Amy & Penny

Chapter Twelve

Penny pov:
As soon as we were done breakfast, Amy left the kitchen to grab me some clothes to change into for the day. She then left the room to get changed herself, leaving me in the kitchen. She didn't take long, but when she entered the kitchen again, I could tell she was not about to spend her Saturday sitting at home all day.

"I'm running to the store to pick up a few things, do you need anything?" Amy kindly asked as she was ready to leave.

"No, I think I'm okay. But... can I come with you?" I hesitated to ask, standing anxiously on the kitchen table. To me, the table seemed like the size of a tennis court.

"Really?!" Amy asked in surprise.

"Yes, really. I want to go out somewhere other than work. I'll stay with you and hide in your purse when there's people around." I explained. Her face started to show her hesitation.

"I don't know, Penny. It might be a little too risky." Amy said.

"I promise, I won't leave your side. I'll stay hidden and quiet, no one will even notice that I'm there." I tried to convince her.

"Well... I guess if no one sees you, and you stay with me the whole time, it should be okay. As long as you're sure you want to do this." Amy said.

"Yes. I want a change of scenery and go for a car ride somewhere that's different." I admitted.

"That's fair." Amy agreed. She placed her hand down for me to climb onto. I climbed on and sat in the palm of her warm hand. Then she attentively placed me in her purse. Her purse had a little compartment in the front that wasn't overly deep, and I could take a gander out the top if I wanted to. I didn't have to worry about being jostled around too much or getting squished by other objects in her purse.

When we got into Amy's car, Amy gently set her purse on the passenger seat, with the front pocket I was in facing her. The car ride there was smooth and she would glance at me every so often. She played her music and we sang along together until she pulled into a parking space in the parking lot of the store. She turned the car off and gave me an apprehensive look.

"Are you ready?" Amy questioned.

"I'm just happy to be out of the house." I answered.

"It's okay if you're nervous." Amy assured me.

"I'm okay, but you seem nervous. Nothing will happen if I never leave your purse. Let's just go in, buy a few things and get out. It will be fine." I insisted.

"Okay." Amy said. She seemed a bit uneasy about this whole ordeal, but proceeded anyway. She warily put her purse strap over her shoulder and opened her car door, stepping out carefully and closing the door behind her.

It was a beautiful day outside, it was nice to breathe in some fresh air. We entered the store and everything was much louder than I remembered. The voices of other shoppers boomed as they walked by. The shopping carts roaring by, and the clinking and clanking of people tossing items in their cart was making my ears ring. It made me more thankful that Amy at least tried to be diligent and gentle.

I poked my head out of the pocket of Amy's purse a few times, ducking if someone looked in my direction. It was a bit overwhelming, but it was also kind of fun to people-watch while Amy collected groceries. Amy picked up some packaged food and read the box carefully.

In the same moment, I accidentally made eye contact with a little girl, who to me, was not so little. She was maybe four or five years old, had curly blonde hair past her shoulders, and bright blue eyes. I ducked to hide in Amy's purse and hoped the child would move on to something else. Instead, she snuck her hand into the pocket I was hiding in and plucked me out by the arm between her thumb and index finger. Every instinct wanted me to scream for Amy, but I didn't want to draw attention to myself, or potentially scare the kid dangling me above a deadly fall.

"Hey, kid." I quietly began. "Can you please put me back? I have to stay in the purse." Her curious eyes widened. They were all over me and she wrapped her fingers of her other hand tightly around my torso, so I wasn't hanging for my death. She let go of my arm and put her other hand around me, holding me with both hands. My other arm was pinned to my side by her tight grasp.

"You can talk?!" The little girl asked in amazement and astonishment. She turned around and I could see Amy walking away, further down the aisle.

"Yes, I can talk! I'm a person! Amy, help!" I desperately called out to her. But our surroundings were too loud and chaotic, and she was not able to hear me. She placed the item she was holding into the cart and slowly walked away. I was alarmed and panic-stricken, regretting everything about this day. Why did I think this was a good idea? "Amy!! Don't leave me!" I cried out to her again to no avail. Amy walked further away, totally unaware of the fact that I had been stolen right out of her purse. The little girl took one hand off of me, still holding me in a tight fist in the other hand, and ran to catch up to who I assumed to be her mother. I was petrified beyond belief that I could no longer see Amy in the distance.