Melody's Melodies

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Melody doesn’t move, doesn’t blink, doesn’t speak, doesn’t breathe.

She’s desperately hoping it’s just a dream.

But she knows it’s not.

Her hand slowly goes up to the closet door to push it open.

Devin looks at her with alarming eyes and grabs her hand.

“Melody stop, what are you doing?”

She shakes her head, slipping her hand out of his.

“He wants me,” she says barely audible.

Before Devin can grab her to stop her, Melody pushes the door open and steps out to face her father.

He looks terrible. His eyes seem to have sunken in, his clothing is dirty, ripped and ratty. His hair looks greasy, his face oily, he stinks of alcohol and his eyes are glazed over and red. But most of all Griffin looks heartless. Melody always wondered when she was a little girl if he had a nice bone in his body, but she learned long ago that there wasn’t.

Griffin is a heartless man, nothing inside him, but hate.

“Where the hell have you been?” his voice fills the whole room, his breath slaps Melody in the face.

Melody takes a breath, “I don’t want to be here anymore.”

Griffin nods, puts his hands together and wrings them like there’s a wet cloth in his hands.
Melody can feel the air getting thinner with every passing second, she feels like she’ll start choking and gasping for air.

“I don’t know who you think you are,” he grumbles. “But this is my house, and you live in my house, you will stay in my house.” He starts yelling, “You are not allowed to leave this house!
“You will be forced to stay here; you will no longer be going to school, because I’ll be home all day every day. I’ll teach you. Do you understand?”

Inside of Melody, she doesn’t know what it is, maybe courage, because she knows Devin is in here, watching her.

“I’m not staying,” she says quietly, looking right into his eyes.

Griffin squints his eyes. And takes a step back. “What did you just say to me?”

“I am not staying here,” she says louder.

“Who the hell do you think you are? What you go out and not come back for a few fucking days and now you think you can tell me what you will and will not be doing? No, I will not be talked to that wall. I am your father!”

The last sentence is yelled from Griffin’s mouth and it echoes throughout the house.
Melody manages to take a deep breath, blinks back her tears and walks toward the door.
That’s when everything goes red.

“Oh no the hell you don’t!” Griffin growls.

He spins around grabs Melody by the back of the neck and yanks her close to him.
Griffin’s eyes are black. He puts his other hand into a fist and slams it into to her stomach. It knocks the wind out of her and she crumples. She drops to the floor and her father is on top of her, smashing his fists into her face. With every pound to her face she can feel her skin split and blood seep out.

Then it’s over. Melody feels the blows to her face stop and the weight on top of her lift. There’s yelling and then a crash. It sounds like glass shattering and a thud against a wall.
Melody can’t open her eyes, they hurt to move, her face hurts all over, her stomach is on fire.
There are more crashes.

“Who the fuck are you?” It’s Griffins voice.

There’s no response. Devin is punching Griffin as hard as he can, harder and harder with each hit to the face. He knocks Griffin to the ground, his face bloody, Devin’s knuckles are bloody and he doesn’t stop.

“Get off me!” Griffin yells to the top of his lungs.

Griffin grabs Devin by the shoulders and slings him off, but not very far.
They’re both out of breath, Griffin is drunk, tired and old, he can’t find the strength to get up.

Devin gets up panting and goes over to Melody who is also bloody, bruised and broken.
Devin crouches down, picks up Melody’s crumpled body and he hurries out of the house.
Melody is sobbing quietly, while Devin is holding her close, but he’s tired. He’s breathing heavily and loud, his feet pounding against the sidewalk in a tired fashion.

He looks as if he’s going to cry soon.

“Melody, Melody. Baby I’m sorry,” he says with a lump in his throat.

He’s talking to give himself the push to keep going.

“I love you. I love you so much, and we’re going to make it I promise. And that asshole is going to go to jail. . . I’m here for you always.”

That’s when he breaks down. He stops walking and starts bawling, holding her in his arms still.
An elderly woman walking her dog is walking in their direction. Devin then tries to stop crying and continues walking. When the lady’s close enough to see the disheveled young people she offers help without another thought.

“Oh my god. What- What happened to you two? You need help. Come on, follow me to my house it’s not too far and we’ll call the police.”

“Thank you,” Devin’s voice is barely above a whisper.

The three of them and the woman’s dog go to the lady’s house. Devin was told to lay Melody down on the black leather couch and Devin sits down at her feet.

The lady gets on her house phone and dials 911.

Soon enough, the police show up. The lady explains how she found them.

“I was terrified,” the shaky old woman’s voice says. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if I wasn’t walking my old Charlie here.” She points to her slow moving curly white haired dog.

“Thank you for calling us ma’am,” one of the officers says.