A Shattered Song ✔️

Chapter Eight: An Unwanted Guest

CHAPTER EIGHT: An Unwanted Guest

Evelyn generally disliked uninvited visitors.

Usually, she'd send them off in as little time as she could possibly manage- and that was often followed by a fifteen-minute silent period where she glared at nothing and resented the intrusion to her privacy.

One time, some girls from her class- Nova Reed and her two best friends, Chloe and Kassidy- had run up to her door, placed a bucket of water in a strategic place on her steps, knocked, and hid. Evelyn, clueless as she was at the time, had opened it.

She'd left drenched, listening to the sound of the three girls' giggles.

She'd thought that was the worst it could ever get.

That was before Melody walked into her room without a word and took over her bed.

"Hey, Evie!" Melody bounced slightly on the covers. "I'd just like to say-"

"Stop." Evelyn's voice was flat.

Melody looked hurt. "You interrupted me. That's rude."

"Kidnapping someone could also be classified as "rude"."

"Spoilsport," Melody jutted out her lower lip.

Evelyn stared at her.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." Melody said innocently. "After that. It didn't look very fun. Briar said you would have fun. That you'd see your parents. But you were kicking and thrashing and..." She trailed off. "She lied to me. Lady Briar has never lies to me."

Evelyn refrained from mentioning that this probably wasn't true.

"So are you okay?"

At that moment, Evelyn could only see a worried six-year-old, not a killer.

"I'm fine." She said.

"Okay." Melody inched closer. Evelyn tried not to scoot away. "I wanna play storytime."

How could she go from- go from calculated coldness to smiling child?

"I don't want to play storytime."

"But why not? You can tell me all about your human friends." Melody tried to grab Evelyn's hand.

Evelyn jerked it away.

Her human friends.

Kayleigh.

Kayleigh, collapsing on the hill.

Kayleigh, crying out for Evelyn to save her.

Kayleigh, her eyes glassy and unseeing.

How could she even think about connecting with her cousi n? When she had- when she had-

"No storytime." Evelyn spat, glaring at Melody, who now seemed puzzled.

"But- but why not?" Melody stared down at her empty palm as if wondering why Evelyn's fingers weren't interlaced with hers. "I like stories. Briar always tells me stories."

"I'm not your precious Briar."

"Don't say mean things."

Evelyn hissed out something unintelligible, but it sounded like it was along the lines of, "Mean? I'll show you mean."

"I heard that."

"Of course you did, with your pointed ears."

"How did you know?" Melody looked surprised, even though Evelyn had been being sarcastic. "I've been keeping them hidden! Like Lady Briar said to!"