Where Is Melody Barker?

Part 3

India ran home and paralyzing fear crippled her at the sight lied out before her. Everyone in the neighborhood, which included everyone from school, stood behind a line of government officials outside of her burning house. Fireman were trying desperately to put out the flames.

India blinked, causing tears to stream down her face as she searched the crowd desperately for any sign of her family. When she was halfway through and still hadnt found them, the grief clutching at her heart almost sent her tumbling to the ground. But then her eyes rested on the profile of a certain blonde and her grief was replaced with undiluted anger.

Before she could stop herself, she was running and tackling her to the ground. She grabbed a fistful of her hair and slammed her head twice against the ground before winding her hands around her throat. Melody writhed around beneath her, clawing at the other girls hands to no avail.

"Why would you set my house on fire?" She asked infuriated.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Melody chocked out. India squeezed harder and the girl started to wheeze pitifully. "Get...off...me!"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about MELODY BARKER!" India said spittle flying into the blondes face.

At this point Melody couldn't even pretend to be confused as she struggled to breathe.

A police officer rushed over when he saw what was happening and pulled India off of Melody.

"Why did you call me your name?" Melody asked sitting up on the ground, terrified -infuriated- and stroking at her brusing throat.

"What are you talking about!? You're Melody Barker!" India screamed thrashing around in the man's arms.

"No," India's ex-best friend emerged from the crowd," according to this article," she directed her phone screen to the cop,"-you are."

The officer looked at the picture associated with the article and saw that the girl in the picture was in fact the girl in his arms. "Melody Barker," he said pulling out his cuffs, "-you are under arrest for three counts of murder in the third degree. And three counts attempted murder." His words fell on deaf ears. The officer started to read India her rights and walking her toward the squad car. She could only let him. How could her best friend do that to her? They had lived in the same orphanage for seven years and now she was going away to lord knows where because of her.

Raven along with a EMT helped Melody up as India and the officer walked past. Melody grit her teeth in pain, a scornful look filling her eyes. A sad frown turned her lips downward. "All I wanted was for us to be friends."

"I'm not Melody Barker," India started to scream and thrash again," She is," she said pointing an accusing finger in Melody's direction,"and she killed my family," she finished tears coming to her eyes.

"Shut up," the officer said,"-your family's fine." He tilted his head over his shoulder and India turned to see her family staring at her. Her father couldn't even look at her actually. Her mother had tears running down her cheeks. Her little sister held onto her mother's legs and when she saw India look at her she buried her face into her mother's jacket.

"I'm no Melody Barker you have to believe me!" India tried one last time as she was thrown into the cruiser. But her pleas went unheard as the car pulled off, toward her impending future.