Where Is Melody Barker?

Part 5

Melody's P.O.V

The wheels on my red and white bike crunched along the leaves scattered about the familiar worn path. I turned at a tree I had marked off with a red ribbon and my bike bumped up and down over the multiple broken branches and tree roots. I was glad I had my mountain bike or the ride would be impossible.

When I had asked for it my adoptive parents had been skeptical asking "What could a little girl possibly need with a mountain bike?" Well when you did what I did, and couldn't drive, you needed some type of reliable vehicle that could get you through whatever.

The pale pink book bag, swinging from my handle bars, hit a tree causing my bike to swerve but I balanced myself before I fell.

"Stupid bag." It was practically weighing me down but it held all the necessities I would need for my planned activities so it was bound to be heavy.

Almost everything it contained was metal.

I pulled up to the familiar run-down shack and threw my bike to the ground after grabbing my bag. I bound up the steps being as loud as could be. I liked them to know I was coming. I walked up to the door and put my ear to it and smiled. When they could hear me before they saw me it made them whimper and scream.

Music to my ears.

I found the cabin when I went out hunting one day. I had completely forgotten to look for a place to do my bidding but luckily I stumbled across the place. It was run down and old, and no one ever came by. Never by mistake. And better yet, it had a cellar.

Perfect.

The smile on my face widened as another thought came to my mind. As quietly as I could, I walked down the length of the old porch and hopped over the railing, climbing down the wall and landing gracefully on the ground. Running around to the side of the house I found the huge doors leading down to the the cellar, sealed by a huge master lock requiring a key. Reaching behind me, I dug the key out of the side pocket of my bag. Opening one of the wooden doors I made my way in, carefully closing the door behind me.

I walked over to where I knew the table was in the back of room and placed my bag down before making my way to the cement cellar steps, leading up into the cabin.

When I got to the top I ever so quietly opened the freshly oiled door and walked into the hall of the cabin.

I closed my eyes and stopped to inhale the sickly sweet metallic smell that had invaded the entire house. The sour smell of pee was revolting but since it signified extreme fear and the fact they couldn't use a toilet unless I let them, it made me smile. Opening my eyes I made my way quietly down the hall, staying to the stronger side of the hall so she wouldn't hear me coming.

The sight that greeted me almost brought joyful tears to my eyes.

She sat bound to the chair, wearing a stained pink tank top and a no longer white skirt. Her hands were in cuffs, and her feet bound with twine. Her wrist and ankels were slit open and dried blood pooled around her feet and ran down her hands. She had been trying to get loose. Her legs were covered with cuts and her entire lower half was covered in blood. A long gash ran along the length of her left forearm and fresh blood was still slowly making its way out. Her body had started to eat away at itself as she was growing smaller from lack of food and her face was a deathly pale slicked with sweat.

She hadn't yet bothered to look up, but the room was so dark she wouldn't have been able to see me anyway. The windows were all boarded up and the little light that came in was dim since outside the sun was blocked out by trees. I had sat her in the best light so I could see her but she couldn't see me.

"Hello Madeline," I said making my presence know.

Her head jerked up at the sound of my voice and she instantly winced in pain. I laughed knowing it was due to the tiny cut in her throat.

"Easy there. Wouldn't wanna pull on that cut."

She couldn't tell where my voice was coming from so she settled on looking straight ahead of her. "Who are you? What do you want?!" She strangled a cry.

A dark chuckle emitted from my throat and she whimpered. "You don't need to know who I am. And the reason you're here you'll soon find out."

She closed her eyes before she spoke. "Why? Why are you doing this?" She asked her voice weak.

"Because I can." I simply stated.

"But why me? I don't even know you!" She screamed, angry tears making their way down her face.

"Oh but I know you dear Madeline." I come from out of the hall but kept to the shadows, circling behind her.

"H-How'd..."

"I know your name?" I finished for her. Walking right up to her ear I whispered, "Madeline I know everything about you." She jumped at my sudden closeness and I laughed and started to pace about the room. "Full name: Madeline Erin James. Born: June 20, 1998. Junior attending Roman Carter High School. You have a part-time job at Ben and Hanks Whole Foods. You hate fish and the sound of nails on anything. You're a hoarder. You love ugly sweaters and you have a crush on your best friends uncle. A best friends whose name, by the way, is Lilian Riley Piper." A pause then I exclaim, "You're single. Just broke up with your boyfriend after he cheated on you with your... sister? After her boyfriend broke up with her because she wouldn't give it up." I laughed at the irony. "Parents got divorced when you're dad caught HIV from a hooker. Am I correct?" I stopped pacing just next to the beam of light that shined on her. "Man. Are any of the girls in your family able to hold a solid relationship?"

She shook her head. "You know nothing about my family." She said.

"Oh?" I raised a brow. "Hon, don't you think if I was able to get all of this information on you I got ahold of your families information too?"

She shuddered and a wicked smile crossed my face. Her eyes closed and her lips started to tremble. Then she asked the famous question.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

I sighed. "That's a two part question." I ran my hands through my strawberry blond hair. "Why I'm doing it, because it's fun. And invigorating. There's just nothing like hearing someone scream in pain and begging for their lives. And just knowing you make the decision whether they continue to live their pathetic lives or if they die a brutal death," a contempt sight escapes my lips, "life changing." I laugh at my own joke. When I stopped I slowly made my way towards her. "Now why I'm doing it to you?" Leaning down so that we're eye level. "Guess you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," I said before roughly grabbing her hair and throwing her to the ground. I pull my other arm around and grab her by her shirt, then start to drag her nutrition deprived body to the cellar.

When I'm at the top of the stairs I pull her up into a sitting position and squat down to whisper in her ear. "Let me help you down." Then in one quick motion I pull her back before throwing her forward.

I sat at the top as she tumbled down the stairs and landed in a heap at the bottom. Motionless. I smiled. She wasn't dead yet. They never died from the fall.

I stood and and cracked my neck and popped my knuckles as I walked down the stairs. When I got to the bottom I grabbed her hair and pulled her head off of the ground, causing her to wince in pain.

"Wanna play doctor?"