Chapter 77
When Melissa opened her eyes, she noticed that everyone had left the castle grounds. "Where are we?"
"We're far way from Talpa's Castle," Kento replied, offering his hand to the shaking girl.
Melissa accepted Kento's hand as she got up from the previous position she was in. "Then everyone is okay?"
"Yes," Jazalyn nodded. "But…you're not okay. You turned chalk white and then you passed out right in front of us. Is…there something you want to tell us?"
"No," Melissa replied, shaking her head.
"Mel…something bad just happened to you. Are you sure…?" Sarah began.
"I SAID I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" Melissa answered, uncharacteristically yelling at her friends.
"Melissa," Brian began, "are you going to be okay?"
"Let it go," Sage replied, "she'll talk to us when she's ready. Forcing her to talk right now isn't going to help.
Melissa closed her eyes as she started to hyperventilate, "I need to be alone," she breathed, "If it weren't for those stupid dream, maybe I wouldn't be so upset."
"Dreams?" Jazalyn and Melody questioned in unison.
"Yes," Melissa replied as she started getting more worked up about the current situation.
Melody looked at everyone, "let me and Jazalyn take care of this. I think we can help."
"Will you be okay?" Brian asked.
"If it will make you feel better," Jazalyn replied, "you guys can always stand a few feet away from us. Just be sure to tune out the conversation."
Everyone else nodded and moved away.
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When everyone except Jazalyn and Melody left, Jazalyn put a hand on Melissa's shoulder. "You had them as well?"
Melissa's eyes went wide, "You mean dreams about my partner killing my family…yes I've had them."
"Welcome to the club," Melody replied sarcastically, trying to bring some humor into this dark situation.
Melissa nodded in agreement. "I've betrayed my partner…and because of that…Dais will kill my whole family."
"Is that why you passed out?" Jazalyn theorized. "An overload of power from the Ancient One's Staff and the fear that Dais will hurt your family?"
"Yes, "Melissa sobbed, "I knew that if I betrayed my partner, he would end the lives of my whole family. I…I had to do it, but…now my family is going to pay the price for my actions."
"We'll get through this," Melody replied, smiling. "We'll save the world and our partners. Besides, with all the tight security now at the airports, how are the Warlords, much less Dais, going to slip into the United States without being noticed?"
"I'm sure they can blend if they tried," Jazalyn replied.
"A young man with white hair and an eye patch is going to stick out like a sore thumb in America," Melody continued. "I don't think anyone looking like that is going to get past security without arousing suspicion."
Jazalyn gave Melody an ugly look as Melissa started laughing. Those two reminded Melissa of her friendship with Sarah.
"Hey!" Rowen called out, interrupting Melissa, Melody, and Jazalyn, "are you three finished with your conversation?"
"Yes!" Jazalyn called out. "Feel free to join us when you're ready."
When Melissa opened her eyes, she noticed that everyone had left the castle grounds. "Where are we?"
"We're far way from Talpa's Castle," Kento replied, offering his hand to the shaking girl.
Melissa accepted Kento's hand as she got up from the previous position she was in. "Then everyone is okay?"
"Yes," Jazalyn nodded. "But…you're not okay. You turned chalk white and then you passed out right in front of us. Is…there something you want to tell us?"
"No," Melissa replied, shaking her head.
"Mel…something bad just happened to you. Are you sure…?" Sarah began.
"I SAID I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" Melissa answered, uncharacteristically yelling at her friends.
"Melissa," Brian began, "are you going to be okay?"
"Let it go," Sage replied, "she'll talk to us when she's ready. Forcing her to talk right now isn't going to help.
Melissa closed her eyes as she started to hyperventilate, "I need to be alone," she breathed, "If it weren't for those stupid dream, maybe I wouldn't be so upset."
"Dreams?" Jazalyn and Melody questioned in unison.
"Yes," Melissa replied as she started getting more worked up about the current situation.
Melody looked at everyone, "let me and Jazalyn take care of this. I think we can help."
"Will you be okay?" Brian asked.
"If it will make you feel better," Jazalyn replied, "you guys can always stand a few feet away from us. Just be sure to tune out the conversation."
Everyone else nodded and moved away.
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When everyone except Jazalyn and Melody left, Jazalyn put a hand on Melissa's shoulder. "You had them as well?"
Melissa's eyes went wide, "You mean dreams about my partner killing my family…yes I've had them."
"Welcome to the club," Melody replied sarcastically, trying to bring some humor into this dark situation.
Melissa nodded in agreement. "I've betrayed my partner…and because of that…Dais will kill my whole family."
"Is that why you passed out?" Jazalyn theorized. "An overload of power from the Ancient One's Staff and the fear that Dais will hurt your family?"
"Yes, "Melissa sobbed, "I knew that if I betrayed my partner, he would end the lives of my whole family. I…I had to do it, but…now my family is going to pay the price for my actions."
"We'll get through this," Melody replied, smiling. "We'll save the world and our partners. Besides, with all the tight security now at the airports, how are the Warlords, much less Dais, going to slip into the United States without being noticed?"
"I'm sure they can blend if they tried," Jazalyn replied.
"A young man with white hair and an eye patch is going to stick out like a sore thumb in America," Melody continued. "I don't think anyone looking like that is going to get past security without arousing suspicion."
Jazalyn gave Melody an ugly look as Melissa started laughing. Those two reminded Melissa of her friendship with Sarah.
"Hey!" Rowen called out, interrupting Melissa, Melody, and Jazalyn, "are you three finished with your conversation?"
"Yes!" Jazalyn called out. "Feel free to join us when you're ready."