• Chapter 7




    Daddy had said he was in a good mood today, even after he had heard about mommy's death. So he had said yes. What I had asked him was to stay one more night. She was going to go find out what was in that book Melodie's mom was reading before she was killed by her very own dad. She hadn't told Melodie what she was going to do yet. Luckily daddy had also let her stay one more night. He was being nice today and it was probably because they were leaving the next morning. She hadn't told Melodie anything yet because she was still very little-3 years littler then me. No little kid's mommy should die. And worst of all she saw it happening. With me it had been quick. Not that it was any better, but... I wonder how daddy had killed her? He couldn't leave any blood. The cops would find out. Had there even been cops? Wait...when did this all happen? I was only gone for a day and a half. Had it happened when I was gone? Maybe that's why the cops were there today. Not because of me, or mommy, but maybe because someone had found Melodie's mommy dead. What was in that book? Something that no one could see. He's not that heartless. I hope. No, I knew daddy. Even if he hated me, he still was not that heartless. But to think he killed Melodie's mom over a book...It must be something big he's hiding. He wouldn't have killed her over a book. But what was in the book? And where was it? How was I going to get into the secret door if I didn't have the key for it? I guess I hadn't thought about it all the way through. But I had to do something. Tonight was my last night here and if I didn't find out what was in that book then I would never find out, because I would never be back. I was going to go away to one of those homes that homeless people get sent to to wait for someone kind enough to take them home. If someone was nice enough to take me home it might be very far away, and even if it isn't I still wouldn't be able to see inside that book. I didn't even know what room the secret door was in. But that was the only thing I could find out. That and maybe if I'm lucky tonight, what's in the book.

    I went back to my bedroom, well it wouldn't be mine anymore. Not after tonight. It would be a study or maybe he would get a new maid. But it wasn't going to be my room anymore. Before I went to go get Melodie and tell her what I was doing, I packed my stuff so that I was ready to go in the morning when I had to leave for good. I got out my big suitcase and took all my clothes out and packed them all nicely and closed it up. I got down one more suitcase and packed all my plushies mommy had got for me. Once they were all in I closed that bag too. But before I could put them on the floor my door opened and in came Melodie. "Melodie. I was going to come and find you. I have to tell you something." "Hi Alwcen. You said that we would be together and you would never leave me. So I packed my stuff. And I came looking for you. Is it ok if I sleep in your room tonight?" She was looking so happy. I can't ever leave her. So if someone wants to take me home they were taking her home as well. "Sure. Come sit down. I want to talk to you." She came forward and sat down on the bed. She looked up at me and smiled. Before I could say anything she said, " You know I'm not 4 anymore. It's my birthday today. So I'm 5 now." "I never knew that. Oh, here wait here one minute." I got up and went over to my dresser and opened it. I looked and looked un till I found it. It was one of my dresses that I had loved when I was Melodie's age. It was purple and had orange poka-dots on it. I turned my head to Melodie not taking the dress out yet. "Melodie? What's your favorite color?" She looked over to me and said, "Purple." Perfect. "Close your eyes." I said to her as I took out the dress. She did as I said and closed her eyes. I took the dress over to the bed and said, "Open your eyes." She did and when she did they widened. There was a big smile forming at her lips and then she said, "Oh thank you!" And hugged me. She looked up at me and said, "Can I wear it now, I don't like this dress. It's only made up of a sheet. Mommy didn't have anything better." "Sure. Hey, Melodie, your talking better." I said. She was talking better. Wow. Never knew you could change how you can talk the day of your birthday. But then again, Melodie was very smart. Just like me when I was her age. She nodded her head and said, "I guess I picked it up when I was with you. You talked to clearly and I wanted to talk like that too, so I kinda practiced. And I got the hang of it, I guess." She looked down,embarrassed. She took off her clothes and put on the dress. It fit her good. And it did look good on her. She was doing a kind of twirling when she fell. She started to laugh. She seemed very happy today. Oh, right. "Um, Melodie?" She stopped laughing and said, "Yes?" "What room was it that your mom found the book?" Melodie looked sad for a minute and the shook herself and said, "Come. I'll show you." We went walking down the halls and came to a stop at a door. I had passed this door many times but I never really cared to look inside. Un till now. I opened the door and went in. It was a blue room. I mean everything in it was blue. The bed, the dresser, the curtains, it reminded me of someone that lived in here and was very sad. I looked across the room and saw stuffed animals. I looked around the room again and saw that there were some picture frames. I went over to them and saw mommy and me. There was lots of pictures of mommy and me. In one I was holding a big bunch of flowers. And in one we were near a river. And then there was a weird one. It was of me and someone who looked just like me. I picked up the frame. It was like someone had put 2 of the same pictures of me together. The word twin came to mind. Abby! But why was she in the picture with me? I turned around, the picture still in my hand, and looked at Melodie. She looked dazed, and her eyes were closed. "Are you ok?" I asked her. She didn't open her eyes right away but when she did she said, "Here's the key. For that keyhole." I looked at the key that was in her hand. When had she gotten it? Where had she gotten it from? "Where did you get it from?" I asked her. She looked at it then looked up at me and said, "I don't know. I was thinking where it could be and I was thinking really hard, and then I felt something in my hand, I opened it and I saw the key. I don't even think I moved." I looked at her face and she was still looking dazed. I put the picture down and picked up the key. As soon as I touched it I was feeling dazed too. Or maybe I had been all along, I was just too busy to notice it because of the pictures. I went over to the door and put the key in. I turned it and the lock popped off. I put the lock under the bad and waved my hand over for Melodie to follow me. She went in front of me and started to walk up the stairs. As we were walking up I felt like someone heavy was coming off of me. As we kept on going up the stairs, I started to feel more and more better. More like me. The stairs were really squiky. I walked up and up. It seemed like there would be no end to the walking. But just as I took one more step I could see some of the wall in the room where we were going. The wall was a dark purple. We kept walking and I could see more and more of the room. I was on the last step when I heard the creak. Before I could move out of the way the step gave and my foot fell through. I let out a little yelp of pain but quickly closed my mouth because I didn't want anyone to hear. I tried to pull myself up but it didn't work. This is really painful. How am I going to get out. Melodie. "Melodie!" I yelled not over a whisper. The hole was getting bigger and bigger. The whole step was going to give out soon. And I might not move in time. Where was Melodie? "Melodie!" I said again. This time she looked around the corner and saw that I was stuck and she came. "What happened?" What happened. Wow. "A huge frog came and made one of my legs shrink." She looked around as if looking for the frog. Wow. She was only 6 though. "I'm joking. Can you just help me get out of here please?" She put out her hand so that I could take it. She pulled me up and I could feel the step breaking even more. I was almost out. Just a little more. I could hear it break more and more by the second. I hate old wood. The whole step was almost broken. I steped up with my other foot, trying to help pull myself up. Bad mistake. The whole step went. I was just being held there by Melodie. She was really strong. But she was either going to come falling down with me or going to fall back and hurt herself, and me falling down. I looked down and saw that I was really high off the floor. Another bad mistake. I hate heights. What was I going to do? Can't hold on any longer. Melodie wasn't going to be able to too. My hands were slipping. Hold on. I told myself. Just hold on some more. But what did it matter? I wasn't going to be able to hold on and neither was Melodie. Slipping. Can't hold on. Just as I was about to fall I felt hands pulling me up. I looked up and saw a guy. Melodie was behind him. Watching him. The she opened her mouth and said, "Why are you here?" She knew him. Who was he? And why was he here?