Girl of Iron and Magic

20.

20.
9 YEARS BEFORE THE WAR

The shot hit the back of the car where, only a moment ago, Lotte had been. She moved in a flash, though her little legs felt sluggish.

The man spun round, leaping after her as she began to run. He lifted the gun, taking aim—

BANG!

The bullet grazed Lotte's cheek. It felt like a bite and then it stung as hot red-flecked golden blood dripped down her cheek. She didn't want to look back, but she did. Just a glance, over her shoulder.

The gun was trained on her. He would get her this time. For whatever reason, he was utterly determined to make this an execution.

Lotte cringed, eyes shutting despite herself as the third shot rang.
Something hit the ground at her side, making the sand leap up into the air.

Someone had pushed the man. A girl Lotte's height, with the same colour hair as Lotte, wearing the same dress, the same shoes and...
A girl just like Lotte stood before him, but she wasn't Lotte.

She was Melony. Lotte knew this by instinct.

Melony had transformed into Lotte's doppelgänger. She was saving Lotte.

The man stood frozen. His face suddenly betrayed emotion, a mask of terror and confusion. He pointed his gun at Melony, then at Lotte, then at Melony again.

"Let us go," Lotte said, seizing on this moment of doubt. "Just run and leave us."

"A witch..." The man rasped. "A freaking witch."

"Run now. Let us go."

"You'll tell the coppers about me," the man sneered. "I'll just kill you both."

Melony started to run.

Bang, bang, bang, click, click, click, click, click.

Lotte felt a painful kick to her body with each bullet, hands flying to her belly.

She staggered to her knees.

Melony's broken porcelain body fell to the ground with a hollow thud.

The man, now without bullets, saw something in Lotte's face that terrified him. He threw down his gun and began to run.

"Melony," Lotte cried, crawling towards her fallen form. "Melony." She reached out and rocked her empty body.

It was gone. Whatever had entered Melony when Lotte had fixed her—it was gone forever. Lotte's chest felt like it had been cleaved open.

She wouldn't be able to fix Melony again.

She turned her over. The way the doll wore Lotte's face sent an eerie chill over her skin. She saw death for the first time, and it was her own death.

The sirens flashed around her. A police car, another and then another arrived until there were five of them. The constables and detectives came out, marching towards Lotte, who had been crying, her hands filled with red ruby tears.

She thought about the cut on her cheek, now crusted with dry blood. Ah, her cover was blown. They were going to know what she was.

She looked right into the face of the first constable, but he looked past her at Melony's broken body, a frown creasing his face. He took off his hat mournfully, holding it to his heart.

"It's alright," Lotte croaked. "She wasn't r—real. She was magic. She was my... my..." Lotte's voice cracked as a new wave of sobs tore through her chest.

He didn't appear to want to listen.

A second man appeared at his shoulder. "Ah...such a shame."

"No, she wasn't me," Lotte said, getting to her feet.