Saving Melody

I wrote this short story for an English assignment in eighth grade. I created Melody and the story blossomed from her. Please enjoy!

 The bell rang. I walked out of Mrs. Sharp's english class into the crowded hallway of Carver High School. I noticed Derick as he pushed through a group of kids. He came to stand by me, then took my hand as we made our way to my locker. I began to put away my books as Derick noticed the worried look on my face. "He is coming back today, isn't he?" He asked me in a worried tone. "He's been gone for days. He almost always comes home on Fridays." I replied in a shaky voice.

 I finished putting away my books. I locked my lock and turned around to face Derick. "I don't know how much more I can take." I told him with tears in my eyes. He was the only person other than myself and my father that knew where the bruises that appeared all over my body truely came from. I had refused to let him do anything about it for the past two years that he has known, but he has tried his hardest to convince me to tell. "Baby, this could all be over. You could move out, find a new place, and live your life peacefully away from that horrible man you call your father. All you have to do is tell someone." He tried to convince me. I knew that he was determined to get me away from him, but it never worked.

 "I can't. If I leave he will find me and take me back. If I even attempt everything will be twice as bad and you know I couldn't take it." I explained. Derick pressed his big hands on the lockers behind me. "Stay strong for me, Melody." He whispered as he leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. I looked up at his bright green eyes and forced a smile through all of my worries. He dropped his left hand to his side and opened up a space for me to walk through, towards the door of the school. I slipped out from behind his tall muscular body and started walking, with shaky legs, towards the door.

 The walk home seemed to fly by. I got home way to quickly. I walked up the stone stairs of the entrance of my large, brick, suburbian home. I unlocked the heavy door and slowly opened it. I walked into my living room that was filled with the scents of lavender from the candles on the coffee table. I noticed my fathers coat messily thrown across the back of the tan leather sofa. The coat was the first sign of my fathers presence. I tip-toed acroos the hardwood floor of the living room. I reached the hallway and the rug lining it made it easier to walk silently. I crept along untill the floor beneath me creaked under the presure of my weight. I froze, but after a moment of silence, continued on my way towards the stairs. I grabbed the banister as I slowly made my up the stairs. I reached the fifth one, but was interupted.

 "Looks like you finally made it home, Melody." My father's voice came from behind me. I slowly pivoted on the stair and clung to the banister with my other hand. "Where have you been?" He asked as he staggered from the kitchen door towards me. "School, as usual." I replied, trying hard to hide the fear in my voice. He stumbled up a few stairs. He leaned towards me untill his face was inches from mine. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. His bloodshot eyes glared at me.

 "Don't talk back to me!" He yelled. It startled me and I stepped backwards, tripping over the step and landing on my back on the stairs. His eyes glared with pure hatred.

He staggered up the few remaining steps that seperated us. He bent over and grabbed my arm with extreme force. I tried to stand, but I couldn't find my balance as he started to drag me. He was to poweful. He dragged me into the kitchen where he had obviously waited on me to get home. Beer cans were piled on the table and on the counter. I had managed to regain my balance as we entered and I stood at his side, to afraid to move. He turned on the cold water in the sink. I glanced at it nervously, wondering what horrible thing he was going to do to me. All of a sudden, I was on the floor. He had punched me in the face before I even realized what was going on. "Get up, you idiot!" He yelled. I stumbled as I tried to stand up as quickly as possible. By now the sink was filled with the cold water. My father turned off the tap and turned to face me.

 His face twisted into an evil grin as he took a step towards me. I trembled. "Oh poor baby, come here. I'm not gonna hurt you." He came closer and wrapped his arms around me. He entangled his hands in my hair, almost playfully. All of a sudden, he clenched his fist in my hair, pulling my head backwards. He spun me around by my hair and started pulling me towards the sink filled with ice cold water.

"No!" I screamed as he dragged me towards it. I tried to pull backwards, but he drug me by my hair and made it impossible. I took a deep breath as he plunged my head into the chilling water. I struggled to come up for air, but his hands firmly held me in place. He jerked me up and I gasped for air. His evil laughter filled the room for the few seconds I was able to stay up. He shoved me downwards again. I struggled, but I couldn't move. Darkness started to close in around me. It made me feel comfortable and almost invincible. I started to give in, but a thought swam through my mind. "Stay strong for me, Melody." Derick's voice caused the darkness to disappear. I struggled for air once more, and he finally released me. I fell to the floor, gasping for air. He looked at me with that horrible evil grin. I knew he wasn't finished with me.

 "You're shivering." He commented as if he was having a casual conversation. He grabbed my hand and jerked me up hard. I heard a crack and cried out in pain. I looked down to find my arm grotesquely dangling at odd angles. He didn't seem to notice as he pulled me around to the other side of the kitchen. "Why don't you warm up?" He asked, grinning. he pressed my hand against the top of the stove. The eye was bright red and turned on full power. He had planned this. I screamed out in pain again. "Oh shut up! You were cold, remember?" He yelled at me. After what seemed like forever, he removed my hand from the stove.

 "Why?" I wimpered as he stopped to take a sip of his beer. He starred off into space as if deep in thought before grinning and replying, "Because I can." He crushed his empty beer can and came to grab me by my unbroken arm. He pulled me down the hallway and into the living room. I tripped over the wooden end table that sat next to the tan sofa. my father stumbled over me, crushing my ankle in the process. I was to weak to scream by that point. He fell to the floor beside me. "You tripped me, you idiot!" He screamed. He stood up, knocking over a lamp in the process. He turned to face me. "You are so stupid!" He yelled. He kicked my crumpled body in the side. He bent down close enough to where I could see his dialated pupils. "Now you should be afraid." He whispered in my ear.

 I moaned as he picked me up. His strong arms that once had held me in tender hugs as a small child were now used to lift my immobile body above his head. My one hundred and twenty-two pounds was nothing for him. He slung me over the couch. I slammed into the coffee table as the glass top shattered. I felt the hot candle wax start to drip onto my leg as everything around me went black.

 "Melody, wake up. Melody, you have to wake up for me baby." I woke up to the sound of Derick's voice. I slowly opened my eyes to find myself in his arms. "Derick?" I asked wearily. "Yes, baby, its me. I'm here for you, You're gonna be ok." I smiled as he caressed my cheek gently. "Alright, Melody, I need you to tell me where the car keys are." Derick told me. I weakly pointed towards the hook near the door. He gently placed my head back down on the floor and stood up. He started walking towards the hook. "Wait! Derick! You can't drive!" I yelled as I sat up. I had forgotten how much pain I was in as I worried about him. The pain surged through my body. I slumped back down into the broken glass.

 Derick grabbed the keys and ran back to me. "Melody, you don't need to move to much baby." He frowned as he worried about the pain i was in. "Alright baby, I'm gonna have to move you." He explained. "Mmhmm." Was all I could reply. He placed his hands underneath me and picked me up with ease. He tossed his head to the side to move his brown hair out of his eyes. He managed to keep me perfectly still as he walked outside and placed me in my father's old, beat up truck. He shut my door and ran around the front to the drivers side, I leaned over onto his sholder as he started the truck with a sputter. "Where's my father?" I asked him, almost in a whisper. "Don't worry baby, I took care of him." He told me with confidence. I gasped. "You don't mean he's-" I was afraid to finish my sentence. "No, of course not even though he deserves it. He was passed out when I got there. I had to check on you, Melody. I was worried." Derick said. I closed my eyes untill we reached the emergency room.

 He parked right in the entrance. He slung open my door and gently picked me up again. "You're going to be ok now, Melody." He whispered. I didn't have enough strength to keep my head up, so I let myself dangle from Derick's arms. He walked into the emergency room. the woman behind the counter gasped and ran around to help him. Derick refused to put me down, and I was glad. I didn't want to give up the warmth of his body or the smell of his cologne. I had always called him my heater because he was never cold. He carried me to the room and placed me on the bed. Doctors in green and blue scrubs came rushing in. They told Derick to leave, but he wouldn't let go of my hand. the doctors were mumbling to each other worriedly. I could feel the darkness closing in on me again. Derick came close to me. One of the doctors tried to shove him away, but Derick is tall and strong and it didn't effect him. He came closer and pressed his lips against mine in the most passionate way.

 "I love you, Melody." He whispered. The darkness finally closed in completly and I faded away in the arms of the one I love.

Reviews

[FocusedAmnesia]

An amazing write, especially as an eighth grader. The story had a great flow to it, and you could feel the power behind the words, which is needed when dealing with such a heavy topic, as abuse.

[Patricia Gayle]

Wow! This was a great story. I can't believe you wrote this as an eighth-grader. Great job! It really hit close to home for me (though luckily things were never as bad for me as it was for Melody). Very sad and bittersweet ending as well. Thanks for sharing this and keep up the great work.