"MELANCHOLY DREAMS" by Sarah Ryniker

STORY LAST UPDATED ON 01/03/2003

Melancholy Dreams Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Epilogue

CHAPTER ONE: WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME

It was three in the morning when we arrived in Vegas. The lights were still blazing against a dark sky and people were all around, buying things, gambling, drinking, you name it, they were doing it. Right away the city seemed to possess you with its strange, desert beauty. Sin City, in the middle of the Nevada desert, I would soon find out, was just that; a place made for and made of sin.
    We passed down the strip, the most famous place in Vegas, and Francine and I were both taken in by everything. It shocked us both to see the city so alive at this time of the early morning. But we also knew that most of these people hadn't even been to sleep. Yet none of them even looked remotely tired. They all appeared to be having so good a time that sleep never even entered their minds. I couldn't help wondering if I would be taken into this large, bright city as they all were.
    I looked at the address in my hands and shook my head. "How are we supposed to find this place?"
    Francine shrugged. "We could ask for directions. I have to go the bathroom anyway. Find a place to park," she demanded. I did as she said and found a place to park, even though it was a difficult task.
    We both started our way up the front entrance of the Aladdin. Francine literally ran inside, and I looked around for somebody that I could assume lived here. Finally, I decided on the three people out front dressed in Arabian costumes, entertaining people. They had jobs here; they should live here.
    The two women were busy entertaining some children, so I walked up the handsome blonde young man. He turned his devilish green eyes my way and laid on the smile. "Hello, fair lady, what, may I ask, is such a beautiful woman doing in Sin City? Sinning I should hope." He winked and I rolled my eyes.
    "Moving actually." I lifted the piece of paper and showed it to him. "Can you tell me where this is?"
    Recognition showed in his eyes and he nodded. "Yeah, that's my ex-girlfriend's place." He looked up at me with raised eyebrows. "You the new roommate Kim has been talking about?"
    I nodded. "Yes, I am." I held my hand out. "I'm Cry Fawrling."
    He shook it. "A pleasure." He seemed to change his mind about hitting on me the moment he knew who I was, and I had a feeling that the things I'd told Kim about what had gone on back home had been passed on to him. I felt angry immediately.
    "I know that you may not approve of the things I've done in my life, but that is no reason to be rude," I snapped.
    He looked genuinely shocked and confused. "What are you talking about?" He shook his head. "Whatever. I'm David Thortyn. Pleasure to meet you." Then, without letting me get another word in edgewise, he told me where to find Kimberly's home.
    Before I could even begin to apologise for my outburst, Francine made her way out of the building. She ushered me over to her and we quickly began our way back to the car. "Who was that?" she asked, sneaking a peek behind us, her eyes wide with interest.
    "Evidently, our new roommate's ex. His name is David Thortyn and he is the most rude and conceited male I've yet to meet here in Vegas," I announced, deciding that I was glad for the lack of chances to apologise. He didn't deserve it, anyway. He had assumed that I would want him immediately, whether he knew about my past or not, and that was enough to annoy me.
    She laughed. "I'm sure you and I will both meet many more here. Many, many more!"
    It was more difficult finding the place than David had made it out to be. We searched and searched until we finally found the small dirt road that he was talking about. It crept me out that it was so far out into the desert. I was shocked, however, when we came upon a rather large, ranch-style home.
    When we parked, we got out of the car and walked up to the door. I hoped with all my heart that Kimberly wouldn't mind Francine being there. I knocked on the door and waited for an answer. It took awhile before a light came on and a pretty red-haired girl opened the door.
    She had been sleeping; her eyes were still squinting against light. Her red hair was in disarray, and not a trace of make up was to be found on her face. And yet she looked like she had just come from the cover of a fashion magazine.
    "Hello, Kimberly? I'm Cry, and, if you don't mind her staying as well, this is Francine Marlow," I introduced quickly.
    Her eyes took on recognition immediately. She assessed Francine and then shrugged. "Oh, what the hell, one more person won't hurt. I only really need people because this damn house I inherited is so lonely."
    Had I known that, I wouldn't have worried so much on the way there. But I could see what she meant. With just a little girl and herself, the house was far too large. I felt for her immediately, because even if the apartment Mother and I had lived in had been small, it had seemed huge and desolate after she had taken her life.
    Kimberly motioned us into the house and I followed in quickly. The desert seemed very freakish to me. Maybe it was because the ranch house was in the middle of nowhere, or maybe because the desert appeared to be so empty, especially at night. Whatever it was, it had me feeling tingles of ice up and down my spine.
    She showed us around the one-storey house, but I wasn't paying attention. I decided that I would check things out for myself tomorrow. I was incredibly tired and all I wanted was to be in bed. Kimberly must have taken notice of my droopy eyes because she led us quickly to our rooms.
    "These were guestrooms at one point in time. This was my grandparents' home, and my grandmother decorated them to her own liking. You can decorate as you please later on," she said as she opened the door to the room that would be mine.
    The queen-sized bed that sat in the centre of the room, the two nightstands on either side of the bed, the large dresser that sat off to the left of the door, the full-length mirror and the rocking chair were all made of the same dark cherry wood. I thought the rocking chair was a bit of a strange piece of furniture for a room that had no children. It haunted my dreams later on when I thought about it. It reminded me of the child that I'd had ripped so violently from my body. It actually sent a shiver up and down my spine.
    The bed was covered with a white sheet and a comfortable-looking pink-and-white-plaid comforter and pillowcases. It looked very cosy. The floor was also done in pink and white, while the walls were a soft cream colour. The full-length bay windows had soft pink cushions on the ledges so you could sit comfortable by the window.
    I immediately fell in love with the bedroom. I wanted to keep it as it was. It had such a comfortable, feminine look to it. It felt a might childish, but I still had my small whims. I loved the room. It reminded me much of the room I'd had when I'd lived with both of my parents and I'd thought that the world was a happy, wonderful place to live.
    I fell into a deep sleep the moment I crawled under the blankets. I didn't wake until morning light was shining brightly through the window at me. When I peeked over at the clock on the nightstand to my right, I saw that it was already ten. I jumped out of bed and went into the bathroom that was my very own.
    The bathtub was very old fashioned, sitting on four golden legs with a golden faucet that came up and over. The shower seemed to be a whole different part of the tub, though it wasn't. The sink was the same way, sitting on a single post and coming up into a bowl with another golden faucet that arched over it. There was a toothbrush holder attached to the underside of the sink, where I placed my toothbrush and toothpaste.
    The walls were light blue and the shower curtain was a thin, white plastic that was nearly see-through. I pulled it around the tub but I still felt as if somebody was watching me. It gave me chills. It was the only thing I vowed to change in the bathroom.
    After dressing in a light blue sweater and black, loose slacks, I followed the hall down to where I heard voices. I turned to the left off of the hall and found four people sitting in the small dining room around the light oak table; Francine, Kimberly, the little girl I imagined to be Kylie and David. For some reason, I was immediately annoyed to see David. I almost turned around and left the room, which I would have done had Kimberly not ushered me into the room with a bright smile.
    "David, I'd like you to meet my second roommate, Cry," she introduced.
    "A pleasure," he said with a smile that sent a shiver of warmth through my body. I grew angry with myself for being so attracted to him.
    "Charmed, David. But we have already met, Kimberly," I admitted, looking straight at him. He was still smiling.
    "Oh? When did this happen?" Kimberly was genuinely confused, so he went into explanation.
    "Well, she stopped and asked directions to this house. One could only assume that she was your new roommate." He turned his gaze from me to Kimberly. "You'd better watch this one, Kim. She has a tendency to have sudden outrages of temper." He sipped from the blue mug he had sitting in front of him.
    My mouth dropped. "Me? You were rude to me. You assumed immediately that I would want you!" I knew I was making a bad impression, but I didn't care. He was making me look bad anyway.
    "And why is that so bad?" he asked suavely, not bothering to correct me. He was the most arrogant man I'd yet to meet in my entire life.
    "What makes you so sure that all women will fall at your feet and praise God that you were born?" I snapped.
    "Well, the fact that most do would certainly be a reason." He looked pointedly at Kimberly, who turned as red as her hair and turned away.
    "You should really get over yourself!" I declared.
    "So should you." He smiled and got up. He walked around the table and pulled a chair out. "Come, join us." Francine and Kimberly watched on in shock while Kylie was honestly amused by the display.
    I glared at him, and immediately declared my disgust. "I already can't stand you." I then stormed out of the room, thinking to myself as I did, Welcome to your new home.

Melancholy Dreams Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Epilogue

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