The Mysterious Rattle 15 (Patreon)

Original Idea: Sophiie93

Copy Editor: Leena (@myLifeIsARPG)

James searched the house top to bottom but couldn’t fine Melany anywhere. Feeling desperate, he asked Caroline for help. The only lead they had to go on was the open back door.

“She hates going outside alone… this isn’t normal…” James muttered to himself, pulling out his phone.

“Are you sure she didn’t just step out for a second?” Caroline said.

“No, everything she has is gone. Her bag. Her clothes. It’s like she grabbed everything she could and just…”

“Don’t worry,” she said putting a hand on James’ shoulder. ”We will find her. She is a strong girl. She will be OK”.

James quickly dialed up anyone he could think of. “Tom, hi, yes, I don’t have time to explain. It’s Melany…. No Tom, just shut up and listen. She isn’t home! She ran away and I don’t know why.” Caroline can heard Tom’s screams from the other end of the phone. “I know, I KNOW! This isn’t the time Tom, are you going to help me or not? Good. Get Chuck, we are going to need all the help we can get.”

“Is he coming?” said Caroline. James slumped in the doorway, sitting on his stoop.

“Yes, he’s grabbing Chuck along the way. Look. I know this isn’t how you want to spend your afternoon. You can go home if you-“

“Are you kidding me!?” Caroline said in a shout. “A young girl is lost and alone out there. Of course I’ll help!”

James’s confusion was written all across his face. “Why do you care? You hardly know her.”

“Why? Because she seems like a nice girl whose been through some tough times. Even if I didn’t know her at all, everyone needs help now and then. Besides, weren’t you doing the same thing, taking care of her this long?”

James was a mess. He tugged at his hair in frustration. What did he do? Why did she run? Was she hurt? Didn’t she feel safe? Was it the school? Asking her last name? Did he push too hard? He always wanted Melany to be able to get out on her own and take care of herself… so why was he was the one paralyzed with fear right now.

James took deep breaths to calm himself, holding back some tears. “Maybe I needed her more than she needed me…”

Caroline rubbed his back as Tom’s car pulled up in the distance. “Hey, they are here. Time to get up,” she said helping James to his feet. “You know what I think?”

“What?” said James in a soft and depressed mumble.

“I think you should let her know how you feel…” She headed off to take a seat in Toms car.

“You coming James!?” Tom said shouting from the window.

“Y-yes, sorry!” He said catching up to Caroline and taking the seat beside her.

They drove around the neighborhood slowly, checking every street and alley.

“What was she wearing?” Chuck asked.

“I don’t know…” James said. “She bolted the second we got home.”

“What did you do to scare her away?” Tom said with a sneer.

“Nothing!” James protested. “We just got home and hugged and… oh…” James bit his lower lip in embarrassment and frustration. “She… must have mistaken our hug for… something else.”

Chuck laughed, “Well James has wanted ‘something else’ for a while now.” The silence in the car was deafening. “What! We all know it. I just said it out loud. James was after some office romance since his first day.”

Caroline sighed deeply and James turned away. “Look, this isn’t the time,” she said “Besides, it doesn’t matter. James is a nice boy that anyone would be lucky to have, but I already have a boyfriend.”

“WHAT!?” shouted James, Tom, and Chuck in chorus.

“What nothing! I don’t mix my personal and work life. I don’t have to tell you anything. Not everyone gabs about the people they hook up with around the water cooler!” James, Tom, and Chuck looked away sheepishly, as if she read them for filth. She groaned and tried to pull the conversation back on track. “Come on guys, act like grown-ups about this. This isn’t about me right now. James has someone else on his mind right now and she might be in trouble”.

James, strangely, felt a wave of relief. Now that he knew Caroline was taken he could be honest to himself about he felt… about how he felt toward Mel. The decision was made for him, but he was fine with that. He needed it.

The group looked everywhere from the park to James’ workplace, but Mel was nowhere to be found. “She can’t have disappeared…” Tom said. “She’s like the only mutant in our town”

“What if she went back to the mansion?” Chuck said.

“I don’t think so. I mean it basically crumbled to dust…” James replied, wracking his brain to think of any other place she could be.

“I don’t think it matters if it’s demolished…” Chuck said. “It’s the only place she knew before she met you right? If she was trying to avoid thinking about you, she’d naturally go there.”

The group was stunned at Chuck’s sudden good idea. “What? Look I’ve been through a lot of breakups in the past OK. I know how people act when their heart is broken.”

“OK, OK, let’s get to the mansion… or what’s left of it,” James said.

Tom pulled up and, sure enough, the mansion wasn’t looking great. It was barely standing and there was caution tape setup around the place. It was officially a hazard at this point. Everyone got out started looking around. The floorboards creaked. Support beams fell at the slightest touch.

“Looks like no one did much clean-up after Mel left…” James said remembering the night he met her. He remembered how scared she was. How scared he was as the mansion was coming down around them.

“JAMES!” Tom shouted from the other room. The group immediately ran to meet up with him. He was standing in front of a door, leading to a room that seemed still intact. It still had a full roof, and four walls. It was relatively safe. “This is the only room that you could hide out in without being exposed to the outside. IF she’s anywhere she’s here.” James nodded and headed toward the door but Tom stopped him, tugging at his shoulder. “Be gentle…” he said. “You don’t know what she’s been through”.

James took a deep breath and opened the door, only to see two pairs of eyes staring at him from the corner. Her eyes were bloodshot red. Her skin was dirty and bruised. She probably tripped a lot in her heels as she ran away. Her hands were holding a cloth and she was trying desperately to clean out stains on her precious dress.

“Mel…” James said softly as he took a step into the room. The situation felt oddly familiar.