Porcelain Perception- Chapter one

PORCELAIN PERCEPTION

Chapter One

Melody Lemaster was twenty-two years old. Her skin was as white as porcelain and because she was only five feet tall, she looked just as fragile as the precious material. She had made many mistakes in her life but was finally getting things sorted out. For the first time in her life, she had a job, her own home, and didn't have to depend on anyone. The feeling gave her a sense of satisfaction as she walked into the small clinic.
"Hello, Melody. How are you today?" The chubby, middle-aged woman behind the glass greeted her as if they were old friends.
"I am wonderful, Tara."
"I am so glad to hear that. I will let Mira know you have arrived. Have a seat while you wait."
Melody made her way to the almost empty waiting room. Three other people were in the room. All of them were as quiet and as still as statues, not wanting to be noticed. The youngest of the three hid her face behind a fashion magazine but it was obvious the girl's mind was focusing on something else. Melody had done the same thing when Randy brought her here the first time. He had insisted she needed to talk to someone because she was no longer the same person she was before the death of their parents but could you ever really be the same after you suffered a loss so great? It was something they disagreed on but he was so much older and had become her legal guardian when she was ten years old so she had no say in the matter.
"Melody,” Tara called from behind the white door that led to the rest of the clinic. Melody got up and followed her into the hallway lined with offices.
"Room three." Tara said pointing to the door to the left as if Melody needed directions to the office where she had spent most of her childhood.
Mira's office was small and cluttered. Papers and books were so over stacked they spilled onto the floor but the doctor always looked so well groomed. There was never even a tiny piece of lint on her perfectly tailored pantsuits.
"Hello, Melody. Have a seat." Mira told her so Melody sat down on the ugly green sofa across from the big, oak desk.
"How are you feeling today?" Mira opened a yellow folder.
"I feel fine."
"Care to elaborate on that?"
"What else can I say? I feel better than I have in a long time. Everything is going great and I couldn't be happier."
"So the medicine is working? No side effects? No thoughts of suicide of suicide or harming yourself?"
"I said I am fine."
"What about Derick?"
"What about Derick? He is no longer a part of my life." Melody told her feeling frustrated.
"So you have contacted an attorney about the divorce?"
"Yes." Melody lied because she did not want to explain her reasons for holding off on it.
"Melody I hope you aren't hiding anything from me. I can't help you if you aren't being honest with me."
Melody was hiding something-she was hiding many things-but was her pregnancy of any concern to this woman? Melody hadn't even told her husband yet and she would be damned if the first person she told would be Mira.
"I don't have to sit here and listen to you call me a liar." Melody retorted.
"I am not calling you a liar."
"Bullshit, this is just a waste of time." Melody said before getting up from the sofa and slamming the door behind her.

Melody Lemaster was twenty-two years old. Her skin was as white as porcelain and because she was only five feet tall, she looked just as fragile as the precious material. She had made many mistakes in her life but was finally getting things sorted out. For the first time in her life, she had a job, her own home, and didn't have to depend on anyone. The feeling gave her a sense of satisfaction as she walked into the small clinic.
"Hello, Melody. How are you today?" The chubby, middle-aged woman behind the glass greeted her as if they were old friends.
"I am wonderful, Tara."
"I am so glad to hear that. I will let Mira know you have arrived. Have a seat while you wait."
Melody made her way to the almost empty waiting room. The three other people were as still and as quiet as statues, they wanted no attention drawn to them. The youngest of the three hid her face behind a fashion magazine but it was obvious the girl's mind was focusing on something else. Melody had done the same thing when Randy brought her here the first time. He had insisted she needed to talk to someone because she was no longer the same person she was before the death of their parents but could you ever really be the same after you suffered a loss so great? It something they disagreed on but he was so much older and had become her legal guardian when she was ten years old so she had no say in the matter.
"Melody,” Tara called from behind the white door that led to the rest of the clinic. Melody got up and followed her into the hallway lined with offices.
"Room three." Tara said pointing to the door to the left as if Melody needed directions to the office where she has spent most of her childhood.
Mira's office was small and cluttered. Papers and books were so over stacked they spilled onto the floor but the doctor always looked so well groomed. There was never even a tiny piece of lint on her perfectly tailored pantsuits.
"Hello, Melody. Have a seat." Mira told her so Melody sat down on the ugly green sofa across from the big, oak desk.
"How are you feeling today?" Mira opened a yellow folder.
"I feel fine."
"Care to elaborate on that?"
"What else can I say? I feel better than I have in a long time. Everything is going great and I couldn't be happier."
"So the medicine is working? No side effects? No thoughts of suicide of suicide or harming yourself?"
"I said I am fine."
"What about Derick?"
"What about Derick? He is no longer a part of my life." Melody told her feeling frustrated.
"So you have contacted an attorney about the divorce?"
"Yes." Melody lied because she did not want to explain her reasons for holding off on it.
"Melody I hope you aren't hiding anything from me. I can't help you if you aren't being honest with me."
Melody was hiding something-she was hiding many things-but was her pregnancy of any concern to this woman? Melody hadn't even told her husband yet and she would be damned if the first person she told would be Mira.
"I don't have to sit here and listen to you call me a liar." Melody retorted.
"I am not calling you a liar."
"Bullshit, this is just a waste of time." Melody said before getting up from the sofa and slamming the door behind her.

Melody turned on the bath faucet. She was still angry with Mira for calling her a liar and even angrier with herself for letting it upset her so much. She had been doing so well but right now, it felt as though she made no progress and was trapped in a world of darkness. When would she finally get to escape and be happy? She wasn't sure she even remembered what it was like to be happy.
When did my life turn to shit? Melody wondered as she sank into the warm, lavender scented bath water. Everyone, including Randy, thought her sensitive, over erratic behavior was caused by the death of her parents but even when they were alive, she felt different from her family and trapped in a world of despair. The only thing their death brought on was the physical side of her illness.
Melody looked at the pink disposable razor on the ledge of the tub. She hadn't done it in months but one last time wouldn't hurt. However, before she could reach for the razor something else caught her attention. In the corner of her eye was something was a bright, white light. She didn't turn her head. Instead, she turned off the bath water and reached for her blue bath sponge trying to ignore the ever-growing light.
"Stay calm." Melody told her self though her heart was racing. This isn't really happening she tried to reason with herself as body grew weaker and the light grew stronger.

The sound of the phone ringing woke Melody from a deep sleep. She answered it in a groggily.
"It's one o'clock in the afternoon for the love of God. Get up."
"It's nice to hear from you Randy." Melody said sarcastically to her older brother.
"Mel, I know you have been through a lot but you have to get your shit together. You can't spend the rest of your life in bed."
"Randy, I really don't need a lecture right now. I have too much going on without you making me feel like shit."
"It happened again, didn't it? You had an episode." He referred to her seeing the light and losing consciousness because after years of testing no one could find anything wrong with her. Not even Mira had been able to give her the answers she had been looking for.
"Yes. It happened. I had a bad day. I was stressed out so I decided to take a bath. . . "
"You had an episode while you were in the tub?"
"Yes." She replied though she had already answered his question.
"Do you realize what could have happened? You could have drowned." He told her stating the obvious.
"Randy, I didn't drown. It only happened for a second. I'm fine."
"You aren't fine. This keeps happening to you and it's scaring the hell out of me."
"Randy, I know you worry about me after what happened to Mom and Dad but you can't protect me forever. I am an adult and you have to let me live my life."
"I think you should call Derick."
"I am not calling him." Melody protested. Randy didn't know what really happened between Melody and her husband. He thought she suffered a nervous break down after she her miscarriage five months earlier but she hadn’t. She discovered she was pregnant again and so she left her husband to give her third child a fighting chance.
"Melody, I know you and Derick are having problems but he can take care of you so if you don't call him I will."
"Yes, let's pawn off your sick little sister to whoever will take her because she is too much of a burden for you."
"It's not like that."
"That's exactly how it is. I don't need anyone's help so just leave me the hell alone." Melody told him slamming down the phone. She rolled over on her side and went back to sleep.