Check on Penny

You can't get the image of Penny being dragged away by...whatever the hell that black mass had been. She'd looked and sounded terrified. Even though it was just a dream--a phrase you're seriously beginning to reevaluate--you would feel better making sure that she's alright.

So you pull on some running shorts and a t-shirt before heading downstairs. Waving at your mom who's already in the kitchen drinking coffee, you tell her you're going for a run and will be back shortly. She nods in response, her eyes peeking above the rim of her cup. They linger on you longer than normal, but you don't have time to consider that implication and head out the front door. Once there, you go through some basic stretches to limber yourself up and then start jogging in the direction of Penny's house.

The lots in your neighborhood are fairly large, most falling between two to five acres, so none of the houses are terribly close together. You and your family have always treasured the privacy this has afforded you, and the area is full of old-growth trees, giving an idyllic nature to your neighborhood. Honestly, that's part of the reason why the darkness from your dream has struck you so hard. You don't want to believe that something like that exists here.

Even with the bigger lots, it doesn't take much longer than a minute to reach Penny's house, a blue split-level that's tucked into the nearby woods. The walk leading from the street is paved in wide, flat bricks and the lawn is meticulously maintained, with every blade of grass shaved to the exact same length. You climb the stairs to reach the wrap-around porch. Bracing yourself, you push the doorbell and wait.

Only a few seconds pass before you hear a shuffling behind the front door and then it's pulled open. Penny stands there, looking at you with an odd scrunch to her face. You breath a sigh of relief. She's back to looking like her old self, acne scars cratering her face, somewhat hidden by thick glasses, and standing with her shoulders hunched forward so that she looks like she's about to fold in upon herself. She's still in her pajamas, made of thick flannel, and not her slutty schoolgirl outfit from last night. This is definitely not the same girl, but it doesn't matter, you're just happy to see that she's okay.

"What are you doing here?" she asks. She looks confused and almost upset at your presence.

It's a very sensible question, but you'd been so concerned about her safety that you really hadn't planned any sort of cover story for your visit. While you've been to her house for social gatherings in the past, you'd never just stopped by to see how Penny was doing. Your mind races, desperately trying to come up with an excuse that makes sense, but you're coming up blank and the silence between you stretches longer and longer. Words swell inside you, incoherent phrases and noises that have no real meaning behind them, filling you up and trying to get free. Just when you're about to burst from the pressure, a hand crashes onto Penny's shoulder and clamps down.

Standing behind Penny is her father, Lawrence. Even as early as it is, Penny's dad is dressed in a stylish three-piece suit, slick hair coiffed into perfection atop his head and glasses perched high on his aquiline nose. You're also struck by how clean and well-groomed his fingernails are, making you wonder if her regularly gets manicures. You think he works as a broker, but you aren't completely sure.

"Penny, for what reason has our neighbor decided to visit us this morning?" His voice is cool, austere and low.

Penny shakes her head and crumples in even further. You're reminded of a mouse. "I don't know father. I was just asking him that when you got here."

He glances back and forth between you and his daughter, almost as if he doesn't believe her. The he focuses on you and you can feel his hawkish gaze like a physical pressure pushing against you, making you very uncomfortable. Sweat slips down your forehead and you can feel every drop as they fall. "Well, why are you here."

"Yard work," you say, surprised that you had an answer and even more shocked that it's one that you can work with. "I'm looking to make a little extra money this semester and I'm going around to see if anyone's interested in lawn mowing or other landscaping services. Do you need any?"

He snorts and looks at you like you're an idiot. "Does it appear as if I need assistance with my yard?" he asks.

Glancing behind you, it's readily apparent that he does not. In addition to the well-manicured lawn, your neighbor has flowerbeds lining the base of his porch, each one filled with flowers that have grown tall and beautiful. Thick bushes have been cut back into almost perfect spheres and two separate bird fountains have been artfully placed in areas where sunlight can easily reach them. Turning back, you say, somewhat sheepishly, "No sir, it doesn't."

"That's right. I take care of my own. Now come, Penny, it's time for us to have our breakfast." He turns back and, hand still on Penny's shoulder, pulls her back into there house. As the door closes, she turns her head one final time and for the briefest instant, your eyes connect the same way they had in the dream. In that moment, you both realize you'd been present in each other's dream the night before, and a bond had been formed between you. It hits you like a lightning bolt, but before you can do anything, the door is shut and Penny's gone.

You don't even remember walking back to the road and continuing your jog. It's not until you're more than halfway done that your mind comes back under control and you can begin to piece things together somewhat rationally.

First, your suspicion that your dreams of the past few nights aren't normal is definitely confirmed. Two people can't share the same dream, and yet you're convinced that you and Penny had. Does that mean your sister and mother had as well? That would definitely explain the weird interactions you'd had with them the following mornings. They're probably wondering, just like you, why they're having sex dreams featuring their son/brother.

Second, what occurs in the dreams doesn't necessarily have analogous real-world consequences. Penny in your dream was forcefully kidnapped by a dark ****, but in the real world she was back to her normal, quiet self...well, at least as far as you can tell. True, the orgasms you've had in dreams have resulted in actual orgasms too, but those can be easily explained by the fact that they were sex dreams to begin with. You've been having wet dreams for almost as long as you can remember, so it's not abnormal for that to occur.

Lastly, you seem to have a little bit of control over the dreams. The choice of doors to go into is yours and, at least with your mother and sister, the other participants always seem to go along with what you suggest. You wonder how far you can take that.

Still shaken by the past twelve hours, you turn into your driveway and open the front door, heading directly to the shower. The warm water makes you feel better and, even though you still have no clue as to why your dreams have become what they are or what you can do about it, you at least feel ready for the day.