Penelope raced up her driveway so fast, it caused Hardy to bark from the outside. She slammed on the brakes. Her mind was all over the place, she couldn't breath, feeling like she was going to have a panic attack, Penelope sat in her car shaking uncontrollably. She kept staring at her hands in disbelief, that had just been newly healed by Arthur, the warmth on her hands seemed to subside for now, but she still felt his hands on her. His big, manly hands... 'HE IS A STRANGER' she screamed in her head. Putting her forehead on the wheel, she began to control her breathing, but she kept gazing down to her hands.
"I let a stranger touch my hands, what is wrong with me" she said to herself.
Penelope remembered that as she was stood with Arthur, she felt odd. She felt as though something warm flew through her in an instant as soon as he tapped her hands. Wait... 'He felt it too', she looked up in confusion as she thought to herself, 'his hands were so warm'. She was looking directly at her cottage. 'This is my happy place', trying to distract herself, but it kept coming back, to Arthur. 'I ran away, I should of let him explain, now I will never see him again'.
"What if he's actually magic?" she said out loud, surprising herself.
She didn't believe in magic, magical creatures, fairytales, ghosts. Any of it. However, this one meeting, this one meeting with this one stranger, and it had already changed what she believed in. Penelope began to panic again, thinking she was in some sort of vision, or she was drugged by Arthur, anything. She wanted to make sense of what happened, but she couldn't. She suddenly got out of her car, and ran shaking inside of her home.
Hardy greeted her. Penelope stroked his head quickly, then ran to her bed, falling on her back in sudden exhaustion. Hardy jumped up wagging his tail, rapidly bunting her head, but Penelope was falling asleep. Knowing this, Hardy rested his head on her chest. She stroked his ear, her hand then suddenly dropped. She fell asleep...
--DREAMING--
Penelope was suddenly sat on her large brown leather sofa, Hardy lays asleep at her small dainty feet on the sofa. The tv was on, but she couldn't make out what was playing. The window and curtains were open, she never fell asleep with the curtains AND window open. Wait... 'I fell asleep on my bed' she thought. She looked at her hands, she clapped them together (this is what she does while lucid dreaming to make sure she is), but they went straight though each other. She smiled wide.
"A lucid dream, finally".
Penelope, on the very rare occasion, has an lucid dream. She loved having them. Dreaming of her family, being in a country she had seen in a movie, being on the beach. She had been to lot's of places in her mind, including her cottage. This felt different somehow...
Hardy suddenly raised his head and stared at Penelope, in the eyes... 'That's weird' she thought. She furrowed her eyes at her beloved dog.
"Hardy" she said nervously.
He sat up on the sofa, he tilted his head, back and fourth, his ears flapping side to side.
"What the fuck" She whispered nervously.
Realising he was scaring his owner, he stopped. Hardy suddenly started digging at her feet, wanting to play with her. 'This feels weird too' Hardy thought.
Penelope started feeling at ease, she laughed as Hardy rolled around, being very silly indeed. Suddenly, Hardy raised his head to look at someone in the bedroom doorway. Hardy normally growled at unknown people, espiecially near their house, protective of Penelope, but he felt as though he was meant to be inside. But why? Hardy suddenly got up from the sofa and jumped down, instinct took over, as he ran to... Wait...
Arthur was stood leaning against the doorway, smiling at Penelope. Hardy ran over to Arthur and jumped up at him.
"Hello boy" Arthur laughs lovingly, "and hello my love".
Penelope, now knowing Arthur was inside her home, jumped up from the sofa. She tried to scream, but couldn't...