Countdown To Victory: Blaming Melanie

2 days to victory

(Back to Melanie's POV)

"Wake up blossom" hummed my father, I snuggled into his arms, giggling. He had carried me back home  from the meadow, I had fallen asleep in his arms holding a wildflower. We were approaching the horse paddocks, the smell of hay and manure lingering, but the strongest smell was the smell of horses.

A bay mare ran over, eagerly sniffing at his hands for food, he stroked her and handed her some cut up apple slices. She ate them happily, I felt her silky nose, her big lips flapping at my hand, expecting more food to be presented. He chuckled and kissed my forehead, then the horses nose, humming some song he heard in town.

"Daddy... I'm scared" I whimpered, feeling a darkness in the pit of my stomach. He smiled and tussled my hair.

"I know baby" he murmured, he set me down on the kitchen bench as he began cutting up some vegetables. "You're somehow making friends despite it" he stated softly, I handed him a piece of broccoli.

"Friends... They still scare me... Connor even drank my blood once... They're nice, but it's so easy for them to forget that I'm not even legally a person anymore, that they just talk about their futures, when I don't have one" I mumbled, closing my eyes sadly, opening them to see my legs, longer now, swinging off the side of the bed.

"You're strong, with a beautiful heart Melanie, I know these changes will be scary, you're still just a child" mumbled the doctor, patting my shoulder, sitting beside me. I rested my head on his shoulder, suddenly crashing to the ground as darkness surrounded me. I looked around, seeing vampires, angels, demons and werewolves all staring down at me, hatefully, crying out as a foot came crashing down.

I woke, breathing heavily, looking around the hall, the sun beginning to rise. The light glimmering in. I Looked around, standing up, I made my way to the bathroom again, ignoring the watching guard. I made it into the room, doing my business, beginning to cry as I sat on the toilet, using toilet paper to wipe my eyes and blow my nose, keeping quiet as I cried my heart out.

I flushed, looking in the mirror, using water from the sink to wash my face and try to rid myself of my tears. I shook my head, Using toilet paper to dry my face. I examined my messy look, I look quite the state.

I left the bathroom, more people awake, the snoring person seeming to be dreaming blissfully. That was my first dream in a while, I wish it didn't happen, I don't need to deal with more emotions after everything.

The guard yelled at us to get to the dining hall. I hid amongst the group, sitting at a random seat and eating the porridge. The picnic had been nice, the bread soft, the cold meats tasting fresh, even cheese and tomato was there, haven't had those for a while. Though them talking about their future only reminded me of mine.

An institute? Where I'll be trapped and surrounded by people that want to get revenge for their people's...

I stood as we were demanded to get to inspections, feeling hollow. I don't know what to think anymore, my body shaking, my fingers trembling as I clutched them together. Connor defended me for some reason, it was a little intimidating having him grab my wrist like that, but his firm grip never hurt. He's a well trained soldier after all, and he's not much older then me.

I wonder what happened to him, I know about Ben, he told me everything. About having to faintly hear his mother's screams as his father tried to cover his ears. How Connor was his biggest support, encouraging him to eat again, holding him at night when the night terrors came. He said his father is alive, but busy helping the army.

I took a deep breath, if he can brave that, I can rush through inspection. I stepped into the room, looking to her. She examined me, demanding me to strip. I grabbed my clothes with shaky hands, she grabbed my clothes, seeming in a bad mood, I covered myself, holding my breath, my lip trembling.

"It's your bloody fault" she grumbled, stalking around me, checking me for hidden weapons, I followed her with a confused and scared gaze.

"What's my fault?" I asked meekly. She scowled shoving my clothes at me.

"You made a soldier unhappy. Now the head of this area is cracking down on force we can use. Not wanting to cause any hard feelings. You tortured an old lady on her death bed and made her suffer without her medication" she snapped, angry and frustrated. I squinted at her as I dressed, confused, am I being blamed yet again for their suffering.

"I did nothing" I grumbled, she glared at me. I quickly left before she could do anything, anxious even more now. I entered the other hall, before moving to hide in the toilet. The stall I hid in smelt putrid, somehow better then listening to the humans.

I only left after the hum of chatter was silenced, I stepped out. Making eye contact with a guard, cringing away as they stormed past me, inspecting the toilets, possibly thinking I had tried to escape.

"Diarrhoea" I lied, they examined me.

"I see. Get a move on to eat" they snapped, I hurriedly did, sitting in the now stuffed full of humans dining hall. The food looked soupy, with more water and stock than vegetables or meat.

I quietly ate, missing the food we had for dinner, so many good, juicy foods. I could ignore the hateful stares, able to lose myself to the food, worrying about Dylan missing out, he's been nothing but kind and supportive, never hurting me. Now though, I wish the tiny cubed pieces of chicken actually tasted like chicken.

"Melanie?" Came a voice, I froze. Staring down at my soup, pretending not to hear.

"That is her, Melanie" called a second voice, my breath picked up, and my hands trembled. I feel like vomiting, I glanced up at a guard.

"I thought you were dead" commented the voice, my mother, my ex-friend... Oh god.

"I feel sick, can I use the bathroom please" I asked the guard, it was the female one from the other day, and she eyed me suspiciously. She must have been swayed by the fact that I'd already been to the medic, she grunted a yes, and I got up, walking behind her as I dove to the toilets, vomiting loudly, the guard gagging.

"I fucking hate vomit" she grumbled. She huffed, seeming somehow satisfied and not. "At least you're not attempting to escape somehow, or hide something" she mumbled, seeming pale, about to puke herself.

I wiped my mouth, coughing and gagging over the toilet, the memory of those soldiers shoving their way into my mouth as I vomited around it... I gagged, vomiting again, breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry to be rude, but may I have some water" I asked weakly, slumping against the toilet, she examined me, giving in and leaving. I wiped my mouth stumbling to my feet, I washed the vomit from my hands, trying to gently get some of it out of my hair. She came back, handing me a glass, keeping her distance, either concerned I'd attack, or would vomit again, maybe both.

I gurgled the water and then drank the rest, breathing heavily.

"I'll need to take you back to the medic, if you got food poisoning they need to know" she grumbled, seeming uncomfortable, a hand over her mouth as if trying to stop herself from needing to vomit.

"It's ok... It wasn't that, I just have some... Issues" I mumbled, looking down at the ground, she sighed.

"I still need to take you just in case... Please cooperate" she grumbled, I think if she had to force me, she wouldn't be able to hold back the urge to puke. I nodded, accepting it, and we headed back to the medical room, being shackled to the bed without a fight. I stared at the ground.

The medic came in a moment later, the guard rushing out, possibly needing to release the urge to puke.

"You again?" Groaned the medic. The last time I saw her was yesterday morning, having her force my legs open to inspect me, making me cry and beg her to stop. Not that she listened or cared, only stopping when I was on the verge of fainting from the panic.

She examined me, shoving metal things into my ears and nose. Checking my throat and feeling my stomach.

"You're hot, feels like you might just be getting sick, guess you have to stay again so you don't spread it" she grumbled, sounding pissed to have me stay again. She's wrong, I'm not sick.

I lay down, ignoring the world as everything faded.