Chapter Forty-
March of the Witch Hunters
Melanie smiled as a police officer found her shoulders, shoving the girl hard against the shed. Her pure white teeth were covered in blood, and it spilled down her chin. Her eyes were thin slits, but her smile never wavered. Melanie Wilkes was content. And for feeling this in that moment, Melanie Wilkes was nothing but wicked.
"Kill the witch!" someone screamed.
"She's wicked! Kill her!"
Kill her...kill her...kill her....
It rang in her ears.
"Kill me..." she whispered.
"Melly?!" Spencer was level with her, as he shoved the officer aside.
"Kill me..." she whispered again.
"They'll come after her..." Audrey's voice shook. "They've taken our boys and my friend and now they'll take her! She's given her life for this!"
"Kill me..."
"Melly...stop it..."
"I-I...Phillip..." Her little voice was shaking, but she smiled, regardless, her blue eyes taking on a far-away look.
"...Take her home," Reid heard Charlie's voice, stiff and confident just behind him. Reid nodded.
* * *
"Do you even understand what you've done?" Charlie growled. Mammy held out the bin again as Melanie dry heaved for a few moments, until she turned to her brother, sick smile still in place. Wicked.
"Saved her..." Melanie said, shakily leaning back down.
"I've saved her."
"You've put yourself at risk, is what you've done," Charlie spat. Melly just lay down, smiling.
"They'll come for you," Charlie warned. "Just like they did her," he said, then sank into his chair, barely afraid to cry in front of his nursemaid, sister, and an empty room. "Then I will have lost you both..."
* * *
Victoria sat close to Melly, for the first time in days. Her black dress tight around the girl's bust. Charlotte was sitting on the other side of Victoria, neither speaking. Melly's head was tilted to the side, her expression blank. She hadn't been all there, not since this whole case. Melly was back to her shell. She knew what the outcome had to be of this, but wasn't set on letting it happen. Melly would sacrifice herself, if it meant life for everyone she loved.
A knock sounded at the door shortly, and Melly rose, to get it.
"...Sheriff Klein?" she asked, as Reid and Charlie came into the room. The stern police chief stared at the girl distastefully in front of him.
"Where are they?" he asked.
Melanie blinked. "Where is who?"
"You're husbands," he growled. Charlotte rose.
"They left on business a few weeks ago, Sheriff," Charlotte said. Melly didn't move from her pose. What a cool liar she was, Charlotte thought.
"There is no business meeting," the Sheriff said. "You're husbands organized a militia a few weeks ago, right before you had your accident Miss Wilkes."
Melly didn't respond.
"She turn into a vegetable or what?" he asked, looking over at Charlotte. Charlie stiffened.
"She's fine. In case you haven't noticed, my sister has been accused of several acts to which she did not commit the past few days."
"Helping the witch escape?"
"What's her crime now, huh?" Charlie hissed. "After that murdering bastard is behind bars, what's it matter?"
The sheriff growled, but Melly placed her hand tenderly on her brother's arm. He spun to look at her, shocked.
Don't do this, her eyes urged. Charlie nodded gingerly at her.
"I've got word those boys return today," the Sheriff said.
Melly nodded. "Indeed they do. Why do you request them?"
"I already told you-"
"If you intend to bring them in on false accusations you'll get no where," Melly scolded. "This family is an old one and is greatly respect-"
"Used to be," the Sheriff said. "I bet the great Rene Wilkes is rolling over in his grave, seeing what his daughter has done."
Melanie froze, eyes burning holes into the ground.
"Mel?"
She didn't respond to Spencer.
"I'll be back, Miss Wilkes. Make no doubt of that."
*/*/*
"Melly?" Charlotte asked. Melly was reading as the rest of the women were sewing. Audrey had come over a few hours after the sheriff left. He was still parked outside the house.
Audrey had confided she'd heard they boys would be coming home tonight...of course, that meant, minus one.
Melly read aloud, but stopped when the young Greywald girl asked for her.
"Melly...aren't you afraid?"
Melanie kept her eyes down as she asked coyly,"Afraid of what?"
"Miss Melly," Mammy said,"you've got your pistol?"
Melanie nodded once, then moved a hand down to the folds of her skirt.
"Some 'ens commin' up the drive," Mammy warned.
The girls stiffened until they heard...singing? It was off-key and course, almost like they were...
"Melly!" Charlotte cried,"they're drunk!! Why I ought to-"
"Leave them be, Charlotte. Hush, you must let me handle this."
Melly's blue eyes bore into Charlotte's black, and the girl nodded hesitantly.
Melanie held her pistol firm as she opened the door.
Sheriff Klein was blocking two men from entering the door. One of them was Tommy. Audrey pursed her lips to keep from crying out. The other was Phillip. They both were drunk out of their minds.
"Let them by, Sheriff," Melly said, removing the man's arm to let the others by. Phillip stumbled into a chair, and Tommy smiled at the sheriff. Zayn and Niall stumbled in behind Tommy, both singing loudly.
"Miss Wilkes, these men are under arrest-"
"If you arrest every intoxicated man you come across, you must have quite a few of your own officers in jail," she chided. "Tommy," she warned. "So you've gotten my fiance intoxicated again, have you?"
Phillip smiled wide. "I ain't bad drunk, Melly..."
"Miss Wilkes-"
"Go on home now, Sheriff. You can see nothing's wrong."
Sheriff Klein stared for a minute, rubbing his eyes, then reluctantly nodded.
"...Alright...G'night, ladies. Miss Wilkes."
As soon as the door was locked behind him, Melanie spun on her heels.
"Pull the blinds, lock the door."
Tommy stripped Phillip of his coat, revealing a bullet wound in his arm. Melanie stifled a scream.
"He's been like this for a few days now..." Tommy groaned.
"Get him into Aggie's room, now," she commanded calmly. She went in first, removing the young boy from his bed, taking him into her own room.
Charlotte found herself alone, just she and Charlie with Phillip in the room. She didn't care if the older Wilkes boy knew a lick about her--he wouldn't tell a soul.
"Oh, Phillip..." she mumbled, leaning over her unconscious adoptive brother, hopeful lover. She planted small, feverish kisses across his face.
"Miss Greywald, have you no concern for your own husband?" Charlie asked dryly.
Charlotte smiled coyly at her sister-in-law's brother. "He go with the boys on the decater road skirmish?" she asked, confirming her squirlly husband was nothing in her eyes.
Charlie smirked without emotion. "Frank is still back on Decater Road. In the ditch. Shot to the head."
Charlotte's eyes widened as her mouth fell slack.
"Dead."
*/*/*
"Melanie?" Audrey whispered to her friend. They were walking back from the fields of Ardely, as Audrey grew anxious.
"Do you hear it?" the shorter blonde asked. Melanie's expression didn't change.
"Hush," whispered the red-lipped girl. "Hush."
But those were the last syllables she uttered before a baseball bat connected with the back of her head, and both girls fell unconscious.
They woke up a few hours later, in the woods.
"...Where...are we?" Audrey whispered groggily. Melanie's eyes strained to see in the darkness.
"Are those...torches?" she asked her friend. Audrey strained to see, then noticed the balls of flame in the air. But they weren't just floating....they were...being held...held by....
"Witch Hunters," Melly confirmed.
"...Take her home," Reid heard Charlie's voice, stiff and confident just behind him. Reid nodded.
* * *
"Do you even understand what you've done?" Charlie growled. Mammy held out the bin again as Melanie dry heaved for a few moments, until she turned to her brother, sick smile still in place. Wicked.
"Saved her..." Melanie said, shakily leaning back down.
"I've saved her."
"You've put yourself at risk, is what you've done," Charlie spat. Melly just lay down, smiling.
"They'll come for you," Charlie warned. "Just like they did her," he said, then sank into his chair, barely afraid to cry in front of his nursemaid, sister, and an empty room. "Then I will have lost you both..."
* * *
Victoria sat close to Melly, for the first time in days. Her black dress tight around the girl's bust. Charlotte was sitting on the other side of Victoria, neither speaking. Melly's head was tilted to the side, her expression blank. She hadn't been all there, not since this whole case. Melly was back to her shell. She knew what the outcome had to be of this, but wasn't set on letting it happen. Melly would sacrifice herself, if it meant life for everyone she loved.
A knock sounded at the door shortly, and Melly rose, to get it.
"...Sheriff Klein?" she asked, as Reid and Charlie came into the room. The stern police chief stared at the girl distastefully in front of him.
"Where are they?" he asked.
Melanie blinked. "Where is who?"
"You're husbands," he growled. Charlotte rose.
"They left on business a few weeks ago, Sheriff," Charlotte said. Melly didn't move from her pose. What a cool liar she was, Charlotte thought.
"There is no business meeting," the Sheriff said. "You're husbands organized a militia a few weeks ago, right before you had your accident Miss Wilkes."
Melly didn't respond.
"She turn into a vegetable or what?" he asked, looking over at Charlotte. Charlie stiffened.
"She's fine. In case you haven't noticed, my sister has been accused of several acts to which she did not commit the past few days."
"Helping the witch escape?"
"What's her crime now, huh?" Charlie hissed. "After that murdering bastard is behind bars, what's it matter?"
The sheriff growled, but Melly placed her hand tenderly on her brother's arm. He spun to look at her, shocked.
Don't do this, her eyes urged. Charlie nodded gingerly at her.
"I've got word those boys return today," the Sheriff said.
Melly nodded. "Indeed they do. Why do you request them?"
"I already told you-"
"If you intend to bring them in on false accusations you'll get no where," Melly scolded. "This family is an old one and is greatly respect-"
"Used to be," the Sheriff said. "I bet the great Rene Wilkes is rolling over in his grave, seeing what his daughter has done."
Melanie froze, eyes burning holes into the ground.
"Mel?"
She didn't respond to Spencer.
"I'll be back, Miss Wilkes. Make no doubt of that."
*/*/*
"Melly?" Charlotte asked. Melly was reading as the rest of the women were sewing. Audrey had come over a few hours after the sheriff left. He was still parked outside the house.
Audrey had confided she'd heard they boys would be coming home tonight...of course, that meant, minus one.
Melly read aloud, but stopped when the young Greywald girl asked for her.
"Melly...aren't you afraid?"
Melanie kept her eyes down as she asked coyly,"Afraid of what?"
"Miss Melly," Mammy said,"you've got your pistol?"
Melanie nodded once, then moved a hand down to the folds of her skirt.
"Some 'ens commin' up the drive," Mammy warned.
The girls stiffened until they heard...singing? It was off-key and course, almost like they were...
"Melly!" Charlotte cried,"they're drunk!! Why I ought to-"
"Leave them be, Charlotte. Hush, you must let me handle this."
Melly's blue eyes bore into Charlotte's black, and the girl nodded hesitantly.
Melanie held her pistol firm as she opened the door.
Sheriff Klein was blocking two men from entering the door. One of them was Tommy. Audrey pursed her lips to keep from crying out. The other was Phillip. They both were drunk out of their minds.
"Let them by, Sheriff," Melly said, removing the man's arm to let the others by. Phillip stumbled into a chair, and Tommy smiled at the sheriff. Zayn and Niall stumbled in behind Tommy, both singing loudly.
"Miss Wilkes, these men are under arrest-"
"If you arrest every intoxicated man you come across, you must have quite a few of your own officers in jail," she chided. "Tommy," she warned. "So you've gotten my fiance intoxicated again, have you?"
Phillip smiled wide. "I ain't bad drunk, Melly..."
"Miss Wilkes-"
"Go on home now, Sheriff. You can see nothing's wrong."
Sheriff Klein stared for a minute, rubbing his eyes, then reluctantly nodded.
"...Alright...G'night, ladies. Miss Wilkes."
As soon as the door was locked behind him, Melanie spun on her heels.
"Pull the blinds, lock the door."
Tommy stripped Phillip of his coat, revealing a bullet wound in his arm. Melanie stifled a scream.
"He's been like this for a few days now..." Tommy groaned.
"Get him into Aggie's room, now," she commanded calmly. She went in first, removing the young boy from his bed, taking him into her own room.
Charlotte found herself alone, just she and Charlie with Phillip in the room. She didn't care if the older Wilkes boy knew a lick about her--he wouldn't tell a soul.
"Oh, Phillip..." she mumbled, leaning over her unconscious adoptive brother, hopeful lover. She planted small, feverish kisses across his face.
"Miss Greywald, have you no concern for your own husband?" Charlie asked dryly.
Charlotte smiled coyly at her sister-in-law's brother. "He go with the boys on the decater road skirmish?" she asked, confirming her squirlly husband was nothing in her eyes.
Charlie smirked without emotion. "Frank is still back on Decater Road. In the ditch. Shot to the head."
Charlotte's eyes widened as her mouth fell slack.
"Dead."
*/*/*
"Melanie?" Audrey whispered to her friend. They were walking back from the fields of Ardely, as Audrey grew anxious.
"Do you hear it?" the shorter blonde asked. Melanie's expression didn't change.
"Hush," whispered the red-lipped girl. "Hush."
But those were the last syllables she uttered before a baseball bat connected with the back of her head, and both girls fell unconscious.
They woke up a few hours later, in the woods.
"...Where...are we?" Audrey whispered groggily. Melanie's eyes strained to see in the darkness.
"Are those...torches?" she asked her friend. Audrey strained to see, then noticed the balls of flame in the air. But they weren't just floating....they were...being held...held by....
"Witch Hunters," Melly confirmed.
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