Unbelievable [open]

[Melissa|Tristan]

Surprisingly, Melissa felt no pain apart from that in her shoulder. Her side would ache in the morning, once it realized what had happened, but she had bigger things to worry about right now. This is gonna leave marks. This pathetic thought was cut short when she was dealt a blow to the ribs by Vicky’s foot. The blow stung to say the least, and it left Mel gasping, choking for air. Her shock turned to anger when she realized that Vicky was smiling. Smiling! What kind of sick person was she? Thankfully, freak girl had decided to leave her alone for the moment. Vicky had wandered over to Melissa’s dropped bag and was tearing at it, carrying on like some sort of animal. Of course! Everything suddenly made sense, like puzzle pieces clicking together. She has a talisman too, an animal! That complicated things. Mel did feel better knowing that Vicky didn’t know she had a talisman too though. She could use that to her advantage.

Taking care to seem wounded for the moment, which in truth she was, Melissa watched as Vicky invaded her privacy, ripping through her personal belongings, barely sparing her a glance. Is she robbing me? Is that what all this was about? Money?? Melissa was having trouble wrapping her head around it. She didn’t feel that robbery would give cause for such a violent attack, especially since she hadn’t been a threat in the first place. What are you going to do to me? Anger rang through in her voice, making Melissa sound braver than she felt, but she did want the answer. Willing as she was to simply lay there, let her fate take it’s course, and possibly sleep where she’d fallen, Mel’s pride wouldn’t let her. I can’t let her beat me, I just can’t. A ringing coming from Vicky’s cell phone proved to be just the right distraction. As Vicky replied with a text to whoever it was Melissa gathered herself. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to shove off and hit the ground running. Luck wasn’t on her side though, and Vicky chose that exact instant to turn back around. Melissa’s heart plummeted to somewhere around her kidneys when she saw that Vicky was holding duct tape. Not good. Not good at all.

Using her good arm, Mel pushed herself up. It was too dangerous to stay on the ground anymore, and though her whole body was trembling slightly she was ready for what was to come. Her cheetah was attentive, ready to shift at a moment’s notice. It snarled in Vicky’s direction, a clear warning not to mess with them. Unfortunately, Vicky couldn’t see it and continued to approach them with the duct tape. What the hell are you doing? Anger was seeping into Melissa’s voice now, and the trembling accelerated. Vicky continued to approach, and Melissa made her decision. Her shoulder wound was seeping blood into the bandage, and though she couldn’t see the damage yet, Mel was sure that some of the stitches had torn. While she wasn’t sure whether that would affect her running or not, one thing was for certain; she couldn’t stay there. Cheetahs weren’t meant for fighting, but they were the fastest mammals on earth, able to outrun any other creature on the planet. With this thought in mind, Melissa jumped at Vicky, attempting to knock her over. She didn’t pause long enough to see if it had worked, because now she took off down the road back towards Naotak. Lungs burning, Melissa wasn’t sure how long she could run for, but it would have to be enough.

Her heart was pounding in her ears and the gravel from the roads shoulder was crunching under her feet as she raced her fear. The town couldn't be far off, since they hadn't been walking for that long, and at the speed Mel was running now, she'd be there in no time. She heard the sound of footsteps hammering behind her, but it could have just been her imagination. Either way, Mel wasn't looking back anytime soon. She was too scared. Just like she'd been too afraid as a child to check for the monsters she'd been sure lived under her bed, she was now too afraid to look back at this real life monster that was chasing her like a bad dream.

[Jocelyn[Spirit]]

Vicky looked up at the girl at her questions, giving her an odd look with one eyebrow raised. She laughed slightly when she asked what she was going to do to her.
Im going to gut you, and eat you for dinner.
What? She thought it was funny. She took a shuffled step towards Melissa and pulled the duct tape out, getting ready to bind her hands. She hesitated at her second question and again laughed.
Just relax, it wont hurt that bad if you relax. You know this duct tape..peels and pulls at the skin, pulling the hair out. So stay still. I can't have you flailing around hitting me know can I?

Right when her hands were inches from Melissa, she shot up and started to sprint away. Vicky swore and took off after her. She kept swearing in her head, pissed that she let her have a moment to think...a moment to scoot away like a prey running from deaths jaw.
Man this girl was fast, vicky pushed harder, faster. Her heart rate beating faster then ever. Her breath was ragged with her effort. Finally, she chucked the duct tape at the girls head, hoping on impact it would slow her down.
It sailed through the air, and to Vicky's surprise, hit its target. He smiled to herself and ran faster, not wanting to let this girl get away..again.

[Melissa|Tristan]

In the instant before she took off, Melissa listened intently to Vicky's answers. She guessed that she was lucky Vicky had answered at all. In most of the cop shows she watched the killer had reasons for killing. Sick reasons mind you, but reasons that made sense to them. I'm going to gut you, and eat you for dinner. Melissa's thought processes completely stopped with those 10 little words. Was she serious? Or joking? If she was serious, was she in for a surprise, and if she was joking, it was a sick joke, and not in a good way. Mel's breathing had accelerated even more, so she was practically panting for air. Melissa had thought it impossible for her to be even more scared than she had been a second ago, but apparently it was.

Vicky was coming at her with duct tape. Seriously. Duct tape. What kind of sick wack job are you? Leave me alone! Her voice had gone shrill under stress, so she sounded like a child yelling at a bully. It was pathetic, but she made up for it in the minute that followed. All it had taken was one lucky second for Mel to hit the ground running, and thankfully Vicky was amateur enough to give her that second. I mean, what kind of kidnapper, robber, or killer turns their back on their victim? Mel's cheetah had a thought about that. She got cocky and underestimated her prey. Us. This was the first time her cheetah had referred to them as an 'us', but now wasn't the time for warm, fuzzy feelings. For once they both listened to each other, and in doing so they mutually decided that running was their best option now. Their only option now.

Melissa's sneakers were hitting the pavement so fast that she was almost tripping over her own feet. It would be much easier if she were a cheetah, as her talisman none-too-obviously hinted. Not yet . . . not yet . . . Mel remotely heard Vicky swearing and gasping for air behind her. Obviously Miss Punk didn't exercise as much as she should. At that instant, something small and compact whopped Mel in the back of the head, making her yelp. Her vision wobbled weirdly, disorienting her for a second, before she fell again. The heels of her hands took the brunt of the fall, but the tearing sensation returned to her shoulder. The blood wasn't just oozing out of the wound now, it was trickling out into the gauze bandage. It hurt like hell, and Mel knew it was probably going to get worse.

Well, there's nothing else for it. She turned to face her attacker an ironic smile passing over Mel's face, despite the terrible pains that were racking her shoulder. Boy, are you out of your league Vicky. Refusing to break eye contact with her assailant, Melissa's body re-shaped itself. Her hands became paws with claws extended, her torso became tapered and lanky, and her face pulled itself back towards her neck. A lengthy tail grew from the base of her spine, and fur appeared all over her body, golden brown with black spots. Lastly, black war stripes appeared underneath her eyes. Mel was finally ready for the fight.

Her cheetah was elated to finally be out again, but Mel didn’t completely turn it loose. There was no telling what it might do, since at that moment it was wondering if Vicky would taste good. Probably not. With all that makeup, ewww. After another second it agreed with her, grudgingly. The creature was hungry after all. The roll of duct tape was lying on the ground in front of them, the object that had whacked her in the head. With a lightning fast motion Mel lunged forward, tearing through the roll with her teeth and claws. She will never use this roll of duct tape on me or on anyone else ever again! It gave Melissa satisfaction to rip the tape to shreds, her would be form of restraint, but her attention was diverted because Vicky was fast approaching. The cheetah laughed on the inside, because Vicky was still breathing pretty hard. And we weren’t even going that fast. Standing up and trying to look formidable, Melissa bared her teeth, a low rumbling echoing in her chest. The threatening sound was echoed by her body language; her claws were extended, her ears laid flat against her skull, and an ugly glare had taken residence upon Melissa’s face. Everything about her screamed ‘LEAVE ME ALONE’, but Mel wasn’t sure that Vicky would get the message. And if she did get it, she probably wouldn't listen anyways.

[Jocelyn[Spirit]]

Vicky bent at the waist, hands resting on her knees as she watched the girl change into a cheetah and tear at the duct tape. She heaved and wheezed as she sucked the air into her lungs, which burned. Her badger growled to get out. Vicky knew human versus cheetah wasnt very fair..for she didnt have claws or teeth. However Badger against cheetah? A bit more fair for bagers may be short to the ground, but they were packed tight and had some weight on them, not only that but they are excellent diggers, which meant VERY strong front and back legs. So in a 'paw to paw' combat, they both had a chance, the tides could turn either way. Vicky grimaced and rolled up her sleeves.
I don't need duct tape...and you underestimate me. You wanna fight? Fine. Better watch out for your shoulder though...could take a real nasty rip to it with sharp teeth and big curved claws. Did you know my claws are WAY bigger than yours? your little doggy claws..

She smirked again looking at the cheetahs feet, the dog paws it had, built for speed, not for fighting or strength.
Fur began poking through her cloths, her legs and arms shortened, growing massive claws, thick and muscled paws. Her face widened and lengthened, back shrinking and a study tail poked out of her jeans. She doubled over, all four legs now on the ground. She gave a growl and hiss and began walking around Melissa, circling her.

We don't have to end this where you get more hurt you know. Believe it or not, I'm one of the nicest Hunters.
Well, kinda. She thought in her head. She lunged at Melissa, but not really attacking, just testing the cheetahs reflexes. Unfortunately, they seemed pretty acute. She continued to circle, jumping and lunging at the feline trying to get past those jaws.

[Melissa|Tristan]

Her shoulder wound was still pulling and bleeding, something that wasn’t going to help her in what was obviously becoming a fight. Thankfully, her muscles as a cheetah were longer and made for stretching, so it wouldn’t pull as much as if she were human. It did give Mel more than a small amount of sadistic satisfaction to listen to Vicky’s pants though. The look that crossed Vicky’s face a second later wiped the satisfied smirk off her face instantly, which was too bad, because it meant that the fearful expression was back. She’s coming up with a plan. We need a plan. Trying to frantically consult with her talisman, which was surprisingly easier now that she was a creature.

I don't need duct tape...and you underestimate me. You wanna fight? Fine. The challenge resounded inside Mel, making her want to fight, want to hurt Vicky. And Vicky didn’t have bigger claws, though her fake fingernails were pretty long for a human’s. Your little doggy claws.. The growl escaping Mel’s mouth, low rumbling sounds that echoed in her chest increased in their ferocity. She knew Vicky was trying to get her worked up, and it was working. She looked down briefly at her own paws, noting that they were slightly dog-like. Still, it was meant as an insult, and that’s how Mel took it.

Her worry increased as Vicky hunched over and started growing fur. Oh God, this cannot be happening. Vicky had shifted, her body twisting grotesquely into something strange, until a badger stood in front of her. Torn between terror and laughter, Melissa settled for a little of both. Several chirps sounded out of her mouth, while her face registered the terror she was feeling inside. Believe it or not, I'm one of the nicest Hunters. After trying to work her mouth for a minute, Melissa figured out how to talk in this form. Hunters? Melissa was completely clueless as to what Vicky meant. The only thing you hunt is bugs. The thought almost made her snort with laughter, but she refrained in order to stop Vicky’s temper from getting worse.

The badger continued to circle her, making fakes and lunges but no actual attacks yet. What do you want from me? Melissa screamed again at the one who called herself Vicky in a mixture of anger and fear. Mostly fear. Mel’s voice was still surprisingly shrill, giving away her fear if it wasn’t written plainly enough all over her face. In desperation, she called out with a series of yelps and whistles, hoping someone, anyone would be close enough to hear her. Fat chance. They were surrounded by forest, not ideal terrain for a cheetah to run on. What if we trip and fall? Her talisman shrugged with fake nonchalance. Then we’re done for. Melissa faked Vicky out to the left, hoping that she'd fall for the weak attack, but it wasn't likely to work. She was too experience with using her talisman, and from the looks of it she did this sort of thing often. There was one last question to be answered. Why do you want me? If the reply was merely a hiss, then it was game on. If not, well then maybe there was hope left for them after all.

[Jocelyn[Spirit]]

Vicky continued to circle, dodging in and out waiting for the girl to miss a move, waiting for an opening. She hissed and growled, and laughed. She cocked her head this way and that, claculating the best route and move. She paused and looked at the cat, an odd expression on her maw. What did she want?
I want you to give up. Join us. Be in the service of our great Elders and do their bidding. You wil be rewarded if you behave well, and treated with respect if you do not fail in your missions. We could use someone like you.
She waited, maybe she would give up and submit. Some do believe it or not. She eyed her wounds and raised an eyebrow.
If you come with me, where I live, we could fix that.
She tried not to sound evil anymore, trying to get this girl to see reason. To see she wont win. And to see it was in her best interest to give up, to submit.

The furr on her back prickle, the talisman liked to fight, took pride in it. She hushed it, telling it to wait. It growled and she growled back at it.
Id hurry and make up your mind..hes not very patient.
She inched forward to get her point across. Her toung darted out and wetted her lips, antsy and losing patience, like her talisman.
I promise once with us, we aren't bad people.
She hated sucking up trying to get something she could get with force. She didn't know how they do it, only the Elders did and a few of the others. How they made unwilling victoms, 'slaves'.

[Melissa|Tristan]

The insulting comment regarding Melissa's paws had stung more than anything. She tried shrugging it off as jealousy, since who wanted to be a badger anyways? They were known in Walt Disney films for being crusty and grumpy. Maybe it was the same with badger talismans. Plus, she was upset because they’d made her get some exercise. Yeah, that’s it. Justifying her actions was Mel’s way of staying rational. As long as everything she did made sense, and she knew what she was going to do next, she was going to be okay.

I want you to give up. Mel's brain told her that it was probably the smart thing to do, but her pride wouldn't allow it. No! I'm not a pet to be given treats for doing tricks! Her frustration and anger rang clearly in her voice, but there was more fear than anything else now. Vicky had continued with something about ‘great elders’ and ‘missions’, but Mel had been lost since the ‘join us’ part. I don’t know what you’re talking about. She eyed Vicky again, trying to mentally calculate how fast the badger could go versus how fast she could go. It would be no contest at all, but if she could get to town at least then she could go to the police or something.

With a quick exhale of breath, Melissa realized that there was no one to fight for her, no one to protect her now. She had none that she could go to if she needed it. No one would even notice if she was gone, except for her landlord when rent was due. Biting back tears, she told herself to get a grip. Whining and feeling sorry for herself wouldn’t help anything right now.

The way Vicky was eyeing her wound didn’t make Mel feel any more comfortable either. Wait, so first she’d attacked Mel, and now she was offering to fix her wounds. The offer was tempting, but Mel knew she’d regret it if she agreed. Losing focus on Vicky for a second, she examined the bandages on her shoulder. They were soaked right through now, and Melissa turned her head to lick a little of the blood that was trying to trickle down her leg. It hurt a lot now, and Mel knew that this fight couldn't last much longer. It had to end soon, or she'd lose too much blood to fight.

While the badger puffed itself up and growled, Mel felt the blood begin to trickle down her leg. It moved painfully slow, thanks to her fur, and in a sickening way it sort of tickled. She needed to be sneaky here, so she sagged her shoulders, making it appear as though she’d given up. Can I at least go back to my apartment and get some stuff? She made sure that her voice was calmer, more rational sounding than she felt. Vicky had to fall for the ruse, she just had to.

[Jocelyn[Spirit]]

Vicky let her own eyes flick to the sludge of blood flowing down the cats leg. She almost smiled at the sight, for reasons even she didnt know. Was she that cruel? Yeah. The only time she was even the slightest bit nice was with other hunters that didnt bug her. Her furr prickled on her back, her animal instincts told her the girl was, up to something. She watched as Melissa eyed her shoulder and for a moment she sae her face soften..at least she thought she did. Was the wound really calming her, showing her that she cannot win? Was she really giving up? Thoughts, questions and doubts swarmed her mind. For a moment she wasn't she what to do.
We have plenty of things for you at the mansion. Whatever you need we can have it for you. Clothes, a clean room, a nice warm shower and our own doctor to fix that.
She took a slow step towards the cat. She actually didn't hate the girl. Rare. She could see them almost becoming friends, if only Melissa joined them and didn't cause too much trouble.
The Badger made a face and a small growl, warning her not to fall for it. But Vicky hesitated.
Trust me, we have everything you will need and want.

[Melissa|Tristan]

This would have to be done very carefully, to avoid rousing Vicky's suspicion. This is exactly what I wanted to do this afternoon, not. Her cheetah shook it's head, indicating that it's thoughts were running along the same lines, but indicating that this was one of their three options to get out of this.

Letting Vicky eye her injury probably wasn't the best idea, but Mel knew it might help her ruse become more believable. The badger was puffed up, looking more and more like a fuzz ball.

We have plenty of things for you at the mansion. Mel thought frantically for an excuse to return to her apartment, desperately trying to get out of going with Vicky. Obviously, her wound wasn't going to get her out of it, so she'd have to try a different tack. A single thought came to her, but Mel didn't like it in the least. However, it was the only thing she could think of, and she picked the lesser of two evils. Mel tried to make her voice sound pitiful, which in truth wasn't difficult. Please. There's some things I can't leave behind. Things from my mother.

It was the oldest trick in the book, calling on an imaginary dead mother, but in this case Mel wasn't lying. Please. Had it been someone else in her shoes, they might have promised Vicky to return. For Mel, refusing to make promises was a good thing, because when she made promises she kept them, no matter how much it hurt her. With her fingers -or rather paws- crossed, Mel waited anxiously to see if Vicky would fall for her clever trick.

[Jocelyn[Spirit]]

Vicky started to pace back and forth wondering what to do. She would get a reward if she brought her in, for being a 'good' girl. And Vicky so wanted to show everyone that she was one of the best Hunters they had, so maybe they would send her on more 'high profile' missions. Vicky saw something in the cheetahs eyes, truth, least she thought it was truth. But who knows. Vicky hesitated before slowly letting her body shift into her human form. She stood and eyed the cat.
If....IF, i let you do this...you better not do anything stupid. I have respect for the dead, and thats it. No sympathy ok?
Vicky of course had to keep her tough girl act. Couldnt be getting soft you know?

She took a step towards the girl and rolled her eyes, not believing that she was really letting the girl do this. She would forget about her mother before long anyways. Vicky kept her eyes and ears open, her talisman growled, not liking this plan. She of course hushed it. Vicky picked up a few of the things they had dropped before waiting for the girl to lead the way.
Shift your form. I can't have you running off on me.
She glarred at the girl, waiting for her to do something stupid, or to bolt for it. Vicky smoothed out her clothes and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, all the while keeping her eyes on Melissa.

[Melissa|Tristan]

Mel's pitiful excuse hung in the air for a minute. The most shocking part was that Vicky actually seemed to be seriously considering it. Despite the fact that this threw Mel's image of her off, her expression remained weak and upset. Vicky could just be playing her for a fool, and Mel wasn't about to fall for something like that again from her.

After what felt like the longest minute of Mel's life (so far) Vicky shifted back into her gothic human self. If....IF, i let you do this...you better not do anything stupid. I have respect for the dead, and thats it. No sympathy OK? Underneath the tough girl voice, Mel saw a flicker of something in Vicky's eyes. Despite her words, could that possibly be . . . sympathy? Her talisman's forehead was crinkled slightly in thought. We could play on that. It gently prodded Mel to keep going, even though she desperately didn't want to.

After backing up five or so steps, Mel complied with Vicky's order. Reluctance was strongly visible on her face, but she decided to give it a shot anyways. It only happened a couple months ago. We’d known it was going to happen for a while, but . . . The thought trailed, and Mel held back her mental continuation of ‘that doesn’t stop it from hurting’. Glancing down at herself, Mel saw her ruffed up and dirty clothes, and wished that she’d get time for a shower.

Vicky had gathered a couple of things that they’d dropped, the ripped up roll of duct tape not being one of them. Thank God. Mel watched her straighten her clothes and hair and eye her with a ‘lets get on with it’ sort of look. Shrugging was uncomfortable to say the least, so Mel resisted the temptation. Carefully, she started backing away, towards the town. It still wasn’t clear if Vicky would attack her again with her back turned, and Mel wasn’t about to take chances.

[Jocelyn[Spirit]]

Vicky hesitated and kicked herself, wondering how the hell she let herself get into this situation. Thoughts raced through her mind of what the girl could do, would do, or wouldn't do. She had to be preapred for whatever came her way so she didn't lose the girl. She tried to give the girl a weak smile when she spoke of it, for once nothing mean came out ofher mouth. Vicky was kissing her ass a bit, letting Melissa think she really was being over backwards for her, letting her do this for she felt bad for her. Well, part of it was true. She did feel bad. But she wasn't totally convinced about the act. If it were here, if something like that reall did happen she would keep as much details about it to herself.

She took a step forward and gave a nod of her head, to get going. She kept her keen eyes on the girl,, nothing could get them to stray. Vicky took a few steps forward, waiting for Melissa to lead the way, staying behind the girl was best, easiest to watch her movements.
She tried to strike up a conversation, again, trying to be as nice as possible.
You'll like it at the mansion. They have everything you want or neesd. Including hot tubs, really good food, tennis courts, anything like that. Huge rooms and beds with your own bathroom.

[Melissa|Tristan]

The wavering expression on Vicky's face let Mel know that she wasn't all that sure about what Mel could do. The weak smile was recieved by flat, expressionless uncaringness. Mel had more important things to worry about than what Vicky was trying to do. They'd already established that they hated each other, and Mel wasn't falling for the Miss. Nice facade again.

The girl seemed not to believe the story, but seemed to be going along with it, as long as Mel cooperated. Leaving the objects she'd dropped behind her, along with blood drops that were trickling off her fingertips as evidence to their fight, Mel continued towards town, heading for her flat. Hopefully someone would drive along in their car and see the two women, and the blood, and realize that something was wrong. As much as Mel hated hospitals, she'd give anything right now to be in one, and away from Vicky.

Hot tubs, tennis courts, and good food weren't enough for the price she was possibly going to be forced to pay. The cheetah was quivering in frustration, wanting more than anything to tear Vicky's eyes out, the fight instinct dominating at the moment. Never had Mel seen it so worked up, and it was a little frightening to be honest. Ignoring Vicky's attempts at conversation, Mel kept her eyes forward, until Noatak appeared and they were passing by buildings. Carefully, so that it looked accidental, Mel left a trail of blood drops behind her every five feet or so. Hopefully someone would notice them and follow, after calling the cops of course.

They reached Mel's building, and took the elevator up. By this time, Mel's face had paled and she felt a little nauseous, though she did her best to ignore it. Pulling her key out of her pants pocket, she carefully opened the door and entered, noting that Vicky followed closely behind. Turning to her, Mel resisted asking her to take off her shoes, which was a solid rule for her. I just need 2 minutes to grab my stuff, and we can leave. Moving into her bedroom, Mel bolted through the door and slammed it behind her, locking it and shoving a nearby chair underneath it. Hopefully it would hold long enough. Picking up the phone that rested on her nightstand (the one she'd never used until now), Mel quickly began dialing, her fingers almost fumbling in their shaking efforts.

[Jocelyn[Spirit]]

Vicky saw that the small talk wasn't getting anywhere, so she soon just shut her mouth and followed in silence. She noticed the blood dripping off the girls hand and onto the pavement, but that did little to concern her. As they walked closer to town, Vicky felt her cell vibrate in her pocket. She reached in and flipped it open, read a message, texted a few words back, then slid it back into her pocket. She licked her lips and tucked some hair behind her ear as they walked. She kept her eyes glued to Melissa. Vicky knew she was making a mistake, and she had no idea why she had gotten so soft. It couldn't be the sob story of a dead mother..could it?

As they neared a builing Vicky out of habit looked for doors, open windows, any other routes that could be used to escape. The car garrage, if it had one, how many other people around..all these things were calculated into her mind. She took note of everything. Reaching the elevator Vicky almost laughed at how odd this was. Standing there, one bleeding, one angry, both looking like they want to kill each other, to the smooth jazzy touch of the elevator music.
Ding.
She followed the girl to her door and was about to reach behind her and pull out a small 3 inch blade that she always kept in her back pocket, and get her under control, when she took off into her apartment and slammed her bedroom down.
Damn you! You little snake! I knew you would do something stupid.

She walked over to the door and began slamming her body into it. She backed up and kicked the door as hard as she could. damn strong oak wood doors. she said in her head as the door refused to budge. she continued pounding away at the door, yelling and cursing up the *bleep*.

[Melissa|Tristan]

The instant the thick oak door slammed shut, Mel heard a yell from the other side. Just from the tone, she could tell that Vicky was furious, and the words only reinforced that observation. Damn you! You little snake! I knew you would do something stupid. First, indignation rose inside Melissa, then fear as her ears perceived the sounds of a body throwing itself against the door repeatedly.

The phone felt smooth and familiar in her hands as she dialed 9-1-1, frantically trying to press the right buttons. After a couple of seconds, a calm, female voice spoke. 9-1-1, what's your emergency? Quickly, Mel explained her situation, rattled off the address, and begged for the woman to send the police. She has a weapon on her too. Mel hoped that the officers wouldn't take any chances with taking Vicky in, because one of them could easily get hurt.

Stay with me on the line, okay sweetie? I'm sending them now, and they'll be there real soon. Mel took a ragged breath, which hitched when she heard something more solid hit the door. It had either been furniture, or Vicky had kicked it. The trembling had spread from Melissa's hands to her entire body, making the world seem as though it were the thing shaking. She's trying to break down the door. I'm scared. The whimpering sound that was Mel's voice broke, and she almost started crying. What I want you to do is put as much furniture as you can in front of the door, okay? Block it up good, with heavy stuff, like your dresser. Things she won't be able to push out of the way. Can you do that? Mel told her she could, and immediately shoved her dresser over in front of the door, so at most it would open a couple of centimeters. Hopefully that wouldn't happen, but if it did, the dresser would stop it from moving farther.

At this point, sirens could be heard coming down the street towards them, and by stretching the phone cord, she could just peek out the window, which was locked. Four or five police cruisers had pulled up -some on the street, and some on the lawn- with officers drawing weapons and moving towards the building. Their time was up, and Mel was flooded with such relief that she wanted very badly to pass out.