserted himself. "You've been there for me in ways no one else has and I want you to know that I appreciate it." He glanced at the cobblestones beneath his feet. "And that I'm here for you, too. If you ever wanna talk - or need help with your robots or anything else."

For the second time, Alex's words were giving her the warm fuzzies that made friendship so wonderful. Maru was not as alone as she believed, even with Penny in a new romantic relationship and Sebastian always being away for school or hanging out with Violet. She still had Alex. "Thanks, Alex. I needed that today." Maru pulled him into a hug and after a moment of disorientation, the athletic young man squeezed her back. All was right again.

It was dark by the time Sam decided to leave the riverbank in the Cindersap Forest. He came here every few days to get some alone time and skip rocks or hunt for some interesting plants and animals. Vincent was a great kid brother and he loved Abigail, but sometimes a dude just needs to be with himself. His phone vibrated. It was a text from Violet.

*Hey, Sam! Someone's going to be using the guest house for a while. I wasn't sure if you or Abigail had anything in there you might want to get out before it's occupied. Do you mind giving the place a once-over and making sure the key is under the mat?*

Sam could not help but hoot at Violet's polite way of making sure that he and Abigail did not leave a collection of fun toys out in plain sight. The blond supposed that he and Abigail's amorous night-time rendezvous would not stay secret for long. *Sure thing, V. I'll head over now.*

Even in the dark, Sam knew the path well and Violet had done an excellent job maintaining the grounds, so the man did not worry about stumbling over sticks and stones along the path. He heard the sound of distant hammering and realized that Robin was still working on Violet's new barn. Sam figured the new farmer planned on getting some dairy cows from Marnie soon. Violet would continue to be busy in the coming seasons.

As he neared the guest house, Sam noticed things were not as he left them. The porch light was on and Sam recalled turning it off the last time he and Abigail locked up and one of the windows was cracked slightly open. Sure, they sometimes did the same to air out the place, but Abigail always got on him about closing it. They took care of the place so Violet would continue being awesome and let them use it whenever they wanted as a private get-away. He supposed he and Abigail would have to sneak around the old-fashioned way until whoever was going to stay left again.

Maybe Violet already went in and sent the text when she found something, Sam chuckled to himself. She and Sebastian were both shy and easily flustered that way. Still, just in case, the blond knocked on the door prior to entering the building. No one came to the door to answer, so Sam turned the handle. It was still locked.

Flipping the welcome mat, Sam found the key and fit it into the lock. It clicked open, and Sam stepped inside to a dark room. The skater flipped the switch and the light revealed a neat, empty room. Sam frowned, however. Abigail always made the bed before they left and whoever last used the bed arranged the pillows differently. Abigail hated firm pillows, so she would always shove the extra one to his side, rather than stacking it in the middle.

*Sorry if the place smelled weird. Do you want me to leave this window cracked or should I close it?*

The ellipses flashed as Violet typed and it was taking longer than a quick "okay." Sam wondered if something was wrong.

*I haven't gone in there today, but I did offer the place to Linus if it got too cold for him,* his friend explained. *He must have forgotten to close it completely.*

Sam went ahead and pushed the window down and latched it shut. *Should we tell Linus you have a guest coming?*

*It's okay. It was relatively warm today, so I don't think he'll swing by tonight. I'll hike up there and let him know in the morning. Thanks again!*

Sam shrugged. "Guess I was just being paranoid…" he sniffed in amusement, tucking his phone back into his pocket and locking the door behind him. He let the key fall onto the porch and threw the doormat over it. When he turned to head down the stairs, he shouted in alarm as a dark figure came rushing toward him.

His attacker was almost upon him when Sam realized how short they were. Then, a bark and Sam found himself on the ground with Bruno panting on top of him. The blond snorted nervously, relieved that it was just the farmer's dog. "Oh, hey Bruno!" Sam rubbed the canine's head affectionately. "You nearly scared the shit outta me, fam."

Bruno sat back, allowing Sam to rise to his feet and brush the dirt off his clothing. The big fluffy dog nudged his hand and deposited something wet and slimy into his grasp. Sam recoiled slightly at the unexpected gift. "Oooh, thanks…" the man replied reluctantly. But it did not feel firm like the tennis ball Sam expected. He pulled his phone back out to use the flashlight.

It was a piece of torn, plaid fabric. "Where the hell did you get this?"