by C Zinnia
Still, maybe I should have left. I could still leave, Mel thought. The fact that she considered leaving irritated her. No, I’m staying. I won’t cower from a bully. I have every right to be here. Mel worried her ego was overriding her intuition, but Mel decided to analyze her situation later.
Mel didn’t wait for Bill to say anything before going downstairs. He was staring at her the whole time. He didn’t like that she wasn’t reacting appropriately to him. Outwardly, he was composed. Internally, he was slighted by her indifference and wanted to make her pay for it.
Typical entitlement issues, Mel thought. She hoped his bruised ego didn’t lead to him reacting in a violent manner. Unfortunately, Mel had noticed a pattern that wounded pride led to violent outbursts.
Mel reached the bottom of the stairs and felt the pressure instantly disappear. She reflexively took in a breath of air as though she had been holding it for hours. She noticed Lee going into a tastefully decorated dining room with a stack of plates.
“Need any help?” Mel asked.
Lee picked up on the subtle strain in her voice. He paused. “Are you okay?” he said. Any discomfort Lee had around Mel was gone and replaced by concern.
Mel cursed silently. She forgot to cleanse herself. She imagined all of the negative feelings from the Bill as sludge in her field. Mel prayed; Dear Father, Mother, God, and Holy Spirit, please remove any and all negative energies from my encounter with Bill. Send them up to God where they are transformed into unconditional love energy. Please replace those areas removed from my field with unconditional love energy. Thank you. She immediately felt lighter and happier. “Of course, I’m okay,” she said, meaning it.
Lee’s nostrils flared slightly as though he were picking up on an odor. Mel chided herself on the observation. There was no way Lee would be able to smell Bill from here. It was not like Bill and Mel touched or anything.
Lee looked up the stairs. “Anything going on I need to know about?” he asked. His energy hinted at the wildness it possessed earlier, but he was too focused on trying to sense Bill upstairs to notice. “Mel?” The way he said her name startled her. It was like he was trying to force the answer out of her.
“No,” she lied. What am I going to tell Lee? That Bill needs to leave because he is going to feed off of the energy of everyone in this house? Mel thought. Even in her head, it sounded bizarre. She didn’t feel like being dubbed the crazy guest. Lee could tell she was lying, but he didn’t press the matter. “You sure I can’t help you with those plates?”
“You are persistent,” Lee said. He laughed, but it wasn’t genuine. There was an edge to it that made the hairs on her neck stand. Even then, she wasn’t afraid of him. She knew his anger wasn’t directed at her. “No, thank you for asking though. You can go in the kitchen and introduce yourself to Dana if you’d like. She’ll like you.” He glanced up the stairwell again as she walked past him. “By the way, I couldn’t help but hear you play earlier. You are very talented.”
Mel blushed. She always felt awkward when someone complemented her. “Thank you,” she said.
Mel poked her head through the swinging door Lee had exited from to find a pretty woman in a large kitchen. Her energy was far grander than her stocky frame. It had the same wild impression as Daren. Dana’s hair surrounded her like a beautiful halo. It only seemed to add to her vivacious personality. Dana was pulling baked chicken from the oven.
Daren was in the kitchen. His face was flushed, but his clothes hardly had a drop of sweat on them. The way he looked at his mom showed he thought highly of her.
“You must be Mel,” Dana said without looking up at Mel. She turned over the chicken before placing it back in the oven. The smell of lemon and rosemary filled the kitchen and Mel’s mouth watered. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate a real meal. “I’m Dana.”
“Nice to meet you,” Mel said.
“Likewise,” Dana said. She looked up at Mel with eyes the color of strong, invigorating coffee. Dana had gorgeous rich dark brown skin. Dana smiled. Daren got his smile from her. “Daren mentioned you’d like to go to the concert tomorrow night.”
“Yes, Daren said the local group is talented,” Mel said.
“The Morrisons and Robeys are a very talented family,” Dana said. “Which, it seems you’re talented too. I enjoyed your playing earlier.”
“Thank you,” Mel mumbled.
“I missed hearing you play? Unbelievable,” Daren said.
“Hey, you’re the one who had to leave. I thought you were going to train,” Mel said to Daren.
“I already did,” Daren said. He wiped the sweat from his brow dramatically. “Can’t you tell?”
Mel was shocked. “But you were only gone for an hour. And your shirt is dry.”
“We train hard,” Daren said. “And I train without a shirt. Normally, we would train longer, but Viola had to go see Al-”
“Excuse me,” Lee said to Mel as he came into the kitchen. He shot Daren a look as he grabbed silverware. It was more than apparent Daren had said too much.
Why is Lee mad? Who is Al? Mel thought.
Mel forgot all about the odd moment when she saw the way Lee looked at his wife. Lee had a goofy look on his face with a smile that went from ear to ear.
Dana bloomed in Lee’s presence. A radiating smile graced her face when she looked at him. “Have I ever told you how magnificent you are?” Lee asked Dana.
She loved his question. “You can tell me again,” Dana said.
Lee laughed as he bent down and kissed her forehead. “You are magnificent,” he said. He left the kitchen.
Mel’s cheeks burned with jealousy. While she was in awe and happy for their sort of love, she couldn’t help but envy them. That love was a rare thing few were blessed with.
Mel saw the longing on Daren’s face. His energy showed he was worried he would never find love like theirs either.
Daren glanced at Mel. “I know what you’re thinking, and yes, they are always like this,” he said.
Mel smiled sympathetically at Daren. “You’ll have that kind of love one day,” Mel said assuredly.
Daren was surprised by Mel’s statement. He shrugged as he tried to cast off his fears. “It’ll happen if and when it’s supposed to. That’s how God works,” he said matter-of-factly. “Whether we like it or not.”
Mel laughed. “That’s very true,” she said.
Dana sighed happily. She realized Mel and Daren were still in the room. “Sorry about that, honey. Even after twenty-three years, I am still in love with that man.”
“I can tell,” Mel said. “You two are very blessed.”
“Yes, we are,” Dana agreed. “We also do the work to keep a healthy relationship. If you don’t put the time in to invest in your loved ones, your relationships won’t last or if they do, they won’t be of good quality.” She asked Mel; “How long was your drive here?”
“About four hours,” Mel said.
“And all alone!” Dana exclaimed. “Let’s get you fed. How does that sound?”
“That’s the best idea I’ve heard today,” Mel said.
Dana laughed. “Well, the food will be ready in ten minutes or so. I can make you a cup of tea or coffee or hot chocolate if you’d like and you can visit with us.” She was intrigued by Mel. She was bursting with questions and wasn’t sure where to start.
Daren whistled. “I can see where this is going,” he said.
“What?” Dana asked innocently.
“My mom is a wonderful person,” Daren said to Mel. “But, she’s also nosy.”
Dana pretended to be offended. “I am not nosy,” she said.
Daren was aghast. “You play twenty questions with every guest,” he said.
Dana shrugged. “That’s not being nosy. I’m merely being polite and making conversation.”
“Personal conversations,” Daren retorted.
Mel was amused by their banter. “It’s okay,” she said. “I’m used to that sort of thing. A
nd I call it being naturally curious.”
“Exactly,” Dana said. “I’m just naturally curious.”
Daren shrugged. “All right, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’m going to take a shower.” He gave his mom a kiss on the cheek. “You two have fun.” He left.
“What would you like to drink?” Dana asked.
“Water is good, thanks,” Mel answered as she sat on a stool on the opposite side of Dana.
Dana poured her a glass of water. “So, why are you really out here all by yourself?” she asked.
“Is it so odd for someone like me to be out here?” Mel asked.
Dana went to the cutting board and started prepping a salad full of vegetables. “It’s a little different,” she said. “We mostly get people who are hikers or hunters. We get the occasional couple wanting to see the Blue Ridge this time of year. Families normally come here in the summer when it’s warm so they can go to Philpot lake to swim. A young city gal coming here by herself at the end of summer and it’s not because she wanted to check out Ferrum College is a new one.”
“Oh,” Mel said.
“Which leads me to believe you are coming here for a reason you haven’t told anyone yet,” she continued. “Like you’re running or something.”
The comment felt like a stab in the gut. Mel mentally double-checked her barriers because it felt like Dana already figured her out. Relax, Mel thought. You’re safe. She didn’t respond to Dana’s comment because it wasn’t a question.
Dana stopped cutting for a moment. “Did I surprise you?” she asked. Mel nodded, causing Dana to laugh. She went back to slicing cucumbers. “What can I say? I’m a very direct woman. I say what is on my mind and don’t have much of a filter. But I figure after living on this Earth for forty years, I shouldn’t have to worry about trying to fix it now, right?”
“Right,” Mel agreed slowly. “To be honest, I prefer direct people. At least you know what you’re getting with them.”
“I feel the same way. So,” Dana said. “You going to answer why you’re here?”
“Well, I came here in hopes that the scenery will help inspire me with my music,” Mel responded. “I haven’t been able to write much at all while I was in school. I figured taking myself out of my natural element will help give me the jolt I need to get un-blocked.”
“Writing music,” Dana said politely. “That’s exciting. This is most certainly the right place to come to be inspired.” She knew it wasn’t the full answer, but she was grateful Mel said as much as she did. She knew Mel was naturally an introvert. Dana put the finished salad to the side. She went to the oven and pulled out a tray of asparagus. “What do your parents think of you coming here all by yourself?”
Mel was surprised by the question, but she guessed she should have known better. “Mom’s not happy about it, but she’s not fighting it,” she said. “Grandma convinced her I needed to celebrate graduating.”
“Congrats on graduating!” Dana exclaimed. She took out the chicken. “Was it from college?”
“Yes, my bachelor’s in biology,” she said.
“Wonderful. I stopped at an associate’s when I was younger. Back then, you could get a good-paying job with a high school diploma, so with my associate’s, I was making good money. When jobs started requiring bachelor’s degrees, Lee and I had already been operating this place. Now that Daren’s out of school, I have thought about going back for a bachelor’s. If I did, it would be in psychology or counseling.” She pulled out a tray of sweet potatoes she had cut up and seasoned. “There is nothing more fascinating than a person’s story of where they came from. I read books on it in my spare time. It’s interesting stuff. Daren just graduated with a bachelor’s in business. Daren wanted to originally get his degree in agriculture, but we were able to convince him to get a degree in business. He’s worked over at the farm since he was a teen. He already knows how to build greenhouses and is always learning better ways to grow crops. The business degree helps round him out so he can look at the financial aspect of it all.”
“Where is your farm?” Mel asked. “I didn’t notice a garden here.”
“We don’t have a farm, but a little garden out back. Daren works a couple of miles away on a larger farm. With his degree, I’m sure he’ll be running the farm soon enough,” Dana said. “How about your father? How does he feel about it all?”
“He passed away,” Mel answered. She felt another stab in the gut.
Dana looked as though her assumptions about Mel were starting to add up. “Oh, my condolences,” she said. “Was it recent?”
“Do you need me to carry anything into the dining room?” Mel asked, not wanting Dana to ask her anymore questions.
“No,” Dana said. Luckily, Dana took the hint and didn’t ask her anything else. “Lee, darling?” Lee poked his head in. “Will you go get the guests while I bring out the food?”
“Yes, my love,” Lee said with a sweet smile.
Dana grabbed the bowl of sweet potatoes and plate of asparagus and went into the dining room. Mel grabbed the plate of chicken and followed her. Dana shook her head. “You don’t listen much, do you?” She smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s a compliment. I’m much of the same way.”
They set the food down and went back into the kitchen to grab the salad, dressings, and pitchers of lemonade and ice tea. When they went into the dining room again, it was filled with the other guests and Lee.
Daren came bounding down the stairs. He jumped in a seat beside Mel. “How was the interrogation?” he asked.
“Your mom went really easy on me,” Mel said.
“I’m just warming up,” Dana said with a wink.
The male couple smiled at Mel. “Hello, you must have just gotten here,” one of them said. “I’m Jim and this is my partner, Thomas.” Jim had light warm brown skin, a hooked nose, and deep-set green eyes. His thick brunette hair was short and he looked like he always had a five o’clock shadow.
“It’s nice to meet both of you. I’m Mel,” she said.
“Pleased to meet you,” Thomas said. He appeared smaller framed than his partner. His large, tawny-brown eyes twinkled as he nodded towards Mel. He had beautiful cool brown skin, short locs, and a modest beard.
The energy around them was stunning. They had a deep love similar to what Dana and Lee shared. The strange thing was their energy wasn’t wild like Daren, Lee, or Dana. Mel had already adapted to the feral energy so quickly that she had forgotten how tame a person’s energy was normally. What does that mean about Daren, Lee, and Dana? Why is their energy wild? Mel wondered. Before she was able to dive deeper into her thoughts, Dana distracted her by passing her a plate of chicken.
The woman beside Bill appeared calm at the moment, but she still made Mel nervous. She was a beautiful woman with long silky blonde hair and green eyes. Her energy was feral like Daren, Dana, and Lee, but it also had a danger similar to a loose cannon. Mel knew the woman wouldn’t vacillate to strike first and ask questions later. “Hello, my name is Trixie. This is my boyfriend, Bill,” Trixie said.
Bill smiled. “We’ve already met,” he said. “Right, Mel?” The way he said Mel’s name made her want to vomit. It was like they were already past well-acquainted. Trixie’s eyes narrowed as she glared at Bill and then Mel. Mel felt Trixie’s wildness increase at a dangerous rate.
Bill’s reaction made it worse. He was smug. He liked seeing Trixie jealous. He found it amusing and wouldn’t have been upset if she lashed out at Mel.
Bitch deserves it for the way she treated me. Bill’s thought slipped into Mel’s mind effortlessly.
Chapter 4
Mel almost jumped from shock. She normally only grasped general concepts of what a person was thinking or feeling from a person’s energy. She never actually heard their inner thoughts before.
Lee’s energy suddenly amplified until it filled the room. Mel was surprised how effortlessly he used his energy to show dominance. It was as though his energy showed there was no questi
on as to who was in charge. His attention was completely focused on Trixie. Trixie felt the shift and reflexively looked at Lee. When she caught his look, she immediately became submissive.
While Mel noticed all of this, Jim and Thomas were completely unaware of what was occurring. They were still talking to Daren. Even Bill was oblivious to what was happening between Lee and Trixie. Bill was too busy being smug about getting Trixie riled up.
Lee’s reaction caused Mel to forget hearing Bill’s thoughts.
What was that about? Mel wondered. Lee used his energy intentionally to express dominance and it looks like Trixie knew that and was okay with it. Why? She realized Bill still had a smirk on his face. She wanted nothing more than to wipe it off his face.
“If passing by each other in the hallway counts, then, yes, I suppose we have met,” Mel said flatly. Her tone made it apparent that it would be a cold day in Hell before any other type of encounter ever happened.
Bill was furious.
Trixie looked embarrassed. She felt bad for nearly reacting impulsively. Trixie turned her attention to Bill and grinned, angering him further. “How many times is it merely a hallway encounter?” Trixie verbally jabbed.
The comment enraged Bill further, which pleased Trixie immensely.
Mel was perplexed by their dynamics. It seemed like the constant bickering and feuding between Bill and Trixie was a potent aphrodisiac for their relationship. There really can be a thin line between love and hate, Mel mused.
“All right, y’all eat before the food gets cold,” Dana said. She tried to keep the edge out of her voice. For a moment, she had been terrified and Mel wasn’t sure why.
Does Dana know how destructive the couple is? Mel thought. Maybe Dana is worried the two would get in a fight at the dinner table.
Then why let them stay here? Mel asked herself. She was confused about the whole situation.
The food was quickly passed around. For a while, the only sound in the room was silverware against plates.
“The food is amazing, Dana,” Mel said. The others murmured in agreement.
“Thank you,” Dana said. “I figured the silence was a good sign that the food is to everyone’s liking.”