by Blue,Marina
Melody screamed into his palm, but it was barely audible. So she writhed, trying to free herself from his grip. Her twisting knocked them both to the ground, with Sparrow landing on her chest. He kept a tight grip on her mouth.
“Shut up, or I’ll kill you,” he said.
She stared up at him with terror in her eyes. But she didn’t move.
“Good, now let’s get some things straight. My uncle told me to- Arg!”
Melody bit down with every bit of strength in her jaws, and managed to get a meaty bit of Sparrow’s palm between her teeth.
He wrenched back, and held his hand. “You bitch!”
But Melody wasn’t done. While still on her back, she threw a wild left. The strike hit Sparrow in his eye, and he rolled off of her. “God damn it!”
Melody jumped to her feet. “Fuck you!” she yelled, and sprinted around the corner. She grabbed the doors to The Perfect Sundae and yanked. But they stayed firm. She looked inside. The lights were still off. Turning around, her heart nearly stopped.
The sheriff’s car was gone.
She was all alone.
“Going somewhere?” It was Sparrow. He was standing a few feet away.
“Screw you!” Melody turned to run.
But Sparrow moved fast, and grabbed her wrist.
Melody spun around. And threw a kick at his groin. The tip of her foot sailed straight for it.
At the last second, Sparrow twisted his leg, and Melody only kicked his thigh. And Sparrow used the momentum to pull her into a bear hug. Then he shoved her against the window of the ice cream shop.
The back of Melody’s head smacked the glass hard.
“Now,” Sparrow said, “we’re going to have that talk.”
Melody screamed, “Help!”
With all his might, Sparrow drove a fist into Melody’s stomach. She doubled over as the oxygen poured from her lungs. She gagged, and tried to gasp, but couldn’t.
Sparrow straightened her up, and held her against the window. “Keep screaming, and see what happens.”
Melody leaned there as tears ran down both cheeks. She couldn’t find her center. So she just stood there, unmoving, fighting to breathe.
“Good. Now that I have your attention, listen up. I’m sick of seeing you around town. I’m sick of hearing about Melody Song. I want you gone. Gone tonight. Because if I see you tomorrow, I’ll kill you.”
Melody managed to push out a meek, “Why?”
“Shut up. That’s why. This town’s easy pickings for a guy like me, and I don’t like outsiders coming in and screwing that up. I know, I know, you were born here, but you left. So I expect that you can do that again. Now, can I trust you to vanish, or do I have to cut you some?”
Melody was terrified. She stood there, mute.
But something welled up inside her. And instead of agreeing, she gathered as much spit into her mouth as she could, and spat it out. The white glob hit Sparrow smack in the face.
His jaw dropped open. With his free hand he wiped it away. “Big mistake…” He made a fist, and cocked it way back. His hand was clenched so tightly the knuckles were white. Melody stared at them. And Sparrow smiled. He paused for a moment. Before throwing the punch as hard as he could towards Melody's face.
But at the last second she slipped her weight to the side, and fell to the ground. Meanwhile, Sparrow struck the glass behind her. With a loud crash, his fist shattered it.
On the pavement, Melody covered her face as the shards landed around her.
Sparrow cradled his injured hand and screamed, “God damn it!” There were a few slices running down his wrists, with trails of blood already seeping out. But the red lines were slow. Melody knew that no veins had been nicked. So she scrambled to her feet.
Sparrow turned to her. He slipped his uninjured hand inside his jacket and pulled out a switchblade. With the press of a button, a four-inch blade popped out. “I was going to let you leave town in your car, but now I’m going to put you in a hearse, you stupid bitch!”
Looking to make good on his promise Sparrow attacked with her with the blade.
Melody shuffled back. And grabbed ahold of his wrist. Using every ounce of her strength she pulled him forward.
Sparrow’s weight shifted, and he tumbled past her. But as he fell, the young man used his bloody hand to grab Melody’s hair.
She screamed, and spun, and both of them hit the ground together. They rolled twice, entangled with one another. And when they came to a stop, Sparrow was back on Melody’s chest. Only this time, he had a knife pointed at her throat.
But Melody had his wrist in both hands, and pushed back with all her might, keeping the sharp metal at bay.
“Keep fighting, sweetheart,” Sparrow said. “This will all be over soon.” He put more of his weight on his hands, pushing the blade lower.
And Melody knew he was right. The young man was much stronger than her. And he felt like he weighed two tons. But still, she pushed up against him with everything she had.
Still, the knife edged downward another inch.
And a realization dawned on Melody. With a weapon at her throat, the hard concrete against her back, and a young, strong thug straddling her chest… This was the end. She was going to die. Right in front of the spot where she and Knox had their first date. Inches from the bicycle they stole as kids, for that fateful trip up to the lighthouse.
And all she could do was close her eyes, and prepare for the sharp, cold kiss of the knife’s tip.
Chapter 22
No! She wasn’t going to die! Not at the hands of a punk like Sparrow! Not a chance!
Melody's eyes popped open. And she pushed back harder, moving the razor’s tip away. It was just enough room. Melody reached out with her right hand, and frantically pawed the ground.
I just need one piece…
Sparrow sneered. “I can’t believe you still got some fight left.”
Finally Melody found what she needed: A big, jagged piece of broken glass. She said, “Believe it.” Then she swung the shard upwards as hard as she could.
“Huh?” Sparrow looked over. And saw it. Too late.
The edge of the glass struck true, and bit into Sparrow’s cheek. His soft skin split open and he rolled with the strike, and fell to the side.
Kneeling there, he held his left cheek. An unimaginable amount of blood gushed from the open wound, and bubbled between his fingers. “You bitch. My face!”
Melody got up and cried, “I’d say it’s an improvement, you ugly bastard!” Then she ran three steps, grabbed the pink bike, and threw her leg over it. She put every bit of energy into pushing the pedal downwards, and she shot forwards. With every push she put more cool night air between her and Sparrow.
From behind he yelled, “I’ll get you eventually, bitch!”
“Fuck yourself!” Melody screamed over her shoulder as she gained speed and escaped Sparrow for the second time.
#
It took the better part of fifteen minutes, but Melody finally made it to the police station. She dropped the bicycle outside on the steps, near the sheriff’s police cruiser, and ran in. There was just one small room, and while the lights were on, nobody was present.
Melody didn’t slow down. She ran to the front desk and yelled, “Jerry, where are you?”
A few seconds passed, and Sheriff Jerry Pinter poked his head out from his office in the back. “Melody? Is that you?”
“Yes, and I was just mugged. Almost raped and killed, too.”
The sheriff ran over. “Are you ok? What happened?”
“I was outside of Tara’s place-”
“When? Tonight?” the sheriff said.
“Just now.”
“Really? I just came from around there. We, uh, had reports of a prowler…”
“Yeah, I saw your car. But you’d left before I was attacked.”
“Right. Right.” The sheriff shook his head. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. So who was it? What did he look like, can you
give me a description?” He picked up a pen and some paper.
“It was a young kid. The same one who attacked me on the beach. He’s about five-six, with black hair, and thin. Also, he has a tattoo of a sparrow on the back of each hand.”
The sheriff was writing down each fact, but then stopped and furrowed his brow. “Sparrow?”
“Yes. The bird. Anyway, he came at me, and we tussled. He tried to kill me, but I managed to escape. But not before I cut open his face.”
He continued writing. “You cut open his face with what?”
“A chunk of glass.”
The sheriff thought it through. Then he looked serious. “So then he’d probably be at the emergency room right now.” Jerry grabbed the nearest phone and dialed. “Hello, Francine? This is Sheriff Pinter. I got a quick question, has a man come in tonight with a deep laceration on his cheek? Uh huh. That’s right. You’re sure now? Ok, call me if he does, and thanks a ton.” He hung up the phone. “Sorry, Melody. But nobody fitting that description went to the hospital.”
“So what now?”
He lifted up the paper and studied it. “I’ll put out an APB to neighboring towns, and call a few of the other hospitals outside of the cove. Hopefully someone’s seen him. If so, we can pick him up. But if not, I’ll have some posters made up and passed around town.”
Melody thought about it. “Ok. That sounds good.”
“No, Melody.” The sheriff started to smile and nod. “This is great. We had a lot of complaints last year about break-ins and harassment, but nobody saw the culprit. Now we finally have his description. Thanks to you.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“Oh, you did. But then again, you were always the best.” Jerry had a gooey smile on.
Melody shifted side-to-side a bit. “Thanks…”
Then the sheriff snapped out of it. “Alright. Now that this is taken care of, what’re your plans?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’ll head home.”
“You want a ride?”
Melody looked out front. “No, I got to return the bicycle to The Perfect Sundae. Oh, and he broke Tara’s window, too.”
“The window of The Sundae’s busted?”
“Yeah.”
“Ok, thanks. I’ll call Tara.”
The sheriff put his arm around Melody, and escorted her out. “Hey, did you say you stole the bike from the malt shop?”
Melody smiled. “Yeah. But I think borrowed is a better word.”
The sheriff smiled. “That’s what you said to my dad, the last time this happened.”
Melody laughed. “These circumstances were much worse.”
“I’m sure. When I talk to Tara I’ll let her know you have it.” The two stepped outside, and Melody took the steps down.
“Thanks, Jerry. I appreciate the help. Oh, I mean sheriff.”
“You can call me Jerry,” he said. “And I’m happy to help. You get home safe now.”
Melody left the office, and hopped on the bike. She meant to ride to the Coeur de Mer. It was her home. And she wanted to sleep. After a violent confrontation it seemed like a pretty smart thing to do. But the thing was, Melody was wired.
And there was only one place she wanted to be.
Chapter 23
The Sea Snake was docked close to land, and on its deck stood two men. One was tall, dark, and as wide as a Montana sky. The other was slightly shorter, and even in the dark night his blond hair and green eyes stood out.
Knox asked, “What’s the problem?”
“The ship’s engine,” Gunner said. “We got about halfway out and this thing was spitting like a cobra with a mouthful of chewing tobacco. I’m amazed we got back in.”
Knox leaned over the back of the boat, and looked down. “Thanks for hanging out so late, I’ll take a closer look at it tomorrow.”
“I hope you get it fixed soon. That last hurricane’s gone, but I don’t know…”
“What don’t you know about?”
Gunner shifted back and forth. “You know I got senses, right?”
“I do, and I trust them.”
“Well, I can’t say for certain, but I wouldn’t be surprised if another storm comes out of nowhere in the next few days.”
“The weather service doesn’t have anything on its site.”
“I know, and I’ve been wrong before, but still… Just something to think about.”
“Got it. Anyway, this old engine’s blown a tube. I can get the backup part tomorrow morning, and have her fixed by the afternoon.”
Gunner walked over to the railing, crossed his arms, and leaned back. “So? What’s the rush? You aren’t going out anytime soon.”
Knox looked up. He wanted to say something clever. But instead sighed, and said, “Yeah. You’re right.”
“Wow…” Gunner’s eyes popped open. “You really are a smitten kitten.” He cut a wolfish grin.
“I hate to admit it, but I am. There’s just something about her… Maybe it’s her voice, or her smell, or the fact that she’s sexy as all hell, but I can’t shake her. It was over a decade and a half since we saw each other last, and I honestly never thought about getting serious with another woman since. But I also didn’t think I’d be with her again. And then she shows up and bam, out of nowhere, everything comes crashing down inside of me.”
“Yeah, that happens with the one,” Gunner said. “I know this reporter I’m the same way about.”
“Right. Joy.”
“That’s her middle name,” Gunner said. “But whatever. Go on.”
“So you know what I’m talking about. I’ve had dozens of women over the years. God. So many. But I never felt the way I do with Melody. Like tonight, we didn’t even have sex. But we came so close. And I’ll tell you, that alone was better than fucking any two women from my past. She does something to me, you know? Like inspires me deep down. I need her. On a hardcore, visceral level. She’s a drug. Ever since she came back home, all I do is think about her.”
“I know that’s true.”
“Right. And initially it was all anger. I was furious at her for leaving. But then I heard her sing. Saw her eyes. Smelled her hair. I had my tongue so far up inside her, and it was like an elixir. She’s like a drug. And I’m so addicted. I’m telling you, I’d give up the sea for her.”
“Holy… Shit.” Gunner cocked an eyebrow as far as it’d go. “You’re that serious?”
“I am. This woman. She’s… it’s like she’s the only woman in the world, and every other female is just a poor copy. A facsimile that’s trying to do what she does, and failing miserably. I don’t care which woman we’re talking about. Melody eclipses them all.”
“So why aren’t you over there, fucking her silly right now?”
Knox pounded the ship’s railing. “Because. I don’t know if I can trust her. Like what’s worse? Not being with her, or falling for her again only to have her run out? I don’t want to take another turn with her only to never get to taste it again. It seems too cruel. So I’m being careful. Cautious.”
“That’s not like you.”
“I know. And we talked some. On the bluff overlooking the town. She’s in pain. I can tell. And I want to heal her, to hold her, but like I said…”
“But you know exactly what you want,” Gunner said. “Melody Song. The one that got away. I knew you couldn’t harbor hard feelings for her.”
“I don’t know if I’ve forgiven her yet, but she’s suffered enough. Fifteen years of a shitty life, lived for someone else… And after all, she’s my first love. My first everything. If I had the choice between my pride and her, I’d take her every time.”
“You know,” Gunner said. “If you want my advice, maybe you should take the crew out for a few days. Go diving. Check out the ocean floor for a couple dozen hours. That might get your head straight.”
“What happened to your storm sense?”
“Like I said, I could be wrong. You don’t got a monopoly on it. Besides, I thin
k it’s worth the risk.”
Knox looked out to the horizon. The night swallowed it, and the sea, so all the distance looked like was an inky blackness. “You know, you might be right. Maybe I should put some distance between us to get some perspective. It’s smart.”
“Yeah, I’m a genius,” Gunner said.
Knox nodded slowly. “You know what? I’ll do that. First thing in the morning. I’ll take the Sea Snake out and we’ll take another pass at finding the Grouse.”
“Will you tell Melody?”
“Of course. But not in person. If I see her again I’ll probably just quit this business and fuck her until I die of dehydration.”
“Dehydration?”
“Yeah,” Knox said. “I wouldn’t even stop for water.”
“Well then I think a cruise is the right call,” Gunner said. “I’ll tell the crew that we’re heading-”
“Knox!” a female voice from the end of the pier called.
Both men turned around.
Melody Song was standing there, next to a pink bike.
Gunner said, “Scratch that plan.”
“Melody, are you ok?” Knox said.
“No,” Melody said. “I’m not.”
Knox jumped over the bow, and landed on the pier as light as a cat. Then he charged down the dock as fast as he could.
Melody leapt into his arms.
He held her close, enveloping her entirely. “What happened?”
“That guy…” She was shaking. Barely able to speak. Melody had kept up a strong front, but there in Knox’s arms, she could finally drop it. And she did. Tears, fueled by fear and adrenaline, poured from her. It took a few minutes before she could even speak.
So Knox talked first. “Take your time, there’s no rush.”
Melody gulped some air. She managed to say, “That guy. From the other night on the beach. Sparrow… He…”
“He what?”
Melody took another deep breath, steadied herself further, and explained everything that happened. The attack. And her escape. The report to the sheriff.
Knox listened. His face was a mask of concerned rage. And when she finally finished, he said, “We have to get you to the hospital. Come on.”