Chapter Thirty-Seven
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Melanie let her bare feet hang lazily in Ardely's lake. The water was freezing, and Melanie's bare legs were covered in goosebumps, as her satin frock was pulled up to her hips.
"Melanie Wilkes!" Mammy called from the house. Melanie smiled.
"Yes, Mammy?"
"Girl, you get yo' bottom in this house this s'cond! You is gonna freeze! I'm not taking care yo sickly body 'gain if you ain't gonna take care of it!"
"Oh, Mammy, leave the girl alone," Melanie heard her mother's voice from the window, and froze, eyes turning said.
"Yes'm, Miss Dresella," Mammy said, leaving the balcony with a glare at Melly.
Melly frowned. She stared humming the song 'Show Me' from My Fair Lady, when a shadow crept behind her and yanked her into the woods. Melanie screamed, but a hand pressed over her mouth. As she flailing, a pair of warm hands pressed to her face, making her stare into warm brown eyes.
Melanie stared, mouth agape. "I-India?" she asked. The tan girl didn't say a word, but Melanie wrapped her arms around her friend and started sobbing. "Oh, Indie! India!"
"Hush," cried the other girl, her voice cracking. Melanie stared. India's tears were caked to her face, leaving trails on her tan skin. "Melanie, I need your help."
"What do you-"
Melanie looked down at what India had in her hands. An old leather-bound book. The Grimmerie. Melanie backed away.
"I only did that once-"
"I know, Melly, but I-"
"That's devil craft, Indie!" Melanie hissed, tears running down her face.
"I know, I know!" screamed the girl, sobbing. "Freddy's gone! They've taken him! They'll kill him, Melly, they'll kill him and I know only you know how to work the spells!"
Melanie remembered that day, at Worthings Hallow, the old black house India had been left...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Are you ready?" India whispered. Audrey looked between the two of us.
"I don't like this..." she mumbled.
"If you don't like it, get out!" I spat.
"Melly, this is devil craft!"
"I know!"I growled.
"Even if he did come back-which he won't-it wouldn't be him, Melly. You're just summoning demons-"
"Shut up!"
Audrey walked to the corner, and hid, clutching a gold-platted cross bracelet to her chest.
Indie asked me again if I was ready. I nodded.
She handed me the thick, brown, leather-bound book. The Grimmerie. Filled with spells. It was dark and powerful, and I was holding it.
She nodded at me.
"Ah-kem..ah, kure..."
"Say it all at once," India said quickly.
"Melly," Audrey warned.
"Mella-kah-cu-Kanamah, uh...Reloseh? Uh?"
"What is she doing?" Audrey screamed.
"She's saying the words all wrong! Melly-"
"Ah-Kanamah-cu-kah-Mella-"
The room shook at that moment, and we all fell the floor, the bookshelf fell over, and we ran, screaming. We came back, a few minutes later, and the house was still.
"It's devil craft..." Audrey whispered again.
I looked at India. "That's not going to bring my father back, is it?"
"No, but Melly, that's the most work I've ever seen come from the book. You have a gift-"
"I'm never touching that again," I spat, walking away. I would never touch the Grimmerie again...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Melly, please," India begged. Melly nodded, the only thing she could do.
"We need to go to the playhouse, it's closed down for the winter coming. I'll the get the boys, they've got an army for you."
"Is Charlie-"
"Yes," Melly said, looking at her knowingly. They smiled at one another.
"Save him..." she whispered.
"Go," Melanie said. India put up the hood of her long, black frock, and stalked away like a shadow.
***
"Don't lie to me, Melanie," Charlie said. The boys were on their way to the House, but Charlie had held his sister back.
"I'm not, I swear, it's her. Freddy-"
"I think I know where he is," Charlie said. "I-I have to go..." Charlie ran.
"They'll come looking for all of us!"
"That's why you have kids with guns!!"
***
Melanie met India on the stage.
"So, what's the deal?" Tommy asked. Zayn, Niall, Audrey, Christine, and Carla all around us, forming a barrier.
"Uh, Freddy's been taken and I'm using devil craft to get him back," Melly said, like a question.
"Oh, well, as long as it's that," Tommy screamed, rolling his eyes.
"It amazes me how sarcastic you can be," Melanie screamed.
"India Hampton!"
Melanie and India looked up, between the legs of Tommy and Niall, who both held swords at their sides, and guns on their belts, to see cops storming in, along with the BAU.
"You are under arrest-"
"Where's my brother!" she screamed, standing.
"India-" Melly began.
"Melly, start the spell quick!"
Melanie rifled through the book,"There are so many!"
"Go!"
"Mella-conamah-nomah-achu-matchu-mella-canamah-mellaconamah-nomah-achu-matuchu-Mellic, uh...Melli...cuh...
What is this chanting?" she screamed, throwing the book. "I don't even know what I'm reading! I don't even know what trick I ought to try!"
"Freddy!" India howled. "It was enough, right? Tell me it was enough!"
"Indie-"
"Melly!"
Melanie looked down at Spencer, whose gun was hesitantly leveled at her, as was the rest of the teams. Melanie stepped to block their shot, and Audrey moved to the back of India.
"This isn't the end!" Melanie hissed.
"India!" Charlie Wilkes broke in.
"Charlie?" India screamed, and tried to break through her bodyguards to her lover.
"No, Indie! He's fine, okay? Stay here!"
"India," Charlie held out his arms, and in them was a small form, with pale skin and dark, curly hair.
"Freddy?" India asked. Charlie nodded. She pressed her hands to her face in astonishment.
"Witch!" spat one of lower-level cops, his eyes wide at this whole scene that had taken place in less than a minute.
Melanie stared up, and she realized he was talking about her.
"I am no more a witch than India Hampton is a criminal!"
But that failed to prove her point. She did, however, strip Niall of his sword, and go step toward the police, who gasped. And by this point, India was gone.
***
"Did they find her?"
"No," Charlie said, still pacing the room. "Yet. Do you know how much trouble your little stunt has got us in?"
"Probably a lot. I'm sure I'm next on the hunting list." Melanie beamed.
"Melanie, this isn't something to laugh at!"
Melanie frowned. "I'm sorry, Charlie." She said,"Really."
"I knew what you meant to do. You tried to help her...but, Mel, just, think, okay? You knew reading from that book wouldn't do any good."
"...You got Freddy back," Melly said. "You're her hero."
Charlie pursed her lips. "I can't lose you too," he said. Melanie kissed his hand.
"You won't."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Are you ready?" India whispered. Audrey looked between the two of us.
"I don't like this..." she mumbled.
"If you don't like it, get out!" I spat.
"Melly, this is devil craft!"
"I know!"I growled.
"Even if he did come back-which he won't-it wouldn't be him, Melly. You're just summoning demons-"
"Shut up!"
Audrey walked to the corner, and hid, clutching a gold-platted cross bracelet to her chest.
Indie asked me again if I was ready. I nodded.
She handed me the thick, brown, leather-bound book. The Grimmerie. Filled with spells. It was dark and powerful, and I was holding it.
She nodded at me.
"Ah-kem..ah, kure..."
"Say it all at once," India said quickly.
"Melly," Audrey warned.
"Mella-kah-cu-Kanamah, uh...Reloseh? Uh?"
"What is she doing?" Audrey screamed.
"She's saying the words all wrong! Melly-"
"Ah-Kanamah-cu-kah-Mella-"
The room shook at that moment, and we all fell the floor, the bookshelf fell over, and we ran, screaming. We came back, a few minutes later, and the house was still.
"It's devil craft..." Audrey whispered again.
I looked at India. "That's not going to bring my father back, is it?"
"No, but Melly, that's the most work I've ever seen come from the book. You have a gift-"
"I'm never touching that again," I spat, walking away. I would never touch the Grimmerie again...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Melly, please," India begged. Melly nodded, the only thing she could do.
"We need to go to the playhouse, it's closed down for the winter coming. I'll the get the boys, they've got an army for you."
"Is Charlie-"
"Yes," Melly said, looking at her knowingly. They smiled at one another.
"Save him..." she whispered.
"Go," Melanie said. India put up the hood of her long, black frock, and stalked away like a shadow.
***
"Don't lie to me, Melanie," Charlie said. The boys were on their way to the House, but Charlie had held his sister back.
"I'm not, I swear, it's her. Freddy-"
"I think I know where he is," Charlie said. "I-I have to go..." Charlie ran.
"They'll come looking for all of us!"
"That's why you have kids with guns!!"
***
Melanie met India on the stage.
"So, what's the deal?" Tommy asked. Zayn, Niall, Audrey, Christine, and Carla all around us, forming a barrier.
"Uh, Freddy's been taken and I'm using devil craft to get him back," Melly said, like a question.
"Oh, well, as long as it's that," Tommy screamed, rolling his eyes.
"It amazes me how sarcastic you can be," Melanie screamed.
"India Hampton!"
Melanie and India looked up, between the legs of Tommy and Niall, who both held swords at their sides, and guns on their belts, to see cops storming in, along with the BAU.
"You are under arrest-"
"Where's my brother!" she screamed, standing.
"India-" Melly began.
"Melly, start the spell quick!"
Melanie rifled through the book,"There are so many!"
"Go!"
"Mella-conamah-nomah-achu-matchu-mella-canamah-mellaconamah-nomah-achu-matuchu-Mellic, uh...Melli...cuh...
What is this chanting?" she screamed, throwing the book. "I don't even know what I'm reading! I don't even know what trick I ought to try!"
"Freddy!" India howled. "It was enough, right? Tell me it was enough!"
"Indie-"
"Melly!"
Melanie looked down at Spencer, whose gun was hesitantly leveled at her, as was the rest of the teams. Melanie stepped to block their shot, and Audrey moved to the back of India.
"This isn't the end!" Melanie hissed.
"India!" Charlie Wilkes broke in.
"Charlie?" India screamed, and tried to break through her bodyguards to her lover.
"No, Indie! He's fine, okay? Stay here!"
"India," Charlie held out his arms, and in them was a small form, with pale skin and dark, curly hair.
"Freddy?" India asked. Charlie nodded. She pressed her hands to her face in astonishment.
"Witch!" spat one of lower-level cops, his eyes wide at this whole scene that had taken place in less than a minute.
Melanie stared up, and she realized he was talking about her.
"I am no more a witch than India Hampton is a criminal!"
But that failed to prove her point. She did, however, strip Niall of his sword, and go step toward the police, who gasped. And by this point, India was gone.
***
"Did they find her?"
"No," Charlie said, still pacing the room. "Yet. Do you know how much trouble your little stunt has got us in?"
"Probably a lot. I'm sure I'm next on the hunting list." Melanie beamed.
"Melanie, this isn't something to laugh at!"
Melanie frowned. "I'm sorry, Charlie." She said,"Really."
"I knew what you meant to do. You tried to help her...but, Mel, just, think, okay? You knew reading from that book wouldn't do any good."
"...You got Freddy back," Melly said. "You're her hero."
Charlie pursed her lips. "I can't lose you too," he said. Melanie kissed his hand.
"You won't."
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