Upon Waking (Youngling Series) Read Free Page A

she knew it a building loomed up in front of her and Tessa smiled. It was Penelope’s apartment complex and a light was on in her window.
    She was home, thank god.
    Tessa was safe.

 
    When Penelope opened the door, she turned ghostly white and would have screamed if Tessa hadn’t clapped a hand over her mouth. Her friend started to hyperventilate as Tessa walked her backwards slowly and shut the door, locking it behind her.  Glancing around, she located Penny’s purse and snatched the inhaler that was poking out of it. Silently, she removed her hand and replaced it with the inhaler which Penny quickly used, the color slowly returning to her cheeks.
    “T-Tessa….what the HELL?” Tessa didn’t say anything; she simply wrapped her arms around her friend, hugging her as tightly as she dared. Penelope gasped softly then began to sob, hugging back. “I thought…we all thought you were…”
    “Dead? Well, it’s a long story and I’m kind of hoping you can help fill in the blanks. But we’ll talk about that later. First, can I use your shower? I feel disgusting.” Her best friend nodded mutely and they let go of each other slowly.
    When Tessa emerged the shower she felt immensely better. Wrapped in her friend’s thick cotton robe and rubbing a towel down the length of her long hair, she wandered back out into the living room still trying to figure out how to explain what had happened to her.
    You can’t tell her. You’ll only put her in danger.
    The voice in her head was strangely insistent and completely foreign to her. Tessa ignored it and made her way into the kitchen, breathing deeply the scent of the fresh coffee her friend had made while Tessa had showered. Normally fresh coffee was her drink of choice but now it just smelled gross. With a sigh, Tessa sat at the kitchen table. Penny had her back to her as she fiddled with something in the sink. Obviously, Tessa wasn’t the only one conflicted with recent events.
    “Penny? Penny.”
    “Hmmm?” Penelope finally turned, brushing a red curl behind her ear. “Oh, sorry, I was…lost in thought.” Tessa smiled gently and pointed to the chair across from her. Penny slowly pulled it away from the table and sat down. “Tessa, what happened? Where have you been? Your parents got a call from the city earlier this morning saying your…your body had been found. That you had been killed by some wild animal? And then you show up at my doorstep, extremely alive? Not that I'm complaining, of course.” This was something that Penny always did. Whenever she was nervous or scared or confused, she would start talking a mile a minute and Tessa always had to break in at some miniscule pause whenever Penny decided to suck in a breath.
    “Penny, I don’t know what happened. I barely remember the last time I saw you.” Penelope jumped up and poured two hot cups of coffee, setting one in front of Tessa who smiled and wrapped her hands around the hot mug but didn’t drink it. She didn’t continue with her story until Penny had sat down again. “Like I was saying, I hardly remember anything. But what I do remember…you have to promise not to freak out. I’ll tell you what I do know but…you’re not going to have an easy time with it. It’s…strange, to say the least.”
    Tessa quietly told her friend about waking up and what had happened since. When she finished telling her about the man that had followed her, Penny sat up a little straighter, a little frown sliding onto her face.
    “Wait. What did he look like?”
    “Well, he was about 6’2” with a nice build. Black hair, dark eyes, pale skin. I don’t know. I didn’t stop to make a sketch.” This was mostly true. But she could remember every little detail. Like the tiny scar on the right side of his upper lip. Or the way both his palms had a single, corresponding slash across them. She had only gotten a glimpse of them when he’d raised his hands up but the image had burned into her mind. She’d wondered