On a hill full of armed people waiting for Penny, one man stood frozen, staring at the large explosion in the sky. A moment later, pieces of the aircraft slowly began falling from above.
For several long seconds, no one spoke. Silence blanketed the entire hill, with every pair of eyes reflecting the fire still burning overhead.
Thud.
Charles, still wide-eyed, fell to his knees. His face had gone pale. He couldn't tear his gaze away from the flames.
"No," he whispered, shaking his head gently. Every piece of falling debris felt like a piece of his heart. "No… Penny."
And with that name—Penny—spoken aloud, it was like a bell rang through the silence, snapping everyone out of their daze.
Penny.
Right… that was the aircraft she had been in.
"No." Hugo stepped forward, slinging his rifle across his chest before breaking into a jog toward the edge of the slope. "No, no, no—PENNY!"
