MY GOODNESS I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVEN'T POSTED IN THREE MONTHS!
Well, now I have something for you all! And don't worry I got some chapters lined up for the next few months. And I plan to write more as the months go by. Sorry for the long wait, but here you go! Enjoy!
Melody followed the officer inside another wing of the prison. Here they walked by many visitors greeting loved ones or family members who were behind bars. She watched with cautious eyes as they skipped by all the tables and made their way toward another door. She eyed the sign on the door. Authorized Personnel Only, it read. The officer held the door open for her and she slipped inside. A long hall was within, which she walked down. At the end of this hall was a doorway to another room. Instead of a table, there was a booth with glass meant to separate the prisoner and the visitor. Telephones remained on both sides of the booth.
Melody's tail twitched, realizing the chair on the other side of the glass wall was empty. She turned to the officer who remained behind her. "I thought you said he was ready?"
"Just a small delay, Ms. Cattington." The officer said with a reassuring smile. "They're bringing him momentarily."
"Oh, okay." Melody nods and takes her seat. The officer leaves the room to wait outside. Melody taps her purse, which she holds in her lap. It was a small wristlet purse, purple in color. She continues to tap on it while she stares at the glass wall before her. A smaller room was on the other side with a big metal door. Only enough room for one person.
The commotion of voices catches her attention as she begins to straighten up. Her ears perk up to the voices. Only seconds later, the door on the other side is opened. Melody's ears fall flat to the sides of her head when she sees him. Cuffs ran from his neck to his wrists and legs, Zekko had long chains running all over keeping his limbs secured. The officer leading Zekko makes sure he sits down in the chair provided.
"Thirty minutes." The officer says bluntly before closing the door behind him.
Zekko's eyes jump to Melody's. She swallows and scoots her chair closer to the table, daring to look back at the boy before her. His gaze on her is short-lived when he looks at the phone beside himself and he picks it up. Melody picks up the phone in front of her.
"Zekko…" She gasps into the phone speaker. "They never chain you during visits. What did you do?"
Zekko doesn't look her in the eye when he chuckles his voice crackling through the phone for her to hear.
"It's good to see you."
Zekko's gaze confronts hers. He stares at her with this light in his eyes that she can't help but notice. She shakes her head and narrows her eyes.
"You didn't answer me," Melody says firmly, gripping the phone.
"Is that really important?" Zekko questions. He leans forward, Melody can hear all the chains moving with him. He puts a hand against the glass, staring dead into her eyes. There's a sadness behind those eyes that makes her heartache.
"Why are you here? You never visit me anymore."
Melody purses her lips. She clutches the phone, her gut twisting and reeling. The longer she stares at him, the more she can see. He has bags under his eyes, which make him appear sick. Maybe he was, she didn't really know. If it was possible, since the last time she'd seen him, he'd lost weight. The clothes on him barely stick to him anymore. And his eyes, they looked so tired.
"I…wanted to see you."
Melody feels the lie thick on her tongue, like a bad aftertaste. She watches Zekko's face closely as it shifts from surprise to confusion. The hand on the glass clenches into a fist as he casts his eyes to the side. She notices a pink tint on his white cheeks.
"Really?" Zekko asks, sounding the least bit hopeful.
"Yes."
His eyes lock on hers. Melody finds a mesmerizing look in his eyes and bites her lower lip. She glances at his hand, which he had not removed once from the glass. She slowly lifts her hand and places it against the glass with his. Zekko's eyes jump to their hands and back to her. All sickness has vanished from his face. Melody's stomach began doing flips as he stared at her with a loving gaze.
Melody swallows hard, feeling tears form in her eyes. A sob that's hard to swallow forms in her throat. Even now, after all this time, he can still look at her in such a way. She felt warmth flush to her cheeks. Forcing her to look away from him.
What was she doing? How can she even encourage this? But it's been far too long since she's seen him…far too long.
Then she hears him mutter something.
Melody snaps her head up, ears perking up. "What?"
Zekko clears his throat. Melody notices his cheeks are red now.
"I said, you look beautiful." He says, meeting her eyes.
The way her gut reeled, twisting itself inside and out, she felt like vomiting. Stray tears fell down her cheeks and pooled on the table. Balancing the phone on her shoulder, she uses her hand to wipe away the tears.
"Oh Zekko," Melody cries into the phone. "Please don't say things like that."
"And why not?" Zekko frowns. "You are beautiful."
"Please." Melody pleads. "Don't."
More tears run down her face, more than she can handle. She lets the glass go, rubbing at her face as ugly sobs break through her, making her shake and tremble. She couldn't handle this. She could not be here one second more.
"I can't!" She cries, standing up to her feet, clutching the phone. "I can't stand this!"
"Baby please-"
"NO!" Melody screams, glaring at Zekko, whose eyes are wide in shock. She breathes heavily, watching Zekko as his ears fall flat to his head. He stares at her, pleading with his eyes. She forces herself to look away. Her vision was blurred with tears as it was, she could not stand to look at him like this.
"No," Melody says at last, hand tight in a fist. She turns to Zekko. "I can not do this with you anymore Zekko. You…you can not do this to me anymore."
Zekko's hand against the glass melds into a fist. His eyes shine with unshed tears. Melody takes a deep breath in and exhales.
"Zekko," Melody begins. She grinds her teeth, reminding herself of the first lie she told. She sighs. "I came because I received a call."
"What?" Zekko's response is lightning quick, plagued with shock and anger. Melody flinches immediately but holds her ground. She glances at him, watching as his loving gaze is replaced with something she is more familiar with.
His rage.
"You- you lied to me!" Zekko cries out, slamming his fist against the glass. He scowls at her. She can hear an animal-like growl emitting from him. "Why? Why would you lie to me-"
"Does it matter?" Melody snaps, though it comes out more as a whimper, freezing Zekko in his tracks. His scowl diminishes and he looks to the side, expression unreadable as he drops his hand from the glass. Melody, seeing he would not go on, continues. "You made another therapist run away."
A bitter laugh shoots out from Zekko. "So what?"
Zekko locks eyes with her. She almost steps back, seeing the fury in his eyes. Zekko casts his eyes around as if looking for something. Then he puts the phone closer to his mouth.
"You and I both know no one here wants to help me," Zekko whispers. "You know why I am here, sweetie. Don't come here and act like you don't."
Another ugly laugh leaves his mouth.
"We both signed the papers."
Melody grows silent, breathing hard and watching the toon before her. He grows a simple smile. One of those smiles always made her believe he was possessed in some way because no longer was Zekko sitting there, but a dangerous creature.
Shaking, she whispered into the phone. "I know…"
"Good." Zekko leans back in his chair. "I think you overstayed your welcome."
"I-" Melody stops herself. She silently nods and begins putting the phone down.
"You know, I never liked it." Melody hears this just as she's about to put the phone down. She cautiously places the phone to her ear, daring to meet Zekko's eyes. The monster still sat there, looking back at her, but while it did it seemed almost humane.
And that broke her heart.
"What do you mean?" She dared to ask.
"Your name."
Melody stiffened, her stomach flipping once again. Zekko lovingly placed his hand against the glass. He stared at her with a content gaze, as he was reminiscing on some old memory of the past.
"You may have changed your name and your looks, but you'll always be the same Maddie I grew to love," Zekko whispers into the phone.
Melody swallows thickly.
"And I promise you, Maddie…I am going to leave this place."
Zekko winks at her, casting his grin at her.
"Let that be, our little secret."