~ Hmm, What other vicious little plot of mine is going to get Melody… Oh did I think that out loud, doh. I have to remember to think more silently.
I woke up and got up slowly. Looking around it took me a moment to realize that I was in an old abandoned subway station. The cars off of the tracks gave away the fact that it was abandoned. Slowly the, flashed of the previous night came back to me. Ninja's, James, Leonardo saving me, and a giant rat? That must have been from a dream. I found a bandage on my head and slowly removed it. My head felt like there were bowling balls rolling around in it.
No one was around. I found a duffel bag by the end of the couch. Upon inspection I found that my clothes and stuff was inside of it. A sound in one of the cars startled me and I jumped up and ran out of there with my duffel bag. I'm acting purely on instinct at this point. Outside in the sewer I ran until my sides started cramping on me. Slowing down, I clutched at my side as I leaned against a ladder. Realizing a ladder was above me, I climbed and listened at the top. All was quiet. Using one hand to hold onto the ladder, I pushed on the cover. It didn't budge. This time, I put one leg through the ladder and tried pushing with both hands, my duffel bag was draped on one arm. My arms started to shake and my head ached at the temples. Still it did not move.
"They make this look so easy on TV," I muttered. Letting loose a breath I was holding, I stopped pushing. The duffel bag on my arm slipped and I lost my footing trying to catch it. My one leg looped through the ladder tightened on reflex and saved me from crashing to the floor. I put on hand over my racing heart for a moment. Looking towards the ground it seemed that I was hanging only halfway down. I grabbed the railing below me and froze. Voices were coming closer. Getting a good grip on the railing I loosened my leg and let gravity swing my body around. A little off balance my body slammed into the railing. I had to shake my head before I could climb down. The voices were even closer now. Climbing down as fast as I could I slipped on the bottom step and fell on my foot, hard. Yelping in pain, I went down.
"I heard something ahead, come on," and the voices were in sight. It was the four turtles. I sat there in a small puddle of water, hopefully water and looked at them feeling stupid. Leonardo came over and helped me up. I tried putting weight on my foot and cried out as pain shot up my leg. Leonardo picked me up, and had the purple masked turtle pick up the duffel bag. They brought me back to the subway station and put me down by the bathroom. I hobbled in with a change of clothes and came out feeling a little fresher.
The turtles were all sitting on the couch, the rat was in an easy chair. I hobbled over and sat on the floor.
"Why, did you run away?" Leonardo asked. I wrung my hands and looked around at everyone.
"I.I didn't know where. I was." I stammered. The rat came over and looked at my foot. I flinched as he came near.
"Don't worry child, I will not hurt you," He said. "My name is Splinter. Let me see your foot." I let Splinter take my foot. He told the other turtles to get him various supplies. Through this I learned the purple masked turtle was Donatello and the red masked one was Raphael. Soon Splinter had my foot bandaged up and feeling much better. They set me on the couch and spread themselves about. Raphael was spread out on his stomach on the floor, Michelangelo was sitting cross legged, close to him. Donatello leaned on the couch, while Leonardo sat next to me. I looked around at them and shrugged. I had no idea what to say.
"Oh, what day is today?" I asked.
"The day after yesterday," Michelangelo responded. I cracked at smile, but looked around for a serious answer.
"It's Sunday," Donatello said to me.
"Your play ended yesterday," Leonardo said to me. " I sent James to tell the director that you would not be able to go last night." I nodded.
"That's okay, I just need to make sure that I'm able to go to practice on Monday." I said. "Thanks again for rescuing me."
"Yeah, you seemed to be making it a habit," Raphael commented.
"I got to find some way to make friends," I joked. Michelangelo laughed, everyone else just looked at me. "So, when can I get home?" They all looked at each other then Leonardo spoke to me.
"We were thinking it would be a good idea for you to stay here a little while, so you don't keep getting attacked by the foot."
"The who," I asked. They quickly explained the foot clan to me and the leader of the foot.
"Okay so I sent two to jail," I said. "Shredder seems to have an endless supply why does he care?"
"I don't think it's him," Leonardo said. "It seems that it's more of a personal revenge." I didn't think of that and sat back.
"So, what do you guys do for fun around here?" I asked. Leonardo gave me a grand tour but advised me to be careful about the sewers.
"We still have some enemies and they are not that close, but, be careful, have on of us with you if you go some where." I nodded thinking I would take some one with me anyways, I couldn't open a manhole by myself. In the evening, Michelangelo prepared a huge pasta dish dinner. As we were finishing I commented on how great the food was.
"I'm going to have to start exercising if I stay here awhile," I said. "Or I'm not going to be able to fit into my costumes.
"We know you work with the Broadway theater," Donatello said. "Are you going to be in any more shows coming up?"
"Yeah," I said. "Monday I have to start practice for Phantom of the Opera." All the turtles and Master Splinter looked impressed, except for Michelangelo.
"The who?" Michelangelo asked.
"Phantom of the Opera," I said. "It's a wonderful play, great music. I already know all the songs by heart from listening to it during my childhood."
"Would you sing one for us?' Leonardo asked. "If it's not too much trouble."
"Not at all," I said. Standing up I took a breath.
Think of me, think of me fondly,
When we've said goodbye.
Remember me once in a while –
Please promise me you'll try.
When you find that, once again,
You long to take your heart back
And be free –if you ever find a moment,
Spare a thought for me.
Everyone clapped as I sat down. I smiled and blushed a little. A clapping from the doorway startled me and I was surprised to find the news reporter April there.
"Hi Melody," April came in. "Sorry about pushing you so hard about these guys, I just had to make sure that you wouldn't betray their secret."
"It's okay I understand," I said. That's how my days were spent. Not too different from the apartment, except now I was around more friends.