I Run Away

   "Poison ivy," Ima said softly. "takes away the unnatural skin on your bones, and leaves the real part behind."
    I stared at the blue patch on my skin for a very long time. I shifted uncomfortably. Because, even though it scared the s**t out of me to know this, I was okay with it. It seemed strangely...normal. Familiar.
    "You're...my...mom." The words came out slow and deliberating.
    "Finally, you understand."
    "No. I don't understand." I looked up. "Where's the rest of me? The wings, the eyes, the teeth. I don't have that."
    Ima sucked in breath through gritted teeth. A cough echoed through the hallway, from the room next door. I was surprised I didn't hear crickets. She fished in her purse, and produced a small hand held mirror. I saw my reflection.
    My entire face was blue. My entire BODY was blue. My eyes were pure black, just like Ima's. I grimaced, and my teeth were like sharp fangs. Not like vampire teeth, but just sharper and shiny.
    "Nononononononononononononono." It was a long strand of it. "This. Isn't. Happening." It was like falling into a deep abyss of realization. Truth. And I hated it. Faerie. Freak. Those awful, evil eyes stared back at me. They were MY, awful, evil, eyes. I suddenly didn't want to be here. The thin sheets over me felt heavy, pinning me down. The pillow was as hard as a rock underneath my head.
    "And about your wings..."  Ima's voice pierced through me, shattering my thoughts. My head whipped around and looked at her. I didn't meet her eyes. Instead, I focused on her lips.
    "I don't think I can handle-"
    "You don't have wings." Her voice was small, and now she couldn't meet my eyes.
    "What." It wasn't a question. Really, it was more like a I-cannot-handle-any-more-bullshit-from-my-supposed-mother kinda thing.
    "We had to cut them off. To protect you." her eyes frantically searched mine for something. Anything. "I can explain everything if you can just come with me-"
   "F**k you." My words were sharp, painful. I knew they would hurt. And I had never said anything worse than s**t before. But frankly, I don't think it really mattered.
   "Excuse me?" Ima's words were accusing.
    "I said, f**k you. I don't need any more of this s**t." I ripped the IV out of my wrist. I didn't feel a thing. I was still wearing my hospital gown, so I pulled some jeans on that I found in my bag. I also put on the shirt that I was wearing earlier. Where my Dorothy coustume was, I had no clue.
    "Melody, wait-" Ima grabbed my blue wrist. I shoved her away. And I walked out of the hospital. None of the nurses noticed me. A voice in the back of my head knew that that was strange. A patient was out of her bed. Why was no one reacting? But none of that common sense reached me. I whipped out my cellphone, knowing who I'd call.

~*~

   "Damon, listen to me." That was my hello. I pressed my cellphone against my ear, waiting for a response.
   "Melody, f**k, what the hell happened to you?" his voice was drowsy with sleep. I remembered that it was past two am.
   "I was in a car crash. But, listen to me." I didn't have time to explain. I told him to meet me at the Citrus Club on Haight Street. I walked there, having no money to get a cab. Nobody seemed to notice my blue skin and black eyes. There's all sorts of weird people on Haight Street, though.   Damon was already sitting in a booth. I slid across the table from him.
   "Melody, you better goddamn explain to me why I'm here in the next thirty seconds or I am so leaving." I gulped. And, I explained to him everything. Well, scratch that. Everything up to the part of me waking up in the hospital. And I didn't mention seeing that faerie in the middle of the street.
   "So that's why you weren't at the performance." That got me off track. The performance.
    "S**t, Damon. I'm so sorry." He shrugged.
    "We canceled it. Ms. Cris was worried, Mel. She knew something had to be up. I mean, you breathe drama." I wanted to say more about how sorry I am, knowing how that performance meant a lot to everyone, but there was more important stuff.
    "Damon, can you see me?" I asked. He sucked in his breath.
    "Yeah, I was kinda waiting for you to say something about that. I mean, blue skin? How did you do that? And did you get color contacts?" I ignored the questions.
    "Damon, I'm a faerie." I said it fast, to get it out. And I seriously didn't like admitting it. Damon sipped his coffee.
    "So you're a lesbo. It's okay, I mean, I'm gay too. I thought you knew that. So you know I'm not intolerant." he said it with a laugh. I froze.
    "You're gay?"
    "Duh." He said that as if it was obvious, but I had never really had any clues. Except for the fact he never had girlfriends. I knew there was more important things, but my mind was stuck on that. I sat there.
    "Uh, hello? Earth to Melody!" Damon's voice brought me back. I shook my head, clearing my head.
    "I'm not a lesbo."
    "Oh."
    "I'm an actual faerie. You know, like in those fairytales. Except they were wrong. Faeries have blue skin, black eyes, sharp teeth, and wings." I braced myself for the laughter. And it came. Damon guffawed.
    "Haha. If your a faerie, then where are your wings?" he asked.   
    "They were cut off." And of course, I had to explain everything, all of the details. My real mom, the poison ivy, the sightings, everything. Afterwards, Damon sat there absorbing it all.
     "Have you talked with your mom yet?" he asked.
     "Which one? Adoptive or real?"
     "Adoptive."
     "No, I haven't."
     "Call her."
     I dialed her number. I listened to the ring. It rang six times before it went to voicemail. Hi, this is Linda Clarke's number. Leave a message when you hear that beep! My heart panged.
      "She's not picking up." Damon wasn't listening. His eyes were glued to something behind me. I turned around to see what he was looking out, and I saw a man right behind me. He was staring at me intently.
      "Melody Maise?" his voice was rough. "You're coming with me."
   
 
   
  

Author's Note

It took a looooong time for me to decide on whether or not to give Melody wings.

Reviews

[Arizona Sky]

great chapter right here.

[Daydreamer54]

Wow, wonder who that guy was...Can't wait to find out! And OMG, Damion gay? i thought that would be the guy she would fall for, oh well.

[Essy]

LOVE IT!