The Dead Life (1)

"Stay." My mother stared at me with a grave look. I nodded at her, and said "Mom...Are we gonna be OK?"

She looked at me and sighed. With me being 5, she had to come up with something. "Molly, honey, only if you believe."...Little did I know, it wouldn't be okay...

9:46pm, August 11. that night... My life changed. My mom walked out of my room, and I curled up into a ball on my bedroom floor, underneath the windowpane. I squeezed my eyes shut and believed that no one would die, and everything was gonna be alright. When i opened my eyes, everything was still the same, horribly. I blinked, somehow knowing nothing would be ok. But then something sounded, a loud, pounding split in the air. I heard a blood curdling scream, and stood up. I flipped around and stuck my head out my window, my hazelnut hair drifting in the muggy breeze. I gazed down at my father, blood pouring out of his chest. He was on his knees, gasping and grunting, until he fell to his side, and his eyes rolled into his head. His meaty, strong hands released pressure from his stable chest, and he layed, silent. I knew he was dead..yet i felt no emotion. I had never really known my father, he was always gone at work..And when he was home, he always payed attention to my older brother, Jacob.

jacob was a good brother, he died 13 months ago of a seizure. ever since, my father worked overtime. just to ignore my mother and i. i had always heard them fighting in the middle of the night. and even one time, he left. Right after jacob died. he didn't come back until about a month ago...

My mother shouted "Molly! climb out the window!". I was so little that i didn't know what else to do. I climbed out onto the roof and sat there, praying for further direction. My mother shouted, and then the popping split noise sounded, and I could sence she was gone. Gone meaning...Dead.

It was 7:34 am, August 12. I opened my eyes at the shining of bright lights. They flashed red, and sirens were still happening. I sat up, still on the roof in front of my window. realzing my face was soaked in tears, i had to wipe them before someone saw me. I cleaned off my face, and the bright morning shine of sun indicated another muggy day. In a sence, i was hoping it had rained. Someone flashed a light on me, and shouted "Little girl! come down here!". He looked like a police officer, and my mother always told me to trust them. So i leaned over the edge of the roof, and a man was holding his arms up at me. He smiled and said "I'll catch you, come down."

3:12PM, March 21.

Sitting on the porch of the foster care home, I saw many cars race by. The girl named Jennifer came out and sat next to me. She was 9, I was 12. She said "Mel, Cynthia told me someone was coming to adopt us.". I looked down at her, and said "Really? How do you know?"

"Cynthia told me. Why would she lie?"

"No, I meant, how do you know they will adopt both of us."

"Because we are sisters, they can't seperate us.", Jenny smiled assuringly. I was put in this foster home shortly after Jenny turned 2. Cynthia (the care master) had let us believe we were sisters, because she thought after what happened to Jacob, I was lonely, and Jenny was her parents first child. So it all worked out. After my tragedy, Jenny could relate, 'cause her parents were shot too. But she was put in 12 different foster home before Cynthia could afford to keep her in the six story builiding she gladly owned as an orphanage.

"Yeah, I guess your right.". She smiled back at me. I looked at my watch, it was 3:21.

"What time are the adopters supposed to be here?" I asked.

"Uh, I dunno. I'll go ask Cynthia.". And with that, Jennifer Alison raced into the home she had known as if it was her own. I turned my head back to the racing cars. Then I thought about something. I had never known my name exept for Molly Cassandra. I never knew my last name, but I suppose it didn't matter now.

I peered back at my watch. 3:23. I stood up on the step, looked out, and my hair drifted in the frosty breeze. The slush on the road sprayed toward the porch, nearly hitting my rubbed off shoe. I looked at my watch, 3:26. I sighed, looked up, and saw a white Chevy pull up. A tall woman in a work dress and high-heels stepped out of the passanger side, and a tall man in a suit jumped out the driver side. I stared at him for a second. He looked up at me and smiled. I smirked for a second. He walked up to me and said "Excuse me, young girl. Is this the C.C.A.H.?". I nodded. "So, who are you?" He asked.

"Mel." I answered.

"Mel?"

"Molly, but I'm called Mel around here."

He nodded disaprovingly, moved his jaw, and said "Am I aloud or should I come back another time?"

I tilted my head and said "Well, Depends. Who are you here for?"

He pulled a paper from his pocket and said "Uhhh, Molly Cassandra, and Jennifer Alison."

I dropped my jaw and said "They are not at this adoption center. Good bye." And turned around, walked in, and locked the lavender door behind me.

Later that day, Cynthia walked up to me. I was sitting on the couch and watching FBI's Most Wanted. Cynthia walked up behind me. The host on the show was talking about a man who has shot and killed 30 people in the last 7 years, named 'The Masked Bullet'. I leaned forward, a little interested. He named 9 people he killed:

Angelica Frizno, Franklin Oliver, Damian Trustcott, Inga Benson, Fredrick Arnolds, Olive Riqff, Casey Ericson, Angela Unova, Derek Unova. I listened to the last two espically careful. Unova..They must have been related. But I thought my mom's name was Angela. I thought to myself.

Cynthia put her hand on my shoulder and said "Unova was your last name..Benson was Jenny's. The Masked Bullet is a very violent natured fool. You two are great girls, but he had to ruin your two's family chances. Have you ever seen the tape of you on the news?"

I looked at her and shook my head. She gazed at me, smiled a little, and her eye started to tear up. Then she looked down at me: "Is everyone else asleep?". I nodded and said "Riley and Hillary went to sleep about and hour ago. I just put Tyler to sleep, so that she be everyone."

"Jenny?"

I nodded and said "She passed out around 11.". I looked at the wall clock. 1:33, am. Cynthia said "Okay, I will get the tape."

She came back with an old VHS tape. She stuck it in the box and the tv fuzzed for a second, and then the tape came on. The headlines at the bottom stated "YOUNG GIRL TRAMATIZED". It showed me as a 5 year old. My hair was such a light brown that it nearly looked like a honey blonde. My eyes were filled with tears, sparkling with an intence mocha color. In the tape I sat up and wiped my face. Then the light flashed on me and I looked out. You could tell I was crying, and it looked like I was saying something. I was certain I was. I had said something, almost clearly enough for someone to hear. It appeared to be something like..'shot', or 'gun'. And if you listened closly, you could think you heard me say 'Jacob'. But I stared for a second. In the corner of the screen, a body bag on a gurney came out of my house with two paramedics pushing it. A police man walked up almost under the roof, and reached his arms up. I sat there, tears pouring down my face, and I shook my head. But I didn't remember shaking my head, crying so hard, waiting that long to move, looking at the paramedics with a body bag, or saying anything. I put my hands out and on the roof, and began to crawl, obviously saying something. I don't remember that either. I looked down at the man, reached my right arm out, and nearly fell into the man's arms. He lifted me up and brought me to the camera man and said "Now, little girl who are you?". And thats where the tape ended.

I looked up at Cynthia and said "I don't remember half of that."

She looked down at me and shook her head, almost in tears.

"I bet you every person in this state cried when they saw that."

I shook my head and said "Why? It's just me waking up in front of my old bedroom."

"Yes, but you were so tired, and you witnessed your father get killed."

"Yeah, but I am nearly posotive I was crying because of all the people. I had never seen so many people, so I was nervous."

Cynthia looked at me. "You weren't crying because of your parents and brother?"

I shook my head. "No. I never really knew them. My dad liked my brother better, and never talked to me. My mother was always so busy. As for my brother...I was closest to him. Whenever my dad was at work...I talked to him. We told eachother everything. There was never a secret between us. But one morning, I woke up and heard my mother sobbing. My father punched 8 holes in the wall and 3 dents in the door. The door was wide open and one of its hinges broke off. He was mad. I asked my mom what had happened, she said Jacob had had a seizure and passed away. I never knew the night we admitted to eachother that we wish this would all be over, would be over for him. That was the day I shed a tear. But that was it. Only one, because I had to keep strong."

Cynthia gazed at me like I was a gift from God. "Your, amazing, Mel. You know that? Truly amazing. You had the courage and strength to stick through those events."

I looked down.

"I couldn't be able to sleep in a house knowing my mother's dead body and wafting blood through the floor beneath me." I said quietly. Cynthia put her arms around me in a secure hug. As if to comfort. When she let go, she pat my back and said "Alright kiddo. Its almost 2 in the morning, go to bed."

I looked at her and said "I'm not tired."

She looked at me and said "Your sure about that one? 'Cause I'm gonna go to sleep."

I nodded.

The next morning I opened my eyes and gazed around. I was still on the couch. I guess i fell asleep; I told myself.

I went into the main room and saw everyone awake, talking and playing. Jenny ran to me and said "Finally your awake! I didn't wanna wake you up. Hey you wanna go to the backyard later?" I shrugged and nodded. I sat on the desk where Cynthia worked out her bills and such. I looked around at the front door, when the door opened. Cynthia walked in with a girl about my age. She had dark hair and greenish-brown eyes. She had an spirit coming off her of pur hatred, yet guilt. She looked at me and shot a look of hate. I looked at her with question. She squinted and growled a little bit. Cynthia said "Okay, Alex, this is where you'll be staying. Until we organize a room, talk to Mel, or Kiley. But Kiley's sleeping..So talk to Mel.". The girl named Alex looked up at her and said with a sence of guilt "Who is Mel and why should I talk to her.".

I raised my hand and jumped off th desk. I walked up to her. She was slightly taller than me. I said "I'm Mel, and because I've been here the longest. Right Cynthia?"

Cynthia nodded and added "And because you both are twelve. Twelve year olds can relate to eachother..Right?" then she smiled kindly and walked off. Alex turned toward me and said "You've been here the longest? Why hasn't anyone tooken you yet? An outcast? Undesirable? Why?"

I looked at her grimly, then tried to regain spirit and said "Because my parents are victims; shot. But I've been here the longest 'cause msot people don't know how to work with me, but I like Cynthia the best, because she knows how to deal with me."

Alex nodded, almost impolitly. I tilted my head and decided to play her game. I thought for a second, and said "So why are you here? Given up? Thrown on the street? Huh? WHY?". Alex stared for a second, smiled and said "I know what your doing. And no, my parents got caught doing drugs and the goverment decided they couldn't keep custody of me. So now I'm here."

I looked at her for second and said "You lived in Detroit, didn't you..."

She stared for a minute. "How did you know that."

I shot my head up and stared her crisply in the eye.

"Because you knew Jacob." I choked out harshly, my voice cracking four times. Alex's head dropped, and I knew I triggered something.

"Jacob..Unova?" She cracked. I nodded, almost tearing up. I hadn't cried in 7 years, I wasn't about to do it now for the sake of my brother's best friend. Or maybe I was.

She looked up slowly, sobbed without crying, and said "Your his little sister...Are you not?"

"Strait from the egg."

She nodded and said "He was such a good guy. I wonder what he would have done, had he been here now."

I shook my head and wiped the invisible tear from my face.

She looked up sharply, memory of strength returning. She said "Uh, that didn't happen. I'm gonna go talk to Cynthia. Bye." And she raced off. I stared for a second, and thought about my brother: Jackson 'Jacob' Tyler Unova...Bright brown eyes, dark brown hair... I tried to forget, I knew he wouldn't want me to hold him back.

Later that day I was on the bench swing on the huge porch of Cynthia's home. I was sitting with my black and red hoodie on me, the hood covering my eyes. I was listening to the wind, because it always seemed to guide me through rough times. Rough meaning...That earlier that day Jenny got an adoption meeting, and it went so well that they took her to their house to see where she would be staying, but they didn't take me, and Jenny seemed to have forgotten that she said we would stick togethor. I blinked. I lifted my head and stared beside the bush where Cynthia's 3 cars were parked...A Toyota Sienna, A Ford Mustang, and a Honda Civic. Purple, red, and silver where the colors. Then I looked to the other side of the large rosemary bush, and at the pathway up to the porch. It had a small crack in the middle. It stated at the senter and lead down to the street and at the curb. I followed the crack with my eyes, and once I got to the road covered in a soft slush, a car splattered it onto the pathway. I stared for another minute at the wet pathway, and then back at the road. I twisted my jaw, tilted my head, and then felt a tap on my shoulder.

I looked to my left and saw Alex sitting next to me.

"Eh. Yeah?" I stuttered from deep thought.

"Tomorrow night I was supposed to go to my violin recidal." She said.

"Okay? Your telling me this why?"

"I need my violin."

"Your point."

"I want you to come with my to my house tonight. Cynthia doensn't have to know. Its just 31 blocks from here."

I stared at her and thought that she was out of her mind. Why would someone just sneak off like that. And I don't even know the city, I spent the first 5 years of my life in an accident prone house and the last 7 in this building. I shook my head and said "I'm not doing that, delinquent."

She gave me an honest, yet grim look. "Fine." She murmured, and walked back inside.

January 21, 5:13 pm.

Over the last few months, a lot changed. Nearly everyone had been adopted, including Jenny and Alex. All that was left was me and Seth. Cynthia closed down her business, and decided she would keep us two. Me and Seth grew to know each other better then most siblings, and we always had eachother's back.

Seth ran down the main stairwell and through the door at the end of it. He came up to me and said "Mel, I just something on the news. A bunch of grave's got robbed, and a few were transported to the morgue, but one traced back to a heartbeat. A person thats been dead for almost 8 years is ALIVE but in extreme care. They said his name was Jackson.". My head shot up at that. "Jacob's ALIVE?"

And the door slammed open, Cynthia ran through saying "Mel! Seth! CAR! NOW." But once we ran out, we turned back to the house, and one of the window's blew out in flame. I stared and I heard Cynthia scream. Seth grabbed my arm and said "Mel, come on lets get outta here!" He pulled me along, me still staring back. The window's room was burst into flame. And Cynthia was in it. I felt like I had to do something, but Seth's arm was to strong. I turned around and began to run with him. On the iced roads, still Wintery from frost in August, we slipped around from under and over the 1300 cars that must have passed. I turned back to the house once we were on the sidewalk across the 8 lane street. I'd never been this far from it. The window's flames had spread about to the canopy and other window, nearly hitting the tree. As they licked the house, engulfing it to doom, I dropped to my knees in complete awe.

Why was I not feeling sorrow. Why was I not feeling total terror. Why did all the people stopping and people dialing on the phones not totally burn out my heart.

My heart.

It was still going...Faster then I had ever felt.

"Because you still have something left."

"Because what you have left still matters."

"It matters because you care."

"You care Because You Love them."