Saving Summer

Chapter Ten: Through the TV

The first thing that Penelope did when entering her apartment was lock the door. It was a safety precaution that she implemented a long time ago after hearing too many stories about people just walking into random homes and being robbed or worse while they were asleep. Even though she knew that a locked door would only deter anyone from getting inside, Penelope believed that it was necessary for her own peace of mind.

Tossing her keys onto the coffee table, Penelope kicked off her shoes and headed towards the bathroom. She turned the shower on and walked over to the bedroom that was adjacent to the bathroom. Pulling out a pair of black shorts and an oversized t-shirt with her favorite band, Elegant Rejects, along with some underwear before closing the drawers. Penelope stripped down until she was naked and opened the shower door. Once she was done showering, she exited the shower and grabbed the towel hanging on the rack to dry herself off. After putting on her clean clothes, Penelope ambled out of the bathroom and into the kitchen.

As she heated up the leftover spaghetti in the microwave, Penelope grabbed the tv remote. She turned on Netflix and flipped through to find something to watch while she ate her supper. She stopped on a fantasy series called Blood Castle. The microwave dinged which told her that her spaghetti was done. Penelope crossed the room into the kitchen and pulled the plate out of the microwave. She opened the refrigerator and grabbed a soda before sitting down in her armchair to eat. Once settled, Penelope pressed the button on the remote to start the show.

Penelope scarfed down the spaghetti portion on her plate within the first ten minutes of the show. Which was fortunate because the first gory scene happened shortly after she finished her last bite. One of the king’s lovers, who he was having s*x with in the very first scene, slit her throat because she would not leave her husband for him. Penelope winced as she saw the gush of blood from the woman’s throat. She knew it was to be expected since the show was called Blood Castle but it still shocked her. The king on the television issued a high, cold laugh that sent chills down Penelope’s spine. It was unnerving to listen to and Penelope found herself wishing that she had not chosen this show.

Picking up the remote, Penelope had every intention of switching it to something else but what she saw next stopped her dead in her tracks. The king was no longer laughing and looking down at the body of his former lover. His beady eyes were focused on her instead. The remote slipped out of her hand and it dropped to the carpet with a thud. She blinked numerous times as she stared at the television screen. She assured herself that she was seeing things because she was tired and that the character on the screen was not looking at her but after several minutes, Penelope realized that he was glaring at her.

“What are you looking at?” the king asked her. “Perhaps you would like to take her place? I am in the market for a new mistress.”

The king leered at her when he said the last part. Penelope felt her stomach turn at his words. She could feel the bile creeping up her throat and she fought to keep it down. But then she remembered something that instantly made her feel better. He was not real and there was no way for him to reach her through the television. The idea must have shown in her eyes because the king laughed as he looked at her.

“Oh, you think that you are safe?” he sneered. “Well, I have news for you. I can reach you. You will be mine!”

Penelope watched in horror as the king stretched his hand out towards the tv screen. His hand passed through the screen and out into the few feet into her apartment, clawing at the air. He placed both hands on either side of the screen and began trying to pull himself through. Penelope gasped but was rooted to the spot, too fearful to move. There was nothing nearby that she could use to defend herself. The only thing that she had was her fork but that would not do much at all. She wished that she had some sort of weapon around but her .22 caliber rifle was locked away in the closet in her bedroom. By the time that she got to it, the king would already have her. 

The king had his body halfway through the television when Penelope saw someone standing behind the king in the tv screen. This person was holding a sword and had it raised in the air. The next second, Penelope saw the light leave the king’s eyes as the sword stabbed through his chest. The king slumped in front of the tv screen and his body was dragged backwards back into the fictional castle. Once the king’s body was out of sight, Penelope noticed her savior. She could not tell whether it was a man or a woman as they had their entire head covered in a purple cloak. The sword that was used earlier was sheathed at their hip. When the cloaked figure raised their head, Penelope saw chartreuse eyes looking back at her.

“Penelope Wallace, I need you to come with me.”

Penelope shook her head, “No, I don’t think so.”

“You are needed elsewhere.”

“What I need to do is go to sleep.”

“You can sleep later. You are needed elsewhere,” the cloaked figure told her. “Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice.”

Penelope crossed her arms over her chest.

 “I would like to see you try and make me do anything,” she said, defiantly.

The cloaked figure sighed, “Fine. Have it your way.”

Penelope suddenly felt a set of hands pushing hard at her back. She stumbled forward and fell into the television. She continued to fall until she finally hit solid ground. When she got to her feet, Penelope was amazed at what she saw.