Connected

1990

12-year-old Melody Harper Sat in the back seat of her Fathers truck softly humming a tune, her father sat in the front with a solum look on his face. ' she's just a little girl, she can't' he kept repeating as the drive to the hospital, The Harper Family had finally received that call anyone dreaded. Amilia Harper was on her last leg in her fight with Leukemia, her Husband Adam had got the call only moments before he picked up their daughter from school. ironically the pair was already heading there for their weekly visit since her mothers' condition worsened a month prior. This led to Melody's oblivious behavior, she thought she was going to go see her mother like always. She didn't know it was most likely her last, and her father was not brave enough to tell her.

"Mommy!" The little girl squealed as she ran into her mother's room, still completely oblivious. In the bed laid a thin middle-aged woman, she used to have bright blonde hair like Melody's but it was long gone since her chemo Therapy started. "my little sunshine....." she said weakly barely lifting her arms to embrace the girl, who gladly held the embrace. " Mel honey, why don't you go get a snack while I talk to mommy a bit?" he said, once again the girl cheerily hopped off the bed and into the hall to get a snack. Adam watched his daughter leave the room before he turned to his wife tears in his eyes " Amilia..." " take care of her." his wife said firmly yet sadly.

The Now seventeen-year-old Melody looked at her parents. her father though sad, looked a lot happier than she remembered.

Amilia wasn't giving up entirely, she fought her cancer for years. Her family had many scares in the past but this time, this time Amilia knew there was no getting better. she knew she wasn't going to see her daughter go high school, she wasn't going to be there when she got her first period, she wouldn't help her for her first date, her first heartbreak. Amilia Harper knew she would no longer hold her daughter in her arms, and she unwillingly accepted it. deep down Adam knew it too.

That's a thing about death, it comes to everyone and the only choice you have is to accept it. Even if it means leaving the people you never wanted to. But for some, Death is welcomed. To greet death like an old friend is admitting you lived, and Amilia lived. She found love, had a daughter, and watch her grow. sure she would miss out physically in her life, but she will always be there in spirit for her. That alone was enough to comfort for the mother to accept her fate.

A minute later Melody came back into the room and sat at her mother's bedside as she began telling the events of the day. " oh and it was funny...... Braydon green ended up hanging from the fence because his shorts got caught when he tried to jump it over....." Amilia smiled at her daughter " Melody... sunshine... I want you to promise me something" Melody looked at her mother " ... Always Momma," she said in confusion to the change of mood in the room. 

But this Melody knew, it was this conversation that always haunted her. Had she known what the promise was really about, Melody couldn't guarantee to fulfill it knowing what came next.

" I need you to promise to keep going, be strong and live life...... keep loving music. Can you do that for me?" Melody nodded and smiled " Of course I will momma, I promise" Amilia smiled and let out a sigh of relief " I love you both," She said closing her eyes.

Melody waited for her mother to open her eyes again, to see the bright blue eyes she wished she had. But it never happened, Melody just stared and stared, she didn't hear her father calling out to his wife, desperately holder her hand. She didn't hear the heart monitor go flat, she didn't process the nurses rushing and taking them away. Melody replayed that moment over and over, feeling more and more helpless and lifeless as the world moved on.

Her home felt duller, the plants looked less alive, the animals acted as if she was never there. Melody was at the funeral, but she couldn't tell you how it went, she went to school but she couldn't tell you what she learned. Life moved on without Melody because Melody no longer felt a part of life. she felt like a passerby in the background of a movie, always seen but never acknowledged, never spoken to, and never given much thought. Melody Harper was there, but not present.

Melody couldn't help but feel everything tenfold watching the start of her dissociation, it all came crashing at her. again.

Days turned into weeks, weeks to months, and Melody wasn't improving. What the Doctors first dismissed as grief was something more, small things would trigger Melody to dissociate and zone out for what could be hours at a time. The worst part was never exactly determining the causes of the episodes, it varied so much they could never decide. Adam was so worried about his daughter, catching her in the fields just staring out at the horses, her slipping grades in class, and pulling her out of episodes. A little over a year after Amilias death was when Melody touched the piano again. she had strummed the guitar a couple of times but she never dared go to the piano she and her mother sat at for hours. But from the moment she touched those keys she felt like herself again. It was that day that Adam saw his daughter for the first time in a year.

"Mel?...... Come on it's alright...... just breathe..." Melody heard Alex's voice call out for her, she had enough of visiting the wort part of her life... again she wanted out. focusing on the blonde's voice Melody tried to see if she could feel any contact to latch onto.

Alex was the one trying to snap Melody back into reality this time, Reggie had gone inside to set up the bed in the loft for her. As much as he cared about Melody, when her episodes would get back it would always scare him so he was too afraid to bring her back. plus cording to his friends, he was never very comforting with his words. So he did things like this to help her. Luke was rubbing circles on the back of her shoulder, while Alex held her head softly in his hands. he soon felt two Nimble hands hold his wrist, the drummer smiled " Yeah that's it, you're doing good Mel. Me and Luke are right here" Urging her more.

He then felt something thud against his chest. 'She's back' he thought, Alex locked eyes with Luke who nodded and walked towards the Garage. The two blondes just stood there holding each other " you're safe Mel, I'm right here" he whispered, "do we get to stay?" she questioned with a small voice still hugging Alex. Alex smiled " yes pointy boots we get to stay, now come on you've had an eventful few hours go get some sleep," he told her softly holding her at arm's length.

When they got back to the garage Melody went straight to bed exhausted from the frequent episodes, while the boy went to explore their town just a little more.

A/N 2 chapters in 1-night #killingitnotreally