SPASE

SPASE: CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Maddie opens their eyes. Melissa is there.

But Maddie's physical body isn't.

Melissa sits on the floor of her walk-in closet. Ghosted, Maddie sits next to her. Maddie feels her breath, even though she couldn't see them. Maddie has been pulled there, summoned by something, but instead of the hospital room, it Melissa's closet. Maddie knows that is where Melissa sits to think and hide. The carpet is well faded and pink plush.

Maddie sits across from her. Maddie expects their eyes to meet hers, but then they realize that Melissa has no idea that they are there or that Maddie's being is there. Hell, Maddie doesn't even know why they are there. Confused is what Maddie is. Honestly, they are just happy to see Melissa, not caring under what circumstances it is.

Melissa's long, chestnut hair just barely hits her shoulders. Maddie thinks she got a trim from the last time they've seen her. Maybe some highlights? Maddie looks more gorgeous than they remember. Every time Maddie sees her, she's more beautiful than the last time. Melissa always trumps herself.

Melissa is crying, hiding in her closet. She holds her iPhone in her hand and scrolls through Instagram as she listens to soft rock. Maddie can't quite hear what she's listening to. It is faint and her AirPods are securely planted in her ears. However, Maddie can hear why she is in her closet; her dad screams, plowing through the kitchen cabinets looking for something. Maddie hears the bangs coming from the kitchen, as they become louder. Maddie remembers Melissa telling them that she hid in the closet like a little girl so she wouldn't have to deal with it. She doesn't want to live in a world where he could touch her again. The closet is her own little world. Her dad is too fucking stupid to look there for her.

Maddie hears a drum solo blare through her headphones and then silence. She gives out a slight sniffle from her nose and a sigh.

"Damn it, Mad. Where the fuck are you when I need you!" She whimpers and tosses her phone against the backside of her closet. Maddie peers over to the phone. Maddie strains to see the picture on her phone; it's a picture of them, drawing during lunch in the art room. Mrs. P's rainbow, tie-dyed blanket hangs in the background. Maddie sits, slouched in the green beanbag chair, focused, calm. Maddie is obviously in their own little world in the picture. They are in their own world with Betsy. Somehow, Melissa has penetrated Maddie's world by taking a photo when they were most themselves.

Maddie's heart flutters to think that they think it is a good enough picture of them to keep it.

"You never let me in," Melissa says.

Maddie thinks, "Let her in? What does she mean by 'let her in'?

Maddie bites their bottom lip, waiting for her to finish what in the hell she is talking about.

"You always thought you weren't good enough for me, for anyone, hell, good enough to be here. Now that you're not here, I'm fucking pissed. I'm pissed that you left me behind!" Melissa shouts. Melissa's words of anger and frustration toward Maddie slither like a snake out of her mouth, just as they did when she stuck up for Maddie to Greg.

Frustrated, Maddie stands, creasing their eyebrows. Melissa acts like Maddie wanted this to happen like Maddie wanted to leave her. The more that Maddie listens, the angrier they become at her.

"Who was she to think that I was happy about this. Happy that I wasn't awake or whatever. I wanted to reach out and shake her to tell her, 'I am here, you bitch! Now, shut it and come here!'" Maddie thinks.

But the thing is, Maddie can't tell her anything. Maddie can't hug her. They can't do anything. All Maddie can do is listen to Melissa in between her uncontrollable sobs, thrusting hate to the picture of Maddie on her phone. Melissa picks up the phone, looks at Maddie's picture, and presses the trashcan icon.

Maddie's heart stops. Maddie already feels deleted from her world.

"Does she really want to delete me for good too?" Maddie thinks.

Time turns. Seconds turn to minutes, minutes to hours, and hours to days. At least it seems to Maddie.

A message pops up. "Are you sure you would like to delete this photo?"

Melissa hesitates. Maddie holds her breath.

Melissa clicks, "NO."

Maddie exhales, now feeling comfortable to breathe again.

Maddie wishes they could wipe away the tears from Melissa's pink, stained cheeks as she cries. They wish they could force their body to wake up, but they can't. Maddie feels a feeling deep in their bones to finally have a reason to wake up from this... so they can be with her. Maddie lifts their hand and attempts to wipe away her tears.

Melissa sucks in the air hard and places her hand on her face, almost as if she feels Maddie's touch.

Boom Boom Boom!

With Melissa's hand still on her face, she scoots to the back of the closet in a flash as her dad breaks down her bedroom door. Her dad sniffs her out as a bloodhound sniffs out a rabbit. He yanks open her closet door.

As the riptide stemming from Maddie's stomach pulls them back to Spase, Melissa's violent screams echo in the distance.