Haunted King

SEVEN | my past

Crystal Lu. She was a late graduate at the age 22, and majoring in criminal psychology. Melody was told to room with her older cousin- even though it was obvious Crystal heavily disliked her- when Melody graduated high school. It was so Crystal could keep an eye on her.

Melody had run away from her home a total of twenty one times. It had gotten to a point that her parents stopped calling the police because they knew she would be back eventually. She always came back. Because no matter how much she denied it, her parents had ways of tracking her. Of cutting her off from society to keep her in check. No matter how far she ran. mentally she was still in her house. With the locked doors, shitty wifi, and loads of money.

She had tried getting jobs but was always mysteriously reject even if the interview seemed to be going really well. Her card was always declined. Her parents never let her carry cash, so any spare change she found laying around hardly added up to anything significant. Her phone was cut off. The only thing that worked was the call button. Specifically her parents numbers. Not even 911.

But once she was back home suddenly her phone was on. Her bank account open. Like they were welcoming her back into the prison she was forced to call home. It wasn't like she could spend the money. She wasn't allowed to have social media or her friend's numbers. But it was the illusion that mattered. CPS couldn't take her if they saw the illusion of a happy family.

Her friends didn't listen to her problems because all they saw was a spoiled rich kid. The only thing her computer and phone didn't ban was otome games. Weirdly enough if she changed her computer location to china she could open online games. That was when she met her first love, Christopher the Great. A fictional man who had conquered all of Europe and was now sitting on the highest throne of power. The only thing he was lacking was a woman to reign beside him.

The game had horrible graphics, and the conversations were always bland and stereotypical. But Melody loved this green haired king. He treated her like a human rather than like a flaw. He talked about his adventures and wanted her to see the world. Her parents wanted her to be this perfect woman.

And she would be.

Off her computer and in the real world she was willing to put on a mask because now she could deal with the torment if she had a friend in her pocket to keep her company.

Game after game. Lover after lover. Melody absorbed herself in the temporary love story for a momentary release. She was free on her phone.

But now it was real. Melody's addiction had come to life and she didn't know how to deal with it. If she let it absorb her how far would she fall? How far had she already fallen? She had already lost her virginity, what was next?

Would she need to make a choice between worlds?

Just the thought scared her more than any curse word or book her parents had hurled at her. Commitment to Fallen Angel meant commitment to Gabriel Ashe. It meant leaving her world, her career, her way of life, and starting from ground zero. Both options sounded suffocating.

An all to familiar feeling began to resurface in her chest. The undying urge to run.