by Brea Alepoú
"I heard you scream," Zola said as she moved her eyes to scan the bathroom again.
"Yeah, that's because I got in the shower before heating the water up, and the water was cold."
Zola stopped scanning the bathroom and stared at Melony, her pupils slightly dilated. Melony squirmed from the attention.
"I'll go back out and stand guard," Zola said.
Melony didn't want her to go. She knew that it was important for Zola to be on the lookout, but that was the last thing on her mind.
"Zola, do you want to join me?"
Zola stopped at the door and turned to look at her. Melony didn't cover herself and left the water cascading down her body as she stared back at Zola. Zola’s eyes once again went up and down her body, and she licked her lips. Melony felt hot just from that simple action. She wanted to kiss those lips.
"Safety first," Zola said.
Melony was filled with disappointment. Maybe she was the only one feeling the pull. She closed the shower curtain and faced the spray of warm water. She let the spray sooth her tired muscles. They had gotten a lot more use than they were ever used to. Swinging a sword was no joke, so she would be leaving that to Zola. She needed to learn to control the power of fire she had.
She moved her hand from under the spray of water and focused on making a flame in her hand. She had no idea if it would burn her, but she had a feeling that it wouldn't. She focused hard on trying to think of a small flame in the palm of her hand. Just like she had done to Valdero’s shoe.
The strain of her focus was starting to give her headache. Maybe she couldn't conjure fire around water? She tried once more, ready to give up, when a small flame appeared. She almost yelped but stopped herself, remembering how the last one had gone.
The flame didn't burn her hand. She felt the heat, but it was nothing like what she thought fire would feel like. She moved her other hand to touch the flame. There was a sizzling sound, and she pulled it back and examined her skin. Nothing was there, and she realized the water that had been on it was now dried.
She again moved her hand to touch the fire. Since the water was no longer there, there was no sizzling noise. She put a finger through the small fire first. It didn't hurt, so she did it again. She smashed the flame between her hands. When she opened them, there was a twin flame in her other hand.
She moved the flame from her palm to her fingers, moving it around and having fun playing with the fire. She had no idea how long she stood in the shower and played with the small flame, but she felt the shower start to go cold. She thought about the flame being gone, and it went away.
Turning, she grabbed the shower gel that was new since her last visit. Her mother kept the house clean and got a new shower gel just in case Melony came home. She quickly showered now that the water was getting to the uncomfortable freezing temperature.
She hopped out, unable to handle the cold water any longer. At least she had gotten clean and her hair wet. She didn't wash it; the water was too damn cold for her liking. She towel dried herself before walking out of the bathroom. She got her clothes from the chair in her closet. She slipped on her panties before she turned to look for Zola. But she was nowhere in sight. She put on a sports bra for comfort and quickly finished getting dressed.
Now dressed and feeling clean, she poked her head out of her bedroom. Turning her head right, she saw Zola standing there, sword still ready for something to attack. Melony walked out of her bedroom and looked at Zola.
"What are you do—"
"Melony, are you home?"
Melony turned, hearing her mother's voice.
"Yeah, mom, I'm upstairs. I'll be down in a second." She looked to Zola, butterflies again filling her stomach at the aspect of introducing Zola to her parents. How would she even introduce Zola? What were they? She needed to start asking those types of questions.
"Is Denelle with you?" It was her father who spoke that time.
The reminder of Denelle made her sad, but she had to remember that she would be able to visit her. "No, dad. It’s… It's a different friend."
She could at least say friend. Zola had saved her life and helped her so far. That's what friends did. At least, Melony thought so. But friends didn't have sexual urges toward one another or get wet thinking about kissing each other. She never felt that way toward Denelle, and she was her best friend.
"Well, I'll make dinner,"Melony offered.
Melony turned to Zola who still held her sword ready. "Will you put that away? My dad is a retired professor, and my mom has hip problems. I'm sure you can take them without a sword if they turn out evil." Melony was joking. She knew they didn't have an evil bone in either of their bodies.
Zola looked skeptical but reluctantly put the sword away. Melony rolled her eyes but was grateful. She heard her parents moving around downstairs as her mother clanged pots around.
"Come on." She pulled Zola back into her room.
Zola went along willingly, walking into Melony's room. "We should still check the whole house."
Melony nodded. She didn't want her parents falling into the same trap that Zola had fallen in, but how did she explain Zola running around with a sword? What if Zola got stuck again and Melony needed to help her? She absently rubbed her arms, remembering the pain she had endured. She would scream for sure, then her parents would come running. How would she explain any of that?
She glanced at Zola. How the hell was she supposed to introduce Zola? Were they friends? More than friends? Zola had saved her life, and they’d also had sex. Mind-blowing sex, and you don't do that with just friends.
Her head hurt from trying to figure it all out.
"What are we?" she blurted out.
Zola stopped studying one of the many posters on Melony's walls and turned to her. "You are a witch. I—"
"Not that. I'm asking: are we friends? Are you just helping me because of some sense of duty? Are we more than friends?" She tried not to sound too hopeful for the last question, but even she could hear her own desperation.
"Oh."
What the fuck is ‘oh’?
They stood there, staring at each other, and the awkwardness in the room increased. Melony wasn't sure how to diffuse it. She shouldn't have said anything, but all her questions kept eating at her, and she’d just blurted it out.
"I thin—"
There was a loud crash downstairs, interrupting their talk. Melony moved before she could even think better of it. She was out of her room and heading for the stairs in record time, Zola only a few steps behind her, her sword drawn once more. Melony didn't tell her to put it away, she would just have to come up with a story. First, they had to make sure her parents were okay. Hopefully, it was just her mom being clumsy. She doubted that was the case. She felt dread in the pit of her stomach as she took the stairs two at a time.
Chapter Six
Melony
Melony stood frozen, staring at all the blood in the kitchen. Her eyes scanned all over. The once pristine white countertops now stained dark red. Shock coursed through her veins as she watched blood drip from the middle counter to the floor. Her gaze followed the drop as it landed in a puddle of blood.
"Melony," Zola shouted.
Melony turned slowly to Zola, unable to fathom what was happening or had happened. Her hands shook as she reached up and touched Zola’s hand. When had Zola even reached out to her? She had no idea; everything felt far away and too quiet.
"What?" Her voice sounded small.
"We have to get out of here."
Zola pulled on her, but Melony didn't budge. It was as if her feet were glued to the floor. "My parents."
Zola's eyes flicked to the other side of the kitchen, past the counter. Melony had only seen the blood and had frozen. Were her parents on the other side of the counter? Melony started to move without thinking. She had to make sure her parents were okay. All the blood might be someone else’s. After all, if she could create fire, then her parents must have some type of ability. Bef
ore she made it to the other side to see, Zola's hand stopped her.
"Melony, you don't need to see."
Melony didn't turn. She was determined to make sure her parents were okay.
"Come on, we need to get out of here." Zola pulled with more strength, pulling Melony arm to the point of near dislocation.
"I have to make sure they're okay."
She heard the sigh leave Zola, and she didn't want to think about why Zola sighed. She just needed to take a look, then she would tell her parents to leave.
"We need to go. If you really wanted to check, why haven't you called either of their names since we came down here? You know they aren't okay, but we don't have time to sit here. We need to leave now."
Melony turned to glare at Zola. She hadn't called their name yet because… Because she was scared they wouldn't be able to answer.
"I can't seem to teleport out of here, so we need to go," Zola said.
"I need to check on them," Melony said.
Not caring in the least, she yanked her arm from Zola and walked past the counter. Her eyes were trained on the floor; the once pristine white tiles now covered in blood.
So much blood.
Melony's body shook as she continued forward. She moved so slowly that she felt as if she wasn't moving at all. Fear coursing through her and tightening every muscle, she rounded the corner. She stood still, lost as to what to do. She wanted to scream at the sight, but she seemed to have lost her voice. She wanted to cry, but there were no tears. All she could do was stand there and look into her mother's lifeless eyes.
Her body nowhere to be seen, just her head lying on the floor, looking up at nothing.
Why are her eyes open?
Melony wanted to close her mother's eyes. She hated looking at the lifeless brown orbs.
"Melony," Zola called to her.
Melony couldn't turn from the site of her mother's decapitated head. It was a nightmare that she couldn't stop. Melony felt hands on her shoulders, tugging her away from the sight of her mother.
"Come on, we have to get out now!" Zola shouted.
Melony closed her eyes, but her dead mother's face still flashed in front of her. She turned away from the sight and grabbed Zola, hugging her tight. She shook as she stood there, holding Zola.
"I know this is hard, but you have to wait until later to break down. We need to get out of here now."
Melony wanted to shout and scream and grieve for her mother, but Zola was right. Whoever did this could come back or still be in the house. Melony pulled herself up. She decided to focus on their survival instead of the death of her mother.
"Dad," Melony whispered.
Zola looked down, but Melony needed to check to see if he was okay. Or if he might need help.
“Melony.”
The way Zola dragged out her name said everything to Melony. She knew, but she wanted to be sure. What kind of daughter would she be if she left her dad to die because of a guess? She shook her head at Zola, refusing to yield. If her dad was dead, then she needed to know.
She didn’t glance behind her, since the image of her mother’s head was still fresh and looking back wasn’t going to make her feel any better. She stood straighter and walked stiffly out of the kitchen. Zola was next to her, sword drawn. She was happy Zola decided to stay with her through her decision to stay in the house to look for her dad, even if she would only find a head.
She swallowed the bile that threatened to come up and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. She had no time to be sick or sad; she had to find her dad first and make sure he was safe. Melony walked into the living room and scanned the area, looking for her dad or any signs he might be hiding.
Unlike the kitchen, there was no blood. The living room sat untouched. The brown leather couch still had the creamed colored pillows neatly stacked. Nothing was missing or displaced. Melony could almost pretend that she hadn’t walked into a bloody mess in the kitchen. Almost being the keyword.
She turned to look at Zola and noticed the bloody footprints. She wanted to laugh, cry, and scream all at once. Her mother would be furious about them tracking blood on the white carpet, but now she will never be angry again. Or sad. Or happy. Or anything. Melony shook her head, clearing her mind of the sad thoughts. She couldn’t fall into the deep hole of darkness just yet.
“He’s not in here; maybe he’s in his office,” Melony suggested.
Zola looked skeptical, but she nodded. Melony was thankful. She didn’t know if she could handle Zola abandoning her. She walked them out of the living room and down the hallway until they got to the two French doors that led to her dad's office. Her hands shook as she reached for the door. She wasn’t sure she could handle it.
Zola’s hand wrapped around her own, and Melony looked back. She smiled at Zola, grateful she was there. She turned back to the door. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open. There was nothing. His office was untouched. Everything on his desk still stacked neatly. Melony felt as if she was on a rollercoaster. As her anxiety went down, her fear shot back up. The empty office only meant they needed to check the rest of the house. However, she was relieved not to have found her father's corpse.
"Get down," Zola shouted.
Melony fell to the floor just as a white orb flew into the room, hitting the wall and exploding. The sound hurt her ears, and paper and debris flew everywhere. Melony closed her eyes as things went flying. She crouched in on herself as she waited for everything to end.
She felt hands shaking her, but she couldn't hear anything. Melony tentatively opened her eyes. Stark green eyes framed by white lashes looked into her eyes.
"Zola," Melony said. She called out Zola's name a few more times, but with no luck. She couldn't hear her own voice. She watched as Zola tried to talk to her, her pink lips moving, but Melony unable to hear one word. Melony reached up to touch her ear, then she pulled her fingers back, feeling something wet. She looked to her fingers, seeing blood.
Blood.
She wanted to be sick. Her own blood. She just kept being surrounded by blood. Zola was soon pulling on Melony's arm. Melony looked back to Zola, knowing she was seconds away from breaking apart. Too much had happened and not once had she been able to processes it. She didn't move when Zola pulled on her arm once again. Melony started to lose focus. It was all too much. She needed to hide and cry and deal with the shit that was happening. She couldn't keep moving. What was the point?
Melony’s cheek burned. Caught by surprise, she looked up at Zola. She had slapped Melony. Melony wanted to yell at her, but the way Zola cupped her face and pressed their foreheads together had Melony focusing on her. She still couldn't hear Zola, but she understood. She didn't have time to freak out and lose her shit. They needed to get out of the house. Melony momentarily closed her eyes, relishing in the warmth that Zola provided. She opened her eyes and looked at Zola. Then she nodded and got up.
Zola grabbed her sword with one hand and Melony's hand with her other hand. Melony felt grounded, holding hands with Zola. She tightened her hold and nodded for them to go. Zola moved fast, and Melony had to sprint in order to keep up. Her lungs burned with the effort. They headed toward the door, but Zola pushed Melony into a room before they made it.
Melony opened her mouth to ask what was happening, but Zola's hands covered her mouth. Zola turned to her. She held a finger up and covered her mouth in a ‘stay quiet’ motion. Melony nodded and tried to control her breathing. Her heart was in her throat, and it was hard to force her breathing to slow down. She couldn't hear, but she felt as if she was breathing so loudly that she would end up leading whoever was after them to their hiding spot.
The small hallway closet they were in wasn't ideal for hiding or for Zola to be able to attack anyone if they opened the door. Melony tried to get her thoughts in order.
Fire.
Melony looked to her hand and conjured up the little flame. It flickered and went out. She tried again and got the same results. She w
anted to scream in frustration. She had this stupid power, but it wasn't working for her. She had used it before—it should be easy. She glared at her hand, wishing and hoping for the flame to appear and stay.
The door to the closet opened, and Zola swung and killed the woman who’d opened it. A look of surprise was on her face as she fell to the floor. Melony blocked out the look as she focused on her fire. She needed to be able to help Zola get them out of the house, so she could teleport them out of there.
She stared at her hand, trying again, but the flame just flickered and was barely there. It was smaller than a flame from a lighter. Zola pushed Melony against the wall. There was nowhere to go in the closet, but she pressed Melony farther back against the wall. Melony squashed between Zola’s back and the wall.
Melony tried to get Zola’s attention as something tried to grab her legs. Claws hooked into her pants and tugged. Looking down, she screamed and shook with fear. She had no idea what type of monster it was. The face was shaped like a dog, only missing the front of its face where the teeth and gum were bared. It had a hunched back as if it may have been born on two legs but couldn't hold its own weight, resulting in hunching over to use its arms instead. The grey, wrinkly skin had cracks and patches of fur on it. It looked diseased and rabid. The way the creature drooled and tried to scrape and grab Melony scared her. The only thing keeping the monster from pulling her out of the closet was Zola’s sword coming down to fight it off.
Zola’s sword cut off the monster's arm, the claws still hooked in Melony’s pants. She tried to shake the severed hand from her pants. She looked up to see the creature pull its head back before more tried to get into the closet. They were large, easily eight feet tall when standing on their legs. Melony gripped Zola.
How in the hell were they supposed to fight creatures like that?
It looked as if it was never ending. Zola swung her sword, cutting the creatures, but they kept coming. Her motions were limited in the closet, but she still wounded some of them. Melony focused on one and tried to set fire to it. She glared at the creature and pushed every thought into seeing it burn to ash.
