(A/N) This was an English project, but I decided it was fun enough to put it up and see if anyone liked it.
Silent
As his foot hitthe pavement, he took a deep breath. Fresh air. It was something he hadn't felt in years. Being charged with a class E felony plus an attempted one could do that to you. Andy Evans, however, had the luck of knowingthe judge.
He only got ten years, the absolute minimum for what he had done.
He held his breath for a moment as he sawwhat was down the street. Between the grocery store, the hardware store, the bank, the beauty parlor, and many others, was Fayette's, the town bakery. If prison wasn't enough to remind him of whathadhappened,
this was. He closed his eyes as he remembered that snowy day, remembered his coffee, remembered his doughnut, remembered his prey. Oh, how she had frozen, how she had stared, and how she had ran, ran far away, ran far away fromhim.
The chase was the best part.
That entire year he had pretended, not told anyone, not even himself. Prison, however, makes one think. Andy now relished in every moment of that year, how she had squirmed, how she stayed quiet, how she had hurt, because if she didn't wanthim,
why shouldn't she? Why shouldn't she pay for that offense, that rejection, that denial? Everyone wanted him, of course, so she was just hiding it. That was what he told himself. But now he did not believe that, heknew she hadn't wantedhim, and that made it so much better.
As he walked down Main Street, he thought, and he watched. Lots of people switching to the other side of the road, people he used to go to school with. Didn't they want to say hello? Greet him after all these years? He saw their clothes, uniformsand
formal clothing, suits and skirts. They had moved on. He hadn't. In the distance he saw the rooftop of Merryweather High.
He smiled.
Flight, flight, feather, wing. Flight, flight, feather, wing. Melinda had gotten better in her years of college and, more recently, being Merryweather High's art teacher, but she still used basic techniques that Mr. Freeman had taught her.
Maybe by using his techniques she'd get an offer from a higher academy like he did. Her birds were the same; they were simple and free, but somehow more exquisite, more delicate, almost as if they had aged with her. She supposed theywere similarto
they way she used to draw them, simply having grown. She supposed she was that wayas well.
The room was silent save the sound of chalk striking paper. It stayed that way for another hour, until she heard the sound of footsteps. She tensed instinctively; being alone in the art room was not a good feeling when someone approached.
She relaxed as she saw the owner of the sounds.
"Hey, David," Melinda greeted him with a hug. "How was the trial?"
"The jury found her guilty," David replied pleasantly, setting his jacket down on a stool. "I can now add that to my record of not losing a case."
"Well of course, since you're such a great lawyer," Melinda snickered. "It has nothing to do with the fact that you just got out of Harvard last year. Plus your dad has been backing you up so that you aren't starting out with the cases nobody willtake."
"It's still hard work!" David protested. "I've had five cases so far, winning every single one is a pretty good track record."
"Yeah, it is," Melinda conceded. "You'll still help me hide a dead body, won't you?"
"Of course," He joked. "What are best friends for? Anyways, my legal team is going out to a victory dinner and I was wondering if you'd like to join us?"
"Actually, I was doing pretty well with my forest's addition until you got here," She laughed. "I'd prefer to get back into that groove, if you don't mind. Maybe next time?"
"Yeah, sure," David consented. "You have to come next time. I don't like how you're always holed up in here. Reminds me of freshman year."
The room suddenly felt cold as Melinda closed her eyes and had to suck in a breath. She took a moment before opening them again.
"I'm sorry," He sputtered. "I didn't mean that."
"David…" She sighed. "I'm fine."
"Alright," David took a step toward the door reluctantly. "You sure you don't want to come?"
"Yeah, I'll catch you later?" Melinda inquired.
"Whenever you need me," David affirmed. He left the room with a little bounce in his step and she knew he was already thinking about what they could do.
Picking up her chalk, she got back to work. David and Ivy had gotten her through everything in the past few years. Melinda didn't know what she'd do without them, and she knew that she'd never have to worry about that.
She smiled.
Through the window, he smiled with her.
It happened suddenly, and it happened quickly. One second she was finishing up her birds, the next the lights were out and all she could see was a figure. A tall, dark figure.
"Hello?" Melinda could barely see, the blinds partially covering the natural light. There was a shake in her voice. They had had power outages before, of course, but those had always been caused by winter weather.
It was September.
Maybe this was all some elaborate joke from David. She really hoped it was, although she doubted it. David knew she didn't like being trapped in dark places with someone else. As she darted toward the door, she began to wish that she hadnever spokenat
all when a familiar pair of hands grabbed her and pulled her into the darkness of the storage closet.
"Hello, Melinda," IT growled. "Long time no see."
Melinda felt her blood run cold. She knew that voice, she knew who it belonged to. But IT wasn't supposed to be here, IT was supposed to be in prison, IT was supposed to be…
Andy Evans had only gotten ten years. IT was supposed to be let out today.
"Ten years in prison, Melinda," IT taunted. "Ten years of my life, all because of you. I hope you missed me."
IT covered her mouth before she could scream. IT pinned her arms against the wall. IT repeated history.
And so did Melinda.
David shivered as he started his engine. He cursed as he realized he had forgotten his jacket. As he got out of the car and headed back inside, he realized he was going to be late.
His footsteps seemed to be alone in the high school again. As he approached the art room, he noticed that the lights were off.
Huh, that's strange, David thought. Has Melinda left already?
The door seemed to only be cracked open. It squeaked as he lightly pushed it open.
"Melinda?" He called out, his eyes sweeping through the darkness. He hit the lightswitch and gasped.
The first thing the police saw when they stepped in the room was a large black tree sucking the life out of a forest.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"...found her unconscious…" Beep. Beep. Beep. "...barely breathing…"
Melinda groaned as a barrelful of memories slammed through her brain. She began to breathe quickly and heavily.
BeepBeep. BeepBeep. BeepBeepBeep.
"What's wrong?" A panicked voice yelled. "What's happening to her? Is she okay?"
Her eyes shot open into a blinding white light. She couldn't breathe, couldn't get the air in, something was blocking her throat, her lungs, and her brain, her brain, it hurt, it hurt.
Someone get this out of me! She screamed in her mind.
"Melinda?" Suddenly David's face floated above hers. "Melinda? You're going to be okay, just calm down. There's a ventilator in your throat, helping you breathe, just calm down."
As she listened to his words, she could feel everything slowing down, and she could breathe once more.
"She should be okay for now," A doctor stood to the other side of the bed. "Please call a nurse if she needs anything." With that, the doctor left the room, and it was Melinda and David left in the white hospital room.
"They found you sprawled across the floor of the art room," He murmured. "He was still in the closet. He...he accomplished his goal, but you knocked him out afterwards."
Melinda could only stare silently at the wall.
"Before you passed out, you painted a black tree over your forest drawing," David continued. "Why did you do that, Melinda? He can't get to you again. He can't do this to you again. I won't allow it!"
She stayed silent.
"He is going to pay for what he did," David vowed. "I'm going to make sure he never hurts you again. You hear me? He'll finally get what he deserves.
David stomped out, and still Melinda was silent.
He stormed into the interrogation room. Due to the legal side of Andy having just been released, they had a joint police-lawyer team taking him on.
"She won't speak," David boomed at Andy. "And it's all because of you. She's silent again, and you know what? You will be too, because that's all you have the right to now."
As David continued to rage, Andy only smirked. He had broken Melinda.
They were both silent.