Gangs And Pains

3 Melissa

I am trying to quietly sneak back into the house, but knowing my parents, the alarm system goes off. I groan, "Goddammit." I curse. I stand in the living room as my parents rush down the stairs. Before they can see me I quickly take off my jacket and tie it around my waist, that way they don't see the symbol. When they see me they just stand there confused. "Um... hi." I say.

My dad glares at me. "Where on Earth have you been?" he ask me.

I shrug, "In the city." I answer. My dad just keeps glaring. I sigh, "Fine, I was out but I won't tell you where." I tell him. I walk past them and go to my room. I really don't want to deal with their shit right now.

I lock my door and flop down on my bed. It is only ten thirty at night, I would usually get back later than this. I look over at my nightstand and see something I haven't touched in years. It's a necklace. It's a heart locket with initials carved on the inside. They are my initials and two others that look exactly like mine, M.C.. Dad gave it to me and my siblings on our third birthday. We each had one. But after what happened when I was six, I never wore it again. Mainly because it was a gift from my dad, and because I had no other reason to wear it. The people that made it mean something and made it special, are gone and they're not coming back.

I change and go to the bathroom, I brush my teeth and remove my piercings. I go back to my room and take off my glasses, I place them on the nightstand. I slip into bed knowing that tomorrow is Saturday. I won't have to worry about anything. I'll just leave early and go to the mansion. I won't have to worry about my parents. Sleep gets the best of me and before I know it, everything goes dark.

I'm in the backyard. I notice an old oak tree that was there when I was younger, when I was thirteen mom had it cut down. So I must be dreaming, and I need to wake up. I know when I am, and I don't want to be here. But then a little voice starts to count.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven," It's me.

My hair is only at my shoulders and it doesn't have the red streak. My skin is a healthy tan, and I seem happy. Her eyes aren't clouded in misery like mine. She doesn't have any piercings except for the earrings her mom gave her. "Ready or not, here I come!" the younger me yells out. I try to grab her to stop her but my hand goes right through her. I decide to follow her and relive the pain.

She has searched the entire backyard and the house, I keep telling her to give up, but she doesn't listen. "Melanie! Melardo! Where are you?"

I can feel the tears welling up. I know what is going to happen next. There is the yelling of little kids from outside. She runs out of the house to see what it is, I just fall to my knees and cry. I don't want to see it again. But when I look up I'm in the driveway again. And I see it happen all over again. My brother and my sister being stuffed into the back seats of a car by my parents. They were yelling and kicking and fussing. They didn't want to go. The younger me tried to help them, but dad just shoved her to the ground. That's how I got a long scar down my elbow.

Once they were both in the car, mom and dad drove away. The last time I saw them was them banging against the back window, screaming, "Melissa help us!"

But I never could. Younger me falls on her knees and cries. She looks at the necklace she has around her neck, and she rips it off. She runs back inside and goes to her room. I follow her. Everything in the room reminds me of my brother and sister.

We were born as triplets, me being the oldest. Then it was Melardo, then it was Melanie. On the wall near the door is a portrait of us and our parents, the 'perfect' description of a 'perfect family'. The younger me started to throw things at it. Then she threw a pair of scissors and they cut through the photo. Her face then goes stone with determination. She grabs the baseball bat that her brother had laying around. Then she started to use it to knock the portrait down. When it falls down she takes the scissors and proceeds to tear the portrait to shreds.