The games we play~ Penny

[PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD]

PJ didn't understand why Penny wanted to be a hunter so bad, he really didn't. Well maybe he did but still when had she stopped trusting him? He knew it was wrong to deny her, her first hunt but he didn't want her to be a killer. He knew she was more than capable and knew she practiced, but training was much more difficult after the first the hunt. He would be training her and things would only go downhill from there. He paced the entrance hall of the sherwood manor and frowned, was he really doing this? Was he really going to let his sister lose her innocence?

Walking up the stairs jacket in hand he opened the door to his sisters room. His mother was becoming increasingly suspicious of him and his dealings with Penny. He felt horrible but he do nothing, it was her choice and she choose to hunt. He stood against the door frame cigarette hanging loosely from his fingertips.

"Get dressed, get prepared and enjoy you gift, I thought you should have your own...i'll be down stairs"

He handed her the jacket and quietly slipped down the stairs and outside to his bike. "Be extra quiet, Ma doesn't know" He waited to see how long it would take her to get ready, he twirled his dagger in his hand and whistled as he waited. He prayed he was doing the right thing, Parker was being watched harder by his mother, desperate for another child to be like Porter. If only she knew her precious son was filthy abomination, he wouldn't be such a golden child. When she finally came down stairs he tossed her helmet and sighed

"There's a pair of bloodsuckers that have been overfeeding in Seattle, a lot of suspicion and its so close to home. Unfortunately there might be a few wears not transformed, The moon isn't fully in place yet, you should be able to spot em, dont let them scratch you, don't let them bite you and try not to die okay, I don't want to explain to Ma that I got you killed" Translation, I love you be careful, but he could hardly say...not at that moment.

He got on his bike and wait for her to climb on the back before taking off. He kept reminding himself he wasn't his uncle. Penny didn't accidently happen upon him torturing a werewolf, he didn't force a thirteen year old to shoot a women in the head. He gave her choice, begged her to choose the right one, this was her choice.

PENELOPE LYNN SHERWOOD

[PENELOPE LYNN SHERWOOD]

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Sometimes all it takes is on person in life. One person to bring you up and one person to push you right back down. She say lay peaceful in her bed wrapped up in soft sheets she found herself where she so often had before, to simpler times. But the soft sound of her door opening stirred her from her sleep. One hand slipped under her pillow and clutched around the cold base of a sheathed knife. Always be prepared. Her body tensed as she glanced to the doorway. The dim outline of her bother lingering quietly caused her to sit up, her hand falling away from the weapon - maybe he was a dangerous man, but never to her.

"PJ?" She says through a sleepy yawn as she rubbed one of her palms to her eyes, her mind still half asleep. But he gave her no time for questions or even answers. She found a leather jacket in her hands and instruction rolling over in her mind. It took only a mere moment for things to click. Tonight was the night. She lept from her bed and hurried to her closet doing her best to keep her shuffling muffled as she quickly dressed and gathered her gear. She pulled on some jeans and a fitted black shirt before she gathered up her wand, assorted knives, dagger, and compact crossbow along with the usual gear Preston had always told her she couldn't be caught with out. The night she had been waiting for since she was thirteen, it was finally here. As she was about to rush down the steps to meet her brothers she stopped her eyes flickering to the leather jacket that laid on her bed. The faintest smile crept to her lips as she grabbed it. A prefect fit. She stole one moment for herself too look into the mirror, tonight was the night that would change her life. There wasn't a moment more to loose.

She hurried down the stairs, boots in hand to keep her steps quiet, she was wide awake now her body already itching with anticipation. As she left the manor she found only Preston. She dropped her boots to the ground and caught the helmet with ease before slipping her feet into her boots. Vampires? She was going to hunt vampires first? She could feel her body tingle she did her best not to smile but was finding it hard to hide her excitement about the moment. But there was still something off, "Where's Parker?" She asked quietly as she pulled the helmet onto her head.

There was some disbelief that Preston was taking her alone, not just alone though he was taking her first. Just the thought made her swell with pride, she was obviously the one who was better trained - and not just because their mother kept a better watch on Parker. Or maybe it was just for that reasons. Penny though liked her take on the matter better.

She didn't waste any more time though, hopping on the back of his bike Penny wrapped her arms tightly around her brother's chest and pressed the side of her face into his back, well as best she could with the stupid helmet on. "You try not to die yourself." She said with snark, of course she meant something else but she trusted he knew that. There were certain things you just couldn't say at a time like this though. I love you too, I know you've got me. She let up her grip on him and only held him as tight as she needed too so that she wouldn't fall off when they set off. This was happening. This was finally happening. She was going to be a real hunter and she was going to be sure to make him proud.

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641 Words | PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD | I love them already

[PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD]

Preston snorted and shrugged, only sparing her a smirk before he started up the bike and drove off. His mother would surely kill him for this, but he couldn't deny she had worked for it. "He hasn't passed training yet" of course Parker hadn't yet mastered the art of lying and he heard mother had taken away his weapons. The boy was almost seventeen and he still listened to their mom. It had been a while since he had even talked to her, yet alone sat down to dinner. He tapped his wand against his bike and it grew silent, as turned down an alley. If he was being honest, he was nervous, so many things could wrong. He had sent people to scout out the building and anyone failed him and Penny got hurt, he would kill them all.

Turning off the bike and waiting for Penny to climb before he followed he left his jacket on the seat of the bike. He'd rather not get it ripped, it was a collectibles item. "Okay, the moon, is just about in position but the view werewolves that roam here shouldn't show up. If they do, well you have silver bullets, as for the vampires holy water and fire. I'll seal off the building except for the front door, We just need to trap in the building and make sure were the only ones that leave the front door."

He sighed and kissed her on her forehead before walking to the other side of the building and motioning for her to go the other way. Hopefully she could do this simple mission, it was just to vampires, the wolves shouldn't show up. He began to start the spell that closed off the windows and the exits, he hated how tedious magic was sometimes. Occasionally he would look at the place he last saw Penny. He really couldn't afford to lose her, not to mention his mother might actually pick up her wand.

After he sealed off everything he slipped into the back door and sealed that to. Silently walking towards where ever his sister was he heard a crash please be the bloodsucker, please be the blood sucker he chanted in his head as he ran towards the noise. His dagger fell to one hand and the gun to the other.

PENELOPE LYNN SHERWOOD
Occ: t.t

[PENELOPE LYNN SHERWOOD]

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A part of her would have given anything for Preston to keep driving though the night. To sit there holding tight to the brother who she had started to feel so distant from and let the wind whip past them as the weaved between the streets. But this was the night she had been waiting for so long, a night that he denied her time after time. She had blamed Parker countless times for this, for never being ready, denying her the birthright that came with being a Sherwood. Not that she actually knew that birthright till their Uncle took the twins on their hunt. She wanted to thank Preston for this, for taking her before Parker. Its how she had wanted it to be, to be picked before her brother, to be the one he was most proud of. Countless hours, countless arguments. And here it was, the final hour in which she would go from trainee to hunter.

Swinging her leg over the bike she hopped off and discarded the leather jacket on the seat, she didn't need to get vermin blood all over such a nice (and very new) gift from her brother. Her blue eyes were locked on Preston as he explained the plan. She nodded along and tried to ignore the way her body tingled and itched. She wanted do this, to show him just how hard she had trained. To prove she could follow him, that they could do this together. She knew it made him nervous, it was a lie when ever she said she wasn't nervous about it herself. She closed her eyes as she felt Preston pressed his lips to her forehead. "We got this PJ, I got this." She whispered as she offered up the most reassuring smile she could. She was good at masking her feelings from others, but Preston was much harder to hide things from. She did her best though, concealing as much of the nerves that were creeping up on her as she could, Preston didn't need to worry any more than he already was - soon enough he would see though there was nothing to worry about. She was ready.

One final look and she was on her own. She sucked in a breath. You have this Sherwood... It was an easy enough spell, Preston had made sure she knew all the handy spells. Entrapping, defense, offence. She ran over the spells in her head as she blocked off the windows and doors. She was drawing near the corner of the building, she would meet back up with Preston and they would carry out the rest of the job. But Penny stopped short, her wand clutched tight in hand she drew a sharp breath. She wasn't alone. It was as simple as a pebble skidding across the concrete, she looked around, her free hand reaching for her dagger. The night was still but she knew it was deceptive.

It hit her like a car, her body crashing against the building. Her breath knocked from her chest she gasp for air with wide eyes. She fought every instinct to cry out for her brother, no attachments, no boneheaded moves. Kill or be killed. Don't endanger others. Kill or be killed. Her ears rang and her head ached, it hadn't mattered that she had found herself pinned on her back time after time nothing had prepared her for what it would feel like to be thrown into the side of a building. She couldn't think about the pain right now though. Her vision had blurred but she saw the outline, wolf or bloodsucker? Her heart started to race and she patted down her body - wolf or bloodsucker? She drew in ragged breaths - wolf or bloodsucker? She blinked, there wasn't time to think, she was dead if she thought. The pale skin under the moon, those thirsty eyes - bloodsucker.

She scampered backwards rising up the wall to her feet. She would be dead on the ground. She would be dead with her back to the wall. A bottle of holy water was in her hand, but her wand - where did her wand go. She couldn't think there was no time as the abomination ran towards her. She threw the glass bottle at the creature, its wails of agony testament to her aim - but one small bottle of holy water was not enough to kill the beast. Run. She needed to run. But there was no running from blood suckers. She had to try though, spotting her fallen wand she dove for it and took off running - Preston, she just needed to get to Preston. The beasts cries where fading and Penny could feel her body protesting such haste movements after taking such force. Kill or be killed. Sherwood's didn't run. Scavo's didn't run.

She stopped short and did her best not to fall as she turned around, the beast was already heading for her again. It was now or never. "Incendio!" She said with as much force as she could muster wand pointed towards the creature. She shuffled her feet backwards and kept fighting the urge to run. Preston would come. Preston would be there soon. Preston was never going to let her fall.

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882 Words | PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD |  

[PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD]

Both his parent's were going to kill him and Porter would just let him. He didn't think he'd ever ran that fast, not even for his life. He had managed to seal off the rest of the windows and doors but that victory paled in comparison to finding Penny alive. He could hear the screams of the vampire from down the hall and sighed in relief, at least she was alive. He blasted the door open, thankful penny wasn't behind it. It took him two minutes to assess the situation and he didn't like it, maybe he should've took her camping instead."How are you holding up?" Taking his gun he emptied the entire clip until he was safely beside Penny and the vampire was still trying to put the flames out.

He handed her another bottle of holy water and patted her on the shoulder. "The other ones dealt with, now we just need to set things on fire" he casted silent incendios around the room while motioning for Penny to find the exit. He hoped she wouldn't find the other vampire before they got outside. Next time they were going camping, screw this Parker wouldn't be able to deal with one vampire let alone two.

After he was sure the building was falling apart, from the inside out he ran the direction Penny was, setting things on fire as he went. He spared a look out the window and noticed the moon was not only full but high enough in sky. They needed to find the second vampire and fast.

"Penelope?!?"

Stealth was pretty much ruled out and he was angry at himself for getting his baby sister involved with this nonsense. How was he supposed to tell his parents hey mom and dad I let Penny chase vampires for her first hunt instead of werewolves, and thats why she's dead. The smoke was getting thicker the more time went by and he had to hope she had found her way out.

It was simple, distract the vampires, torch the place and then get out....but nothing ever went the way Preston wanted it to. He reached the front of the building and Penny was nowhere to be seen, he didn't chance walking around back incase she came stumbling out the building. Pulling out his wand he sent red sparks up towards the sky, she'd reply if she could. That girl better reply, or she was going to be in so much trouble, he was too young for grey hairs.

PENELOPE LYNN SHERWOOD
Occ: >.>

[PENELOPE LYNN SHERWOOD]

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She watched as the creature danced about like a star falling from the heaven's, she is entranced by the decrepit dance of a helpless creature. The sound of gun fire snaps her back to time and she feels him next to her. It only takes a moment for her to move behind him and seek the safety that came with putting him between her and the burning beast, she'd not even given it a thought, her hand reaching out and curling around the fabric of his shirt. No. No weakness. "I'm fine I have this, stop worrying!" She didn't allow herself to think otherwise, failure was not an option. She couldn't allow him to coddle her, not now, not when she finally was seeing how training never could prepare you for what a true hunt was like. They still had a job to finish and she'd be damned if her first hunt ended in total failure.

She took the bottle of holy water, fingers wrapping tight around the glass - any tighter and it might have broke in her hands. "What are we waiting for then?" The sass and arrogance was just a mask, a defense mechanism to help her from getting shaken. She couldn't think about the fleeting fears from moments before, she needed to hold it together. The mission came first, it always came first. No fear. No weakness. She split with him lighting the place a blase with the bubbling anger for the vermin. Yes she wanted to watch them burn, watch their bodies bend and crack against the heat while their screams rang out to the gods that would only turn their backs on them.

The air was growing thick. Her head rushed as her lungs struggled to breath the thick smoke. The exit, she needed to find the exit. "PJ? Pj Wher-Where are you?!" She choked on the hot smoke "Preston!!" But her cries came out in fits of coughs, for all she knew her brother was already gone. The flames where growing, threatening to consume her just like the building. She stumbled, pocketing her wand so she could pull the collar of her shirt up over her mouth. She had to get out. In the haze she could make out a figure. Had Preston come back for her?

Maybe he had, but this was not him. She let her shirt fall from her face and quickly reached to her side for her compact cross bow. Preston wasn't here to save her this time, even if he was she couldn't count on him to make it in time. Vampires don't have to breath - but she did. There was no air to fill her lungs and steady her hand. What happened to the other one being taken care of? There was no time to question though, she needed to get out of here before the place came down a top of her and to do that she needed to kill this leech. No harm it, kill it. That was why he had brought her out tonight. Holding her breath she pulled the trigger, the vervain dart hitting it's mark in the bloodsuckers collar bone. Not enough to kill it.

She quickly reloaded the compact crossbow, dropping several of her Vervain darts. She was running out of time. She ran stupid prayers over in her head to any god that was willing to hear her plea. Just let it hits its mark. She took her aim and pulled the trigger watching as the creature stumbled back before falling to the floor. Something washed over her as she watched something so strong, so powerful, fall. She didn't have time to dwell though or think about what she had just done. She ran even though her lungs and body protested, so badly she wanted to just collapse to the floor from the pain. She slammed her body into the first door she found but it didn't move. Of course it wasn't the right door. She threw the bottle of holy water from her hand and pulled out her wand before blowing the door open, the building would come down soon anyways, but she would not go with it.

She threw her self to the cold ground and gasped for smoke free air. Her eyes burned and she could feel the dampness of tears flowing from them. Dust, smoke, every excuse she could think of she blamed, every reason except the one she knew to be the truth. Pushing herself up she knelt on the cold ground and turned her eyes to the sky just in time to see the lingering sparks that could have only been her brother's. She clutched her wand right in her hand and closed her eyes willing the emotions to stop, she couldn't do this, not now. She couldn't be scared. Preston could never know that she had been scared.

Raising her wand to the sky she sent up red sparks, the signal that she was alright. "Preston!!" She cried out in a voice raw from all the smoke. Was it over now? Would it be over for ever? She rose to her feet slowly. The adrenaline was running thin and the pain was running high. She wipes her eyes and face and did her best to steel her emotions, he could never know. She had to hide the signs of the tears she foolishly shed, how could she be so weak? This was their birthright, their duty, their honor, their pride. She refused to let him down more than she already had tonight. She just had to be better next time, there had to be a next time. She could do this. She had to do this. Looking around in the light of the moon she felt a shiver run down her spine. They had blown their cover of stealth. She heard the movements of someone, or something quickly approaching her. Her only hope that it was her brother, wand drawn and held ready she prepared for the worst.

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1014 Words | PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD | we are so mean to him

[PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD]

Red sparks

Preston froze as he watched the return sparks, a breath of fresh hair filling his lungs. How she got to the other side of the building he had no clue, hadn't she been right in front of him? They were definitely going to work on her direction issues, not to mention the giving him a heart attack part. Running around the side of building, he made sure to check around the corner before he ran towards his sister. Maybe he should've trained her himself, this wouldn't have happened if he would've just did what he was supposed to do. Why he intrusted Ernesto to train he had no clue, it's not like Ernesto was better than him. He had hoped the boy would put her off hunting. Hell she could plan and stake out the mission, he just didn't want the nightmares to plague her.

He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her before squeezing tightly. Stepping away he quickly scanned the alley, something wasn't right. Handing her a gun in place of her cross bow he pressed his finger to his lips. Stupid flipping creatures, how hard is it to stay away from a burning building? "How ever I told to stake this place out is dead, there were only supposed to be fangers here. Next time were going camping for werewolves...no vampires or spirits...nada." he put some distance between him and Penny, staying in the middle of the alley, never keeping his back to one place. Looking at the full moon, staring at him mockingly he cursed under his breath. Why had he thought this was going to be a quick mission, when he had rookie with him?

He tensed when he heard howls in the distance, they were coming close and he tossed Penny his keys. Before she could protest he held up a hand to silence her words "I can apparate you can't, if we get separate or too many show up, drive to until you get to Los Angeles, Uncle idiot has an apartment there and we don't wanna lead them back to the manor. Don't fight me on this." He could care less whether her pride was hurt she took down two vampires by herself. He may or may not have lied about handling the other vampire. It was a stupid move and more than a bit cold, but he was just there to make sure she didn't die. He remembered his first hunt and she had easy, he wouldn't let her get in over head.

He heard footsteps and watched as their company joined them. He really hoped he was being over cautious. His little sister was here and he didn't feel like dealing with hunters hazing the rookies. There would be a few hunters walking around with broken body parts and blood spots. Out of all the people to set up as a joke it had to be his sister. "Now would be a good time to tell you that sometimes, older hunters...sort of haze newbies..of course our pranks are bit harsher than schoolyard pranks but it's nothing you cant handle."

Growling he tried to tap into his animagus senses to see how many wolves were in the other side and was glad it was just the ones in front of him. It had to be a small pack, had they destroyed the dogs home? If anything they should be thanking them, riding them of a pest problem

PENELOPE LYNN SHERWOOD

[PENELOPE LYNN SHERWOOD]

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All it took was catching sight of him for her to find the will to rise up from the ground. She ran to him ignoring the pain until she found herself safely wrapped in his arms. It hurt to feel his strong arms clamp tightly to her bruised body, but pain was just a reminder that they were alive. They were alive. She stole sharp breaths of air that burned in her lungs, they were alive but this wasn't over. She swallowed down her protest when he stepped away, she couldn't ask for comfort there was nothing she should have needed comfort for. Besides the mission wasn't over, not yet and there was no breaking down in the middle of a mission. Maybe if she was just one of those stupid kids who thought it would be fun to hunt wolves, but not for a Sherwood.

She holstered her wand and compact crossbow before she took the gun. She had always hated the kickback of the weapon, but she was low on bolts and a bullet was far more efficient on a dog. "Can I help?" She said venom seeping in her words, maybe it had been some joke - see if the younger Sherwood could live up to the elder. "I'd like to show them just like I showed those filthy-" The sound of the howls made Penny cease her muttering and look up to Preston. This night wasn't over yet. She saw how tense her brother stood, he was worried and that was not something she needed to see.

She caught the keys with her free hand and just as she was about to call him out for being crazy if he thought she was going to run and let him get eaten alive he had held up his hand. Of course she had been known to disregard him at times, she was rude and argumentative always trying to prove she could live up to him in every way possible. But she didn't talk back, she listened. Her brow furrowed and her lips pressed together as he went on. Don't fight him on it? "Fine! I'll just make sure we don't get separated or overrun then!" She was determined not to run, to prove even though she was hurt she could carry on. Just like he always had. It could only get easier after tonight, it had to be easier after tonight.

She cocked the gun, checking to make sure a round was in the barrel after checking the clip. Fully loaded, after that it would be the silver throwing knives. Steady aim was going to be key if she didn't want to have to make a run for it. She wasn't going to have to run though, that's what she kept telling herself. Of course Preston's words brought her out of her inner pep talk. Hazing? The other hunters thought it would be a laugh to haze her? "You have got to be fu-" But her words stopped and her eyes started to go wide. She could feel her heart beat just a little bit faster and faster. Their eyes made her stomach twist up.

It's nothing you cant handle. She was Penelope Sherwood, she was the youngest of the Sherwood clan but she was just as ruthless as the rest, she was not going to be shaken just by staring into the eyes of an abomination. She had taken down at least one vampire all by herself already, a wolf was nothing more than a dog waiting to be put down.

"PJ...." She said weary as she raised the gun to take aim at the beasts that were encroaching on them, but which beast was she to go for first? She could feel her hand start to twitch, she quickly brought her other hand up to help stabilize. No nerves. She was a Sherwood, she could handle a few mutts. Kill or be killed. No more time could be wasted she took her aim and pulled the trigger. There was no turning back, this was the path she had chosen all those years ago. This was the path she was born for. Every shot had to count, there could be no mistakes. This wasn't training. This was life and death.

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717 Words | PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD |

[PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD]

"You think I care about an escaped mutt or an alive babysister?" he said a bit harsher than as hes meant to as he muttered about running and stupidity. Why couldn't she see that you couldn't win every battle, sometimes you had to walk away. "Sure next hunter meeting Ill point them out and you can use my wand" was she really worried about others right now, where was her head? He was too young for this, he wasn't even twenty yet and he was going to go grey.

He was the leader, Preston wasn't supposed to show any emotions except for ruthlessness and his sister had almost reduced him to tears. He could hear the gun shaken slightly before she steady it, probably with her other hand. Did she finally understand what he had been trying to tell her since she was ten? No amount of target practice can prepare you for the real the thing. A shot rang out and he heard the thud of a body. Penny's aim was perfect, just a little shy if between the eyes. He didn't spare the time to watch the blood pool, he started shooting in rapid succession. Those quick enough to dodge bullets he cut the throat.

He didn't have time to spare more than a few glances at Penny to see she was holding her own. He winced as one of the wolves threw him against the wall there was no getting used to that. He swore as his knife skidded across the pavement, quickly he replaced the knife with his back gun. This was so not his night, a few shots later and there was kist one left. He looked impressively towards the bodies around his sister and the wolf she was currently staring down. He was sure she had this under control, he walked over to his knife and wordlessly banished the corpses into flames, before reloading his gun and waiting for his sisters move.

He hadn't thought there would be this much blood, he was specifically trying to avoid such thing. The more blood, the worse the nightmare..something he knew very well. He rubbed his hands over his eyes, still a bit dusty from the fire ash.

PENELOPE LYNN SHERWOOD

[PENELOPE LYNN SHERWOOD]

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Penny's blue eyes lingered on the lifeless body of the abomination watching as the thick red blood pooled on the concrete. She was mesmerized by her action. It had been nothing like killing the vampires, those had been quick and adrenaline filled. This one, this had been done with fear seeping through here system. The ringing of her brother's gun shots pulled her back to where she needed to be and just in time as she found herself facing a lunging wolf.

Everything was spinning as Penny found her clip quickly emptied, one by one she had taken them down. Each shot though had become harder than the one before it, she missed more than she had hit and there was no time to try and find the spare clip she carried. Had hand to hand combat really taught her enough about how to take down a wolf with just a dagger? She could feel the fear flooding her system as she knew she would be closer to the abominations. True hunters didn't fear their prey - but she was not yet a true hunter. She knew what one bite could do, one deep scratch. There was so much to lose when it came to dancing with a wolf and it scared her. One moment of weakness was all it took for her to recall Preston's order about running, and one moment of self anger to realize just how cowardly it would seem to run. Preston could cut down entire packs with his bare hands, if he could do it then she could handle a measly two wolves.

The first one had been a close call. She had felt it's hot breath as its teeth snapped all too close to her arm before she plunged the knife deep into the beast's neck. Its hot sticky blood on her body made her stomach churn as she kicked the creature back from her, the body twitching as it quickly bled out. The second wolf didn't go down easy though. Swipe after swipe she took after it. Its strong jaws chopping at the air surrounding her. It's body was riddled with kisses from her blade, they slowed the beast but it still came after her. She needed to finish it, just like its cursed brothers. Her eyes found the haunting crazed gaze of the animal. It was mercy, putting an end to them. It wasn't murder - it was mercy. She made it quick, not for the beast but for herself. As the body fell to the ground Penny pulled her knife from it's chest and stumbled back.

The knife fell from her hands and clattered to the ground. She placed a hand over her mouth only to pull it away quickly as she felt the hot stickiness of the blood that stained her white hands. Quickly she rubbed them against her black shirt that already was clinging to her body where blood had spattered. No action would every be able to wipe the stains from her hands though, Preston had always warned her and it was only now that she was starting to understand just what he had always meant. Her heart started to be faster as she started to get more desperate in her attempts to clean her hands.

Preston. Her eyes shot up and looked in the moonlight. She had almost forgotten. He stood alone amidst damage. Avoiding the bodies she ran to him. "PJ!" She said as she ran her hands over his blood stained shirt. There was a frantic nature to her action, "You're not - you're, okay, right?" Hints of her panic lingered in her tone before she found herself convinced that Preston was free of any - damaging - injuries. It was then she quickly wrapped her arms around her brother and pulled herself tightly to him, her face still out staring at the still bodies that lay in pools of red. She held on to Preston tighter than she had in a number of years. "You're okay... She whispered, but was she really talking about him or was she talking about herself?

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686 Words | PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD |

[PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD]

PJ's heart sank as he watched his sister with controlled emotions, this was what an initiation hunt was. Watching the younger generation step up, even if he was still apart of the same generation. He looked around at the shells on the ground, marking her aim by percentages, she was even with her hits and miss. It killed him to know that she'd learn to shoot rapidly and accurately eventually. It killed him knowing that he'd be the one to teacher, he wondered if that knife in her hand would become her lifeline. Would she depend on hers the way he depended on his, the weapon ever present to cement him....to keep him from shattering. He casted aguamenti on the blood, allowing the blood and water to run down into the nearest sewer. The law enforcement would be there soon, both muggle and magical.

He watched with grim satisfaction and pride as the last one dropped, she had lived up to her last name. Even if he didn't tell her for a while, he was proud that she stuck to her goals. She was stronger than he gave her credit for but only because she was better at pretending than he ever was. PJ hadn't quite mastered the art of falling apart inwardly without hinting at destruction outwardly. Which meant he held it all in, he played the cold hearted ruthless leader and drank himself numb when the doors were closed. He never allowed himself a moment of weakness, because then he'd get in the habit of being weak. He wouldn't even let himself think of her he'd surely start to smile, did he even deserve happiness after what he did?

He watched as his sisters childhood was taken away with each bullet, each swipe of a knife. She was drenched in blood and she would know how no amount of water would wash the blood clean. Bryony was right, how could someone sleep knowing that their child, mother, father or sibling wasn't coming home again. There was no body, it was burned to ash, they weren't even given the privilege of saying goodbye to the body. Would his sister start her own collection of missing persons flyers, milk carton sides....news paper clippings? Keeping the same mementos most hunters kept of their kills, he knew his were over flowing from his desk drawer. The shoe boxes in the back of the closet, to many lives to try and count. Who was really the monster? "M'fine" he said absent-mindly as he heard sirens in the distant, they could stay.

Walking them over to the bike he handed her her jacket before putting on his and shrinking his bike. Putting it in his pocket he gave her a reassuring look, one they were away fr the scene of the crime they could talk. He would let his mask down and be the big brother she needed him to be. Maybe if he was that way all along this would've never happenee, but he had been thirteen and easily manipulated by his cool uncle. He wouldn't make the same mistakes, he would tell her everything she should expect if she wanted to continue. If she truly wanted to take her oaths come summer he would allow it. He just hopped she'd thinknit through.

"We have to apparate"

[PENELOPE LYNN SHERWOOD]

---

She was in a daze. She could hear the steady rhythm of Preston's heart, so much calmer than her own. She closed her eyes and just listened for a moment. This was what she had wanted for years, so why wasn't she feeling as excited as she had been when Preston had first woke her? Penny could never admit how thankful she was that Parker wasn't here to see her like this, clinging to Preston like she was some scared child. She was a scared child though, wasn't she? She had talked big for years about what her first hunt would be like, only now was she realizing how little she truly knew. She could her the distant cry of sirens but found it hard to move.

It was with his subtle coaxing Penny let Preston lead her away, stopping only to reach down to the ground and pick of the knife she had so hastily dropped. She should have been mad at herself, she should have been screaming and battering her fists against the closest thing she could find. But she wasn't, instead she was quiet and her mind still. She pushed every thought away, every emotion that threaten to break her. She took the jacket from her brother holding it in her free hand. Her blue eyes drifted up to look at Preston. The brother she had always looked up to, the one she had always tried to emulate. The brother whom their mother had wished so desperately Penny would never end up like. She looked to the bloodied knife and leather jacket that where in her hands - it was too late for that though.

She slipped her arms into the jacket and her knife into its sheath. She could feel the smallest of trembles in her fingers as she reached out her hand to take up Preston's. Her grip was tight, it made her think back to that summer day in the tree when she held onto him for her life. The memory seemed so far away now, more like a dream than anything else. From climbing trees to moonlit slaughter, things were never going to be how they'd been. Maybe she was lucky though, lucky it had been Preston to take her for the first hunt and not their Uncle or some other hunter whom she barely knew. She had envied him when he was named their clan leader at such a young age, envied how he was the favored one. She'd hated that it meant he had so little time to properly train her, that he had to shove her off on Ernie instead. It was his job to make sure she was flourished as a hunter, that she brought her part of the honor to their family name. She realized now just how lucky she was that he did what he did. Who did he have to cling to when his first hunt was over? Not that he ever would have shown such weakness. He brought her out here with him, he allowed her fall, and just like always he was catching her once again. There was kindness within his cruelty.

"Let's go then." She said, the rawness of her voice just one more tell she struggled to hide. It was useless though, trying to hide just how much she needed her big brother in that moment. She kept her eyes open to watch the alley shift away but Penny knew deep down she was never going to come back from that alley, not as the person who she entered it as.

---

605 Words | PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD | oh the hurt

[PRESTON JANDON SHERWOOD]

For one moment he forgot how to apparate, his mind was swimming with so much guilt and grief he forgot he was wizard for a short second. When he came to his senses he quickly took his wand and did the stupid spell. He squeezed his eyes closed and felt the familiar tug in stomach, it was almost enough to cause him to throw up. How big of a monster was he, turning his sister into...him? The images of her holding a bloody knife...putting on that leather jacket. It all rang familiar, he was turning her into him, he was an awful big brother. Letting her go through with this, not putting his foot down how was he supposed to be a leader. What was he leading an army of monsters, how could he even think he deserved happiness when he was destroying someones childhood. It was ironic how many children he had killed, parents he had taken it was hurting his sister that really drove it home. He was ruthless and if he was being honest it wouldn't matter, he would still let her take her oaths if she wanted. He knew he would do the same thing with Parker and if he had to he would Kill Porter. It was what was expected of him, it was the choice he choose and he would stick with it. It would kill him but Sherwoods never gave up. He couldn't betray his oaths, even if they weren't magically binding he couldn't break them.

They stopped in front of a dinner, one that he went to frequently when he was in America, though it seemed he stayed in Britain more often than not. Silently walking into the dinner he lead Penny to a booth in the back and slid in. What did he say to her, are you okay? of course she wasn't okay. Neither of them were okay and he waiting for her to break down. He never got a chance to break down, as soon as his was over he was thrust-ed into preparation to lead the clan. He didn't want that for her, he didn't want to be his uncle. That was part of the reason he didn't train her, he knew how hard he was on the hunters he trained and it would kill her to him act that way towards her. Even if she pretended to be tough and okay with his coldness he knew that it effected her. It killed him that he just made their relationship even more strained. He had tried to warn her, but he couldn't put this on her. She would've been more inclined to listen if he hadn't tried to protect her by distancing himself. Hell he had ruined Parker's love life and felt no remorse for it...even if that ship would've never sailed.

When the waitress came to ask their orders he got a double cheese burger. curly fries and a milkshake. He tried to encouragingly get Penny to order something, the sugar and food would be good for the adrenaline that was leveling out. He put up silencing charms before he spoke "I know it's probably a stupid question but are you okay? And not the whole pretend to be okay thing, I honestly need to know." he sighed, before shrugging out of his jacket, its not like the dark material showed that he was covered in blood. The owner and waitress no doubt thought they were a couple of rift raft bikers. Even if he did come here a lot, one time he actually had blood on his shirt, but the owner never asked questions.

PENELOPE LYNN SHERWOOD