Cry Baby

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A/N: This was so hard to make into a chapter rip my soul.

Melanie was tired. Tired and hungry. Tired, hungry and dirty. 

She didn't know for how long she'd be walking, or where she was going. When she ran out the house she just let her instincts kick in and let her subconscious guide her wherever. She wished she'd been calmer about the whole situation, she wished she had thought clearly about where to go, maybe a neighbour or something, but alas she hadn't really been thinking and now she found herself on the side of some abandoned road. 

When she left the house it had been just after lunch, now, the skies were as dark as coal, the moon peeking behind some clouds and allowing enough shine so Melanie could see where she was going.

Her feet hurt and her shoes were covered in different types of dirt, leaves and everything else in between. Her dress was completely torn at the ends and the bow tied around her waist had come undone, Melanie tied it to her first to avoid losing it. Her hair was now down and wild, sticking to the sides of her face because of sweat and spiking in different directions at the top. The neat accessories that once held it all together were being held by the young girl. She didn't want to lose them too, not after losing everything else.

After a while she started hearing music, it was low, so low she thought it was some sort of mirage, a cruel trick of the mind to console her broken heart. That was until she saw the lights and the big machinery. With a sudden spark of hope in her eyes she walked faster, maybe there she would find what she longed for. Food, a home, she didn't care at this point as long as she could rest a bit.

'Carnival'. A simple neon sign blinking in an annoying rhythmic motion, winking at her and teasing her. She walked carefully, hiding behind the big grey pole. There were all kinds of people around, from people dressed in the most outrageous outfits to simple working men. It was obvious the establishment wasn't even half way done, plenty of boxes and big bland tents stacked all around. The people looked like bees, buzzing about with their lives. 

A tall brunette woman walked right past Melanie, paying no attention to the girl, likely because her arms were stacked with food containers, almost covering her eyes. She walked with precision as soon as she reached one of the tents, she walked out almost instantly. 

Melanie ran quickly, her knees bent to help conceal herself. If they were bees, she was a mouse, tiny little mouse trying to steal their work. So that's what she did, she walked into the bee hive and removed as many blue plastic containers as she could from the table, pulling them with her to her little mouse hole.

 Under the table she felt safe, the long tablecloth ran all the way down and she ate as quietly as she could, stuffing her mouth quickly to keep herself quiet. She heard plenty people come and go, some quickly, hearing just rushed footsteps and the vibration of the table as they dropped boxes on top of her, some stayed for a few moments, writing on notepads and talking on their phones, but never for too long.

When she finished all the food she had gathered she made a plan. She would wait until everyone was asleep (given it was already nighttime it wouldn't take long) and she would take off, maybe steal another container to help her on her journey, and continue walking until she found her safe haven, whatever that would turn out to be.

After what seemed like hours Melanie stopped hearing footsteps, soon followed by talking outside, and then all the other mechanical noises faded into nothing, leaving only the sound of the wind and some instruments tumbling about.

Reluctantly, the scared girl got up from under the table. Everything was so dark, she could barely see herself, not that under the table it was much better as the cloth had not only been long but thick but somehow, she had expected to see more once out of her hiding space. She moved quickly, reaching for the first box she could when she was interrupted by a sudden light.