Aged Twenty-Two Years:

Melody walked along a riverbed placing each foot carefully in front of the other. After reaching Vermont, Melody had found that there are some distinguishable differences between it and West Texas. But, differences aside, she liked Vermont. The forest she had been walking in every day for the last week was expansive and pleasant.

The water gurgled and splattered beside her; the natural sound almost made her smile. She took off her shoes and socks. Clutching them with one hand, she threw the other one out for balance as she hopped up onto a log and tiptoed down its trunk. At the end of the log were splintered fragments of wood from where the trunk had been hit by lightning.

There was the sharp snap of a branch cracking, and, turning, Mel saw a woman coming through a thicket of trees, a hefty backpack slung over her shoulder. Melody dropped off of the log, a squirming feeling in her gut. There was something wrong… Of course there was! She hadn’t known this woman was coming! She couldn’t “see”! Mel- the blinded Mel- groaned inwardly. This meant trouble, surely.

The woman swung her pack onto the forest floor and grunted.

“God, I feel like I’ve been walking for years,” she said, sitting on the log and taking off some clunky hiking boots, tapping the pebbles and dirt out. Melody smiled falsely. Perhaps the woman wasn’t a threat.

“You wouldn’t happen to know if there’s a diner or even just a fast-food joint around here, would you? I’m starved…” The woman continued.

“Sorry. Not from around here.” That was probably the most Mel had said to anyone in years. The woman sighed and went back to slapping her shoes. Mel didn’t know what to do. Should she just walk away? Or run? Was the lady finished talking to her? Did it even matter? She backed off a little, but hesitated.

“Betcha’ anything I look like hell. I haven’t had a shower in days! Haven’t even put my makeup on. Guess that’s the downside of hitchhiking, right?” The woman was talking again. She reached into her bag and pulled out a makeup case. Opening it, she started to blot her cheeks with a brush from a compact.

“Did you hear that?” she said, glancing at Mel in the compact mirror. Their eyes connected, and Melody’s snapped open.

She couldn’t breathe.

She opened her mouth and gulped in air, but it never managed to reach her lungs.

Her head seemed to implode; bright, flashing images, vibrant colors, stars, stripes, and other patterns formed and dissolved around her.

Then… the pain, fear, nausea, nostalgia; all the old feelings came and drowned out everything else.

Her brain couldn’t take it. He legs buckled beneath her, and she crumpled onto the floor. She was nearly relieved when the blackness washed over her.

Peace, at last.

♦♦♦

Aged Eleven:

Lying in bed in the old, frightening house, Melody was listening to her parents talking- they were talking about her.

But she wasn’t listening with her ears.

Her mother was remorseful, her father incensed.

It was that same night that they had moved in, and, needless to say, Mel was more than a little nervous about spending the night in the creaky building.

Jack was talking about her incident from earlier; her abnormal reaction to the house.

“Helen, you should have known better!” Jack was saying.

No, Mel told herself, It isn’t what he said. It’s what he will say.

“Jack, I’m so, so sorry. I had no idea! She hasn’t had a reaction in so long,” Helen sounded- would sound- anxious.

“We can’t take any risks with her!” Jack whispered dangerously.

“I know. I know I shouldn’t have now, but I mean… She’s just a kid! What would you have done?”

“I don’t know. All I know is that certain things cause her pain… fear… anxiety. And Earth-grown organics foods is one of the triggers.”

“I know, I know you’re right… I’m sorry…” Helen sobbed.

“I candy bar, Helen! You gave her a candy bar! With peanuts!”

“I’m sorry…”

Jack growled, breathed deeply, and shook his head.

“Yeah,” he muttered, “me too.”

Mel’s mind reeled. The candy bar she’d been eating in the car… The wrapper must have fallen off of her lap when Jack had lifted her. And after dinner… That must be what he had picked up… And what was that about organic food? Hmm…

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