The Mysterious Rattle 08 (Patreon)

Original Idea: Sophiie93

Copy Editor: Angela

The days went by and while living with Melany began to feel more natural for James, it started to feel more confusing for Melany herself. She missed James a lot whenever he went to work and she felt a deep sense of jealousy whenever he wasn’t by her side. She constantly thought about ways to make him happier, to make herself look prettier, anything to make him notice her and not just her mutations.

One day, after lunch, James got a message from the local clothing outlet. “Oh hey, the store just contacted me. Your new clothes are ready. We just have to go pick them up.”

Melany’s heads rapidly went through a cycle of emotions from elation, to sadness, to stress and anxiety. “We? Like… I need to go with you?” she said.

“Yeah. Is something wrong?” James replied with concern.

“I… I can’t do it. I can’t go outside.”

James tried to meet the gaze of one of Melanie’s heads, “Why? Do you think someone will hurt you?”

“They already have… you know that…” Melany turned both of her heads to look at James. Her eyes were both fierce and sad at the same time, at the border of tears. “I told you, I’ve had people insult me, yell at me, throw stones at me.”

James nodded “Sometimes people do terrible things… but it’s OK. I’m sure a few of them were just confused.”

“Confused?”

“Yeah, like, if you go out at night your eyes shine like an animals, like a raccoon or something. Anyone would be a little bit afraid seeing four eyes looking at them from the darkness of the night.”

Melany blushed “I… I didn’t know I...” James couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Stop laughing!” Melany said. “It’s not funny, a lot of bad things happened to me… it’s not just my eyes.”

James calmed himself down, stifling his chuckles. “Don’t worry. I’ll be right there with you. I’ll make sure no one hurts you.” He reached out to grab one of her hands.

“No!” Melany shouted yanking her hand away. “Look that’s not my only reason…” Melany averted all four of her eyes.

“Melany… tell me… I can’t help you if you don’t let me help you.”

Melany sighed. “Do you remember my parents?” she said in a soft and shaky tone. “Well they… when I mutated…” she bit her lower lip to give herself courage. “They wanted to get me ‘mutant reversal surgery.’ You know, when they hack off girls limbs to try and make them look more normal.” Melany looked at her extra arms moving them slowly in front of her, almost as if she was looking through them. “I did some research. I heard about how dangerous and painful it was. I heard how some countries made it illegal. I told them but they didn’t care. They weren’t going to have a freak for a daughter. They would rather mutilate me… maybe even kill me than have me look like this.”

Tears started falling from Melany’s eyes. “I had no choice. I had to run away. That’s how I ended up in the mansion. I can’t go outside because I don’t want people to be afraid of me… and I also don’t want them to try and fix me. I like how I am. I don’t want to change just because someone’s afraid of my heads or arms or… or my eyes at night.”

Melany sobbed softly, feeling vulnerable and small. She felt James reach out to one of her heads, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Oh Mel, please don’t cry,” he said with a soft, warm, reassuring voice. “You are safe now. I won’t let anyone hurt you, okay?” He wiped the tears from her other head. “No one is going to send you away for surgery, and no one is going to be afraid of you. There are lots of other mutant girls out there. You wouldn’t even be the only one at the mall.” James reached over for his cellphone. “But don’t worry. I’ll call and have them deliver it OK? If it doesn’t fit we can just send it back. We don’t have to go anywhere if you aren’t comfortable.”

“Thank you,” Melany said with a sniffle. “Thank you so much.”

Melany was able to cheer up over the rest of the day. She felt a little better after showing her fears to James. Later on a knock came at the door, and James went to open it, expecting the package. However, when he got there, he found Chuck at the door.

“Oh!” James said surprised. “Chuck, I, uh, wasn’t expecting you.”

“Hey dude! How have you been?” he said, walking into James’s house without even acting.

“Eh, I’m fine but, what are you doing here?” James was nervous. Melany was thankfully in the kitchen when Chuck showed up. James thought she must be freaking out right now.

“I was just passing by. Was headed to the mall and figured I would check in on you. Haven’t talked much since the whole mansion incident. How’s life been? How’s work? You and Caroline gotten any closer?” Chuck sat on the couch in the exact space Melany was sitting only seconds ago. James followed, sitting next to him awkwardly.

“Works been, uh, heavy. That’s why I haven’t been around. Just, you know, keeping myself busy.”

“Hahaha, boss is really cracking the whip isn’t he?” Chuck looked around James’s apartment and started to notice some things. The two glasses on the end table. The pillows and blankets left out for sleeping on the couch. “James? Do you have guests? Wait, is Caroline over!” Chuck laughed nudging James’s shoulder. James tried to protest, but they were interrupted by another knock at the door.

James got up to answer. Anything to get out of this awkward conversation. It was the delivery he was expecting. He signed for the package and put it on the coffee table, the logo of the mutant clothing outlet clearly plastered on the side.

“James… what’s up?” Chuck said. “Are you dating a mutant? Holy shit man, does Caroline know?”

James stammered over his words. “N-no it’s not like that I.”

Chuck guffawed patting James on the back “Oh man! This is great! What does she look like? Is she pretty? I never knew you liked mutant girls. Got a taste for the weird and wild in you eh? So when can I meet her?”

James snapped back at Chuck frustrated and embarrassed. “Chuck, it’s not like that! These clothes, they are… uh…”

“They are for me…” Melany said as she walked into the room, her cheeks beat red. James and Chuck stared at her as she walked in and for a while, the room was completely silent.