Through Thick And Thin

Chapter 9

Melody had just fallen asleep that night, the ultrasound photo propped on her night stand, when her phone rang. It was another text message, one that was extremely sinister and chilling. It was, plain and simple, a death threat.

She got up and stretched, feeling claustrophobic in her bedroom. The threat made her extremely nervous, and she didn't want to be in this house alone. Sky was still at work, and Chris had decided to spend the night with his girlfriend.

Melody decided that she should take a walk around the complex, just to clear her head. It wasn't a solitary place, so she thought that it would be safe enough for a few minutes. She sent Sky a text, just in case she got home and Melody wasn't in yet. Grabbing her keys and her phone, Melody left the apartment, hoping she'd feel better when she got back.

She walked around the complex a few times before deciding to head towards a park that wasn't too far from the apartment. It was a place she'd been to before, when she had to study and the house was too noisy for her to concentrate.

After a few minutes. Melody came to rest at a bench. Her stomach was hurting a little, probably due to the stress of the texts and Melody dealing with a little bit of overexertion.

"Shh, it's ok," she whispered to the baby, even though she knew she wasn't far enough along for him or her to hear her.

There was a rustling in the bushes not too far from her, and Melody felt alarmed. She got up and began to quickly walk to her house. She pulled out her phone and sent a mass text to Chris, David, Sky, and Michael.

In the park, may need help. Come ASAP

"Where are you headed so fast, sweetheart?"

Melody whimpered as she stopped walking. That voice was the one she wished she'd never hear again. She was afraid now, and she quickly, without looking at her phone, hit the speed dial number for Sky. She then turned around as she slid the phone in her pocket and looked at Joshua Reyes for the first time in nearly a year.

"Nice trick I used, huh?" Josh said, smiling a little. "I know you, Melody. You get stressed, you take a walk. I knew you'd come out when I sent you that little message."

"What do you want?" she asked, her heart pounding away as she saw three guys with him, all three of them with terrifying glares on their faces.

"There's a lot I want, Melody," Josh said, not moving from where he was standing. "I want freedom. I want my crew back. I want to be as feared in this area as I used to be-"

"You mean Joy, not here," Melody interrupted him. "You were never feared here."

"And finally," Joshua said, his eyes narrowing evilly as he otherwise ignored her statement. "I want you. Dead, preferably."

Melody didn't say a word. She wasn't sure what she would do if she opened her mouth. Whether she screamed for help, or sassed him, it all ended with her probable murder. She knew Josh wouldn't stop this time until she was dead.

"Well," she finally said as she saw headlights pull into the distant parking lot. "That's a sticky situation."

"Indeed it is," Josh said, smirking a little. "Now, if you come with us quietly, I'll kill you quickly and painlessly. But if you struggle, well..." he gestured to his goons around him. "I did promise an interesting night."

Melody wanted to run, but her feet seemed to be cemented in the ground. However, a voice from behind the guys made her heart race, and hope began to flood her body.

"Leave her the hell alone," Sky's voice said angrily as she ran towards the group with rage in her eyes. Michael, David, and Chris followed her, all three of them looking angry and ready to fight. Melody was relieved; maybe she'd get out of this after all.