Alone

Eighteen year old Melony Freeger sat reading eagerly. The library was such a wonderful building.  This was the quietest and most peaceful place that she had ever been.  Surrounded by the endless books, she felt right at home.  So few people came here.  She always thought it was because of their fear of words.  What was so difficult about reading anyway.  Normal people preferred their video games, televisions, and other electronics to a good book.
Scoffing softly she wrapped herself in one of Jane Austin’s novels.  To Melony nothing beat a good book.  A story could take you away to another world.  A place where there was always a happy ending.  But what really made Melony love her books was no one hurt her.  She could sit and read all alone for hours without disruption.
Unfortunately at school kids always taunted her, calling her freak, and trying to beat her down.  These stories were an escape for her.
“Sweetheart it’s time to go.” came a soft voice from behind.  Melony looked up.  An old librarian stood smiling at her.  Letting out a distressed sigh she gathered up her things to leave.  Sure enough waiting right outside the library were a bunch of girls from school.
Melony quickly threw on her sweater trying to avoid all eye contact.  One of the girls jumped out in front her.
“Find a good book?” she asked smiling.
“Yes.” mumbled Melony trying to walk passed.
“What about?”
“It’s an old romance novel.”
“Oh what?” said the girl walking closer to her.  “You can’t get any in real life so you just fantasize about it in a book?”
“NO!”
“Ha.”  She shoved Melony back into the three girls behind her.  “I bet you have your eyes on Mike Wilson.  Well let’s get one thing straight.  He’s mine.”  The other girls held Melony and the one talking to her made a fist.  “So if you know what’s good for you, you’d better keep your romance life on paper.  Leave the real love making to some real women.”  The girl raised her hand and struck Melony.
Struggling Melony stepped on one of the girls.  The girl released her enabling Melony to break free.  Shoving past the group she ran off down the sidewalk.  All four girls ran after her.  Evening was now on them, and no one that saw this scene tried to help poor Melony.  Cars drove passed like nothing was wrong.  People just stared from their yards.
She raced out of breath to a broken down neighborhood.  The four tormentors were hot on her trail.  Melony’s steps were graceful and swift as she hurried up some stairs to a small house.  Grabbing a key from out of her pocket she frantically opened the door.  Quickly shutting it behind herself Melony was able to barely get away from the girls.
“You can’t hide in there forever!”  Shouted one of them banging on the door.  “We’ll be waiting at school tomorrow!”  The pounding stopped.  Melony peeked through the curtain watching as the girls disappeared down the street.
Tears flooded down her cheeks as she moved into the kitchen.  She was so sick of this.  Melony hadn’t done anything to these girls.  There was no reason for the torture that they caused her daily.
On the table was a small piece of paper.  She picked it up reading it aloud to herself.
“Hey baby.  I’ll be working late, supper is in the fridge.  I won’t see you till tomorrow morning.  I love you.  Mom.”  She tore the paper up and ran to her room.  She sat up till three in the morning just staring up at the sky.  It was so beautiful.  There were so many stars.  It was so peaceful like this.  A tear rolled down her cheek.  There had to be a way out of this hell hole.  A shooting star shot passed her view.  Melony shut her eyes and crossed her fingers.
“I wish I was alone.”
The next morning Melony slowly made her way downstairs.  Everything was quiet.  She couldn’t hear her mom shouting at the morning news like she usually did.  Popping her head into the living room she couldn’t see anyone.  So she looked around the entire house.  No one was there.
Without taking another thought toward the empty house Melony got her things together for school.  Her mom worked a lot.  So she figured that her mom probably still hadn’t gotten home.  She hurried outside and paused.  There was no one there.  No people, no barking dogs, nothing.  All the cars and homes were there, just nothing living.
Melony ran as fast as she could to get to school.  On the way there no one came out of their homes.  There wasn’t even a soul at the school.  She spent the entire day going through the town.  It was like all the people had been erased except for her.  Starting to panic she burst into the library.  No librarians.  No kids doing research, nothing.  The silence started to scare her.  It was no longer comforting to hear no sounds.
Stumbling back out into the streets Melony was sobbing now.
“Someone?  Anyone?  Please!  Where is everyone?  Oh God!”  Melony disappeared down the road screaming for any living thing to answer her.
“What happened doctor?” asked Alison Freeger clutching onto her daughter’s hand.  Melony had scratches all over her face.  Her mother sat in the ICU trying to control her own tears.
“Witness’s say that your daughter was being chased by four other girls.  Melony was apparently to terrified of her bullies to look before running out into the street.  A truck hit her head on.”
“Is she going to be all right?”
“You’re daughters in coma.  I won’t lie to you, she’ll probably never come out of it.”
“What?”
“Don’t give up hope Ms. Freeger.  Keep talking to her.  Let her know she’s not alone.”  The doctor left Alison with her daughter.  No longer able to contain herself Alison broke down into a flood of tears.  She sat alone in the ICU crying over her only child.