A/N: Thankyou for the great reviews! Am I scaring you with the "non-guarantees"? Good! That's the suspense we need.. Enjoy!! BTW, I own nothing except the psychotic crazyperson Penny Harrow!
The young doctor felt his heart skip a beat as he heard her voice. It was calm and condescending, as if she was speaking to a puppy or a small child. There was no trace of nervousness or regret, just a plain "hello". Mere sound of it made fear begin to grow inside Spencer Reid's chest.
He let his eyes rise to meet hers, but immediately regretted it. Her eyes were dark, nearly black. The look emerging from them sent a terrified shiver down his spine. Her eyes radiated amusement. The slight curl on her lips completed the picture of a demented lunatic standing before him.
Holding her arms behind her back, she oozed of superiority. Her broad-legged stance gave her an even more intimidating look. The petite brunette, no more than 5'2", had managed to make herself appear so much less lethal than she really was when Reid first saw her. She now more resembled the psychotic killer she indeed was. And it frightened the young doctor to the verge of crying. He felt completely helpless, and alarmingly exposed.
She took a few steps towards Reid, painfully slow. "How are you feeling?" The young agent neither responded or moved. He was all too frightened, plus the duct tape over his mouth made it impossible to answer, had he even wanted to.
Penny crouched in front of his head, still keeping her gaze firmly planted in the eyes of Doctor Reid. "I bet you are wondering why you are here." She smiled widely. "I suppose you already figured out who I am, so I don't have to tell you that."
Yes, Reid had already figured out who and what she was.
Penny enjoyed the frightened look in the young doctor's eyes. She felt the excitement rise inside her, the tingling feeling was not to be mistaken. Having a plaything in her basement was exhilarating, and she couldn't wait to begin to amuse herself with it.
She reached over Reid's head, grabbing one end of the duct tape covering his mouth. With a swift yank, she tore it off, causing to young agent to wince in pain. A pitiful whimper escaped his now unsealed lips.
"There we go." Penny sat down on the ground before him. "Now we can talk." She crossed her legs and leaned over, resting her chin in her hands. "So. Is there something you want to tell me, Doctor Reid?"
Reid still felt the pulsating pain over his mouth. He had no idea what the madwoman wanted him to say. "What.. What do you mean..?" His head still rested on the hard gravel and dirt floor, having not the strenght to lift it even an inch.
Penny laughed. "Oh, Doctor Reid, don't play with me.. I am sure that you are aware of what I am capable to when I am not pleased with something?"
Closing his eyes, the young agent knew exactly what Penny was capable of. He had seen the pictures. And the fact that he was tied up in her basement did not make the situation any better. I have to keep her calm. If she gets angry there is no telling what she will do. "What would you like me to tell you?"
The smile continued to rest on Penny's lips. "Good boy. Do as I say and you might not hurt as much." She shifted her weight backwards, placing her hands on the ground behind her. "Tell me how much the feds know about me."
Reid drew a deep breath, as deep as he could before his chest shot blazes of white pain into his torso. "About you..? Nothing. I was the only one who actually thought it was a woman." He couldn't believe he was actually telling the UnSub about their profiling.
Penny kept smiling. "Good. Now who knows you've been here?"
Five thousand thoughts and answers flew through the young agent's head. Which one was the right one? "There was a list. A list of people I was going to see today. There's a copy at the station. Anyone could have seen it." The moment he finished his last sentence he knew it had been the wrong answer.
Penny's lips changed from a curved smile into a resolute line. She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, the look she gave Reid made him panic. Her eyes were dead. There was nothing there. Absolutely nothing. "Really?"
Reid tried to move, tried to somehow shield himself from Penny's look, but to no avail. In one move, she was over him, pinning his head to the ground with her left arm. Reid cried out in pain as his already sore skull was further battered. Penny's all too red lips rested half an inch from the young agent's ear. "When they get here, you better be quiet." She spat out the words. "There are no traces of you in my house, and you should know by now that I can be very convincing." Letting go of Reid's banged up head, she stood up. Grabbing a roll of duct tape, she tore off a piece big enough to cover the already incapacitated agent. She roughly pressed the silver tape over his mouth, preventing any further sounds from emerging from the young agents lips.
Reid tried to squirm enough to make it difficult for Penny to shut him up, but failed miserably. He was once again silenced.
The young girl had the same empty look in her eyes as she once again sat down in front of the immobile agent. "Better to keep this on, just in case." She reached her hand out over his head, and ran her fingers though his tangled curls. "You are such a beautiful man, Doctor Reid." Her tone changed. Suddenly, the irritation was gone, replaced by an almost cooing intonation. "Behave, and we will have a nice time together." She let her fingers trail down from his bangs over his nose and cheek, landing on the duct tape covering his mouth. The smile returned to her lips. "Do you know why I kept you?"
The young doctor just looked at her, fear in his eyes.
Penny tilted her head, letting some light return to her eyes. She looked almost flirtatious. "Because I have a feeling you could bring me a lot of joy."
Reid's heart raced. His pulse was so loud; he was surprised Penny couldn't hear it from where she was sitting. She's insane! The panic he felt inside him made his insides twist up like a rubber band.
Rising from the floor, Penny turned her back on her prisoner. "I like you, Doctor Reid." She walked over to the staircase. "Don't make me dislike you. You wouldn't like me if I disliked you." Taking a few steps up the stairs, she suddenly stopped. One look at the crumpled heap also known as Spencer Reid, and she stepped back into the basement. Grabbing the thin chain hanging from the light bulb in the ceiling, she pulled it once and the room went black. "Good night, sweet prince. See you tomorrow." And with that she left the young agent alone in the dark, closing the door behind her as she exited the cellar.
She didn't hear the muffled cries of sheer panic and fear emanating from the basement floor.
A/N again: Reid is in so much trouble right now.. Stay tuned for more terror!