Take the most direct path

Penny decided to go the shortest route, even if there were a few less hiding spots.

It went pretty well. She might have been a little too confident as she rushed down the streets and tried to stick to the shadows, but there really wasn't much going on in this area at 3:30 AM.

She finally came to Mr. Travers' house. Her own house was directly behind his, but it was a long walk to go around. His security system should have registered her as semi-familiar, meaning no alerts until suspicious actions.

She moved carefully along the inside edge of his yard.

Almost home.

"woof"

Max??

An ugly, medium-sized bulldog ran from the back of the house. It approached Penny and started sniffing at her aggressively.

That was fine--Penny liked Max--but Max wasn't alone. He was followed shortly by Mr. Travers, who froze in surprise at the sight of the naked girl crouched by his hedge.

Mr. Travers was in his 50s. He had an average build, certainly not thin or handsome but still aging well by modern standards. He wasn't exactly a friend of the family, but he made small talk while walking his dog during the day.

He was on good terms with everyone in the neighborhood but this definitely wasn't the best time to run into him.