Hey people. I just wanted to say please review. Okay. Done begging.
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Lettuce is gasping for air. She nearly was chopped in by that last fan. "You lived!" says Candy, sounding surprised. 'No thanks to you,' thought Pai. She had been 'a little early' telling them to dodge the last time. Not only had Lettuce nearly been split in half, Pai had been a hair away from losing a foot. A short hair away. And now Candy was standing above them, looking at them in wonderment.
Lettuce is also wondering, if she punches Candy, will it hurt her? Probably not, unfortunately.
Candy is happily oblivious to her comrades hatred of her forgetful and offbeat nature. She is oblivious because of what lay ahead. "The soul deemer," Candy says. Lettuce looks up in surprise. She didn't notice the girl in front of them. In her hands is a giant knife. She is dressed completely in white, and her eyes are a calm, unseeing black. She looks up, and looks at Lettuce. But it is painfully obvious the girl cannot see. Still, she seems to be looking straight at Lettuce.
"Who is she?" asks Pai, and the girl shifts her nonexistent gaze to him. "The soul deemer," says Candy. The girl gazes at Candy. "It is the final test of hallway of geisha. She must deem you good enough to pass." The calm black eyes stop on Candy. The giant knife in the girls hand raises for a moment. But suddenly the girl looks beyond them. Lettuce follows her gaze and turns. Behind them is Melody! She is wearing a gown of dark green. A bracelet rests on her wrist. "Melody?" asks Lettuce. Melody doesn't break her gaze from that of the soul deemer. "It isn't Melody," says Candy in awe. "That is Azanthra!" at the sound of her name, the sorceress smiles. The soul deemer smiles as well and turns. She walks away.
Azanthra stays for a second longer, smiling of into the darkness. Then, without a word, she simply vanishes. Lettuce stares at the spot where she had stood. "Melody," she says simply. Candy shakes her head. "Azanthra wore that gown before. That was her we just saw. She does look like Melody," She says. "THE Azanthra." Pai puts a hand on Lettuce's shoulder. "That wasn't Melody," he says gently. "How would you know!" snaps Lettuce. Pai cannot explain it, but it was in the girl's eyes. In them, he saw a small girl, curled in a ball on the dark floor. The furniture around her was ruined. The chair nearest her was it pieces. And the girl looked like a ghost, with her pale pink dress, and white shoes. But she looked so much like Melody! It was amazing. Like looking at a carbon copy of Melody.
Pai merely shakes his head. He can't explain it. He just saw all that in the demoness/angels' eyes. Candy seems to have had the same experience, judging from the look on her face. She looks mystified. This Azanthra is really something. Of course, Lettuce is in denial. She didn't see it. She didn't see Azanthra. She saw Melody. But Melody wasn't there.
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Melody is skipping along the hallway. The gem around her neck dances. The choker is comfortable. It feels right on Melody's neck, like it was always there. She hardly feels it. The hallway is a bit musty, but other than that, it's a nice hall.
Of course, Melody has an interesting taste in style. She often wears stripes going both ways and polka dots with plaid. She says she can't be bothered to check the directions the stripes are going, and that polka dots and Plaid aren't as bad as everyone says. Lettuce always just shook her head. Melody always had the soul of a dreamer. Melody always knew that. Especially when the ghosts came. That's when she became aware that she absolutely isn't normal. Of course, Melody and normal never saw eye too eye. Melody prefers bizarre to normal. She always has.
Lettuce, on the other hand, is more practical. She is also more down to earth. Melody doesn't mind. Someone has to warn her when she's wearing a pink tennis shoe and a pink clog. Mr. Khipf isn't good at pointing those things out. It's right up there with pointing out that someone's lingerie strap is showing. It sure took some getting used to, having a male in the house. Lettuce kept leaving her feminine products around. And lingerie, too. She had to be reminded not to hang her underclothing above the sink to dry. Of course, she was usually reminded by Mr. Khipf's bright red face. He is certainly straight-laced.
Melody can't help but hope she gets to see her Mother again. She makes a mental vow that she will find her Mother and take her back home. Home, with the lumpy oatmeal and TV advertising a sale in victorias secret. Home, with Mr. Khipf desperately trying to change the channel away from an advertisement for feminine products. Home, that smelled like oatmeal cookies ever since the accident with the thanksgiving misgiving thing. That is home to Melody. She never knew any other small house than the one they live in now.
Of course, Melody can't help but admit that Mist Haunt seems almost familiar. The lake is a sound that haunted Melody's dreams even before she heard of Mist Haunt. And Artemis is like a long-lost friend. Melody wonders why. She's never been to Mist Haunt before, that she is sure of.
Why, then, does Melody recall the necklace?