Untitled for now...

Chapter 14 - My Melanie?

It's dark and cold and the only sound is the whistling of the wind through the deserted alley. "Melanie?" I call out, "Melanie where are you?" My voice echos against the walls of the alley as I begin to run down the cobblestone walkway. The urgency is building, I have to find her before it's too late. As I approach a four way crossing I look up at the street sign, "Aiden Avenue...", I stay straight and run faster as the darkness encompasses more of my world. I have no idea where I am, what's going on, or what is going to happen if I don't get there in time, all I know is that she's in trouble, and that I'm headed the right way. My steps slow as I reach a park, overgrown and forgotten... Why on Earth would she be here? I pull back some hanging moss and slowly walk through the dense brush. "Melanie, Where are you?" I whisper as I silently move through the weed infested playground. I hear shallow breathing and turn on my heels, "Melanie?" I squint my eyes and can barely make out a figure huddled up in the corner by the sandpit; I slowly walk over as not to frighten her when-

*WHACK*

I jump straight out of my desk standing face to face with Professor McMahn.

"Detention Miss Herring, to be served today after school, for your disregard of lecture time"

I roll my eyes as he walks away; whatever, I really don't care. I haven't been able to sleep at night and It's been two days without sight of her, something is wrong. I've attended every class hoping to catch a glimpse of her and see that she's okay, yet as I sit here in the same seat looking towards where she sat a mere two days ago I can't help but fear the worst. She wouldn't just not be here, that's so unlike her, no, something's definitely wrong. I can't sit still, ever since she ran away from me the other day this uneasiness has been growing stronger and I think that dream is a pretty good sign that I need to be worried. I have to go find her, tonight. The bell rings and I stay seated as all of my classmates file out of the room leaving me alone with Professor McMahn. 

His staring really creeps me out, but all eyes are on me until the rest of my classmates leave the room. 

"October, let's get straight to it, why hasn't Miss Gright been in class the past couple days?"

You have got to be kidding me, is my life now some big practical joke for the universe? "The hell if I know! Why are you asking me?"

"Obviously you would the person to ask, being that you two have a history together and you were the last person to have seen her following your altercation the other day."

I can feel my eyes glowing and my temper brewing but I can't afford to lash out on school grounds. "Well so sorry to disappoint Professor but I haven't the slightest idea of where she is, and I did not see her after any of you due to the fact that when I broke free of the mob, that you made no attempt to break up might I add, she was already gone." I get up from my desk and walk to the door then turn and glare at my Professor wishing that looks could kill, "I will be serving my detention in the administrator's office, and I'd like you to know that I will be informing them of your lack of effort to break up an angry mob of students. If anything happens to her because I did not find her in time, it will be on your head." I storm out slamming the door behind me and head straight for home. Fuck him, fuck his detentions, fuck the administrators, I'm going home to rest and then I'm going to find my Melanie... my Melanie?

"So October what are your plans for the night?" I look up at my father in my door way incredulously, since when does he care what I do while he's gone?

"Nothing Father, why do you ask?"

"No reason, but should you go out tonight, I'd carry some spare change."

I stare wide eyed at my Father, my mind drawing a blank but I finally manage to muster out "yes father." At this he smiles and leaves the door way and I jump up to find some change. Apparently, he knows I'm going out tonight... I wonder what else he knows...

The wind is blowing shaking the trees outside but an immunity to cold is just one of the perks of being one of us, I suppose there has to be some good to make up for the bad. As I'm pulling my shoes on my mind keeps floating back to my dream from class today, maybe if I follow my path it will lead me to her, I mean that was her... wasn't it? I slowly shut the door behind me and take off flying low just above the rooftops, darting between chimneys and grazing the shingles so as not to be seen. I look down searching for this Aiden Avenue and after about 15 minutes I finally find it. The area is deserted so I land and set forward with some sort of unconscious guide leading the way, it has to be her.  The fog is gathering, the wind is whistling, and the anxiety is creeping up on me. Naturally I start to jog and it quickly turns into a steady run; the park is not far I can already see the trees and debris in the distance. I hope she's okay, she has to be okay.. right?

I reach the outskirts of the park and slip into the darkness covering the grounds. Softly I whisper, "Melanie? Where are you? Melanie?" There's movement in the brush, I speak about louder, "Melanie? Is that you?" Everything goes still. It's gone whatever it was. I push through the dense foliage trying my best to stick to the dream when I see it, the sandpit is right infront of me! "Melanie? Melanie where are you?" I silently continue on, squinting to see her form, any form... she's not here... I was so sure... I sit down where I remember the figure sitting, I can see it, I know that she's here somewhere, she has to be. After sitting there feeling like an idiot, I groan to myself and get up, I should just go home... if she wanted to be found she would be. She probably hates me anyway. 

I'm sensing something... I don't know what it is to trigger my senses but someone is approaching. Two of the idiot Ice Picks from school. I duck back down quickly, hidden by the darkness surrounding me. They're talking quietly, I can't make out what about but I can tell it's nothing good. One is assuring the other that everything will work out in their favor while the other is much more hesitant. They argue a bit but then start to leave, this is too weird for me to ignore it so I follow them, just far enough back to where they won't notice...

I can't make out what they're saying on the way but I can tell from gestures that their argument was not settled by any means. As we go deeper into the ghettos of the city my mind is clouding again but the sound of the taller teen yelling rips me out of my stupor, "THEN GET RID OF HER ALREADY! JUST SHUT UP ABOUT IT!"
Get rid of who? It couldn't be Melanie they're talking about, I swear if they hurt her - "Fuck!" Where'd they go? While my mind was racing I completely lost track of them. I stand completely still tuning into my enhanced hearing, but all I can make out is a *thud* about a mile away and the flapping of bat wings distancing themselves. It can't be Melanie, I don't smell her. Atleast that's what I tell myself as I walk down the road with no idea where I'm going. "For fuck's sake, a dead end." Exasparated I check the time on my phone 11:57 lovely. The night's barely started and I'm tired of this crap. As I lock the screen my light breifly shines into the alleyway. Someone's there. My head must be really clouded for my senses to be this weak. But I can hear shallow breaths, and as I step closer a tease of that nauseating scent hits me and my heart drops. "Melanie..." I whisper, "Is that you?" What a stupid question... a stupid question I really don't want to know the answer to. 

I stoop down next to the form, I can see the shape of a young girl but I am drowning in denial. The poor girl is naked, shaking, and wounded. Shit. 

 I gingerly lay my jacket over her, scoop her up and walk to the nearest bus station as she sleeps in my arms. My Melanie, it kind of has a ring to it. I grin to myself feeling her against me and the electricity pulsing through us as I board the bus, paying for the both of us regardless of the fact that she won't need a seat of her own. My Melanie.