Haunted King

THIRTY-FIVE | my shower

Through out the day Melody's mind couldn't help but go back to photo. In the one and a half years they had dated he never once touched a cigarette or even glanced at a one let alone smoked one.

She wondered if it was something she had just missed? Or if he had hid it from her because he knew she wouldn't like it. Cigarettes are extremely unhealthy and he is well aware of her hope for a big, healthy, and happy family.

But she was working so all of these thoughts were cut off piece after piece with every direction the film crew gave her, and every event she went to. She had fans to please and hatters to appease. She didn't have room for something as silly as smoking.

But was she being silly?

•••

When Melody got home she was greeted by silence. For some reason this feeling didn't seem unnatural to her. She pondered on that. She was raised in the country side so her family was huge and very loving. She found it odd that the dark shadows that made a home in the corners of her penthouse seemed like old friends. She didn't like that the flickering moonlight made her completely aware of the space around her. Like she had been trained to be conscious of her safety.

Melody continued to ponder this. She went to her bathroom and started removing the makeup and jewelry from her body. The hair pins were next. Then the outfit. Then the undergarments. She then headed to the shower to melt off the stressful day.

She closed her eyes as the water washed off the perfume and sweat. Her muscles ached and her mind was running with a million questions. She hadn't realized that as she stood still under the water she was crying. Her chest writhed in pain as if her heart was begging for answers. In some indescribable rush of emotions she felt like something was wrong.

Her shoulders shook as she sobbed. "Melody?" She turned didn't turn to the voice. Usually she would run to his arms if something was wrong and beg for comfort but this was different. He was also apart of the problem.

"Melody look at me," he ordered. She didn't listen. She grabbed her soap and pushed a few pumps on a bright pink loofah. "Talk to me babe. What happened? Why were you crying?"

"Can we talk about it later?" She asked as she stared down at her feet. She wasn't going to ask him questions while completely naked. And she honestly just wanted to be alone for a moment.

He stared at the foggy figure in the shower. She wasn't looking at him so he couldn't use his powers to ask what was wrong. But he could tell if he pushed anymore she would get upset with him. "Okay," he nodded. Then he left.

Melody watched him leave the room and what she saw scared her more then imaginable. She touched the glass to remove the condensation to see it more clearly. A glowing number was floating over his head. %180

She remembered everything.

"Oh, shit," she gasped.

•••

"What did you just do?" Gabriel stared at the phone screen. Crystal had lied and said it was a strange looking glass which he partly believed. He saw a picture of a foggy glass with numbers peeking through the clear part Melody had made. "Elias is a vampire idol. He goes by the stage name Eros so even if she uses that name she can't break out. But he keeps messing with the game settings by turning off her ability to see his number and to remember things he has done to her.

Gabriel's body went cold. "What do you mean by things?" Crystal pressed her lips together. "I would rather Melody tell you herself. If she wants you to know." Even if it was a game this was a sensitive topic and Crystal wasn't sure Melody would like Crystal airing out her laundry to other people.

"I just reset the settings so now hopefully she will find a way to get out. Hopefully she can remember his name." Gabriel nodded. He looked up to the top of the tower. His magic was still too weak to teleport to her and if he tried to bring the tower down to the ground he would end up hurting her.

They took things slowly. They avoided magic traps and guards that were scattered around, and made hast towards the top.