Chapter 3: Melinda

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(Several days later)

     Melinda woke up early as usual at around 4:30 in the morning for her Tai Chi. She put on a jet black tank top with her regular combat leggings. The gym was empty at this hour in the morning, or so she thought until the sound of muffled crying and the punching bag echoed from the corner. May slipped in quietly and unrolled a mat for her yoga. She began the relaxing routine, never letting anything interrupt her. The cool air and solitude normally calmed her, but the crying was really distracting. She concentrated harder, and had just begun when the other person seemed to notice her presence.

     "That's for my life." *punch* "That's for my parents-" *punch* "-that didn't want me." *punch* "That's for every-" *punch* "-foster home-" *punch* "-I've been-" *punch* "-through!"

     Amelia. May thought, glancing up to watch the girl cry and angrily attack the bag, giving it quite a beating. Amelia finally stopped, and sank down on a bench, the bag swinging wildly. Melinda observed how the young inhuman sucked in her tears and started to gather her jacket and a notebook off the bench. Amelia's body language just screamed insecurity. May had learned over the years how to read people. It was a survival skill.

     Amelia paused, and looked over at May. "Hi." She weakly acknowledged Melinda.

     May was about to return to her yoga, then decided against it. She approached Amelia and asked, "You having a hard time? Pain can only get smoother. Not gone, but smoother."

     Amelia surprised her when she answered, "That's why I like you. You aren't one of those people who run around with pity or sympathy, always dishing out false hope. You get right to the hard truth." Amelia was still sniffling when she stood up to face May.

     Melinda was taken aback a bit by Amelia's statement. She didn't know how to answer her. Which was fine on her part. Then Amelia continued, "Thanks again for getting me out of there. I really am lucky to have you guys get me out of that freaky foster home."

     "Sure." Melinda didn't know what else to say.

     Amelia started to absentmindedly gather up her jacket. May watched her leave the gym. And she finished what she had come here for. But it wasn't the same now that other agents had begun to trickle in for their own morning workouts. She wrapped up her Tai Chi and just as she past the bench where Amelia had been, May noticed the accidentally abandoned book still laying on the seat. Melinda swiped the book before the other agents saw her.

     May scanned the notebook's drawings and decided that there were two people she was going to have a severe discussion with about these drawings.

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