NOTE: This is perhaps my longest post yet! Be prepared for a lot of reading and maybe some typos! And, vdr-chan... I sort of bent the Teleport part of your post... Hope it's okay if I have Melody accidentally separate... P:
~*~*~
The silence bearing down on the whole room was unsettling. Melody's fingertips brushed gingerly against her still-tingling lips, where Hon's essence still remained. Her heart was soaring with pure elation, yet there was one small damper to that kept her happiness from reaching its true peak. Said damper was standing straight across from her, boring his icy blue eyes into her amber ones. They stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity before Andreas finally broke the silence with a chuckle. "I guess Hon beat me to it, then? Oh well. I'm happy for you two," he said, the cheeriness in his statement obviously strained.
Melody felt her joyous mood evaporate. "Don't lie," she replied somberly. "You're hurt. I... I should have locked the door. I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt either Hon or you, but..." She sighed, adverting her gaze to her dress.
A genuine smile spread across Andreas' face. "You're so honest," he chirped. "No one could ever be upset with you for long."
The seventeen-year-old blushed, feeling her pride well up internally. A childish grin adorned her features, her silent appreciation for his compliment. Quietness edged its way into the room again, but this time, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. Melody rubbed her worn-out feet while Andreas went to taking a closer look at the smaller details of the room. After a minute or two, an idea popped into the Mudkip's mind. "Hey, I danced with Hon, but I never got to dance with you, right? So... why not give it a go?" she suddenly suggested.
The scientist gave her an odd look and asked, "You're not tired?"
"No. Why should I be?" Melody blinked and tilted her head to one side, almost mirroring the expression a puzzled puppy would give its master.
"Er... never mind. Anyway, how are we going to go about this... dancing?"
"I'll just warble a tune, and the rest will be natural," the gijinka girl replied, jumping off of her bed. She trotted over to Andreas and got into a dancing position with him. After a short pause, she started humming the first notes to one of her favorite songs. Next, the steps and moves, as she had predicted, flowed from instinct. This number with Andreas differed from her waltz with Hon, she noticed. While the Houndor was more passionate and straightforward, the human was calmer and more relaxing. I like both styles, Melody thought to herself.
At last, the song she was humming came to a close. She stifled a yawn as she released her partner, and her action did not go unnoticed. "Feeling a little tired now?" Andreas joked lightly.
Melody gave a small nod. "I suppose so. I guess I should call it a night now. I don't want to fall out asleep on the floor like I did that last time. Goodnight, Andreas," she replied, giving him a small hug.
The moment of peacefulness was shattered by a loud scraping sound coming from the walls. The two jerked away from each other and glanced around the room, startled. Before either of them could question what was going on, there was a loud clanking of footsteps above them. "No way," Melody whispered, "those tracks are coming from the ceiling."
A horrible noise that sounded like a mixture of a menacing laugh and a scream tore through the air as the covers on the bed flew back as if on their own accord. Whispers filled the room, and the chandelier began flickering on and off. Melody was about to ask Andreas if the snowy weather could be causing a power fluctuation when she felt his hand grip her wrist tightly. She looked at his face, which had become a shade whiter. He stared fixedly in one direction. Her eyes followed his gaze, and through the unsteady light, she could make out the light switch, which was flipping on and off all by itself. "Something's here, isn't it?" she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest.
Suddenly, everything stopped. The light wavered one final time, and then restored itself back to its full brightness. Aside from the bedsheets now laying askew, it was as if nothing had happened. A very rattled Melody exhaled noisily. Andreas, equally shaken, released his hold on the gijinka girl's arm and stated, "I don't think I'll be able to sleep easily tonight. That... whatever it was... certainly reawakened me..."
The Mudkip sighed. "Well, I need to try and get to bed... I've had a long day," she responded.
The male scientist jerked his head in agreement. "Let us hope that something like this won't happen for the remainder of the night. I'll leave you be and move to the lounge," he suggested, expecting her to cover up another yawn. However, when he turned to her, he found her standing stiff and trembling slightly, her chocolate eyes wide with terror. "What's wrong, dear?" he inquired, alarmed by her behavior.
"A-Andreas," she rasped, "Th-there's blood all over y-you..."
He abruptly looked down at himself. His breath caught in his throat as he discovered Melody was spot-on. The sticky, red fluid coated his shirt, pants, and whatever skin he had left exposed. "What the hell?!" he shouted, feeling his stomach turn. He felt bile begin to rise up through his esophagus as he realized some of the liquid was dripping down the side of his head as well.
A giggle tore their attention from his condition. A girl, paler than a sheet and wearing an old-fashioned dress, sat on the end of Melody's bed. Other than being somewhat translucent, she appeared to be a normal child. Normal, that was, until they realized that a good part of her gown was splattered with blood, apparently from a wound in her side that was evident from the rip in the cloth of that area. She stared at them, a playful expression gracing her visage.
Melody opened her mouth, but the kid interrupted her with tinkling laughter. "We match," she chirped happily, beckoning from her bloodstained dress and over to Andreas, who was still covered in the crimson fluid. "Isn't it great?"
"You mean you did this?!" Melody nearly shrieked.
"Of course not," the girl retorted. "But you should watch out for spiders." With a crack, she disappeared, cackling.
"What did she mean by- MELODY!" Andreas yelled, pointing at her arm.
The Mudkip girl's heart skipped a beat as she felt a light prickling sensation on her skin. Slowly, she turned her head to the side. A black widow spider was crawling over her elbow. She let out a scream as she slapped it away with her other arm. When the venomous arachnid hit the floor, there was a popping noise and it evaporated into smoke. When she faced Andreas to exchange a confused look, she noticed that the blood coating him had disappeared without a trace. "So it was all an illusion..." she muttered.
Her partner gave a grunt in agreement. After a few more uncomfortable seconds, he finally said, "I think I'll stick to patrolling the hallways outside of your room instead of staying at the lounge."
"Okay."
"If anything happens, don't hesitate to scream. I'll be there in no time."
"Yeah..." Melody yawned, the tiredness returning in full force.
"Goodnight, dear," Andreas whispered, exiting her room as quietly as possible.
She was on edge for the rest of the time she spent preparing for bed. She kept herself on alert for any abnormal shadows that might have been prowling outside of her shower curtain while she cleaned herself up. When brushing her teeth, she occasionally peeked in the mirror in case something was attempting to creep up on her from behind. She double-checked to make sure nothing was hidden in her sheets before climbing into bed. As she settled under the covers and felt sleep take hold on her, she was confident that she would remain undisturbed until morning.
+
Bang bang bang!
Melody struggled to open her eyes. "Who the hell would want to wake me up at this ungodly hour?" she grumbled aloud. When the pounding on her door persisted, she got up and made her way to the entrance groggily. "What do you want?" she snapped as she swung open the door.
Hon stood before her, with Hoom close behind him. "Melody, please listen. Something bad is in the house," he said, a desperate tone on his voice.
She yawned and rubbed her fingers over her eyelids, halfway comprehending what he was saying. "Maybe you just had a nightmare, Hon," she responded simply, not yet remembering her experience just before bed. She stepped forward and embraced him gently.
"Melody, please come with us. You're not sa-" Hon was abruptly cut off when shadowy hands appeared out of nowhere and jerked him away. Melody and Hoom both gasped. The memories of her and Andreas undergoing the paranormal events sprang back up in her head as she watched Hon being dragged down the hallway. "HOOM HELP! THEY GOT ME!" he screamed, flailing wildly in a vain attempt to get away from the force hauling him off.
Hoom and Melody sprang into action, sprinting down the corridor after him. The malevolent being pulled him down a flight of stairs and into the main lounge. Where are they taking him? Melody asked herself. Hoom leaped over the staircase's railing to save time, and the Mudkip followed suit. Hon was now heading towards the fireplace in the wall, which burst into flame as if on its own will. Hundreds of arms, made entirely of shadow, reached for Hon from the fire. "No, no! NO!" the Houndor yelled out, struggling with all of his might.
At the very last moment, Melody was able to seize his ankle. Hoom then gripped his other foot, and both girls tugged with all of their strength. It seemed like they would be able to pull Hon from the grasp of the unknown monster, but Melody's shoe slipped on the slick tile floor, causing her to fall back. In an attempt to catch herself, she stuck her arm out, which accidentally clipped Hoom's side, causing her to lose balance as well. This lapse in strength was all the ominous presence needed to suck Hon into the fireplace. Melody felt like she was watching a slow-motion film. The hands had somehow spun him around, making him disappear from the ankles upwards. The flames crept up his legs, then his torso. His eyes were wide, and for the first time, Melody saw pure fear in their depths. The final body parts to vanish were his hands, which were still outstretched, as if Hon was trying to hold onto some faint hope that they would reach his fingers before they too were sucked into nothingness. The fire sputtered for a moment, as if satisfied with its deed, and then extinguished itself.
Hoom was the first to break the silence. "HON!!!" she shrieked, bursting into hysterics. Melody couldn't think of anything to do. Her mind kept replaying the event over and over again. She could not escape the image of Hon's face as it was consumed by the flames. With each repetition, she felt herself fall deeper into despair. She vaguely saw the hands reappear and reach for Hoom, only for their attempt to be foiled by an unknown savior. Someone's arms wrapped around her and jerked her backwards, but she barely took notice.
"Calm down, Miss. Keep yourself level-headed." A masculine voice and comforting touch snapped Melody back to reality. She realized she had been shaking and crying up until that moment. "Sorry, I'm just a bit taken aback..." she sniffled in response, wiping her eyes.
"That's fine, that's fine," the person, a Kadabra gijinka, murmured. "You're lucky we came in time, though."
Melody looked over at Hoom, who was hugging a Duskull gijinka tightly. “Wait… do you know him!?!?” the Kadabra exclaimed.
The Mud Fish Pokemon glanced between the three gijinkas and was preparing to ask about what was going on, when she felt an ice-cold object touch her ankle. She let out a scream as she recognized the jet-black hands that were determined to make victims out of her and Hoom. "Here they go again!!!" the Kadabra shouted. He took hold of Melody's arm and then grasped shoulder belonging to the Duskull, who was still holding Hoom. "Teleport!" the Psychic-type Pokemon commanded. Everything went dark and Melody felt the familiar squeezing feeling that she had undergone so long ago. This time, however, something felt out-of-place. Melody noticed that the Kadabra's grip on her ankle wasn't that steady. She felt herself being slowly, but surely, pulled away from the group. She was unsure if the adult male was even realizing he was losing her. After one last moment, his fingers slipped off of her leg, and she experienced the sensation of being propelled in a new direction. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping that she wouldn't end up on the other side of the world or stuck in this half-dimension forever.
She landed in an unknown place with a light thump. Her brown eyes darted around, figuring out her location. Almost at once, she worked out that she had ended up where she had first begun. The corridor leading past her room was deserted except for Andreas, who jogged over to her upon spotting her. "I heard shouts and pounding noises, but when I arrived, you weren't there," he huffed, coming to a stop in front of her. "Did someone Teleport you here?"
She nodded, paused to take a hearty inhalation, then spoke. "They took Hon," she breathed, staring him straight in the eye. "These hands came out of the shadows and yanked him into the fireplace in the lobby."
Andreas let out a low whistle. "So these creatures mean business, don't they?" He ran a hand through his brunette hair as he soaked in the information.
"Yes," Melody answered. "What do you think we could do...?"
While Andreas was coming up with a reply, a flash of silvery white caught the female Pokemon's eye. She squinted to get a better look at it. She inhaled sharply as she recognized the young girl that had appeared in her room earlier, who was standing at the end of the hallway. The child donned a mischievous grin, and beckoned for the gijinka to come closer. Melody sprinted towards her without a second thought, wondering if she perhaps could explain what was happening in the mansion. Andreas shouted after her, but his plea for her to stop went unheeded.
The youthful girl took off just before the Mudkip could reach her. "Catch me if you can," she sang, her bloodstained dress billowing out behind her as she glided along the floor with Melody in hot pursuit. She led her chaser through winding passages and up endless staircases, thoroughly enjoying her "game". The elder female became quite exhausted trying to catch up with the playful imp; whenever she would get within an arm's reach of the child, she would speed up without breaking a sweat, creating distance between them once again.
Melody was about to ask how far upwards they had climbed, when she rounded a bend and stumbled upon a door. The child passed right on through the solid. When the gijinka girl reached the egress, she grabbed hold of the doorknob and tugged violently. However, the door was still difficult to pry open, as if it led to someplace not visited often at all. With a little more force, however, Melody was able to break through to the other side of the entrance.
As she accessed the unknown room, a chilly gale whipped her pale blue nightgown about. She shuddered and soaked in her surroundings. After only a millisecond of looking, though, it was easy to tell that she was now on the roof of the mansion. So she led me to the highest point of the building, eh? she thought. Impressive. She strolled over to the edge and looked down. She could make out a garden below. The picnic tables scattered throughout it looked like no more than little white blobs. It then dawned on her. I must be at least a hundred feet up... It sure looks like it would be a lonely drop.
A airy giggle forced her to remember the reason why she was on the summit of the manor. She did an about-face and met the gaze of the spirit child. "Silly," the girl sang, "Why are you so fascinated with the way objects look from high up? I thought you wanted to talk to me. I'd much rather prefer if you spoke with me instead of stare at the ground. I get lonely when there's no one to converse with."
"...Right," Melody replied, stepping forward. "I'd just like to ask you about some things." She walked over to the girl. Just before she could reach her, however, the imp gave a fox-like simper and jumped back, landing on the end of a ledge with incredible ease. The Mudkip gijinka halted, sighing in slight frustration.
"If you want to talk with me," the ghost announced in her singsong voice, "then you need to... go out on a limb."
Melody felt her heart skip several beats as she comprehended what the child meant. She analyzed the structure of the projection she was expected to step onto. It appeared quite thin, but structurally sound. She was hesitant at first, but pushed the fear out of her brain and made her way out onto the projection. "Closer... no, back a little bit... perfect!" the young girl directed.
"Alright," Melody began, "Now we can talk, correct?"
"Uh-huh." The kid's cheeriness was a bit unnerving...
"...What exactly are you?"
"Teehee!" The girl trilled. "She wants to talk about me!" Her face abruptly became serious. "I am a ghost. But you should know that. I was originally a human, though. I used to venture out into this forest every now and then to collect berries for jam. One day, on my way back home, I met this really nice man. We talked for a while, but when the sun began setting, I had to go home. But I took him to my house with me because he was my friend. And guess what?"
"What...?"
"He stabbed me!" The sprite let out a shrill snicker and pointed to the wound in her side. Melody felt her stomach turn as the child continued, "I tormented him until his death day. But after that, I had no place to go. So the shadow hands and the other malevolent spirits let me be their friend and-"
"Wait, you know the other monsters? What are they doing here?" The seventeen-year-old female butted in.
The little girl giggled quietly. "You shouldn't ask any more questions," she stated. "You're injured."
"What are you-" Melody started, but the spirit disappeared within the span of a moment.
There was a sinister cracking noise. One second, she was standing on a buckling ledge, and the next, she was in contact with nothing but air. She plummeted downwards, the wind roaring past her the only sound she could hear. She felt her nightgown whip about her as she dropped. So that was what she meant, she thought. Yes, I'll definitely be 'injured', at the very least, when I hit the ground. What a clever girl.
She turned her head towards the sky. Menacing clouds of greys and blacks swirled and churned above her, creating mesmerizing patterns across the horizon. In her peripheral vision, she could see the wiry branches of the treetops appear almost web-like as they wove complicated designs over and around each other. The rooftop of the mansion was getting farther and farther away from her. She figured she was about one-third of the way down.
As she shifted her falling position once again, she caught a glimpse of herself as she passed a window. She looked foreign to herself, twisting and flipping in midair like a feather being thrown about in a gale. The way her sky-blue gown fanned out and fluttered in the wind reminded her of a wayward butterfly, or a gliding fish, or a soaring bird. I just hope Andreas wasn't looking out of that window, she told herself.
She was bound to be approaching the ground now, yet she could not muster the courage to check. Instead, she shut her eyes and smiled to herself. I never would have thought I'd die this way, she mused. Falling has not felt so wonderful before.
She braced for impact.
Continue?
Melody.
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Long post is looooong. I wanted to fit some good horror and a perform a little abuse on my characters too. :U
