The Adventures of Penny, Part IV

Penny and Hazel crawled surreptitiously out of Penny’s window so that Penny’s mother wouldn’t hear them leaving. After letting go of a low tree limb, they each hit the sidewalk hard, making a loud “thump, thump”.

“Before we go confront the zombie ninjas, I want to stop by my guru’s house.” Said Penny.
“Your wha?” said Hazel, confused and annoyed. She wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. “No more delays!” said Hazel, overreacting yet again.
“Oh, we’re going.” Said Penny firmly. “We’re going or I’m not helping you.”
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Penny knocked firmly on the guru’s door, creating a heavy, hollow sound. She was breathing deeply, trying to calm her nerves. She had vowed never to return here after what Galadana had said to her. Unfortunately, today’s situation was bringing her to her knees. She had no choice but to return.

“Yeeeeessssss” answered a deep voice within the tiny wooden shack.
“It’s Penny.” Penny’s voice was confident and loud.

The brass handle turned and the door swung slowly open, revealing an incense-laden room and a tall, slim man with a pencil-thin moustache and black hair. Without saying a word, he waved his arm slowly in the direction of the interior of his shack, summoning Penny and Hazel into his home.

“Hello, Galadana.” Said Penny, her discomfort evident.
“It has been a long time since I saw you, Penny…. If I remember correctly, I haven’t seen you since I told you th –“
“Thank you, Galadana, but I’m here on urgent business. I hate to interrupt your chit chat, but I need your advice on fighting zombie ninjas. Are you familiar with them?”
“I would advise against fighting them at all, Penny. They cannot be defeated. And not by the likes of you, that’s for sure.” Galadana said, making intense eye contact with Penny, and wearing a worried expression on his face. There was something about his expressions and demeanor that made Hazel think that Galadana didn’t receive many visitors. He was overly intimate and intense. He didn’t keep a polite distance (emotionally or physically) from Penny or herself.
Hazel looked to Penny’s face for guidance. How was she reacting to Galadana’s attempts to dissuade her from the fight? She could only hope that he wasn’t succeeding. Penny’s face was cold and emotionless. Though she held Galadana in her gaze, she didn’t warm to him. Suddenly, she turned on her heels and made for the door.
“You always dabbled with the dark side, Galadana. You just couldn’t resist it, could you? I used to trust you and admire you, you know. If anything happens to us, never forget that you neglected to help us.”
Hazel rushed out the door to follow Penny. Out of instinctive politeness, she turned to face Galadana as she left his home, and she noticed a tear fall from his eye. “I’m sorry.” He said. Hazel gently closed the heavy door and ran to Penny, directly toward downtown Pentragopolis, with the question still heavy in her mind: “who was that?”