Running, always running. Footsteps getting closer, pounding just behind her. Or was that her heart she was hearing? Sounding and thumping like a scared rabbit about to take off through the brush she herself was skittering through. Trying, however fruitlessly, to escape who or what was after her. “Melody….” She heard her name coming from off in the trees to her left and tried to change trajectory to head towards it. Maybe it was a way out of this endless night. “Melody..” Closer now, she ducked under a branch and kept moving forward. 

“MELODY!” came right by her ear causing her to lose her footing and begin to fall as the footsteps came closer.

“How nice of you to join us Miss. Grimes.” Mrs. Hawsworth, her creative writing teacher, looked down at her disapprovingly. “Now as I was saying class, just because you are graduating in a few days do not think I will allow you to slack off. Now more than ever you must focus on your education as you move towards your college careers.” She cast one more disparaging look at Melody and returned to the front of the class. “Open your books to page 553, we will be reviewing our stories we wrote last class again today after reviewing perspective, or the point of view your story is told from.”

Melody started turning pages and sipping her coffee. She’d have to start making them stronger again, or buy another thermos and just start bringing more than one to school. She’d been able to get away with not paying attention in class because most finals were over, hell most teachers weren’t even requiring seniors to actively be in class. Only Mrs. Hawsworth decided to forgo traditions and make every student in her classes attend every class, and continue working. 

An hour later, the bell rang to signal the end of class. “Miss Grimes, please stay after class.”

Melody groaned. She just wanted to go home and not come back until graduation. It’s all she had been focusing on for months. All that was standing between her and freedom was one overbearing Creative Writing teacher. 

“Yes Mrs. Hawsworth?” Melody said, walking up to the teacher’s desk. She noticed that it was bare except for a single book, an ornately bound book of what appeared to be black leather. A red tree with twisting branches and berries was embossed on the front. There appeared to be a bookmark sticking out from the book, a mess of dried twisting branches and leaves and berries, almost identical to that of the tree on the front. Mrs. Hawswoth must also really want to get out of here, she thought, unable to remember a time where the desk had actually been anything resembling clean. 

“This is for you as you make your way to your new home. Never before has one of my students taken such an interest in creative writing. Most seniors use this as an easy A as they move on to bigger and brighter things.” Melody was shocked, this was not what she was expecting when she was asked to stay after class. “You’ll also find a bookmark that I made out of old Rowan branches. It's shellacked so it won’t fall apart easily.”

“Mrs. Hawsworth, thank you. You didn’t need to,” Melody found herself uncertain of what to say.

“I’m aware that there was no need. However, despite how often you were found to be sleeping in my class, when I could get you to pay attention you were attentive and one of the few who actually tried. I hope that I have adequately prepared you for your life ahead. Never before has one of my students fallen so in love with writing that they have chosen to study it themselves. I wish you the best of luck in your future.”

“Thank you Mrs. Hawsworth. I really mean it.” Melody added the book to her already overstuffed backpack and started out the door and towards her locker, throwing a final wave back at her teacher. “On to freedom!”

“Melody!” Came the call from near her locker. There stood a tall blonde girl waiting for her as she made her way to grab her few remaining things. “What took so long? What did Hawsworth want? Alan told me you had to stay after!” She made a face, “He said you were sleeping again. I thought you stopped that. Did you get in trouble? She’s not trying to interfere with you graduating is she?” 

Melody just stared, knowing that eventually her friend would have to stop to breathe. “Alexis, it's fine. Breathe, calm down. Everything is fine. Actually, she wanted to thank me for trying so hard in her class. Mrs. Hawsworth wished me luck and hoped that she ‘adequately prepared me for my life ahead’, whatever that is supposed to mean. Honestly, she’s not so bad.”

Alexis made another face and Melody couldn’t help but laugh at her friend. “Whatever you say girl. I still say that old bat shouldn’t be teaching anymore.” 

Melody knew she wouldn’t get anywhere and just fell into step with her friend, heading towards the parking lot. The halls were nearly empty. Most students had finished their finals or were only coming in long enough to take the finals then leave. Some of the bulletin boards had already been taken down and were just empty cork, waiting to be redesigned for the students in the fall. Others were showing the wear of a few months, pages hanging and slight tears in the borders. Some of the trash cans were overflowing from those students who waited until the last second to clean their lockers. The next time she would be here would be graduation in a few days.

They made their way to Alexis’s car and got in. “You sure you can’t come over tonight?” 

“Yea, Mom wanted me to come straight home. Because I leave right after graduation she wants to spend as much time with me as possible.”

Alexis looked crestfallen at that. Melody couldn’t blame her. She understood that her parents wanted to see her as much as they could before she left but she also wanted to see her friend too. “Just think, you’re coming this summer to hang out and we will go to the beach as much as you want. We can do whatever you want. My uncle has given me free reign of the house as long as we don’t throw any massive parties.” They laughed at that. Melody had never been one for parties. It would have required her to interact with someone other than Alexis, and the only reason that had happened was because Alexis decided she liked Melody. They joked that Alexis picked Melody like a puppy ‘I like that one!’, and then decided she wasn’t giving her up. Melody was stuck with her after that, not that she minded of course, but it took a while to get Alexis to stop insisting she make other friends.

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As they pulled up to Melody’s house, she reached over and gave her friend a hug. “I’ll see you at graduation! Don’t do anything too fun without me while I’m under house arrest.” Alexis stuck her tongue out at her then sped off back down the driveway. 

“Mom! Dad! I’m home!” Melody stepped into the front hall of the old Victorian house. Her parents had bought it from family when they weren’t much older than her, just starting out with their business. It was in disrepair and needed a lot of work, a lot of work that they did by hand. Once it was done they couldn’t bring themselves to sell it. But they did walk people through, often, to show what they were capable of. Wandering towards the kitchen, she took in again as she had so many times over the years, all the woodwork her parents had so lovingly restored, all the chandeliers, and all the many many fireplaces that her mother insisted they keep. “But dear if we ever lose power you will be glad to have them!”

She grabbed an apple from the island and made her way out the door to the backyard. “Mom? Dad? Are you here?”

“Surprise!” Her mother, father, and a grinning Alexis who looked very out of breath yelled.

“You didn’t think we’d let you take off to California without throwing you a party now did you?” Her mother said walking over and giving her a hug.

“Yea kiddo, we may have agreed to let you head out early since you want to get your bearings because you aren’t living on campus but still,” Her father came over and gave her a quick squeeze.

“And just because you’re living with me and going to school, don’t expect to be off the hook for chores either.” A man said walking around the side of the house.

“Uncle Spencer! I thought you were meeting me at the airport?” Melody ran over to her uncle and gave him a hug. 

“And miss this, kid? Not a chance!” He said, pulling her into a bear hug. While he was her father’s brother, the two couldn’t look any different. Her father stood slightly taller than her at a little under 6 feet tall and was very fair. Spencer on the other hand was over 6 feet and had black hair and a dark complexion. If you didn’t know the two were brothers you would not think they were related at all. It also helped that Spencer was twenty years younger than her father. Her grandparents had always wanted more kids but had never been able to have any. Then just after her grandmother turned 39, they found out they were having Spencer. He was actually only ten years older than Melody, which was why he suggested she live with him when she go to school. It was a way to save money on school, a safe place to stay, and he would respect her privacy having been there not long ago himself. She hadn’t been able to argue with saving money and had agreed.

As she stared at her family and Alexis all talking and laughing about the upcoming graduation, Melody found herself almost sad to leave this place. She didn’t regret her decision to leave, she’d never do that. But the scene before her almost made her feel normal, like she was happy and that this place didn’t make her skin crawl every time she thought about falling asleep. “Only a few more days.” She thought as she walked over to join her family. “So did you get me a cake?” She grinned cheekily.

XXXXXXX

“Melody Grimes!” Melody walked towards the stage, heart beating in her throat. “Don’t fall, Don’t fall!” She gritted out a smile as she walked up the stairs. “Just get the piece of paper and in the morning you are on the plane to California. Just a few more steps.” She shook hands with the principal as he handed her her diploma and turned and grinned for pictures. Trying to not seem too eager to get off stage, she made her way back to her seat.

“Girl you looked like you wanted to die!” Alexis hissed as Melody sunk down beside her. Melody nudged her and pointed towards the stage. 

“Your turn if you think you could do better,” Melody shot back. Alexis got up and it looked like she practically floated up to the stage. Of course it did; Alexis was nothing if not practically perfect. Melody gagged at her friend as she made her way back to her seat then giggled. “We’re done!”

“Yes, and as of tomorrow you’re leaving me. And, if you get your way, never coming back.”

“True, but now you have a place to go when it snows.” Alexis squealed and threw her arms around Melody, kissing her cheek.

“Will you two please show a modicum of decorum?” Alan McConnell, Alexis’s twin brother, leaned over her and hissed at them. “This is supposed to be a respectable event. Why you two were allowed to attend I’ll never understand.” 

Melody could practically feel the disdain radiating off of him. They had never particularly gotten along, even if she was best friends with his sister. They just made sure to give each other a wide berth whenever they were forced to share the same space. Why Alexis insisted they all sit together at graduation though, sometimes Melody just couldn’t understand her friend.

“Well Alan, despite your very clear shock Alexis and I also went to school here and we also graduated. I’m not sure why that’s so hard for you to understand, considering you two are twins and all.” That sent Alexis into a fit of giggles.

Alan pointedly turned back to face the stage. Melody let her thoughts wander towards her upcoming trip. Melody promised to come back on all holidays and during the following summer, it was the only way her parents agreed. Just a few more hours.

XXXXXX

Melody didn’t want to come back here. She never imagined she’d have to. For years she had been trying to convince her parents to visit her in California. No snow except in the mountains, always warm. It was wonderful. But they insisted the business was just too busy for them to leave at that moment or that they loved it in New England. And for that, she couldn’t blame them. It had its charms. Not growing up in a small town, that had always been a nightmare. But the town itself? Or any small town really? Old houses, gorgeous landscapes, and the fall. If nothing else, Melody had always missed the fall. Looking like the landscape is awash in colors, the trees alight with a fire all their own before the frost causes them to darken and fall. And the smells, the spicy burnt smell of the air, brought her comfort like that of the first sniff of a long closed book. And the crisp clean smell of the air before the first frost, so crisp it almost hurts to breathe, she shivered thinking about it. 

Thinking of the things she found beautiful could almost make her be glad to be back. If she were coming back for a happier reason then maybe she could allow herself to indulge those thoughts. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. She tried to think of the last time she had seen her parents. Of course Melody had kept her promise and gone back for extended holidays. She had even gone back that first summer. But then the excuses started, on both ends. She had a project coming up and she had to meet with her group; her parents had a massive build and they needed to be there to oversee the project as their foreman just quit. 

“You ready to see your new home?” She said turning to her companion, “We’re about to turn into the driveway. There’s a big backyard, you don’t have any lizards to hunt though, sorry bud. There are squirrels though. You are not allowed to hurt squirrels though.” She pointed sternly at the dog sitting next to her. “This will be good for us.” She just wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince the dog sitting next to her, or herself. She didn’t want to come back here, but now she was here and she had to make the best of it.