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Description
Melody blinked her eyes once and looked again, but there was only darkness in her window. She stopped dead for a moment, blood running cold, as she debated if she had imagined the eyes. It wouldn't have been the first time she had seen things. Cautiously she walked towards the window, not making a noise with each step, and she looked out the glass. Her eyes adjusted and she used her natural night vision to enhance the darkness around her. Shapes emerged from the shadows, but nothing living or moving was out there. Eyes returning to normal vision, Melody opened her window and jumped to the ground. Her senses were still alert however and she could feel fire tingling in her body, ready to be released if there was any danger. Whispers of the night life drifted in the breeze. The moon was not out tonight, but it was carefully concealed by clouds and its glow could still illuminate the neighborhood. Melody used this light to guide her through the maze of all the perfect houses that surrounded her excuse for a home. She walked through the alleys, not wanting to draw attention to herself by walking by the streets and street lights for she knew it was well past curfew. Melody could feel her anger slowly starting to slip away with every echoed step she took. She took a deep breath of the revitalizing air and let it fill her lungs. Exhaling deeply, she felt the heat from frustration and the fire dissipate until only an empty peace filled her soul. It was a strange feeling to be at peace with the world and not feel anything, not happiness or sadness, not anger or calmness, but a just a void of feeling inside. Lost in the welcome numbness of her emotions, Melody did not notice the shadow that had begun to trail her. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled and shivers raced up and down Melodys arms. Her senses were telling her that she was being watched and her body was not normally wrong about these things. Melody willed herself to stay calm and she continued walking at the same comfortable rate, careful not to give any sign that she was aware of her follower. Melody turned as if to cut through a yard and she stopped abruptly by the fence, waiting for her stalker. As the figure cautiously rounded the corner she tackled them and as they collapsed on the ground she was quick to get on top of her assailant and pin their arms down, waiting for the fire to build up again.
"Stop Melody," the figure gasped as they tried to regain their breath, "it's me, Devan."
"Oh my god Devan," Melody said as she sighed with relief, "you scared the hell out of me."
Devan chuckled as he pushed Melody off her and climbed off the ground. "Damn you are strong, girl," he said as he still tried to catch his breath and pulled Melody to her feet.
"No, I'm just paranoid about people following me in the middle of the night," Melody laughed as she brushed the grass and twigs from her clothes.
"It's not exactly night anymore," Devan said, "it's five in the morning."
"Are you serious," Melody gasped and sure enough the early morning joggers were coming out of their faultless houses with their expensive running shoes and clothes so that they could show off their awesomeness to everyone in the neighborhood. As a rule, all the people who could afford not to work went on an early morning jog every morning.
"Sleeping is good, you should try it some time," Devan joked with a mischievous smile.
Melody laughed and said, "Let's go get coffee."
"You are addicted to that stuff," Devan said, but turned so that they began walking towards the nearby coffee shop.
"We weren't allowed caffeine in the prison," Melody whined, "so I went through coffee withdrawal."
Devan laughed as the sun began peaking over the rooftops. Peering curiously at Devan Melody said, "Don't you have to go inside?"
He looked over at the streams of light that were erasing the darkness and he laughed briefly and stepped directly into a spot where the sun had broken free over the trees. Melody gasped in shock as she watched him leap towards the very thing that was supposed to kill people like him, vampires, but she soon stood puzzled when Devan didn't turn into a pile of ash.
Skipping around in the sunlight Devan said, "It's just a myth that vampires can't go out in daylight. Most just choose not to because they like darkness better."
The neighbors stared at Devan as he continued skipping in the street along side Melody who was still walking on the sidewalk. They began whispering to each other at the sight of her. Melody sighed as she walked past them, hanging her head down low so that maybe they couldnt recognize her.
Noticing her silence, Devan asked while skipping, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Melody said, barely audible, and she increased her pace, "let's just hurry up."
Jumping in front of her, slightly panting from skipping, Devan said, "You are going to have to get used to people staring at you again. Just ignore it like I always do."
Melody continued walking rapidly, "I'm used to people staring at me. They had a glass window at the crazy house and people would just stare at us like we were wild animals or something. It's just that I don't like so many people knowing about me because I know that they are judging me."
Devan shrugged, "Give them the finger and tell them to fuck off. That's what I always do."
"And that usually gets you kicked out of places like the movies," Melody said with a smile of amusement as she thought back to later days.
"It's not my fault," he exclaimed, "people were staring at me so I told them to go to hell and leave me alone."
Melody shook her head, "You were running in front of the screen and throwing popcorn at everyone, of course they are going to stare at you."
"Oh yeah," Devan laughed as they reached the coffee shop.
With one sweeping motion he opened the glass double doors and held them for Melody to enter. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of coffee. Overall, the shop had mostly earthy colors with tan walls that were covered in paintings and photos that were for sale from customers. Melody had always loved to come in here and stare at the paintings and to dream that one day one of her pieces of art could be bought. Several small tables with black, wooden chairs were seated in the center along with one coffee table that stood two feet off the ground and was bordered by two, slightly worn brown couches. The workers greeted them cheerfully as Melody looked over the menu that was written in colorful chalk. Even the menu seemed to be a work of art with all of its swirls, stars, and decorations that surrounded the beautiful calligraphy of the writing.
Devan placed his elbows on the counter, not bothering to look at the menu, "One vanilla late please."
The girl behind the counter must not have been new and not familiar with Devan for she looked at him fearfully and stammered out to Melody, "Anything for you ma'am?"
Decisions here were always hard to make because she liked to drink all types of coffee and it was hard to choose just one thing or if she should try something new or get something she liked.
Sighing softly Melody replied, "Yes, can I have a caramel late with extra caramel please."
Reaching into her pockets for the money, Devan stopped her abruptly, "Don't worry about this. I'll buy you as much coffee as you want."
"Really," Melody said with a mischievous smile creeping onto her face.
One hour later Melody had gone through six coffee drinks and was working on her seventh, a hazelnut cappuccino.
"I feel wide awake now," she proclaimed as she took another drain from her cup.
Devan laughed as he finished only his third cup of coffee, "I think that is enough caffeine for you."
"Thanks a lot Devan," she said, "I feel so much better now."
Suddenly, Melody sat up in her seat while slapping her head, "Oh I forgot I was supposed to meet Ray today."
"That rhymed," Devan said, "why are you going to meet him?"
"I was actually going to invite you to come so that you guys could get to know each other better," Melody said as she decided not to tell him yet about inviting him to away with the rest of them, "we were going to visit Amara and see how she is doing alone."
Devan's face contorted into an expression of confusion, "Wait a second, did Ray get out too?"
"Oh yeah, I saw him last night when he came over," Melody said as she remembered why he had come over.
Taking a deep breath, she told Devan about Myra's new "holy" attraction with Ray's father. Like she promised Ray, she left out the part about his past with his father.
"That's got to be weird," Devan said slowly as he pondered the idea of his mom dating his best friend's father.
Melody said nothing, but stayed lost in thought as she watched the steam rise from her cup and disappear into the air.
"You never told me what you were doing up this morning," Devan said as he watched her, cautious to give her enough space.
Flashes of Myra's screaming face flashed in Melody's mind and Melody closed her eyes abruptly as if it would block out the painful memories. She opened her eyes and looked into Devan's concerned ones for a sudden moment as she said quickly, "I had a fight with Myra again."
"You just got back though," he exclaimed, "how can you already be fighting with her?"
Numbness began to leave Melody and in its place came sadness. "I'm trying my best, but it's so hard to keep everything inside. Every word that comes out of her mouth just brings me down further and you expect me to just sit there and let her destroy me?" Melody said grimly, "isn't it enough that my life has been shattered beyond repair, but she has to make it almost unbearable to live."
Devan got up from his seat and hugged Melody tightly, "There is always a reason to keep on living and I want you to always remember that."
He pulled back and wiped away a tear that was running down Melody's cheek as she nodded her head. The way he said those words to her seemed to spark a small glitter of hope left in her soul, but she could hear in his voice that it was really a plea. He was afraid for her.
"Now let's go meet Ray," he said and pulled her to her feet as if she was a feather.
Melody was silent as they walked towards the music shop that Ray worked in. Devan had learned long ago to respect Melody's privacy and to leave her alone when she wanted to be left alone. Melody squinted out at the bright city ahead, her eyes still unadjusted to sunlight, and the people in their daily routines. It was amusing to her how she could watch people and they would never even know it. All of these people had lives and stories that went along with them, but nobody else in the world gave a damn about them. Why should she be any different? Icy stares from strangers passing by stung at Melody and made her more self-conscious as they continued their journey. For a moment, Melody wished she could burn every inch of the city and watch the flames rise, consuming every person and everything. Their screams would fill the distance as they chocked on smoke, gasping for breath, and begged to be saved. Melody could see herself standing on the tallest building, watching the city lights burn, and she could hear herself laughing bitterly at the torture of the people who had caused her so much agony.
"We're here," Devan interrupted her thoughts.
The building before them was made of brown bricks and had a huge showcase window in the front that spanned the whole wall, but you couldn't see most of the inside of the store because so many band posters and stickers covered the window. The door was easy to open and a bell clinked somewhere that announced more customers, but it couldn't be heard over the music playing. Black paint covered the walls as well as a wall of guitars and basses that were on sale and many more posters. Rows of CDs filled the center with only one other person in the store, walking slowly through an aisle and looking carefully at the CDs. Ray was behind the black counter that was covered in dark purple mesh. He looked bored as he surveillanced the store, but seeing Melody he perked up and waved.
Jumping over the counter, he called out, "I'm done for the day."
Somewhere in the back room under a strobe light a voice replied, "See you later Ray."
Melody looked around longingly at the store, wanting to look through the new CDs that had come in since she had been gone, but knew that Amara was more important.
"So your name is Rayel?" Devan said as he read off Ray's nametag.
Looking down quickly, he took off the nametag and said, "Yeah, you have a problem with that?"
"Yes I believe I do," Devan said as he looked him up and down several times.
Ray moved closer, "You gonna do something about it?"
There was a significant height difference between the two of them with Ray being 4 inches taller than Devan and Devan was forced to tilt his head up to look at Ray in the eye. It wasn't that Devan was short because he was Melody's height and Melody was pretty tall for a girl at 5'7".
Devan's eyes flashed dangerously as he looked intensely at Ray, but then he broke out into a smile and said cheerfully, "No thanks I'm good."
Melody's lips parted into a small smile, she had known Devan was joking all along, but she hadn't been sure what Ray would do.
Ray stood for a moment, looking puzzled, but he too broke into a grin, "You're right Mel, this guy is cool."
"Duh," Devan said.
They walked towards Ray's car and all climbed in as Ray and Devan got to know each other. The ride to the mental hospital has a long one and Melody stared out at the scenery blurring past them. Watching the cars drive by made her sad, knowing that they were destroying the world with their pollution and that people didn't care. At least Ray had enough sense to get a hybrid to drive around and not conform and drive a gas-sucking, pollution-emitting SUV. Now that the sun had been out for a while it was hotter outside and waves of heat could be seen ahead. Out of the smog hazing in the distance, Melody saw an exit sign.
"Can we pull over real quick," she said.
Both of the boys jumped, startled that Melody had actually said something.
"Sure thing," Ray shrugged as he took the exit, "why?"
"I just need to go to the bathroom."
Nausea had been creeping into her stomach for the past 10 minutes and Melody knew what was coming. This always happened when she ate or drank too much. Ray promptly pulled over to the nearest run-down gas station and Melody burst out of the car. Walking quickly, she pushed open the grim-covered glass door and scanned over the aisles of food until she found the restrooms. Ignoring the clerk's forced cheerful greeting, she went towards the back and, after locking the door, collapsed neat the toilet. The brown cement floor looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages along with the toilet Melody was leaning over. The toilet moved as she pressed her palms against the seat to steady herself. Acid burned the back of her throat as she felt her stomach lurch dangerously. Eyes watering, she finally bent over and removed the contents of her stomach. Her head spun as she leaned back against the caked wall and drew her knees toward her chest. She took deep breaths until the feeling past. Shaking slightly as she stood, Melody wiped her mouth and checked herself in the mirror that had a crack running down the center of it. Like following a rule, it was also filthy like everything in the store. Now she saw why the neighbors stared, she looked like hell. Only two lights for the crammed bathroom worked and they cast an eerie glow on Melody's face. The crack on the mirror seemed to divide her reflection into two sides. One side of the mirror was illuminated from the light and made her already white face look porcelain white, as if there was no life left in it. While the other side was darker and she looked almost like a normal person
"The mirror is broken just like me," Melody thought as she continued staring at herself, "and just like me there are two different faces, the one that everyone chooses to see and the one that is inside of me, my true self. I sometimes wonder which part of me people truly love. The person I pretend to be, normal, or the one inside that is unique in its own beautiful way."
The taste of vomit clung to the insides of Melody's mouth and she decided to get something to drink.
Taking one last look at her infrared reflection, she whispered to herself, "How did I ever get like this?"
"Are you alright?" Devan inquired as she walked towards the coolers on the wall that held drinks.
Melody concentrated intently on the drink selection before her eyes as she replied, "You know how I get with food sometimes."
She grabbed a bottle of raspberry flavored water and walked towards the front desk.
"Let me get this," Devan demanded as he put a five dollar bill on the counter before Melody could argue.
"You don't have to pay for me," she rebelled, but inside she was grateful for Devan's generosity.
Myra never gave her any money so every bill she possessed was treasured.
"On the road again..." Devan sang as they all piled back in the car.
"How much longer?" Melody whined, "I'm not sure I can take much more of Devan's singing."
Checking the car clock, Ray replied, "About ten minutes."
Devan seemed unaffected by Melody's comment and, with the window rolled down, began belting out songs as loud as he could and received several stares from other drivers. Excitement started to build in Melody. Even though it had only been about a day, she felt like a part of her was missing without Amara. It was so unexpected that Ray has left as well that she was worried how Amara was reacting to the situation. The town began to look familiar and the taste of acid returned to her mouth as a nervous feeling replaced the pleasant one that had been there. A shadow was cast over the car as they approached the looming building. It was around five stories high, Melody had never thought it to be that big, and was painted a dull gray as if to blend in with the rest of the surrounding buildings and to perhaps hide the fact that steel bars placed on the outside of the windows. Everything around the place looked dead, including the trees that had gray leaves limply hanging on to their gray branches. Even the people that passed by looked dead.
"It looks like a prison," Devan gasped, his mouth agape, "or like some sort of torture chamber."
Melody and Ray were silent, but the pained expressions of their faces told Devan all he needed to know.
Entering through the sliding glass door, they were greeted by the rude secretary Devan had tricked, "Back so soon?"
Sharp points came inside Devan's mouth as his fangs reacted to the surge of anger he felt at the secretary for helping her helping to make Melody's life a living hell, but he gathered himself and pulled his fangs in.
Not up for taking crap from the girl, Melody leaned over the desk dangerously, staring directly into the terrified girl's eyes with her now red eyes, "We would like to visit Amara."
"I- I'm afraid that's not possible," the now petrified girl stammered.
"What are you talking about?" Ray exclaimed, causing his voice to echo on the white, tunnel-like halls, "she is our best friend and we have every right to care about her and want to visit her."
"She's gone," the girl said quietly.
A deafening silence filled the air as they followed the secretary down the familiar halls to Amara's old room. The three locks on the outside of the door that were standard for every room were unlocked, something that was not allowed under any circumstances, and the door swung freely open on its hinges to reveal the lifeless room.
"We don't know how she did it," the secretary said cautiously, afraid to further upset the ex-patients in her presence, "she is the first person in our history to have ever escaped."
"Escape?" Melody exclaimed, startling the girl with her outburst, "you said she was gone."
"She is gone," the girl insisted.
Melody began laughing, startling the girl even more and receiving a few looks as if she was crazy, and then she sighed a breath of relief. Amara wasn't dead, but she had managed to simply escape. Ray collapsed on the bed, placing his head in his hands, and took deep draughts of air as his body returned to normal and a smile crept on to his face.
"I can't believe she actually did it," Ray gasped as they returned to his car, "I thought it was impossible."
"Isn't there supposed to be high security in there or something?" Devan asked.
Relieving her parched mouth with the remains of her water, Melody answered, "There is supposed to be, but Amara must have found a loop-hole or something. I remember how we used to talk for hours about how we could escape, but we never found a way."
Devan then asked the question on everyone's mind, "So, if she is not here then where is she?"

Night had fallen fast the surrounding landscape and Amara squinted to read the lime green sign.
"Twenty-four more miles," she gasped as her breath fogged the chilly air.
Wind wipped around her thin, shivering body and rain pelted her from every direction. An exit sign was nearing ahead and Amara hoped that she could find shelter there from this sudden storm. Her hair flung around her face like a whip and she pulled the hood from the black sweatshirt she had borrowed from the mental hospital over head for the millionth time. Luckily, her backpack she had stored in her room along with her stash of personal objects was waterproof. Amara forced herself to walk quickly beside the road. Another green sign emerged from the darkness that surrounded her and Amara saw a hopeful beam of lights ahead. A bright yellow neon sign of a gas station soon came into focus and Amara burst through the doors, dripping water everywhere.
An alarmed store clerk looked up for a moment, surprised to see anyone at the store this late, and exclaimed, "Jesus, honey are you alright?"
The clerk was a large woman with a kind face, someone Amara could tell was a good person, and Amara nodded, slightly out of breath, to answer the courteous woman's question. Thirst and exhaustion over-whelmed Amara's frail body and she stumbled slightly down the aisles to where the water was kept. Luckily the water was cheap here and she grabbed two bottles, rushing to the front to pay. An entrancing smell filled Amara's senses and she looked wishfully at a batch of blueberry muffins under a glass showcase. She didn't have much money though and knew she had to conserve it. How long had it been since she had actually eaten? The taste of food was distant and foreign to her. Knowing deep in her heart that it was better for her not to eat, she tore her gaze away and reached back to fish some money out of her drenched backpack. When she turned to face the counter again, the woman was pushing the two bottles of water and a muffin to her.
"Take them deary, you like you need them."
Amara forced herself to smile gratefully and bit into the muffin. Sugar filled her mouth, entrancing her senses, and Amara forgot her morals and gulped down the long-desired food, savoring every bite. For a moment Amara felt nothing, but then her body gave a horrific lurch and, covering her mouth, Amara raced for the bathroom. Her body had gone without food for so long that the sudden consumption of it was forcing her body to reject it. Amara's body shook as she expelled the food into the depths of the toilet, both of her hands firmly grasping the seat to keep her from falling apart all together. After a moment of making sure it was all over, Amara pulled back and leaned against the tiled wall with tears streaming down her already-wet face. She felt weak and dizzy as she clutched her knees to her chest, gripping them tightly as if she was about to lose them. There was nowhere for her to go. Maybe she could just die here and end everything. End the constant pain she endured and end the torment from the past memories that plagued her. Biting her lip, Amara squinted her eyes shut as hot tears poured from them and tried to forget what had made her this way.

Beneath a layer of the silk waves of her hair, Amara watched the police search her house through the corner of her dark red eyes. The men in uniform whispered to each other and stared for a moment at Amara. The room was very dim, lit only by a small lamp across the room, and darkness seemed to drape over Amara and shield her from the police. Sighing heavily, the two policemen finally stopped staring and entered the next room through the open doorway to examine the body. Amara glared angrily at them, but didn't move from the corner she had barricaded herself in. A man wearing a suit approached her warily and, from his more formal appearance than the police officers, Amara knew he was a detective. He had thinning hair and the look of an old, wrinkled prune.
Kneeling down beside her he asked, "What's your name little girl?"
She hated being talked down to like a child and her opinion of the man began to rapidly decline.
"Amara," she said, barely parting her crimson lips to let the words escape and never taking her gaze off the floor.
"Okay Amara," the detective said, still using his condescending voice, "can you tell me what happened here tonight?"
Words seemed to fail her at that moment and, after several unsuccessful attempts to speak, Amara shook her head no.
"Then why are your clothes covered in blood?" the detective inquired.
She couldn't tell him the truth. How could she tell a stranger when she couldn't even tell her own mother?
"Because I found my father bleeding on the floor and tried to save him," she exclaimed, "are you trying to say I had something to do with this?"
The show Amara had performed was obviously convincing as the detective, desperate to maintain the image of him as her friend, stammered, "Of course not. I'm sorry for your loss and we are trying our hardest to find the person who did this."
"What is going on here?!" a woman yelled from the front entrance of the apartment.
"I am going to need for you to stand back ma'am," the detective stated as he rose, placing out a palm as if he could stop her from across the room.
"That's my little girl," the woman cried, ignoring the command completely and barging across the room.
The long coat of the woman swept around her like a blanket as she knelt down beside Amara. Only vague memories of her mother were available, but the deep crimson of the woman's eyes, that were identical to her own, was unforgettable.
"Are you alright darling?" the woman asked, reaching a white gloved hand to move a strand of Amara's hair away from her face, but Amara jumped back and glared, daring the woman to make another move.
Amara was getting quite irritated of being treated like a child when she was 15 years old.
"Are you going to take her?" the detective inquired, his voice no longer condescending and now full of importance and arrogance as he talked to a worthy adult.
Her mother nodded her perfectly straightened red head and extended her hand to Amara, "Let's take you home now honey."
Discarding the hand completely, Amara weakly pushed herself off the floor and started stumbling towards the door. This woman was a stranger to her, not a mother, and the house she was being moved away to would never be her home. Voices of the policemen blurred out in the distance as the bloody corpse came into view. The skin had been ripped apart savagely to reveal folds of muscle and organs, all wrapped together with strings of broken veins. The stench filled her nostrils and she could almost taste her father's rotting flesh on the tip of her mouth. Everything in the kitchen seemed to have been cast carelessly around and painted with his blood. No sorrow lingered in Amaras tense face. This man had caused her nothing but agony and his slaying, no matter how brutal, did not bring her to pity him. A warm hand startled Amara and broke her gaze.
"We better get going honey, you've had a long night," her mother's voice said from behind her.
Silently, Amara followed the slim shadow of her mother until they reached the outside world. Pale moonlight enveloped her with its radiance and a small amount of peace filled Amara's mind. It seemed a crime that such a morbid event was to happen on such a perfect night. Not even the usual traffic that filled the street outside the stories of over-crowded apartments were out and the only sound that could be heard was the faint rustling of leaves from the calm midnight breeze that swept through. A strange affection for the night had always filled Amara and now was no exception. She hadn't left the apartment in days and it felt good to be outside and be able to freely breathe again. Amara watched her mother walk towards the largest and the most expensive car she had ever seen.
"Hurry up," she said as she opened the door and let herself into the driver's seat.
Amara nervously opened the passenger door and slid in. She couldn't remember any time she had ridden in a car.
"It's a long drive out to where I live," her mother said as the engine started, "so if you need anything then just tell me and I'll pull over." When Amara said nothing in response, she tried again, "I know it's been a rough night for you, but I want you to know I am going to try my best to be the mother you need now."
"You are a stranger to me," Amara breathed, "you come here after pretending I don't exist for 15 years and you expect everything to work out and be fine. A mother is supposed to be there for her child, but you never were."
"Your father never let me see you," she yelled. "My name is Dalania," she said after an awkward silence, "now we aren't strangers anymore."
Days without sleep finally caught up to Amara and her eyes closed against her will as the car began to move. Knowing what to expect, Amara braced herself. Screams conquered her dreams. Flashing lights, clothes ripping, helpless against his strength. Pain flooding over her. Tears burning as she cried for it to her stop. His hands touching her, grabbing her. On the bed, in shame, his voice saying it was it her fault. No, her voice. What if all the skin on her body could go away? Would he be able to grab her still? Hurt her? Or could she just disappear completely?

Description
Melody blinked her eyes once and looked again, but there was only darkness in her window. She stopped dead for a moment, blood running cold, as she debated if she had imagined the eyes. It wouldn't have been the first time she had seen things. Cautiously she walked towards the window, not making a noise with each step, and she looked out the glass. Her eyes adjusted and she used her natural night vision to enhance the darkness around her. Shapes emerged from the shadows, but nothing living or moving was out there. Eyes returning to normal vision, Melody opened her window and jumped to the ground. Her senses were still alert however and she could feel fire tingling in her body, ready to be released if there was any danger. Whispers of the night life drifted in the breeze. The moon was not out tonight, but it was carefully concealed by clouds and its glow could still illuminate the neighborhood. Melody used this light to guide her through the maze of all the perfect houses that surrounded her excuse for a home. She walked through the alleys, not wanting to draw attention to herself by walking by the streets and street lights for she knew it was well past curfew. Melody could feel her anger slowly starting to slip away with every echoed step she took. She took a deep breath of the revitalizing air and let it fill her lungs. Exhaling deeply, she felt the heat from frustration and the fire dissipate until only an empty peace filled her soul. It was a strange feeling to be at peace with the world and not feel anything, not happiness or sadness, not anger or calmness, but a just a void of feeling inside. Lost in the welcome numbness of her emotions, Melody did not notice the shadow that had begun to trail her. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled and shivers raced up and down Melodys arms. Her senses were telling her that she was being watched and her body was not normally wrong about these things. Melody willed herself to stay calm and she continued walking at the same comfortable rate, careful not to give any sign that she was aware of her follower. Melody turned as if to cut through a yard and she stopped abruptly by the fence, waiting for her stalker. As the figure cautiously rounded the corner she tackled them and as they collapsed on the ground she was quick to get on top of her assailant and pin their arms down, waiting for the fire to build up again.
"Stop Melody," the figure gasped as they tried to regain their breath, "it's me, Devan."
"Oh my god Devan," Melody said as she sighed with relief, "you scared the hell out of me."
Devan chuckled as he pushed Melody off her and climbed off the ground. "Damn you are strong, girl," he said as he still tried to catch his breath and pulled Melody to her feet.
"No, I'm just paranoid about people following me in the middle of the night," Melody laughed as she brushed the grass and twigs from her clothes.
"It's not exactly night anymore," Devan said, "it's five in the morning."
"Are you serious," Melody gasped and sure enough the early morning joggers were coming out of their faultless houses with their expensive running shoes and clothes so that they could show off their awesomeness to everyone in the neighborhood. As a rule, all the people who could afford not to work went on an early morning jog every morning.
"Sleeping is good, you should try it some time," Devan joked with a mischievous smile.
Melody laughed and said, "Let's go get coffee."
"You are addicted to that stuff," Devan said, but turned so that they began walking towards the nearby coffee shop.
"We weren't allowed caffeine in the prison," Melody whined, "so I went through coffee withdrawal."
Devan laughed as the sun began peaking over the rooftops. Peering curiously at Devan Melody said, "Don't you have to go inside?"
He looked over at the streams of light that were erasing the darkness and he laughed briefly and stepped directly into a spot where the sun had broken free over the trees. Melody gasped in shock as she watched him leap towards the very thing that was supposed to kill people like him, vampires, but she soon stood puzzled when Devan didn't turn into a pile of ash.
Skipping around in the sunlight Devan said, "It's just a myth that vampires can't go out in daylight. Most just choose not to because they like darkness better."
The neighbors stared at Devan as he continued skipping in the street along side Melody who was still walking on the sidewalk. They began whispering to each other at the sight of her. Melody sighed as she walked past them, hanging her head down low so that maybe they couldnt recognize her.
Noticing her silence, Devan asked while skipping, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Melody said, barely audible, and she increased her pace, "let's just hurry up."
Jumping in front of her, slightly panting from skipping, Devan said, "You are going to have to get used to people staring at you again. Just ignore it like I always do."
Melody continued walking rapidly, "I'm used to people staring at me. They had a glass window at the crazy house and people would just stare at us like we were wild animals or something. It's just that I don't like so many people knowing about me because I know that they are judging me."
Devan shrugged, "Give them the finger and tell them to fuck off. That's what I always do."
"And that usually gets you kicked out of places like the movies," Melody said with a smile of amusement as she thought back to later days.
"It's not my fault," he exclaimed, "people were staring at me so I told them to go to hell and leave me alone."
Melody shook her head, "You were running in front of the screen and throwing popcorn at everyone, of course they are going to stare at you."
"Oh yeah," Devan laughed as they reached the coffee shop.
With one sweeping motion he opened the glass double doors and held them for Melody to enter. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of coffee. Overall, the shop had mostly earthy colors with tan walls that were covered in paintings and photos that were for sale from customers. Melody had always loved to come in here and stare at the paintings and to dream that one day one of her pieces of art could be bought. Several small tables with black, wooden chairs were seated in the center along with one coffee table that stood two feet off the ground and was bordered by two, slightly worn brown couches. The workers greeted them cheerfully as Melody looked over the menu that was written in colorful chalk. Even the menu seemed to be a work of art with all of its swirls, stars, and decorations that surrounded the beautiful calligraphy of the writing.
Devan placed his elbows on the counter, not bothering to look at the menu, "One vanilla late please."
The girl behind the counter must not have been new and not familiar with Devan for she looked at him fearfully and stammered out to Melody, "Anything for you ma'am?"
Decisions here were always hard to make because she liked to drink all types of coffee and it was hard to choose just one thing or if she should try something new or get something she liked.
Sighing softly Melody replied, "Yes, can I have a caramel late with extra caramel please."
Reaching into her pockets for the money, Devan stopped her abruptly, "Don't worry about this. I'll buy you as much coffee as you want."
"Really," Melody said with a mischievous smile creeping onto her face.
One hour later Melody had gone through six coffee drinks and was working on her seventh, a hazelnut cappuccino.
"I feel wide awake now," she proclaimed as she took another drain from her cup.
Devan laughed as he finished only his third cup of coffee, "I think that is enough caffeine for you."
"Thanks a lot Devan," she said, "I feel so much better now."
Suddenly, Melody sat up in her seat while slapping her head, "Oh I forgot I was supposed to meet Ray today."
"That rhymed," Devan said, "why are you going to meet him?"
"I was actually going to invite you to come so that you guys could get to know each other better," Melody said as she decided not to tell him yet about inviting him to away with the rest of them, "we were going to visit Amara and see how she is doing alone."
Devan's face contorted into an expression of confusion, "Wait a second, did Ray get out too?"
"Oh yeah, I saw him last night when he came over," Melody said as she remembered why he had come over.
Taking a deep breath, she told Devan about Myra's new "holy" attraction with Ray's father. Like she promised Ray, she left out the part about his past with his father.
"That's got to be weird," Devan said slowly as he pondered the idea of his mom dating his best friend's father.
Melody said nothing, but stayed lost in thought as she watched the steam rise from her cup and disappear into the air.
"You never told me what you were doing up this morning," Devan said as he watched her, cautious to give her enough space.
Flashes of Myra's screaming face flashed in Melody's mind and Melody closed her eyes abruptly as if it would block out the painful memories. She opened her eyes and looked into Devan's concerned ones for a sudden moment as she said quickly, "I had a fight with Myra again."
"You just got back though," he exclaimed, "how can you already be fighting with her?"
Numbness began to leave Melody and in its place came sadness. "I'm trying my best, but it's so hard to keep everything inside. Every word that comes out of her mouth just brings me down further and you expect me to just sit there and let her destroy me?" Melody said grimly, "isn't it enough that my life has been shattered beyond repair, but she has to make it almost unbearable to live."
Devan got up from his seat and hugged Melody tightly, "There is always a reason to keep on living and I want you to always remember that."
He pulled back and wiped away a tear that was running down Melody's cheek as she nodded her head. The way he said those words to her seemed to spark a small glitter of hope left in her soul, but she could hear in his voice that it was really a plea. He was afraid for her.
"Now let's go meet Ray," he said and pulled her to her feet as if she was a feather.
Melody was silent as they walked towards the music shop that Ray worked in. Devan had learned long ago to respect Melody's privacy and to leave her alone when she wanted to be left alone. Melody squinted out at the bright city ahead, her eyes still unadjusted to sunlight, and the people in their daily routines. It was amusing to her how she could watch people and they would never even know it. All of these people had lives and stories that went along with them, but nobody else in the world gave a damn about them. Why should she be any different? Icy stares from strangers passing by stung at Melody and made her more self-conscious as they continued their journey. For a moment, Melody wished she could burn every inch of the city and watch the flames rise, consuming every person and everything. Their screams would fill the distance as they chocked on smoke, gasping for breath, and begged to be saved. Melody could see herself standing on the tallest building, watching the city lights burn, and she could hear herself laughing bitterly at the torture of the people who had caused her so much agony.
"We're here," Devan interrupted her thoughts.
The building before them was made of brown bricks and had a huge showcase window in the front that spanned the whole wall, but you couldn't see most of the inside of the store because so many band posters and stickers covered the window. The door was easy to open and a bell clinked somewhere that announced more customers, but it couldn't be heard over the music playing. Black paint covered the walls as well as a wall of guitars and basses that were on sale and many more posters. Rows of CDs filled the center with only one other person in the store, walking slowly through an aisle and looking carefully at the CDs. Ray was behind the black counter that was covered in dark purple mesh. He looked bored as he surveillanced the store, but seeing Melody he perked up and waved.
Jumping over the counter, he called out, "I'm done for the day."
Somewhere in the back room under a strobe light a voice replied, "See you later Ray."
Melody looked around longingly at the store, wanting to look through the new CDs that had come in since she had been gone, but knew that Amara was more important.
"So your name is Rayel?" Devan said as he read off Ray's nametag.
Looking down quickly, he took off the nametag and said, "Yeah, you have a problem with that?"
"Yes I believe I do," Devan said as he looked him up and down several times.
Ray moved closer, "You gonna do something about it?"
There was a significant height difference between the two of them with Ray being 4 inches taller than Devan and Devan was forced to tilt his head up to look at Ray in the eye. It wasn't that Devan was short because he was Melody's height and Melody was pretty tall for a girl at 5'7".
Devan's eyes flashed dangerously as he looked intensely at Ray, but then he broke out into a smile and said cheerfully, "No thanks I'm good."
Melody's lips parted into a small smile, she had known Devan was joking all along, but she hadn't been sure what Ray would do.
Ray stood for a moment, looking puzzled, but he too broke into a grin, "You're right Mel, this guy is cool."
"Duh," Devan said.
They walked towards Ray's car and all climbed in as Ray and Devan got to know each other. The ride to the mental hospital has a long one and Melody stared out at the scenery blurring past them. Watching the cars drive by made her sad, knowing that they were destroying the world with their pollution and that people didn't care. At least Ray had enough sense to get a hybrid to drive around and not conform and drive a gas-sucking, pollution-emitting SUV. Now that the sun had been out for a while it was hotter outside and waves of heat could be seen ahead. Out of the smog hazing in the distance, Melody saw an exit sign.
"Can we pull over real quick," she said.
Both of the boys jumped, startled that Melody had actually said something.
"Sure thing," Ray shrugged as he took the exit, "why?"
"I just need to go to the bathroom."
Nausea had been creeping into her stomach for the past 10 minutes and Melody knew what was coming. This always happened when she ate or drank too much. Ray promptly pulled over to the nearest run-down gas station and Melody burst out of the car. Walking quickly, she pushed open the grim-covered glass door and scanned over the aisles of food until she found the restrooms. Ignoring the clerk's forced cheerful greeting, she went towards the back and, after locking the door, collapsed neat the toilet. The brown cement floor looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages along with the toilet Melody was leaning over. The toilet moved as she pressed her palms against the seat to steady herself. Acid burned the back of her throat as she felt her stomach lurch dangerously. Eyes watering, she finally bent over and removed the contents of her stomach. Her head spun as she leaned back against the caked wall and drew her knees toward her chest. She took deep breaths until the feeling past. Shaking slightly as she stood, Melody wiped her mouth and checked herself in the mirror that had a crack running down the center of it. Like following a rule, it was also filthy like everything in the store. Now she saw why the neighbors stared, she looked like hell. Only two lights for the crammed bathroom worked and they cast an eerie glow on Melody's face. The crack on the mirror seemed to divide her reflection into two sides. One side of the mirror was illuminated from the light and made her already white face look porcelain white, as if there was no life left in it. While the other side was darker and she looked almost like a normal person
"The mirror is broken just like me," Melody thought as she continued staring at herself, "and just like me there are two different faces, the one that everyone chooses to see and the one that is inside of me, my true self. I sometimes wonder which part of me people truly love. The person I pretend to be, normal, or the one inside that is unique in its own beautiful way."
The taste of vomit clung to the insides of Melody's mouth and she decided to get something to drink.
Taking one last look at her infrared reflection, she whispered to herself, "How did I ever get like this?"
"Are you alright?" Devan inquired as she walked towards the coolers on the wall that held drinks.
Melody concentrated intently on the drink selection before her eyes as she replied, "You know how I get with food sometimes."
She grabbed a bottle of raspberry flavored water and walked towards the front desk.
"Let me get this," Devan demanded as he put a five dollar bill on the counter before Melody could argue.
"You don't have to pay for me," she rebelled, but inside she was grateful for Devan's generosity.
Myra never gave her any money so every bill she possessed was treasured.
"On the road again..." Devan sang as they all piled back in the car.
"How much longer?" Melody whined, "I'm not sure I can take much more of Devan's singing."
Checking the car clock, Ray replied, "About ten minutes."
Devan seemed unaffected by Melody's comment and, with the window rolled down, began belting out songs as loud as he could and received several stares from other drivers. Excitement started to build in Melody. Even though it had only been about a day, she felt like a part of her was missing without Amara. It was so unexpected that Ray has left as well that she was worried how Amara was reacting to the situation. The town began to look familiar and the taste of acid returned to her mouth as a nervous feeling replaced the pleasant one that had been there. A shadow was cast over the car as they approached the looming building. It was around five stories high, Melody had never thought it to be that big, and was painted a dull gray as if to blend in with the rest of the surrounding buildings and to perhaps hide the fact that steel bars placed on the outside of the windows. Everything around the place looked dead, including the trees that had gray leaves limply hanging on to their gray branches. Even the people that passed by looked dead.
"It looks like a prison," Devan gasped, his mouth agape, "or like some sort of torture chamber."
Melody and Ray were silent, but the pained expressions of their faces told Devan all he needed to know.
Entering through the sliding glass door, they were greeted by the rude secretary Devan had tricked, "Back so soon?"
Sharp points came inside Devan's mouth as his fangs reacted to the surge of anger he felt at the secretary for helping her helping to make Melody's life a living hell, but he gathered himself and pulled his fangs in.
Not up for taking crap from the girl, Melody leaned over the desk dangerously, staring directly into the terrified girl's eyes with her now red eyes, "We would like to visit Amara."
"I- I'm afraid that's not possible," the now petrified girl stammered.
"What are you talking about?" Ray exclaimed, causing his voice to echo on the white, tunnel-like halls, "she is our best friend and we have every right to care about her and want to visit her."
"She's gone," the girl said quietly.
A deafening silence filled the air as they followed the secretary down the familiar halls to Amara's old room. The three locks on the outside of the door that were standard for every room were unlocked, something that was not allowed under any circumstances, and the door swung freely open on its hinges to reveal the lifeless room.
"We don't know how she did it," the secretary said cautiously, afraid to further upset the ex-patients in her presence, "she is the first person in our history to have ever escaped."
"Escape?" Melody exclaimed, startling the girl with her outburst, "you said she was gone."
"She is gone," the girl insisted.
Melody began laughing, startling the girl even more and receiving a few looks as if she was crazy, and then she sighed a breath of relief. Amara wasn't dead, but she had managed to simply escape. Ray collapsed on the bed, placing his head in his hands, and took deep draughts of air as his body returned to normal and a smile crept on to his face.
"I can't believe she actually did it," Ray gasped as they returned to his car, "I thought it was impossible."
"Isn't there supposed to be high security in there or something?" Devan asked.
Relieving her parched mouth with the remains of her water, Melody answered, "There is supposed to be, but Amara must have found a loop-hole or something. I remember how we used to talk for hours about how we could escape, but we never found a way."
Devan then asked the question on everyone's mind, "So, if she is not here then where is she?"

Night had fallen fast the surrounding landscape and Amara squinted to read the lime green sign.
"Twenty-four more miles," she gasped as her breath fogged the chilly air.
Wind wipped around her thin, shivering body and rain pelted her from every direction. An exit sign was nearing ahead and Amara hoped that she could find shelter there from this sudden storm. Her hair flung around her face like a whip and she pulled the hood from the black sweatshirt she had borrowed from the mental hospital over head for the millionth time. Luckily, her backpack she had stored in her room along with her stash of personal objects was waterproof. Amara forced herself to walk quickly beside the road. Another green sign emerged from the darkness that surrounded her and Amara saw a hopeful beam of lights ahead. A bright yellow neon sign of a gas station soon came into focus and Amara burst through the doors, dripping water everywhere.
An alarmed store clerk looked up for a moment, surprised to see anyone at the store this late, and exclaimed, "Jesus, honey are you alright?"
The clerk was a large woman with a kind face, someone Amara could tell was a good person, and Amara nodded, slightly out of breath, to answer the courteous woman's question. Thirst and exhaustion over-whelmed Amara's frail body and she stumbled slightly down the aisles to where the water was kept. Luckily the water was cheap here and she grabbed two bottles, rushing to the front to pay. An entrancing smell filled Amara's senses and she looked wishfully at a batch of blueberry muffins under a glass showcase. She didn't have much money though and knew she had to conserve it. How long had it been since she had actually eaten? The taste of food was distant and foreign to her. Knowing deep in her heart that it was better for her not to eat, she tore her gaze away and reached back to fish some money out of her drenched backpack. When she turned to face the counter again, the woman was pushing the two bottles of water and a muffin to her.
"Take them deary, you like you need them."
Amara forced herself to smile gratefully and bit into the muffin. Sugar filled her mouth, entrancing her senses, and Amara forgot her morals and gulped down the long-desired food, savoring every bite. For a moment Amara felt nothing, but then her body gave a horrific lurch and, covering her mouth, Amara raced for the bathroom. Her body had gone without food for so long that the sudden consumption of it was forcing her body to reject it. Amara's body shook as she expelled the food into the depths of the toilet, both of her hands firmly grasping the seat to keep her from falling apart all together. After a moment of making sure it was all over, Amara pulled back and leaned against the tiled wall with tears streaming down her already-wet face. She felt weak and dizzy as she clutched her knees to her chest, gripping them tightly as if she was about to lose them. There was nowhere for her to go. Maybe she could just die here and end everything. End the constant pain she endured and end the torment from the past memories that plagued her. Biting her lip, Amara squinted her eyes shut as hot tears poured from them and tried to forget what had made her this way.

Beneath a layer of the silk waves of her hair, Amara watched the police search her house through the corner of her dark red eyes. The men in uniform whispered to each other and stared for a moment at Amara. The room was very dim, lit only by a small lamp across the room, and darkness seemed to drape over Amara and shield her from the police. Sighing heavily, the two policemen finally stopped staring and entered the next room through the open doorway to examine the body. Amara glared angrily at them, but didn't move from the corner she had barricaded herself in. A man wearing a suit approached her warily and, from his more formal appearance than the police officers, Amara knew he was a detective. He had thinning hair and the look of an old, wrinkled prune.
Kneeling down beside her he asked, "What's your name little girl?"
She hated being talked down to like a child and her opinion of the man began to rapidly decline.
"Amara," she said, barely parting her crimson lips to let the words escape and never taking her gaze off the floor.
"Okay Amara," the detective said, still using his condescending voice, "can you tell me what happened here tonight?"
Words seemed to fail her at that moment and, after several unsuccessful attempts to speak, Amara shook her head no.
"Then why are your clothes covered in blood?" the detective inquired.
She couldn't tell him the truth. How could she tell a stranger when she couldn't even tell her own mother?
"Because I found my father bleeding on the floor and tried to save him," she exclaimed, "are you trying to say I had something to do with this?"
The show Amara had performed was obviously convincing as the detective, desperate to maintain the image of him as her friend, stammered, "Of course not. I'm sorry for your loss and we are trying our hardest to find the person who did this."
"What is going on here?!" a woman yelled from the front entrance of the apartment.
"I am going to need for you to stand back ma'am," the detective stated as he rose, placing out a palm as if he could stop her from across the room.
"That's my little girl," the woman cried, ignoring the command completely and barging across the room.
The long coat of the woman swept around her like a blanket as she knelt down beside Amara. Only vague memories of her mother were available, but the deep crimson of the woman's eyes, that were identical to her own, was unforgettable.
"Are you alright darling?" the woman asked, reaching a white gloved hand to move a strand of Amara's hair away from her face, but Amara jumped back and glared, daring the woman to make another move.
Amara was getting quite irritated of being treated like a child when she was 15 years old.
"Are you going to take her?" the detective inquired, his voice no longer condescending and now full of importance and arrogance as he talked to a worthy adult.
Her mother nodded her perfectly straightened red head and extended her hand to Amara, "Let's take you home now honey."
Discarding the hand completely, Amara weakly pushed herself off the floor and started stumbling towards the door. This woman was a stranger to her, not a mother, and the house she was being moved away to would never be her home. Voices of the policemen blurred out in the distance as the bloody corpse came into view. The skin had been ripped apart savagely to reveal folds of muscle and organs, all wrapped together with strings of broken veins. The stench filled her nostrils and she could almost taste her father's rotting flesh on the tip of her mouth. Everything in the kitchen seemed to have been cast carelessly around and painted with his blood. No sorrow lingered in Amaras tense face. This man had caused her nothing but agony and his slaying, no matter how brutal, did not bring her to pity him. A warm hand startled Amara and broke her gaze.
"We better get going honey, you've had a long night," her mother's voice said from behind her.
Silently, Amara followed the slim shadow of her mother until they reached the outside world. Pale moonlight enveloped her with its radiance and a small amount of peace filled Amara's mind. It seemed a crime that such a morbid event was to happen on such a perfect night. Not even the usual traffic that filled the street outside the stories of over-crowded apartments were out and the only sound that could be heard was the faint rustling of leaves from the calm midnight breeze that swept through. A strange affection for the night had always filled Amara and now was no exception. She hadn't left the apartment in days and it felt good to be outside and be able to freely breathe again. Amara watched her mother walk towards the largest and the most expensive car she had ever seen.
"Hurry up," she said as she opened the door and let herself into the driver's seat.
Amara nervously opened the passenger door and slid in. She couldn't remember any time she had ridden in a car.
"It's a long drive out to where I live," her mother said as the engine started, "so if you need anything then just tell me and I'll pull over." When Amara said nothing in response, she tried again, "I know it's been a rough night for you, but I want you to know I am going to try my best to be the mother you need now."
"You are a stranger to me," Amara breathed, "you come here after pretending I don't exist for 15 years and you expect everything to work out and be fine. A mother is supposed to be there for her child, but you never were."
"Your father never let me see you," she yelled. "My name is Dalania," she said after an awkward silence, "now we aren't strangers anymore."
Days without sleep finally caught up to Amara and her eyes closed against her will as the car began to move. Knowing what to expect, Amara braced herself. Screams conquered her dreams. Flashing lights, clothes ripping, helpless against his strength. Pain flooding over her. Tears burning as she cried for it to her stop. His hands touching her, grabbing her. On the bed, in shame, his voice saying it was it her fault. No, her voice. What if all the skin on her body could go away? Would he be able to grab her still? Hurt her? Or could she just disappear completely?