Where Is Melody Barker?

Part 4

India was put into a mental institution, diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia, and sentenced to leave only when her doctor said she had improved magnificently.

After what she had been through, India may not have a disease with a name but she was definitely unstable.

4 Months Later...

"Hey freak," India's nurse called as she came into her room, smacking annoyingly on a piece of gum, "-you have a visitor." India scowled.

The guards lead her to the visitors room in cuffs. And the visitor didn't surprise her, she was actually anticipating her visit.

The guards sat her in the metal chair across from her visitor then left the room. She knew they were right outside the door but she was only focused on her. They both sat silent staring at each other.

"How have you been bestie?" Melody asked breaking the silence. She had a plastic sympathetic smile on her face. India didn't reply. "Not in the mood to talk huh?"

"Why are you here?" India finally asked, her voice completely void of emotion.

"Oh there she is!" Melody said a huge smile on her face.

"Why. Are. You. Here?" India asked again not in the mood for small talk.

"I can't come to see my best friend?"

India continued to glare at her.

"Fine." Melody stopped smiling and sat back in her chair. "I thought I at least owed you an explanation."

"Explain. Starting with the article. How did you do that?" India said leaning over the table.

"Curious are we?" India stared at her, sure to let Melody know she didn't want to play games. "Fine." Melody rolled her eyes and leaned forward to fold her hands on the table. "I knew you were getting more suspicious of me by the day. I knew you'd eventually start to do some snooping. I knew you'd go to the library and I knew what you would look up. And I knew what you would find."

India crossed her arms, leaned back in her chair and snorted. "You just know everything don't you?"

"I hope you're not planning on interrupting me the whole time because if you are I can leave now," Melody said glaring at India across the table.

India rolled her eyes but didn't continue talking.

"Like I was saying, I knew what you would find. So I went early and photoshopped some photos of you onto the original articles. And when I went back, I didn't go alone. I went with a friend and she was a real help. You may know her. I mean she did used to be your best friend."

"Raven?" India's voice cracked and she cleared her throat. She was over crying now.

"Bingo. She switched out the original article with the one I made some 'altercations' to. She knew you wouldn't bother to look at the post before you sent it, being your best friend and all." India still couldn't believe her best friend would do something so horrible to her but she had gotten over it. The world was cruel and unfair. You can't trust anyone. She knew that now.

"What about the fire?" India asked shaking all thoughts of Raven from her head.

"Ah. That was a tricky one. Setting it, of course was easy. I set it the same way I set my other house on fire. Sorry. The same way you set your other house on fire." She chuckled and India winced. "The difficult part," she continued after she was no longer laughing," was getting my alibi in order. I had Raven on board with 'I was at the library.' because I was when the fire was going just not when it was started. I had to get the library workers on board, and eventually I did." A huge venomous smile crept across her face.

"You could have killed my entire family!" India screamed.

"That's what I was aiming to do." Melody said exasperated. "Catch up Indie. I'm a serial killer, remember?" She smirked and all India wanted to do was rip her face off.

"Lucky for them they were out, but unfortunate for me because then I was thinking 'They've ruined everything! Now they can prove she's not Melody Barker!' But then come to find out, you're adopted!" Melody laughed and hit the table. "So in the end it all worked out. Now you're in a mental institution and I'm free to live my life as Melody Staples. Or I may just change my entire name?" She made a considering face.  "What do you think of Haliee Desonto?"

"You will never get away with this," India snarled.

"Oh, but honey, you're forgetting one thing," she said getting up.

"What?"

She walked over, leaned in, and whispered in her ear, "I already have." She laughed her vicious little laugh and walked out, and that was the last India ever heard from her.

Or so she could only hope.