Entry for Scare Me for a Merit Badge

After the noise of the party the street seemed too quiet, our footsteps seened like the only sound in the world. Penny was just ahead of me, she’d left the party and being the good friend that I was I had to make sure she got home, wobbling slightly in her six inch stilettos from all the margaritas she’d drank. Everyone had drunk too much I was probably the only person there who was anywhere near sober. Penny turned off the road and began to make her way down the grassy slope towards the burn. I stood at the edge of the grass, “Penny? Penn?! It’s two in the morning, let’s just go home!” As much as I love her times like these make me seriously consider ending our friendship. I looked around at the deserted street and then back to the burn. Penny had gone. Swearing under my breath, I half tip-toed half slid down the hill. At the bottom I didn’t stop myself on time, splashed into the water soaking my baseball boots and tights. Penny was about two meters away from me and I waded against the current feeling like an idiot.After five minutes I stopped, although Penn hadn’t moved, I’d made no progress in getting to her. Glancing back I had no idea how far I had come. Penny had started to climb back up the incline and I had given up. Who cared if she was drunk? Let her find her own way home.
Morning brought wet feet, a thumping headache and my ringtone. Somehow I had fallen asleep on the bank, ankle deep in ice cold water. Penny was calling me, pursing my lips I got ready to give her a piece of my mind. “What happened to you last night? I waited till four just to be told that you’d left.” “But....But....I left because you did. You were drunk so I went after you.” I spluttered, amazed that she didn’t remember. The line was silent, allowing me to feel the full force of the pain in my head. “Um, you left alone. Three people saw you leave.” Her voice was soft and measured like she was explaining something to a child. Anger took hold of me “Well it she sure looked a lot like you, same hair, same clothes” I spat into my phone. Again silence. And then... “Did you see her face?” “Well no but-“
This happened to me a year ago and I still don’t know who I followed that night. Later I talked to the people who saw me leave and according to them I was alone. No one saw a girl in the same dress as Penny that night. What happened between the figure climbing up the slope and me falling asleep remains a mystery as well. Penny and I were never the same after that, I think she views me as being a little unhinged and I suppose what happened that night could be some kind of hallucination. I guess we’ll never know.....