Love Child(3)

Horax's little plan didn't go so well and Melody is alive. Face.

           2 months later.....            

 

 

I sighed into the cold winter air, a cloud of white fog swirling from my lips. I picked up my pace and hurried faster down the semi-crowded street. Each faint hint of blood that lingered into my nostrils made me sick. The smell that once aroused me to such an extent I felt I would cry now sent a wave of revulsion through me. I still craved the lucious taste, but found only remorse and disgust whenever the crimson liquid touched my lips. I would never know the bitter sweet satisfaction of blood again. No, all the sweet in it was gone, leaving behind a painful substance that was the very thing I required to continue living.

I pushed open the door to an old anitque book store. The thick aroma of musty old pages and torn leather bindings overpowered the excruciating smell of blood. It was a pleasant change. Not an extremly nice one, but pleasant. I walked over to the class counter and pressed the small bell.  Almost immdietaley, an old hunched over man with curly salt and pepper hair popped up from the back room. His squinting eyes magnified twice their size the minute his large Harry Potter glasses fell over them. He smiled.

"Well hello their Horax. What can'a help ya' with today?" he said in scratchy, worn out voice with a heavy western accent.

"Hey Joel. I'm hear to pick up some books for Haux," I said with a forced smile. I liked Joel alot, don't get me wrong. He was an extremly nice man who could brighten anyday and bring any theif or robber to their knees with a single punch. He also made a mean chicken casserole. I just really wasn't in the mood for being happy. But, If I didn't smile, it would upset him.

He grinned a toothless grin. "Oh yeah. They just came in this mornin'." He let out a grunt as he bent over to pick a light brown parcel with red and blue stamps all over it. "There ya' go." 

"Thanks," I said glumly. I turned slowly to leave. 

"Hold on there, sonny. What's the problem? Why ya' all doom and gloom?"  he asked, forcing me to turn back and face him. I did.

"Ah, don't worry about it. It's nothing." I knew I couldn't say nothing was the matter, because that old man could see right through any lie. He saw through this one too.

"Well now I don't think you'ld get this worked up over notin'," he stated, polishing off the glass display case with an old rag.

"Don't worry about it," I said, propping my elbow on the wooden part of the counter.

"Well I ain't. But whatever it is, you sure are. I ain't sayin' you got to tell me, I just wanna make sure you was alright."

"Well, thanks. But, I really don't know if I am or not. I....um. Did something wrong. I won't say what, but I'm not sure what to do about it." I lowered my face in guilt in shame.

"Girl issues?"

I managed a small laugh. "I guess you could say that. Got any of your famous advice?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure I know where you're goin' with this. All I have to do is say go with your heart not you're gut," he siad firmly but kindly.

"Thanks, Joel." 

"No problem. Now, why don't you look around for a bit. We got some new books," he offered, pointing to several new shelves that hand't been there several weeks ago. I nodded and began skimming the aisle.

The bell above the door rang as a new customer entered. I caught the faint whiff of a a woman and her young child. I crinkled my nose in disgust at the smell. I picked up a book with a blue binding and golden rings linked together on the cover. I skimmed through the pages, a hint of dust blowing into my face every few seconds. the words "hunt" and "kill" caught my attention. I stopped and started to read. I could hardly make out Joel's happy voice.

"Hey there, sweetheart! How you doin? You lookin' for some new books? We got a whole stockload!" he called in a happy grandparent kind of voice. Of course, it was the next sentence spoken that caused me to drop the book, pages crinkling and dust flying eveyrwhere.

"G'day Joel. I'm doing great. How about you?"

I pressed my back against the shelf and peered around the corner. My mouth hit the floor. There it was. That long brown hair. Those racoon eyes. That spiky braclet. Everything. The only diffrence was the subtle yet completley obvious bulge beanth her shirt. I sniffed the air. It was confirmed. Woman blood and infant blood. I stared in disbelief. No. This couldn't be.

Before her green eyes got a chnace to locate me, regconize me, and signal an alram, I took off running out of the store. I heard Joel  call out behind me, but I ignored him. I ran. And ran. And ran. And ran. Finally, once I made it my destination, I collapsed to the ground. I stared out over the beautiful blue mountains from the treetop. Everything was so peaceful and calm. But even the normally soothing chirpping of birds and crickets couldn't release me from this state of panice horror. I feel back against the tree limb and curled into my ball. My face buried into my hands and I just sat there, staring out into the night. Nothing could ever take this away. This stabing, mutilating, heart breraking, raging, excrucitating, profound, insufferable pain. It wasn't any normal kind. It was worse. Actually, the worst kind there was. The pain of guilt. There was no denying it: The girl known as Melody was pregnant...with my child.