Chapter Twelve:

Melissa's eyes flew open as she saw Rex's head fall back with a smack against the ground. He lay completely motionless, not twitching and his father loomed over his body and laughed. He laughed.

"Stupid boy." He muttered and turned away.

Oh no, Melissa thought, he killed Rex!!!!

Melissa's constricted anger bared its fangs and leapt into her throat. She couldn't sit there. Anger made her leap out from under the bed, thoughts of various tortures racing though her head, vengeance in every muscle of her body, in every crevice if her brain.

Nobody hurt Rex.

Rex's dad turned back around when he heard her loud feet thump the ground. His eyes narrowed upon seeing her. He took in everything, the black hair, the black dress, the combat boots, and the gloves. He seemed to be evaluating her, testing her with some unwritten standard.

"Who are you?" he snarled.

Melissa couldn't answer except for a low growl of anger deep in her throat.

"What are you doing here?"

Another growl rose up from deep inside Melissa.

"Get out!"

Melissa slowly stepped forward, every move intense, and every curve in her body lethal. When she was only two feet away she slowly took off her glove and dropped it to the ground.

"Nobody hurts Rex." She hissed.

Before the man could do anything, Melissa did what she came to do. She was inside his mind, overpowering it, her hate rushing through it.

The man hated Rex. He was so prissy, always reading. He deserved everything given to him. Everything. Rex was his shame, his unwanted son, and his unwanted child. So he beat him to make him tough, manly.

Melissa ground her teeth at the thoughts. What an evil man. She reached out a tendril of her own mind and tried to smooth out the hateful memories, make things better for Rex. Help him.

But Rex's father's thoughts kept pouring in.

Rex was unwanted.

Rex was hated.

Rex deserved to be beaten.

Rex was an idiot.

Rex deserved to die.

Melissa couldn't control her anger. Hateful thoughts poisoned the man's mind. Rex was dead here, in the man's mind. In his own father's mind.

Melissa snaked her mind out, trying to use pain to drive out the evil. She felt her mind pressing too hard against his, but she felt no remorse. She knew that in his waking state he would feel it, but she didn't care. All the pain he got was worth it. He deserved it.

Nobody hurt Rex.

Suddenly, Melissa felt something in the old man's mind snap. His mind and memories began unraveling. Melissa drew her hand back in shock. What was happening? The man crumpled to the ground…

When Melissa shakily laid a hand on rex's father's forehead, there was nothing inside it. Melissa had pushed too hard. She had left the man insane, empty, a vegetable.

Melissa turned, climbed through the window, and ran home.