Chapter Forty-One-For Good

Chapter Forty-One

For Good

 

 

 

 

 

 

"How are we going to get out of here?"

Melanie didn't meet Audrey's eyes. Audrey tried to blink away her tears.

"They're right, aren't they? You're just going to hide in your shell, like last time! You won't be right again, will you?" she screamed, eyes burning. "Will you?!"

"Hush," Melanie commanded. "You want them to hear you? I-"

Suddenly, a scream erupted from the group, and Melly's eyes turned to see bodies falling, to hear guns erupting.

"The BAU," she sighed. She saw Derek Morgan rushing through the assembly with his gun, pushing whoever out of the way, so he could reach the two girls.

"Are you okay?" he asked them, undoing their bonds. Audrey nodded fiercely.

 

After the witch hunters were cleared out, and Melly's blanket was wrapped around her, Hotchner drove up in a black SUV with a single passenger.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" Melly asked her. India nodded back, sadly. Melly shuck Phillip's hand off her shoulder as she rose to meet her friend.

"I never thanked you," Melanie said,"for helping me. When no one else did."

India sighed, pulling her friend tighter, savoring the moments she had.

"They can put you in protection, you know that, don't you?"

India shook her head. "I don't want to hide. Perhaps there is a God, and maybe I'm supposed to die." She turned to look at Charlie, whose red-eyed gaze softened. "But I really wish the hands of fate would bring me here again. But that's not what is intended for me." India stroked Melanie's face one more time.

"They'll kill you," Melly supplied, and India nodded. 

"We all die in the end, Melly. I thought you knew that by now."

India kissed her friends gently before retreating into the line of trees.

 

A few weeks later, the two girls would be standing over a grave, in a funeral that the whole town would protest. Melanie and Audrey, side by side in black. Melly's tight grip on a sobbing boy, who'd lost his closest thing to a mother. Charlie didn't come. At sunset, the girls set off again, and away from India's body.

"She knew she was going to die," Audrey whispered. Melanie nodded.

"She died for a reason. To change everyone."

Audrey pursed her lips.

Melly continued, musing,"Who can say if it was for the better? I just know we have been changed, for good." 

Chapter Forty-March of the Witch Hunters

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.


Chapter Thirty-Nine-Defying Everything

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Defying Everything

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Melly stared down Barly, as if she could kill him at any moment. Reid had never seen pure hate in Melly's eyes, and he figured this was the closest you could get to it.

"She's innocent," Melly hissed. "They proved it. A man if behind bars for it. Call off everything. Everyone. Now," she growled.

"Melanie, I can't convince everyone-"

"You won't even try!" she screamed. Mayor Barly pursed his lips and took Melanie's gloved hands in her own.

"Melanie, I am a sentimental man, who always longed to be a father. So I've done everything in my power to treat the citizens of this town as my family, my children. Melanie, I do have such high hopes for you. I want to tell you something my father told me: Everyone deserves a chance to fly. And Melly, helping you with your ascent allows me to feel so...parental."

Melanie wouldn't look at him, just snatched her hand away.

"Of course, sir," she said.

"Melly! Melly!" Victoria came running in, bawling.

"Vi?" she asked her sister. Victoria had a letter in her hand.

"They...they got on a skirmish by Shawdy Town..."

Melanie paled. "Did they..."

"One wounded terribly and one dead," she cried. I pressed my hand to my face.

"It's Frank!" she cried out. "Charlotte married him and now...I never got the chance to love him!"

"Victoria, you're thinking the worst," Melly said, holding her sister's shoulders. "Reid, tell Cal to make Victoria some tea, will you?"

Reid nodded and left.
"You wouldn't be acting like this if you let yourself think besides manner and sense!" Victoria spat.
"Victoria," Charlie warned. Melly paled regardless.
"I can't afford to think like that..."
"What if it's Phillip? Huh? What if it's Phillip laying there on Decater Road? Shot through the head, Melly. Dead as a door nail-"

When Reid came back into the room, Melly was screaming her head off, crouched into a ball on the floor, hands covering her ears, and fingers looking like they could rip out every strand of hair on her head.
"Stop it!" she sobbed. The Mayor excused himself to Dresella's chambers. Melly's voice was thick with emotion, passion, and pure fear. "I won't let it happen! I won't! He's not dead!"
"He might as well be! Marrying you! All when you know he wants to marry-!"
Victoria had been fighting against Charlie's hold, trying to scream directly in her older sister's face, who had always been the center of attention by their loving Father. But at least Victoria was the favorite of the mother, though impassive, she was now the only one left.
Charlie clamped his hand down on Victoria's mouth, and used the other one to slap her across the back of the head. Melanie watched her sister's head droop, and she screamed, but Victoria revived again, with much more vigor.
"Phillip could be dead...or it could be Tommy, or Niall, or Zayn, dying to protect that wicked bitch of the west you call a friend-"
Charlie held Victoria's collar, her face pressed to his, and she screamed in seeing her brother's unfathomable rage.
"Don't ever say that again...ever," Charlie spat in her face, and Victoria writhed to get free. He released her collar, and she ran the whole way, sobbing.
"...Frank could be dead, you know. Adding insult to her further injury," Melly murmured, eyes red and trained on the floor. Charlie didn't need to say out loud what he was thinking: His sister hated India Wilkes, blamed her for the death of one of their friends, Charlie would never be allowed to marry her, and Victoria got off easy in his book.
"Charlie...does God...does God punish people for no reason?"
Charlie looked down. "It's not punishment, Melly, it's just meant to happen."
"Then...then Phillip can't be dead..." she mumbled. "Phillip never did anything wrong, and...and he can't go yet. He...he promised me...." she placed her pale little hands on her stomach. Reid gasped.
"You're not-"
"No," Melanie growled. "That was his promise. That'd he'd come back, and we'd get married. He promised he wouldn't leave me without a piece of him." Her hands gripped her shirt fabric over her stomach.
"...Dad promised to see you later, that night on the phone," Charlie said. Melanie's eyes burned a whole in the ground.
"And he will," she spat.
***
Melly wiped her eyes as she entered her chamber, hoping to not let them see.

But they had heard.

Two little black-gloved hands shot out and pressed Melly against the wall, shutting the door. The other little blonde was sitting on Melly's bed, head in her hands, sobbing.
"Is it true?" asked the brunette. "Is it?"
India slammed Melly's little frame against the wall.
Melanie looked down. "Yes...yes, one of them is dead..."
Audrey began to sob harder.
"Hush," India commanded. "You want some one to hear you?" India's sharp eyes turned on her other friend, focusing on her ice-blue eyes. "You know what we have to do, now, don't you?"
Melly looked down. "I prayed it wouldn't come to this...Indie...I swore, I would never fight to kill..."
"They'll kill you first," India said, packing up a knapsack with her clothes again, just a few outfits and some food, enough to keep her going. "They're hunting you, too, Melly. Half think we're both witches now. The Mayor will at least try to keep hold on you. I'm not so lucky, Melbelles..."
Melly put a hand on her friends shoulder. "Maybe we don't have to fight," Melanie said, smiling. She bent down to whisper in India's ear, and the tan lips curled back to form a wicked smile.
*************************************************************************************************************
Charlie punched the table.
"It's probably better this way, Charles," Dresella said from across the room, sipping the drink in her hand.
"No...she knows better...she wouldn't leave us again!"
Dresella shrugged. "Melanie has always been flighty. Too afraid to speak, it didn't shock me when she left the first time! Crazy girl...I always thought she'd have killed herself by now, though."
Dr. Reid stared at her, dumbfounded, until Hotch nudged him.
"Ma'am, we'll do whatever it takes to get your daughter back."
"Oh, Hotchner, dear!" Dresella laughed. "Don't worry your little heads over her. She'll come back. She couldn't handle it on her own the first time," she said with a blistering smile. Reid grimaced.
"Spencer!" Garcia ran in, laptop in hand, staring.
"I have bugs in all computers in the area, turning on there webcams, and I do believe I just caught us a blue-eyed blonde."
Garcia showed them the screen. Melly's red lips were pursed, her little tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. She was squinting, and Reid realized she didn't have on her reading glasses. Melly blinked for a moment, and groaned, looking up at the camera exactly.
"She knows the light is on," Penelope said. Melly swore.
"What is it?" a voice asked in the background. Melly shut the computer hard, but it bounced open a crack.
You could see a red skirt, rising to meet a black one. Pale hands grabbing gloved ones.
"They know," Melly whispered.
They shuffled off screen, and noises of fabric were heard.
"You don't have to do this-"
"Yes, I do."

"What's happening...?" Spencer asked himself.

The skirts came back.
"They won't find us here..." Melly's voice said. "I don't even think Charlie remembers this...Abba rarely came here, he didn't tinker much. He was more into literature. I guess...this part of him was the only part I couldn't connect too. I wonder if that's why he spent less time here...."
"It certainly is huge."
White gloves fretted at the red skirt, while pale hands fussed over the black.
Melanie giggled. "I feel funny, and you look funny-"
"Hush, the two of you," Audrey called from the corner.
"I don't have to!" Melanie cried, rising fast. "All of my life I've had orders coming at me, and it's nice now to be able to disown everything I've ever stood for!"
"You're throwing away happiness with both hands right now!"
"It doesn't matter! It's always been better than living! I wish I was dead!"
A smack was heard, but neither body trembled.
"I wish I was dead..." Melly's little voice said. Dresella, if possible, was smirking from her spot. Charlie stared.
"They...they're at Dad's tinker shop. It's out a few miles. After our cotton fields. You'll need horses-"
"Or cars."
Charlie glared. "You are not driving over my cotton."

"What if Phillip is dead?" Melly's voice asked again.
No one responded.
"...So long...I've been afraid of losing love I thought I'd lost...you ever think of what we pay for things, and get so little in return."
"...That devil craft I showed you...It involves equivalent exchange. If...If it had worked...you wouldn't be here, but some souless demon with your fathers body-"
"Stop," Melanie commanded, and India's voice stopped.
"India Hampton!"
The three girls turned to the door.
"There's an upstairs..." Melly whispered."And another side door. Go."

"Are they..." Spencer asked, but the girls burst out of the buildings, the two blondes clutching each other on the side, and the brunette with the dark dress on the roof.
"Go ahead! Shoot me!" she screamed. Her dark hair was covered her eyes and part of her cheeks. "I'll live!" she challenged. Reid looked over to where Melly had been, only to see Audrey and air. He looked back up at India, pale hands raised above her head.

Wait, pale?

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" Reid screamed.
"I won't die, because it's not my time to go! As some one told me lately, every one deserves the chance to fly! And if I'm going alone, at least I'm flying free! For those who'd ground me, take a message back from me! Tell them how I am defying everything! I'm flying high! And nobody in...in this whole town...no lover that there is or was...is ever gonna bring me down!"
The girls head tipped up, and every gun holder gasped as the dark wig slipped off her head, revealing a long river of gold, and shocking blue eyes.
"Look at her!" one of the officers screamed. "She's wicked! Shoot her!"
"Kill the witch!" Melly bared her teeth in a smiled. Wicked.
"I hope you're happy!" Audrey screamed.

And then Melanie did it.

"So just try and bring me down!"

Melanie jumped off the roof,

but she didn't fly.

The one thing she couldn't defy, was gravity.



Chapter Thirty-Eight-Letters From War

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Letters From War

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Melanie Wilkes, age four, twirled a piece of her six-year-old brother's hair around her finger. They were under the shade of the big oak trees, and the sun poked through the leaves, ragged shadows covering the two's pale skin. Melanie kissed her brother's cheek, and shoved him down, and she ran. Charlie's footfalls ran out behind her and she smiled, adrenaline pumping. Charlie tackled her from behind, and pinned her down, his hands on her wrist. The two collapsed laughing, and Melanie curled into her brother's side.

"Charlie?" she asked tenderly.

"Yeah?"

"...Are you gonna marry me some day?"

Charlie sat up and stared at his young sister, eyes wide. "No. Melly, that's gross."

Melanie sat up, blue eyes wide and angry. She pulled back her fist, and grasped his collar. "You take that back! I ain't gross!"

"No, Melly, you're not gross," Charlie said frantically, not too keen on getting another black eye from his quick-to-anger sister. Melly warily lowered her fist.

"You just...Melly, I can't...you're to young to understand."

Melly's face turned red. "Say that again and I'll tell Abba you called me gross!"

Charlie gaped. "But I-...Uh..." He didn't want to get chewed out by his father again, whose only love was his first daughter. "Melly..."

"Swear you'll marry me!"

"Melly-"

"What's going on?"

Melanie turned, and her blue eyes beamed as her dark-haired father walked out on the lawn.

"Abba!" she crooned, running to him. He scooped up his favorite child into his arms, cradling her close to his chest.

"Charlie, why is she upset?" he growled at his son.

Charlie looked down.

"Melly?"

"He won't marry me!"

Rene looked down at his son, then started laughing. "Charles," he said, looking down at his son with kind eyes. "Say you'll marry your sister."

Charlie looked down and mumbled,"I'll marry you."

Melanie, regardless, punched his arm.

"Ow!"

Rene laughed. Melanie, her interest caught by a dove on the dock, tried to lure it to her by singing, she chased it,unable to resist.

"Charlie, enlighten her. She won't hold you to it when she's older. Just give her what she wants, alright? Keep her happy? It's your only job, son, and it's not that hard."

"Yes, sir," Charlie said, looking away. Rene nodded, and walked off. Melanie came back, a caterpillar crawling along her body.

"Where's Abba? I wanted to show him something," she said frowning.

"Whatcha got there?" Charlie asked. Melanie, when tricked into it, was just as content showing her bug to Charlie as to her father. Charlie really was her best friend...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You be careful, okay?"

"Melly, I'm not leaving for an hour-"

"You have everything? Enough food? Do you want me to bake you something quick? I can-"

Melanie was cut off by Phillip's lips to her own. She smiled sadly as he pulled away. She clung to his chest, and he wrapped her in his arms.

"I'm scared," she whispered.

Phillip nodded. "I know," he said.

"You'll come home soon?"

"We'll try, Melly."

Phillip and the boys had gathered enough men for India, and they were going after basically the witch hunters. Phillip was leaving for a very dangerous job, and Melanie wasn't certain he would come back in tack.

"I'll come home, though. I promise."

Melanie looked away. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Phillip," she said.

"It's not like that, Melly. That night was an accident-"
"Don't talk about it!" she screeched, covering her ears.

"Melly..." Phillip said, taking her hands away. She looked so dead tired and sad, right in that moment. "Charlie is staying with you," he said.

Melly looked away.

"What's your biggest regret, if I go?" he asked.

Melanie looked away. "I...I couldn't love anyone else. If you left...what I am I supposed to do? My biggest regret?...There's no piece of you inside me."

He gulped. "Meaning?"

"Meaning I'll never have a child from you, like I always wanted."

He looked away. "I gotta go, Melly."

Melanie watched as he stalked down Ardely's gravel road, leaving through the iron gates. Just like he had done all those years ago, when she was 13, and the worst thing that had ever happened was losing her father....

Chapter Thirty-Seven-No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

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."

Chapter Thirty-Six-Her Pianoforte,Where She Belongs

Chapter Thirty-Six

Her Pianoforte, Where She Belongs

 

 

 

 

 

 

"How is she?" Reid asked Mammy, who was washing blood off her hands. Melanie had been in and out of consciousness for two weeks now, going through different phases of delusion. The only physical injury that was noticable now, was the gash in her achilles tendon. Reid knew what the girls first thought would be, once she came to her senses-would she or would she not be able to dance again? Melly's calling was song and music, but dance didn't fall far behind. Not being able to slip on her red ballet shoes, sharing the joke she and her father held, would break her heart.

"The same," Mammy said. "Ya can go in and see 'er, docta, if ya want."

Reid nodded a thank you, and slipped into the white room Melanie was being kept in. Her hair was wet, and in a long braid running from her crown to her lower back. Mammy had bathed her, and her skin was soft and pale. Her under eyes had bruising. Melanie's recent stage was numbness-again. She stared at the ceiling without seeing, not feeling the unbearable pain she should be. You could talk, and it would be as if she couldn't hear you. It was better than last week, when Melanie came into some sense, the first one she felt after the accident-pain.

Her screaming hardly ever stopped. It was gut wrenching and heartbreaking. She screamed how she wanted them to kill her, just to make the pain stop. She just wanted it gone...then in the middle of the night, after her fourth day of non-stop shrieking, her voice gave out, and she convulsed. Eventually, her muscles tired, and those stopped too. And Reid began to wonder, if she really was numb, or her body was too tired to deal with the pain, and she had to bear it without it's help.

Melanie screamed so many things that week. And Reid learned of Melanie's heartbreaking secret, that she hated herself for so much.

 

Mammy had the doctor look at it, while he was here. He identified two things. The first of which being that Melanie Rene Wilkes was a virgin. The second, it did look as if Melanie would have a terrible time trying to concieve and carry, not to mention, birth, a child. Melanie's only wish in the world, and her small, sick body might not be able to handle it. At one point, Melanie had a nightmare, screaming that she had lost the baby, and she was sorry. That's when Mammy called for the doctor. Melanie was so delirious, she thought it was possible for her to be pregnant, when never even touching a man.

"Melly," he said to her, taking her hand. Reid smiled. Melanie's eyes turned, and he gasped. She wasn't really fully gone....

But her face didn't show anything.

"M-Mammy!" Reid screamed. "She's here! She's okay! Mammy!!"

 

Weeks went by, and Melanie Wilkes got stronger, slowly. She hadn't spoke since the accident, and Charlie relayed to Spencer why.

"When she was younger, Melanie had two major fears. Losing her voice forever, and being paraplegic."

"That's quiet specific," Reid said, brushing the hair out of her face, which was planted on his lap.

Charlie shrugged. "I suspect she didn't want to not be able to dance. It would've ended her career."

"Career?"

Charlie shrugged. "Melanie was in Chicago, at an art school before I took her to the BAU. She wanted to be on Broadway."

Reid looked at Melanie. Of course that had been her dream.

"She was so scared she wouldn't make it...and I never gave her the chance. That night when we stayed in the hotel...her crying...God...it broke my heart....I never...and the other night, I thought she was going to..." he choked on his words, and looked away.

"She'll be okay, soon enough," Reid whispered.

Charlie shook his head. "She won't be the same. Every case...her skin gets thicker. I don't like it. She expects evil from everything now...I hate it."

 

One day, Melanie was sitting on the couch. It was late at night, and she couldn't sleep. She had on a long, white cotton, nightgown. It buttoned at her neck, and at the sleeves, and went down to her ankles. Her hair was in a long braid down her back. She was on the couch, across from the pianoforte. She stared without seeing, while Phillip stroked the curls popping out from her braid. He was speaking to her, but she made no sound.

"What are you looking at Melly?" he asked, smiling. She did something, and everyone rose from their seats. Reid motioned for them to sit back down, so she wouldn't be frightened.

She rose shakilly from her seat, and wobbled over to the Pianoforte, sitting down at the bench. Her fingers found a chord, and she pressed it. She smiled. Another chord, then another. And finally, a set of notes. She began to play a little song, sounding deep, but not that complex.

"You wrote that when we were teenagers," Phillip said, standing next to her. She didnt' acknolledge him, just kept playing. At the end her fingers hit a chord, and she stopped, her expression changing to something dark. Charlie froze and stared, horrified. She stared playing, and he recognized the song.

"Melly, stop," he pleaded. Phillip looked at her brother.

"What's going on?" he hissed.

"Melly, stop playing," Charlie said. He started slowly toward her.

"Masta Charlie," Mammy warned, her eyes wide and scared.

"Melly-"

"Masta Charlie."

Melanie screamed and flailed the second Charlie touched his sister's shoulders.

"NO!" she hissed. "Daddy's not home yet!! We have to wait for Daddy!!" she screamed, her voice high and fumbling for the keys on the piano. "Daddy!!" she screaming, falling into a heap on the floor. Phillip tried to touch her, but she swung at him. She rose, and ran to her father's office, and locked the door.

"It's like PTSD," Morgan said. Phillip stared after her.

"Is she ever going to be the same?" he whispered.
"This is the beginning of her recovering," Emily said, touching the boy's shoulder.

 

Three days later, Melanie emerged, eyes red and purple underneath.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She went up to Charlie, who wrapped her in a hug.

"I should've done this the first time," he whispered. She smiled gently.

"It wouldn't have made any difference."

Chapter Thrity-Six-All We Can Do

Chapter Thirty-Six
All We Can Do

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"This is bad."

"Naw, you think?"

"Will you two stop bickering! I swear I'll scream!" Audrey slapped her boyfriend as Melanie chorused her movement to slap Phillip.

"Hey!" the boys screeched, rubbing their heads.

"Oh, I'm sorry, we're just...oh, you're driving me mad," Melanie sighed, wrapping her arms around her fiance. Phillip kissed every finger on her hands and kissed the knuckles and the palm until there was nothing left to kiss. He moved onto the other hand.

"A militia just seems...much," Audrey said.

"It's sounds illegal, too," Melanie said.

"It's necessary," Charlie said. "There's another army coming for her,and soon enough. Might as well get a good fight in. We can rally a good amount of soldiers."

"Not as many as they can. Charlie, it is illegal."

"Melly...we can handle this. You and I have gotten out of tighter messes than this, have we not?" Phillip sighed, and kissed Melanie's neck. She twitched and giggled.

"I don't know, guys. I'd feel like I was lying every time I faced the team-"

"It's protecting her, Melly," Charlie said, taking her hands. "Please."

Melanie looked away, so she didn't have to see the burning passion in her brother's eyes.

"Alright. We can fight-"

"You aren't fighting. We are. No women."

"Sexist!" Melanie spit, standing.

"I need you to stay here," Phillip said, wrapping his fiance in his arms,"we can't bare to loose any of you."

"O-okay...when do we do this?"

"We'll start tonight, alright?"

"Alright, boys. Let's find an army."

***

"Where did they go?"

"Do I look like a blonde's keeper?" Emily retorted to Penelope, who frowned.

Reid looked at the clock. "It is late. But Charlie and Phillip are both gone. I trust she's in safe hands."

Victoria blinked. "You do realize the two names you just listed, don't you doctor?"

Reid glared.
As if a scene out of a book, the door burst open.
"Clear the couch!"
Tommy and Charlie had their arms under Melly's dragging the unconscious girl to the couch and laying her there. Phillip came staggering behind. His nose was red, and blood was flowing from every mucus-membrane on his face. His eye was purple and swollen. He leaned on the wall for support.
"What happened?" Mammy asked.
Reid stared at the unconscious Melanie Wilkes. Her whole body had an odd purple tinge to it, and blood was coming out of her nose and mouth, and there were long gashes along her arms. Her face and hair had dirt in them, and the back of her ankle was cut open cleanly.
"Melly...we were...we were at this bar see? And this guy...well, he said some things-"
"He said he couldn't stand to be within ten inches of a witch lover," Charlie said, spitting. "Melanie of course sprang on the guy, who ended up saying she must be a witch too. Melanie's a spit fire, and a hell of a fighter-I should know. Girl gave me a few good black eyes growing up. But it didn't end well. Phillip and I got into it, and I told Tommy to take her home-"
"That girl was fighting till she lost so much blood she couldn't remain conscious. She took so many hits to the head-" Tommy made a disgusted face, and wiped the dirt from his cheek.
"Call a docta, Xylen! Now!"
**************************************************************************************************************
Spencer stared at Melanie cleaned up, and unconscious. She looked almost dead like that, not moving and so clean.
"There's honestly nothing wrong with her?"
"Not that I can tell," the doctor said to Charlie. "The bruising will go down slowly, and the cuts will heal. I do suspect the pain would be making her scream though. I can't understand how she's stayed asleep this whole time. Keep giving her the numbing medicine, but it won't do much good. What ever is numbing her now is doing worlds of good. She's so out of it, she can't even scream. Just let her lie there for a few days, she'll be fine."
Charlie stared pitifully as the doctor left.
"Now what?" Reid asked.
"Now," Charlie sighed,"all we can do is live."