Her chest tightened and her breathing became shallow. “I’m scared.”
“I know. We’re going to get through this together. Never forget how strong you are.”
“I’m not strong. I’m weak.”
Rebecca smiled. “You are one of the strongest people I know. You’ve survived more in a few years than most people have in a lifetime. You are a survivor and you’ll get through this, too.” She opened her door. “Are you ready?”
Melody closed her eyes again and heard Daddy’s words. Soar like a hawk. “Let’s do this.”
Lily’s eyebrows rose when Rebecca ushered her into the office.
Roger jumped up as soon as they walked through the door. “Miss Prescott, so nice to see you. Good afternoon, Melody.”
“I want Rebecca to stay today.”
“Fine with me. Let me grab my tablet.”
Melody went to her usual spot on the couch and Rebecca sat next to her and held her hand.
Roger sat in his chair and tapped the stylus against his leg. “So, why are we having such a special session?”
She bit the inside of her lip. Rebecca squeezed her hand.
“I spoke to my friend Kelly today.” The words felt weird as she said them. Almost like someone else was talking, but making her lips and tongue move.
“Not special. Momentous.” Roger’s hand stilled. “I am so proud of you, Melody.”
She couldn’t contain the shakes any longer; her knee bounced and arms trembled. She gripped Rebecca’s hand so tight it had to have hurt, but she couldn’t let go.
“Close your eyes and lean back. Relax.”
Melody did as Roger said ... or tried. She pulled out the music player but put it on the coffee table.
“Take a deep breath. Hold it ... now release.”
He took her through the breathing exercise until she finally got her emotions under control.
“Okay, now that you’ve calmed down, let’s talk about today.” Roger leaned forward, elbows on knees. “Why did you speak to your friend?”
She thought for a moment on how to put her feelings into words. “He was upset and needed encouragement. I couldn’t let him down.”
Roger gazed intently into her eyes. “And how did you feel?”
A whirlwind of emotions blew through her. The ticking of Roger’s watch filled the silence while she sorted through how she’d felt. “At first embarrassed, but then it felt good because I helped my friend.” The sensation of Kelly’s wet cheek pressed against hers flooded back. “And it was easier to talk the next time.”
She pulled her gaze away from his. “Then I was afraid.”
“I’m not going to tell you there is nothing to be afraid of, Melody. But I will tell you I have complete faith in you. If I wasn’t certain you were capable of telling your side of the story to the judge, I’d say so.”
Her heart hitched. She wasn’t ready to talk. Not about Troy.
“Don’t get riled. I’m going to take care of you through the process.”
Rebecca let go of her hand and stroked her hair. “It’s going to be fine, sweetie. Dr. Kane and I will be with you all the way.”
Roger fiddled with his tablet. “Here’s the plan. First, you’ll tell me what happened on that day and we get you as comfortable as possible with it. Next, I set up an appointment with the judge and you, Miss Prescott, and I will meet with him and have a chat.”
A sliver of fear slid into her gut.
Roger held up his hand. “Not about what happened, but to give you a chance to get comfortable speaking with him.”
Her racing pulse calmed.
“This way when we’re in court, you can focus on speaking to the judge, or if it makes things easier, you can simply tell me the story again because I will be right in front of you making sure you’re okay.” He leaned back. “It isn’t going to be easy, but you have already come so far, I think you’re ready.”
Rebecca gathered Melody in her arms. “I’m going to be there the whole time with you, too. You’re going to get through this. We’ll do it together.”
The inner shakes had come back. She didn’t want to face what lay ahead. But she had no choice. The time had come to put Troy in the past and leave him there.
Roger picked up her music player, connected the speakers, and hit play on “Four Seasons”. “I figured some calming music might help. So what happened that day with Troy Alexander?”
Soar like a hawk.
Chapter Forty-Four
Spring 2015 – Melody, age 16
The bailiff called the court to order once Judge Grainger had been seated. Melody couldn’t stop her knee from bouncing. Her mouth dried and her tongue glued itself to the roof when Troy Alexander took his seat on the right side of the courtroom. He’d brought a buddy with him, but she couldn’t tell who it was. Troy’s big, beefy body blocked his friend’s. Troy sat and leaned against the chair back, legs splayed, and elbows resting on the chair backs on either side. He was relaxed with an arrogant self-confidence. His friend filed into the row behind Troy.
The sight of Troy twisted her stomach into knots. She avoided looking in his direction. What if she wasn’t ready to face him? Would the judge postpone the hearing? Or would he get tired of waiting on her and base his decision on Troy’s statement alone and put her in jail to await trial?
Rebecca patted her arm. “Remember the tricks Dr. Kane has taught you to help you relax.”
She had been trying. Judge Grainger had been nice when she and Roger had met with him, but she feared he would turn into an ogre when she took the stand.
People trickled into their courtroom and took seats behind them. Every new sound caused her nerves to burn. Melody wanted to use her music player to block the noise.
Dr. Kane pulled at his collar to loosen his tie a bit. He caught her looking and winked. He leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Walk in the park, Melody. All you have to do is tell your story the way you told me, and the judge is going to rule in your favor.”
They had different ideas about the meaning of a walk in the park. She’d rather be walking on the green outside his office and watching the squirrel and the crow fight over hidden seeds. Talking was overrated. Especially when speaking out could cost your life. She had been lucky with Sadie.
“Dr. Roger Kane, please take the stand.”
Roger hopped up and tugged his suit coat into place. The bailiff ushered him to the witness stand.
After the bailiff swore Roger in, the judge cleared his throat. “Dr. Kane, please confirm you have been seeing the accused in a professional manner.”
Accused. It sounded like she was already considered guilty.
“Yes. I started seeing Melody Fisher in a professional capacity when she was referred to me by this court during the last session on this case. She has faithfully kept her appointment every weekday since that time.”
The judge made a note on the paper in front of him. “And in your opinion, not breaching patient confidentiality, is the accused competent to both stand trial and provide testimony here today?”
“Yes, Your Honor, it is my considered opinion that Melody Fisher is not only competent, but has a great deal of mental fortitude.”
Troy gave a derisive snort and turned it into a cough.
“Thank you, Dr. Kane. You are dismissed.”
Roger bounded back to his seat.
“Melody Fisher, please take the stand.”
She rose and her knees trembled. Rebecca patted her back as she sidled past Roger. The witness stand seemed far away. Her heart raced and the pulse throbbed in her temples. Fortunately, she got to the stand before her knees buckled. When she took her seat, she looked into the gallery and her eyes met Troy’s.
Troy leered at her with a smirk.
Her stomach heaved. He didn’t believe she’d talk. Anger ignited. She wasn’t going to let the arrogant son of a bitch get away with it.
Her resolve lasted until the judge spoke.
“Melody Fisher, you
heard Dr. Kane’s testimony that you are competent to speak on your own behalf. Your testimony will be taken down and become a record of your statement. Do you understand?”
Her throat closed, so she nodded.
“Please state your answer for the record.”
Swallowing hard, she took in a deep breath. “Yes.”
Troy’s jaw dropped. Fear replaced the smug expression in his eyes. He turned around and his buddy hunched forward. Troy whispered in his ear.
“Thank you. For the record, please state the events leading up to the stabbing from December twenty-first last year.”
The shakes came back with a vengeance. She took a few deep, slow breaths as she and Roger had practiced.
“Take your time.”
The worried look on Rebecca’s face was enough to give her back some control. Rebecca was there for her and Melody couldn’t let her down. Folding her hands, she put them in her lap.
“On Sundays, I helped with the children’s Sunday school classes. The teacher handled all the talking and I would help the children with their artwork and usually stayed after church to clean the classroom and ready the things for the following week.”
These words were easy. The harder ones were coming up too soon.
“On that Sunday, one of the kids had stuffed toilet paper into the toilet and it overflowed. The janitor got grouchy when the kids made mistakes, and this particular kid had been going through a lot, so I promised I’d clean it up and not tell the janitor.”
Her throat was so dry, her voice cracked.
“The mess was huge and it took quite a while to get it all cleaned up, so I didn’t make it back to the classroom until everyone else had finished and gone home.”
December 21, 2014 – Melody, age 15
The cold, wet hem of my dress slapped against my knees as I trudged back to the classroom. God bless, but Kylie was getting to be a handful. She had pressed her damp, still-grubby hands against the side of my head to tell me she had overflowed the toilet. Her hands trembled as she cried about the trouble she’d be in.
Poor little thing. I felt so bad for her because she was so young and going through some of the same hell I had been through. Funny. We were at church where the preacher spewed about hellfire and brimstone in the afterlife. The two of us were going through it in the here and now and no one cared. At least I’d had love and family for twelve years before being cast into the inferno of social services. But Kylie had hit the system too young and people wondered why she couldn’t control her behavior at five.
A few weeks ago, Kylie had come to me during playtime and pulled me away from everyone to tell me what was happening at home because I was safe. I wouldn’t tell anyone because I didn’t talk.
I stopped at the doorway to the classroom and sighed. Today had been fun because we had made glittery star ornaments for all the kids to put on the tree at home, but Lord Almighty, the room was a mess. I’d better get started on cleaning up the disaster or I’d be here until next Sunday.
I stood in the middle of the room, overwhelmed. Glitter was everywhere and I didn’t know where to start.
The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. I smiled. I almost heard Quatie’s voice because it was her go-to phrase every time I didn’t know how to tackle a project.
Tables first, then the floor. If I started with the floor, then did the tables, I’d have to do the floors again. Besides, the glue on the tables would dry if I didn’t get to it quickly. I squatted to pull the cleaning solution out of the bottom cupboard.
“Hello, there.”
The deep voice startled me. My heart jumped and I spun and stood. Troy Alexander leaned against the doorway, an arm stretched overhead to prop him up. Because of the hour, I hadn’t thought anyone else was around, except the cleaning crew.
He smiled when our eyes met. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” He took a step into the room. “What are you doing here so late? I thought you’d’ve been long gone by now.”
My eyes flicked toward the carpet sweeper, then back to Troy.
He took another step forward and shoved a hand in his front jeans pocket.
Clad in his letterman’s jacket, sweater, jeans, and boots, he’d had time to go home and change. Why had he come back?
Keeping his eyes on me, he took another step forward. “You know, I’ve been trying to get a chance to spend some time with you, but it seems like every time I come close, you run away.” A lock of hair curled on his forehead as he came closer. “Doesn’t look like you have anywhere else to be today.”
The way he looked at me made my heart race. I couldn’t catch my breath. He continued taking one deliberate step after the other. I felt like the little sparrow I had once rescued. Its heart had beat so rapidly, I’d seen its chest thump. Paralyzed from fear, it had watched as I approached, the thumps the only thing giving its agitation away.
Troy had always made me uncomfortable. The biggest guy at school, tall and broad, he used his size to intimidate others. Since Troy was the star of the football team, the entire school thought he was great, except those he picked on and me. I didn’t want anything to do with him.
He had the same look in his eye that Hatchet had when he came for his late night visits. I searched the room for a way to escape. My back was pressed against the cabinets behind me and ahead, there wasn’t enough room to get around Troy. His arms were too long and he’d catch me with ease. I slid to the side, not wanting to be cornered.
He shifted his approach to keep coming straight toward me. “I’m a friend of James Davenport’s. We went to football camp together. He told me about your night at the cabin.”
Confused, I stopped moving halfway along the art counter. Why would James have told anyone about what happened at the cabin?
Troy seized his opportunity, took a few swift strides, and stopped directly in front of me. He leaned in, placing his hands to either side of my head.
Trapped.
Chapter Forty-Five
Spring 2015 – Melody, age 16
Her voice gave out and her breathing became rapid and shallow. Black spots dotted the periphery of her vision.
“Melody. Focus on my voice.”
Roger. The black spots merged and grew.
“Close your eyes.”
She did as instructed, and his dress shoes clicked across the tiles as he approached.
“You’re doing great. But let’s take a moment to relax.” He kept his voice low.
Relaxation was the furthest thing from her mind.
The tippity-tap of Rebecca’s heels sounded and a moment later, Rebecca gripped her hand.
Roger cleared his throat. “Pretend we’re back in my office, with the squirrel and the crow outside the window and it’s just the two of us. Then take a deep breath in, hold it for a count of three, and exhale.”
She followed along with his words. Thinking about the squirrel’s antics helped ease the tightness in her chest. He walked her through a few more deep breaths. The tension released its stranglehold.
“Now open your eyes.”
He stood in front of her so she couldn’t see anyone else. She gazed directly into his blue eyes. Rebecca kept hold of her hand.
“Better?”
She nodded.
“Good. Are you ready to continue?” He raised both eyebrows.
Her stomach tightened again. “I think so.”
Rebecca patted her arm. “Take things slow. We’re here for you when it gets tough.”
They went back to their seats.
Judge Grainger faced her. “Are you ready to continue your statement, Miss Fisher?”
The real answer was no, but more than anything, she wanted to get this over with. “Yes, Your Honor.”
She took one more deep breath and faced the gallery. Mistake. Her eyes met Troy’s and the shakes immediately returned. She couldn’t remember where she had left off. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words formed. Judge Grainger was going to lose patien
ce with her if she couldn’t continue. She closed her eyes to block the sight of Troy.
“He placed his hands on the cupboards behind me, trapping me.” The shaking intensified. She wanted to look at Rebecca and Roger for support. She turned her head so she wouldn’t see Troy again and opened her eyes.
Rebecca nodded.
Reassured, she continued, “I couldn’t move without coming into contact with him. I—I ...” She faltered and came to a stop. Not even focusing on Rebecca was helping. She couldn’t breathe.
A mist formed behind Rebecca. Melody blinked. The mist cleared and Quatie Raincrow stood with her hand on Rebecca’s shoulder. Tears filled Melody’s eyes. Quatie had a glow to her, and she smiled. The constriction in her chest lessened.
Another mist cloud formed behind Roger, much bigger than the one before. She couldn’t see anyone through the cloud. The mist was opaque like heavy fog.
“Wait, Atsila.”
Quatie’s voice sounded in her head while the vision moved its lips.
Wait for what?
The mist cleared to reveal Mama and Daddy. Tears spilled over. She had wanted to see them again for so long. She had prayed to God so many times in the past, but God had abandoned her to her fate. They had the same glow as Quatie.
“I love you, Melody.”
Mama’s beautiful voice sounded in her head, just as she remembered it.
“We’re here for you, sweetheart. You are strong like the hawk.”
As always, Daddy calmed her fears from one heartbeat to the next. She dared not blink for fear they would disappear on her. And she couldn’t tell anyone what she saw, or they’d think she was crazy.
Mama held a hand out toward her. “We’ve always been here for you, but you haven’t been able to see us.”
Though the ghost Mama didn’t touch her, she felt Mama’s arms surrounding her, giving her a hug. After taking a shuddery breath, she continued her testimony. Having her family there supporting her made all the difference.
December 21, 2014 – Melody, age 15
I attempted to duck under Troy’s arms, but he caught me in a strong grip. I grimaced. His grip hurt.
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