A tribute to one of my all time favorite characters, Penny, whom I could never get enough of.

And if you're wondering, several of the quotes I use are exact. If you don't believe me, get out your copy of Fear, and turn to page 371.

Drake felt extremely awkward in the presence of the girl in the sundress. She stared far too long at his tentacle suspending the terrified, sobbing Justin. She then glanced up at his messy blonde hair, then his tan face. The girl was barefoot. She seemed aware of the situation as she looked at the petrified Diana and applauded, "Too good. Too, too good."

Drake had to take control of this situation. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I'm Penny," she replied. "We were at Coates together, Drake. You always pushed me out of your way, but I'm here now." Penny fluttered her eyelashes.

Oh no. Somehow, coming from the short 13 year old, Drake sensed a sort of seductive tone in her voice. "You have a beef with me?"

Penny looks down. "Well, you were a jerk, but..." It's as if she intended to say something, but decided it was better not to. "...but I absolutely love Diana. She took such good care of me on the island."

"Leave me alone," Diana begged. Just to let Diana know he was still in the picture, Drake smiled his signature shark grin at her. She tensed up.

Penny sursurranted something at Diana. Even through his straining ears, he did not hear what he made out to be a threat.

Without warning, Diana began to wither on the ground. Drake watched her with pure fascination. Her bobbing movements and screams of terror brought the sadist glee. Diana gave a final quiver of her lip, glanced at the forgotten Brianna, and then cried into the darkness.

"Cool, huh?" Penny flipped her midnight hair behind her shoulder.

"What did you do to her?" Drake asked. He then remembered Justin dangling in dread from his tentacle, and for the fun of it, began to swing him like a pendulum. Drake could feel Justin tense up in anxiety of a soon-to-be horror. Perfect.

"Oh, she just saw something. She saw her baby as a monster. And she saw it rip her apart from the inside. Felt it, too."

Drake became worried about her power. Worse, what would become of himself with her around. "You're a freak?"

Penny giggled photogenically and looked into his eyes. "The freakiest of the freaks."

Okay, this oficially made Drake uncomfortable. But instead of showing it, he just said, "Don't hurt the baby," and flung Justin to the side. Drake listened, eager, to hear the cracking of bone. Though to his dismay, Justin only whimpered a small "ouch" after he thumped on the dirt below. Drake silently cussed at not throwing him harder.

They arrived at the path leading to the cave and discussed the Giaphage. All the while, Drake aimed his whip, ready to strike. That girl was down-right weird.

Penny nudged closer to Drake. "Will you introduce me to the Giaphage?"

He really didn't want to. "Err... Sure." Drake didn't want Penny as a foe, in fear of her sociopathic mind. Maybe more psychopathic, like himself. He isn't stupid, though. Either way, Penny would be bad to have as an enemy.

Brianna barked a laugh at Drake's unpleasant attitude in the conversation. "I don't think you two are going anywhere."

In a flash, Penny started her circus. Brianna hopped around like a mad-woman, jumping from toe to toe in a frantic dance.

She gave a maniacal laugh. "Oh, I can do much more than that. Much more."

Drake scooted back an inch, but Penny took a step in his direction. "I'm over Caine, you know."

No response. Penny grabbed his left hand, his only hand, in hers. It's so... Warm. Warm, and humanly, and gross, unlike his cool reptilian skin. Drake shook her hand away. Ew. Girls are disgusting. "Do you think I'm cute?"

He looked her up and down. Chinese-American, round face, dark eyes, small feet she leaves exposed. Drake wanted to turn around and walk away from the creep, but that would show weakness. "I guess. Sure, you're cute."

Penny pondered this, wondering how far she could drag the topic. "Do you think I'm hot?"

When he didn't answer, she threw her arms around his neck and tried to kiss him. Drake, startled, shoved her off with all his might, only after her lips grazed his. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he shouted.

Brianna's illusion stopped, and she collapsed. Controlled by lust, Penny said, "Oh, Drake, there are many things wrong with me."

This called for a face off. "I whip pre-schoolers to death," Drake snapped.

"I made a kid rip out his eyes with his own hands," Penny retorted.

"I've beat up a kid 50 pounds heavier than me without this whip."

"I make malicious illusions."

"I am a malicious illusion."

"I drove a kid to insanity."

"Fear of me was replacing the fear of the unknown." (-Gone, page 171)

"I don't have fear. I am fear." (-Fear, page 243)

"I've lead an army of bugs through town!"

"I torture people for the fun of it!"

"I'm immortal!"

"I killed my little sister with Draino!"

"I'm a cannibal!"

"I've changed myself into Diana to fill one's desire!"

Drake stopped cold with his gasconade. He grinned. "Prove it."

Suddenly, a mirror image of Diana Ladris appeared in front of him. He formed a fist and punched Penny to the ground. She morphed back to her normal self, and Drake whiped her repeatedly across the legs and back. Once the blood started pooling, he stood back to admire his accomplishment. "Don't worry Penny, you'll live. We don't want that 'cute' face of yours to go to waste, now do we?"

He turned on his heel and stared Diana down.

"I swear," Drake whispered to her, "if you ever share what that freak did to me with anyone, you will end up like that mess of a body behind me.

"Okay," he called out, "we're leaving. Now." Drake filed Diana and Brianna behind him as he headed towards the Giaphage, leaving behind the worst memory of his life.

Should I continue this story about Penny's past fails at love? Please review, and thank you for reading.