A Shattered Song ✔️

Prologue

PROLOGUE

"EVIE!"

The shout carried on the still air, childish and innocent, and seven-year-old Evelyn Anderson spun around.

"Evie, look!"

It was a command this time; an order. Evelyn laughed at the thought of her younger cousin bossing her around- but then, Melody had always held that kind of aura around her; she stuck out, even though it was Evelyn with the bright red hair. Melody, Evelyn reflected, acted far older than her six years sometimes. "What?"

"Evie, remember the game?" Melody's voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "You're the momma cat an I'm the baby."

Evelyn stuck out her lower lip in a pout. "But I wanted to be the baby." She objected. Since when did Melody get to decide everything? Evelyn should have been in charge; she was the oldest.

Melody sighed gustily, her dark bangs blowing off her forehead. "I'm the baby." She stated. "Next time maybe."

Evelyn stuck out her tongue. "Okay, fine." She said, stalking forwards to pat Melody's hair. On all fours, Melody closed her eyes and pretended to purr happily. "But later it's me."

"Okay." Said Melody, unconcerned. On her mother's cobblestone garden path, she rolled onto her back and pretended to meow. Her legs kicked at the air- Evelyn laughed again, then tried to get back into character.

"Melody," Evelyn started, trying to use a soothing mommy-voice. "Meow, meow, bedtime."

Melody's eyes flew open. "My name's not Melody, remember? It's Faerie."

"Faerie, bedtime."

"Nuh-uh!" Melody cried, jumping to her knees. She tried to scamper away, and one of the more jagged stones ripped at her leggings. Melody didn't appear to care. "Not ever ever ever ever ever ever!"

"Too bad!" Evelyn yelled, grabbing for Melody's arm. "BEDTIME!"

Melody laughed and pulled away.

"Now you go to sleep." Evelyn whispered in her ear. "Kay?"

"Nuh-uh!" Argued Melody. Ignoring her 'cat' role, she leapt up onto two legs and started to run. Evelyn chased after her. "I get to do what I want!"

"Mel!"

Melody giggled and dove into a perfectly preened flower bed full of little pink blossoms, face first. Her mother would have scolded her had she seen, but Melody didn't appear to care, and her silver eyes peeked up at Evelyn innocently. "You can't find me," She said in her best lets-pretend voice. "You go back to your momma cat bed an you sleep. Then I," She waved her arms for emphasis. "Run and play."

"That's not how it works." Evelyn insisted, reaching again for Melody's hand. "The momma finds the baby."

"It's pretend." Said Melody. "We do what we want."

Evelyn scrunched up her nose. "Says you."

"Says me." Melody agreed, crawling farther into the flowers. Little pink petals fell flat, pressed under Melody's weight. Melody's two tiny braids whipped back and forth with each of her cat-like tilts of the head. "Evie, go and sleep!"

"No!"

"Evie." Melody's voice was full of warning.

"You're not the boss of me." Evelyn hissed in return. "Not ever."

Melody's expression didn't give anything away. It was unsettling, really, how well Evelyn's cousin could control her emotions. "I'm the baby." She repeated. "You go to sleep."

Evelyn felt suddenly, uncontrollably angry- how dare Melody tell her what to do? "No!" Evelyn shouted, and she grabbed Melody's arm again- this time tugging hard enough that the other girl fell out of her hiding place and tumbled flat onto her face. Melody screamed, her hands flying out in front of her instinctively. Her palms skidding along the rocks, and with them went Melody, still frozen, jagged scrapes opening in her flesh.

Coming to a stop, Melody picked herself up, took one look at the beads of blood emerging on her skin, and screamed again- only this time it was less of a cry of shock and more a ragged sob.

Crumbling to her knees, Melody buried her face in her hands.

"Are you okay?" Evelyn hung back, guilt swirling in her stomach. "I didn't mean- you can- I'm sorry. Do you want to go inside? I'll get you a band-aid."

"N-no." Melody looked up at Evelyn, revealing tear-filled green eyes with slits for pupils like the cat she was. "I wanna play." She switched to all fours again and waved her tail in the air. Evelyn laughed, choking up halfway through, and dropped to her knees as well so she and Melody saw eye-to-eye. She meowed along, feeling her own tail swishing back and forth behind her, the wind in hair and whistling behind her furry ears.

And the game went on.