Melodie's Voice

Prologue

"Mommy! Mommy! Where are you, Mommy?" cried out a little girl with black ringlets and violet eyes as she ran through the forest.

Just as the young four year old was about to trip a pair of arms caught her and held her tight as they pulled her close to them. The little girl turned to see who it was only to meet her older brother's eyes.

"Matty, you s-scared me," she said, stuttering.

"Melodie-Rose, Mom told us to stay in the house. You shouldn't be out here." Matthew said.

"Well, neither should you, Matty." Melodie-Rose smarted off to her brother.

Just as Matthew was going to say something a rustling came from the bushes beside them. Both children froze, waiting for what was behind the leaves and branches. Melodie-Rose gripped tightly onto her brother and was about to scream when she saw a very familiar pair of violet eyes.

"Mommy!" Melodie-Rose cried happily as she sprang into her mother's arms.

"Melodie-Rose Bethany Black and Matthew Andrew Black, I told you to stay in the house," scolded the children's mother.

"But you come out here every night, Mommy," Melodie-Rose said as she squirmed closer to her mother's warm body.

"That is because Mommy is a big girl and big girls are aloud to do that." the woman said. "Now, let's get you both back in the house. It is way past your bed times."

"Yes, Mommy," mumbled a now tired Melodie-Rose as she cuddled into her mother.

The walk to the house wasn't a long one but it was late and after replacing the last protection spell and charm over her property Elizabeth, the children's mother, was exhausted. It had taken a lot of time and energy to work the magic of old. Thankfully Elizabeth's grandmother had already done most of it millenniums ago during the Salem Witch Trials and Elizabeth was just strengthening it.

As Elizabeth and her children were about to exit the forest the temperature dropped, the ground began to shake, and all the sounds of the nightlife in the woods hushed. Suddenly, Elizabeth was attacked from behind by a man in a black cloak. Turning to her side, Elizabeth tried her best to protect her children from the fall. A wicked cackle sounded behind her causing her to freeze and the children's eyes to widen in shock.

"Oh, little Lizzie, my have you grown," said a very dry voice.

"Omri, why are you here?" Elizabeth questioned, trying to buy time. She had to get her children out of here.

"Like many others, I want the girl." he sneered.

"You can't have her." Elizabeth hissed, tightening her hold on Melodie-Rose.

"Must you make everything more difficult, Elizabeth? Do yourself and your family a favor and hand over the child." Omri said, moving closer to Elizabeth.

Without hesitating Elizabeth swept her hand to the right. Omri flew back, launching right into a tree. For a moment he was still but then he began to move again. Elizabeth's eyes widened and she knew she had to protect her family.

Turning to Matthew she practically threw Melodie-Rose into his arms. She had no time to waste. If her children did not make it into the house before Omri awoke there was no telling what would happen.

"Run, baby. Get to the house and go to your room. Do not come out until your father or I come to get you." Elizabeth told Matthew.

"But, Mom-" he was quickly cut off.

"Run now!" yelled Elizabeth, pushing her son towards the way the house was.

Matthew shook but listened to what his mother said. He ran as fast as his nine year old body would let him go. He had no idea what was going on or who that man was. He didn't have a clue that the series of events was going to lead to the death of his mom or was the change that would alter his relationship with his sister forever.

Just as Matthew finished climbing the steps and reached the door he heard a cry from the woods. Instinct told him to go back but his mother's words pushed him forward into the house.

It wasn't until later on the next morning that Matthew and Melodie-Rose found out that their mother had died. In that second everything changed. Melodie-Rose was no longer looked at as a daughter or sister. Some days she wasn't even looked at as a person. She was moved into the basement of the house, forced to clean, cook, and take care of the house in every way manageable, and as time moved forward she was beaten over and over again.

On the day of Elizabeth's funereal Melodie-Rose not only lost her mother, she lost her voice. Her father's anger towards her was at a boiling point and he took every ounce out on the tiny girl. From that moment on Melodie-Rose was never the same. The child in her was lost and her whole world was torn into two.

Melodie-Rose had nothing. From that day forward in her eyes she was nothing.

~~~

Characters you have met in this chapter:
William was meant to be Mathew. Sorry. 😆