Through Thick And Thin

Chapter 1

Bleeding, moaning, screaming, and pain.

That's all she felt, all she could do as she was assaulted again, and again.

"Think you can just walk away? You know too much, you're in too deep," a sly voice whispered in her ear.

"Please just let me go," she cried pitifully. "Don't hurt me anymore."

"Can't do that Melodia," he said. "You know how much I've done. You'll tell the police."

"No, I promise!" she pleaded. "I swear I won't say a-"

"Oh God, shut up," a woman's voice said, and the girl shrieked as a boot made contact with the side of her head. "I don't know how you put up with her bitching for so long, jefe."

"Kena, get the fuck out of here before I kill you next," the man hissed, pulling out a switchblade.

Kena sucked her teeth and the whimpering Melody sighed in relief as she heard the heels clacking down the alley and away from her.

"Now, my sweet girl," the man said, his voice silky but evil. "Where were we?"

Melody screamed as she felt the knife plunge into her stomach.

"I told you I'd gut you like a fucking fish, didn't I?" he said, hatred echoing in every syllable. He pulled the knife out and Melody braced for another round of torture.

"Boss! Cops!" another voice shouted

"Shit!" the man said. The knife clattered to the ground and Melody really sighed in relief this time. She heard footsteps running away and sirens coming closer. Her head pounded, and she felt herself getting woozy from the blood loss from the wound on her stomach. She struggled to stay conscious as she heard someone running towards her.

"We need an ambulance here!" a man yelled as she felt his soft hands taking her pulse. She fought to keep her eyes on the officer who was assessing her for more wounds. He gasped when he saw her hands pressed to the stab wound on her stomach. He pulled her hands away to replace them with his own.

"Can you stay with me? Tell me your name?" he asked with a kind voice.

"Melody," she replied, before her eyes drifted shut. "Melody Rosario."

.....

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Melody, you're late for work!"

Melody sat up quicky, wiping the drool from her face as she did. She winced at the twinge in her back, then realized she'd fallen asleep while trying to finish the hardware orders for the restaurant she worked for.

"Melody! ¡No puedo pagar las cuentas a mi propia, mija!"

"I know, you tell me every day," Melody grumbled as she put on her waitressing uniform. Her mother was always complaining about the bills in the house, casually ignoring the fact that her two grown ass sisters were more than content to sit on their ass and let their kids run all over the place. Of course she couldn't pay the bills on her own, but Melody hated that it was all on her to help.