Chapter 11. Her twin

MELODY'S Point of View.

Seth had already explained everything to me over the phone but right now staring at Westonia's Award-winning songwriter for the last four years in a row, the realization finally started to sink in.

I arrived early at the Taj Lila restaurant by the riverside, the tea there was personally concocted by a famous Medallion. It had healing and replenishing properties, perfect for a group of lyric seekers like us.

I stared outside the window, waiting for her arrival.

The evening breeze stirred shadows into the river turning the water from sapphire to deep indigo.

I stood up when I sighted a lady matching the description in Seth's text message. She flashed an engaging smile as she made her way over to me, something quite uncommon if compared to other immortals. They're mostly callous and prefer to keep to themselves.

"Melody, right?"

"Yes, it's an honor to meet you Miss Seiko."

"No, it's an honor to meet you Melody, I've owed his highness a favor for a long time, this is even too little to pay him back."

I wondered if I sounded as bemused as I felt. I had forgotten that to everyone else my boyfriend was the crown prince.

"His highness had already sent me the song, so we are just going to delve into the lyric formation."

She said kindly, she snapped her fingers and a laptop and a few other things I presumed she needed materialized on the table.

The waiter served a few minutes afterwards.

"Now, let's begin."

***

SETH'S Point of view

"Thank you so much!"

Melody jumped looping her arm around my neck, she halted the hug and claimed my lips. I felt a tingle down my spine. The kiss was wet and warm, I could feel the softness of her lips moving slowly over mine. She pulled away after a few seconds, pink-cheeked and breathless.

After a month it was finally the last day of the exams. Tiger had informed me that everything had gone well with his Mom and Melody.

"Tomorrow everyone's gonna be heading home."

I stated as I held the door open for her to enter the car.

"Don't worry I'll be around till Sunday morning."

I haven't heard Melody mention anything about home or her Mom since the day she moved into the campus. I wondered if I should ask or not.

"Aren't you going home? thanksgiving is a few days away."

She shrugged, there wasn't any visible emotion I could read on her face.

"I'm not sure if I'll go home."

She sighed heavily.

"But..."

I left the word dangling like a clue until understanding dawned in my eyes.

"Does that mean that you weren't staying with them even before you moved in?"

She nodded. Her disposition had changed, she seemed even more downhearted after I asked. I probably shouldn't have asked but I'm sure she wouldn't have told me if I hadn't shown interest.

I decided to leave the subject, she'd tell me if she wants me to know. She adjusted the seatbelt as I made a sharp turn.

"It's been a few years since I last saw my Mom in person, I usually just call to check up on her and my sister during the holidays."

I glanced at her briefly, she seemed less sullen, tracing hearts on the dew that smoked the window on her side.

I wanted to ask why but she soon continued.

"It's not that we don't really get along, it's just there are reasons why I can't go back there, that place was hell for me as a child."

She pressed her eyes shut.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

Her voice was lower.

"The red moon night is on the 23rd."

Melody turned to me, wide-eyed. For a vampire, the red moon was like Nirvana in fire for a phoenix. Burning hurts like hell but after being reborn from the ashes they are stronger, fervid and over a hundred times more omnipotent.

Melody reached in for a side hug before I dropped her off.

***

PROSE MODE.

Felicy sat glued to the couch, binge-watching all the episodes of her favorite romantic comedy she'd missed during the exams.

The doorbell rang. She scurried towards the door and opened it. She stared at the intruder who was apparently a carbon copy of her golden locked roomie.

"Hi, is this Melody's room?"

Melanie asked with a simpering expression. Felicy opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Melody had mentioned having a sister but she forgot to add the most important part.

The only visible difference between them would be that Melody had blue eyes, while she appeared to have no iris.

Black eyes?

Those were usually associated with gargoyles or ghouls.

Felicy finally found her voice.

"A-re you guys twins?"

She sputtered failing to hide her shock.

"Yeah, please can you tell her I'm here."

"Sure, come in."

"Melody, Melanie's here."

Felicy crowed, she'd have to watch the rest on her laptop. Melody was still packing up, hearing that Melanie was here upset her more than she thought it would. She hissed, walking into the living room.

"Melanie, why are you here?"

Melody asked, arms crossed. Melanie stood up, trotting over to her, arms outstretched.

"Don't touch me, I asked why you're here?"

Melody took a step back.

"Mother misses you, she wants to see you."

Melanie watched as her sister's expression changed from sadness to one filled with contempt.

"She has never come to see me, so why should I come running home just because she asked me to?"

Melody wasn't ready for this, she had a lot to pack and very little time left. She wanted to make plans for a date with Seth tomorrow, a little thank you gift for being so patient with her.

"Melody you know how our stepfather is, he'd throw her out if he found out."

Melody was seething now.

"Your stepfather not mine, he adopted you, not me!"

She swirled around heading to her room, she didn't dislike Melanie but she couldn't stand the fact that their Mother had chosen between them.

"Please, come see Mom, please I beg of you."

She stopped at the door of her room.

"Now, she wants me? Did she forget that she chose you over me when she married that sorry excuse for a husband? He could only take one of us in cuz that useless piece of shit didn't want children that weren't his."

"I came all this way and searched for you, please come back with me."

Melanie implored, her voice shaking, she'd really missed her older sister, her fragile nature didn't predict her sister would be this cold.

"Go away."

Melody muttered, she avoided looking her in the eye. Melanie didn't budge, she let the tears that had been pricking her eyeballs fall. Melody's tears were falling too, it's been eight years since they last spoke face to face, she'd almost forgotten how much Melanie's emotions affected hers.

"You lived a good life with Mum while I was just drifting from one caretaker to another, I worked hard just to pay for a roof over my head, the only reason I can afford to study here is because of this scholarship. Mom thought I'd be safe in Uncle Christopher's hands, but he soon passed away, Aunt Anneliese got rid of me right away and Uncle Roger almost raped me!"

Melody broke out, her nails digging dangerously into her palm. Hot tears cascaded down her face.

"Stepfather was equally as ruthless, my growing up wasn't that colorful either."

Melanie stated, gathering back her composure, she wiped her eyes with the back of her palm.

"This isn't about us, it's about Mom. She still has your shawl from so many years ago. I wouldn't have come all the way here unless she really needed to see you, please sis, come back with me."

***

Seth was in the gym. Tiger had prepped him for over four hours about how much he'd lost his muscle mass. He started on the treadmill when his ringtone blared from across the room. He grabbed his towel and picked it up.

"Hey, babe."

Melody chewed on her nails, where should she even begin?

"I've decided I'll be going home for Christmas."

She said flatly.

"Today's the twentieth, are you gonna be gone till the new year?"

"No, I'll be back in a couple of days but I'm leaving today."

"Oh, are you at the train station already?"

"No, my train leaves in an hour and a half."

"Want me to drop you off?"

"Sure."

***

On the 23rd, Melanie took Melody to the Hatchanova residence. They'd moved from the estate that she was familiar with. Mrs. Hatchanova was in the kitchen.

"Melanie dear, are you home?"

"Yeah Mom, and I brought someone with me."

She replied leading Melody to where the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked chicken thighs, potatoes and gravy with flour tortillas wafted through the screens.

She swirled around to see her eldest daughter.

"Melody."

She called softly, wrapping her arms around her.

"Oh, I've missed you dear, so, so much."

She said stroking her daughter's hair.

Melody didn't know what to feel.

Anger? Resentment? Happiness?

"Come dear, please join us for lunch."

***

SETH'S Point of view

It was the red moon night.

Twelve dreadful hours of agonizing pain and silent torment for every bloodsucker on the face of the planet.

It began slow and eerily.

I always felt the beginning of the moon blending into the blood-stained sky with a sudden itchy feeling at the tip of my fangs.

My room had already been stocked with blood bags.

A vampire who's exposed to this flaring pain at the base of their throat lacking blood, could tear into anything with a pulse just to somehow relive the dull ache intensifying with time.

I lurched for the first blood bag, piercing it with my nails that had overgrown under the moon's influence, emptying its contents down my throat. I'd always wondered why our transformations were so daunting. We grow stronger because of it, but the gut-wrenching sensation that causes it is almost unbearable.

My Mom could only numb it every three hours because the darkness feeds the pain all the more. Soteria had once told me how Dad's was so much more appalling than mine.

I writhed, curling my fingers unknowingly to ease the painful rigidness.

Then came the brief minutes when the pain subsides, but then it returns with twice its momentum hurling me across the floor, screaming blue murder. I caught my breath. I'm glad Melody couldn't see me like this, I reached for another pint. Blood could numb the pain for about fourteen minutes. But if you take blood every fourteen minutes, the pain will only grow immune to it and cancel out its soothing effect.

Open-eyed, unfixed gaze, unblinking.

I laid on the cold floorboards not breathing.

My dead eyes caught a glimpse of something in the mirror. Oh wait, that was me.

I looked pale, very pale. You could mistake me for an actor in a horror movie with the way my skin imitated someone with unnatural makeup.

The transformation started with a sharp and stabbing pain at the base of my spine. Two black wings ripped out of my shirt, it felt like centipedes were gnawing at my veins.

With pulsing eyes closed tight, I held on as they fully spread out around me.

I heard myself wail when the pain struck again. No bruises, no cuts, just agonizing pain.

Time seemed stagnant, moments slowly passing, and the intense feeling formerly inevitable slowly dissolved as the sun began to rise.

***

PROSE MODE

On Christmas day, the Hatchanova's residence flooded with guests. After the party, Melody came over.

Hachila was so happy she visited that day. Fabian slammed the door behind him, he'd caught a glimpse of an intruder and he was nearly surprised to find Hachila's arm looped in Melody's.

"What's THAT doing in my house?"

Fabian demanded, shooting daggers at his wife, the vein in his forehead throbbing.

"Honey, s-she's my daughter."

Melody for the first time saw her Mom trembling like a leaf.

"But is she MY daughter?"

"N-no but..."

"Then get her out of my sight this instant!"

"But honey—"

"Get out now!"

***

Hachila was doing the dishes when Meadow walked into the house, it was really late, she tiptoed past the kitchen.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Hachila asked suspiciously, Meadow flinched, pressing her lips together.

"Uh, I was with Kris and Meredith."

She replied swiftly then continued up the Stairs.

"Hold it, I'll call their parents to confirm."

The blood froze in Meadow's veins.

"No! Mom wait."

She quickly rushed over to her Mom, brushing her lightly with her backpack. Hachila sighted something in it.

She reached for it in the zip that was slightly opened, she couldn't believe what she was holding.

"Meadow! what is this doing in your bag?"

"Mom, it's no big deal."

Hachila immediately reached over and slapped her across the face.

****

Hachila walked out of the shower, using a towel to dry her hair. Fabian strode in, slamming the door furiously behind him.

"Careful honey, you don't wanna rip the door off its hinges."

He reached her in three strides and grabbed her by her hair.

"How dare you hurt my daughter!"

Hachila yelped from the pain.

"I found drugs in her ba—",

She grimaced when he pulled harder.

"So what!"

"Meadow is just thirteen, you can't overlook this."

She struggled frantically trying to get his hands off.

"Shut up!"

***

"I came as soon as you called."

Melody said as soon as she stepped into the ward, Melanie sat down beside their mother who lay unconscious with a black eye.

"What happened to her?"

Melody noticed Melanie's puffy eyes,

"Stepfather he...he..."

"Spit it out, Melanie!"

"He hit her and raped her s-several times."

Melody's hands balled into fists.

"That bastard! Did you call the police, have you filled a report yet?"

"We can't."

Melanie stood up, she was surprised her eyes still had tears left in them.

"Why can't we?"

"He's the mayor, the moment we go to them, he'll find a way to get rid of us."

Melody glanced at the look of frustration on her sister's face, were they really that helpless?