Révolution du Cœur – Dawn of the Day
Enjolras moved up the barricade and let Marius and Joly give out orders. Something akin to fear set aside his rising feeling of anticipation. He snatched up a musket and leaned against a piece of wood. It had a large enough hole that he could see the militia marching into position. He looked back at his comrades. Marius was to his left with another youth just below him. The rest of Les Amis spread out along the wooden structure.
Suddenly he realized that there was a spot of gold missing. He whipped his head back and forth looking for Melodie. At first he feared she had run off. That of course was a foolish thought and he brushed it off. She had been fighting him too much at every turn to just up and leave.
No sooner had the idea left his head, did she appear beside him. She mirrored his crouched position and made sure her gun was ready. She finally looked up at him and Enjolras felt a moment of fear. There was blood at the corner of her mouth and her eyes were flashing more than usual.
"What happened?" His eyes didn't leave the trickle of blood on her otherwise perfectly white face.
She had the audacity to smirk at him!
"I was simply informing our honored guest of the consequences of letting his fist connect with your jaw."
Enjolras just stared at her blankly as her face became more serious.
"I also saw to it that his knots were more secure and that there weren't any potential weapons within his reach." Her eyes sought his for approval.
Enjolras couldn't help but stare at her in amazement. This girl had a better grasp of the situation than all the men around him who had attended the military academy. At last he nodded and reached out a slightly shaking hand.
He gently wiped away the blood at the corner of her mouth with his thumb. He could have sworn she had gasped and that her eyes had dilated, but the moment his skin no longer touched her's she turned her head away to watch the incoming militia. He did the same.
"Who's there?" Called out a voice from the throng of armed men. Enjolras took a deep breath before answering.
"French revolution!"
There was a moment's pause on the other side.
"FIRE!" Came the guttural cry and then all hell seemed to rain upon them.
A flurry of activity ensued. Shots rang out and muskets and revolvers were exchanged and discarded. Throughout it all, Enjolras kept a cool head and concentrated on his aim. He couldn't disregard the feeling of Melodie's and Marius's presence beside him though. They seemed to keep him grounded more than anything else.
"Marius no!" Gavroche's voice startled them all. Enjolras whipped his head in the direction of the sound and stared in horror. Marius was scaling the barricade with a keg of gunpowder in his hand. The idea was either brilliant or could be the death of them all.
A soldier was about to shoot his friend when the dark youth from before jumped in front of him and took the bullet instead.
The strangled cry of Melodie behind him alerted him to the fact that not all was as it seemed. The dark youth tumbled out of view and he had to refocus on what was happening before him.
"Fall back! Fall back or I blow the barricade!" Marius held a torch dangerously close to the powder keg. Enjolras lurched forward in an attempt to reach him but stumbled.
"Blow it up and take yourself with it!" The commander stated stupidly.
Everyone was silent. Enjolras watched Melodie scramble down to the wounded youth below, but her eyes were fastened on Marius as well.
"And myself with it." Marius lowered the torch even more.
"Back!" The commander ordered. The militia retreated as Enjolras was able to take the torch from Marius.
They eventually made their way down to the base of the barricade. There, with tears streaming down her face, was Melodie. She was cradling the wounded youth in her arms and rocking back and forth. The boy's cap had fallen off and a tumble of brown hair fell about a set of slim shoulders.
It was Éponine and she was clearly suffering.
Melodie looked up as they approached and seemed to tighten her hold on the wounded girl as Marius fell to his knees beside them. She tried to draw back but Éponine whispered something and she reluctantly handed her off to Marius. The rain began to softly fall upon them all.
Enjolras caught her and held her steady as she stumbled to her feet. Neither of them said anything as they watched the tragic scene unfold before them. Éponine and Marius whispered quietly to each other for a few minutes.
Enjolras felt his heart throb painfully at the quiet exchange and the despair that laced Marius's handsome features. His friend let out a strangled sob suddenly and kissed Éponine's forehead. The girl was quiet in his arms.
She was dead.
The others came forward and gently lifted her to place her body somewhere safe. He finally cleared his throat to address those still in shock.
"She is the first to fall for us. We can only pray she will be the last."
Marius struggled to his feet and before he could take a step, Melodie had flown at him. Enjolras was startled by the venom in her voice.
"It's your fault!" She pushed Marius roughly and advanced on him again. Whether from shock or because he believed her, he didn't fight back.
"She died for you! She loved you and died for you and you never noticed! She died for you because she loved you! You never noticed! You never once noticed!" Melodie began to beat on Marius's chest. Fearful she would hurt them both, Enjolras grabbed and turned her around.
"Enough Melodie!" He shouted at her. She pushed him away and stepped back. Her eyes were full of pain and something very near to hate.
"You! You're as bad him!" Her arms fell to her sides as tears coursed down her cheeks.
He looked to the others for an explanation but each of them looked away. Only Jehan stared back at him. The look in his eyes was one that told Enjolras he was a fool for not understanding the young woman before him. He looked back at her and nearly choked.
She looked broken.
The sight scared him more than anything.
Very slowly he approached her. He didn't try to touch her but made sure she was still looking at him.
"Melodie, you need to go." She gaped at him before the fire lit in her eyes.
"What?" She yelled at him. Obviously she didn't understand his meaning and he honestly didn't want to explain himself in front of all the other, but she was going to leave him no choice.
"You promised me you would take the little ones away when things got worse. Do it now." Her face contorted in anger.
"If you honestly think –"
"You promised me Melodie! Take them all home. See each to his own door and if he doesn't have one, see him to that damn elephant!" He took a step closer to her but she didn't back down, probably not afraid of his gentle tone.
"But that will take forever and I won't be back to help!" she cried.
"Exactly! Do you think I want the same thing to happen to you that just happened to Éponine?" He took her shoulders and shook her. She glared at him but he felt her body relax slightly at his touch. Her hand reached out and cradled his jaw.
"I swear to God, Enjolras, if you die while I'm gone, I will never forgive you and when I reach the other side myself I will make your afterlife hell. Got it?" Her voice shook a little and her eyes were serious.
Enjolras nodded.
"I'll do my best."
Her gaze softened slightly and she stepped away from him. She spun around and whistled. Gavroche's army came to stand before her. She looked over each and every one of them, counting to make sure they were all there. Gavroche seemed to be doing the same and Enjolras knew that Melodie had been right. There was no way the boy was leaving.
At last she jerked her chin to the hidden entrance to the other alleys and the boys began to filter out. Before she followed, her eyes met his one last time.
The emotion burning there stole Enjolras's breath. Before he could name it she had thrown Marius a dirty look and left.
For the first time since this had all begun, he felt like he knew nothing.
Nothing about Melodie, nothing about the revolution, and nothing about the future.
He was scared.
Melodie was still fighting off grief as she began to deposit the ragamuffins at their respective homes.
Her Éponine, her best friend was gone. She wanted nothing more than to follow her in those final moments.
And to take Marius down with her.
Thank God for Enjolras's steady touch. He had kept her partially sane in those moments. He had weathered her temper better than most people did and his logic had slightly calmed the rage like storm brewing in her chest.
His honest words from the heart had finally made her calm down in truth though.
Her face flushed remembering his words. Maybe her dire accusation had gotten through to him slightly. Then again probably not. He was probably questioning Jehan right now as to what the hell she had meant. No matter. It was, as they said, a foot in the door.
It truly was taking a long time to drop off all the boys. They lived in all the neighborhoods of Paris and quite a few of their parents wanted information on what was going on back at the barricade.
Melodie did her best relay information and to deflect concerns. It was beginning to try her patience when one of the mother's had begun to shout at her. She had finally told the woman that if she didn't want her child involved in the revolution then maybe she should spend less time on her back beneath her patrons and more time with the boy. The woman had slammed the door in her face but at that point she didn't care.
There were only two boys left and they were both older than the others so she knew that she had to get them back to the elephant in the square. It was a long trek and to pass the time she began to teach them some of her favorite quotes.
"Remember lads, Socrates was right when he said `He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.'"
"What does he say about love Mademoiselle Melodie?" The scrawnier of the two asked.
Melodie smiled at his enthusiasm.
"Well I'm not sure you should be worrying about such things yet, but Socrates isn't the best to take love advice from. I'd recommend Virgil. `Love conquers all.' And believe me, it does."
"Will it conquer and help us win the revolution?" The other boy asked. He had large, sad eyes. Knowing they were close to the elephant, Melodie decided to stop for a moment. She knelt to be on eye level with them.
"I think it will. We are doing this out of love for France, for our families, and our friends. Those types of love combined are the strongest I know of. They are the only ones worth dying for."
They both nodded at her words and she smiled. After ruffling their hair, she saw them safely into the elephant.
As she turned away and began to return to the barricade, she remembered what had happened just a few hours ago.
Éponine had died for love. Melodie knew that if it came to Enjolras's life she would do the same. Just as Joly would do for his lady and Marius would do for Cosette.
The last thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.
She hated Marius even now. He hated him for his weakness and for his complete disregard for Éponine as a person until those final moments.
The worst part of it all was that she still understood him.
She hated feeling so confused by all of it and knowing there was so little she could have done. She felt powerless and helpless and she hated it. All she wanted now was for the success of the revolution, for Enjolras to truly see her, and for a very long nap.
BOOM
Melodie stopped dead in her tracks. That had sounded like cannon fire.
And it had come from the direction of the barricade.
Heart in her throat and fear making her gasp for breath, she took off through the streets.
The rising sun was blood red and pushed her faster. As she ran the sound of cannon and gun fire became louder and louder. She remembered her parting words to Enjolras and cursed herself.
Negative thoughts always rebound her father had told her.
Tearing around the corner, the sun blinding her, she began to pray.
God in heaven don't take them from me. God of mercy and love please let them be alright. Let him be alright!
The noise suddenly stopped but Melodie only ran faster, continuing to pray.
Enjolras raced up the stairs of the café, trying to find any ammunition. Their stores were done though. The rain the previous night had done its job. Listening to the troops trying to get upstairs, he couldn't understand how it had come to this.
The spy Javert was dead. They had received help yet again from a stranger but this one had been deemed trust worthy by Gavroche.
His heart constricted.
Gavroche.
The boy was dead. He had attempted to gather more weapons and ammunition. He had showed his pride in their cause and he had lost his life for it.
Éponine's death had been a shock but his, his had torn them asunder. They had fought harder because of it, but now … now almost all of his friends were dead.
He was proud of them though. Even facing the fact that they were the last barricade in the city, they had fought for freedom and defended each other. He was going to be proud to die amongst them.
He knew it was coming, had actually known it all along. But he had hoped.
He wouldn't die with regrets though, save one.
He still couldn't name the emotion that had been shining in Melodie's eyes when she had left and it bothered him. He wanted to know.
He was glad she wasn't here though. If her blood had been spilled before his eyes as Jehan's had, he probably would have gone insane. She had to live on. If she died, none of this would mean anything at all.
He knew that now. He had fought this battle originally with the mind frame that it was for the glory of France and the ideal of freedom. Now though, he knew it was meant to give people like her a life worth living. He only prayed she would one day get it.
But God help him, he wanted to know what she had been feeling when she left!
He was startled out of his thoughts by the soldiers bursting into the room. He grabbed the red flag of the revolution tightly and faced them. Suddenly, Grantaire burst in and stumbled to his side.
This was the last man he expected to be with him in his final moments, but it suddenly seemed poetic and proper. They grasped each other's shoulders and faced the armed men before them. Enjolras raised the flag high and waited.
Shots rang out and pain seared his body. He felt Grantaire fall beside him but he clung on a few moments longer and stumbled backwards. His calves hit the window ledge and he let gravity do the work. As he fell back his eye sought out their last view of the world he had strived for.
They found a horror filled stare instead.
Before the darkness took him, he saw that horror and pain in Melodie's eyes turn once more into the fierce, burning emotion.
Those eyes were worth it.
The darkness closed in and he felt no more.
