The Secret

The sounds of footsteps were the only thing heard in the hallways.

Twelve years old, Melody Noble, was on a mission. A mission to sneak into her parent's rooms while they were out on a date.

She has never been allowed to go inside their room before, not even as a child. She would get nightmares but was a force to stay in her bed. She uses to run to her parents, but her father always stops her from even peeking in the room.

She would not have minded if it wasn't for her older sister, Jade, being allowed in there. Her older sister was allowed inside the room even to grab something for their parents. Since she been back from her boarding school, it got worse. She was now allowed to go inside and have a private conversation with them, something she wishes to do.

No longer would that be the case even if nobody else knows. Her sister is supposed to be out all day with her friends, making everything easier.

She stops walking as she stood in front of her parent's bedroom. Melody took a deep breath in and out as she stares at the door. She glances over her shoulder for any of the housemaids. Seeing none, she places her hand on the doorknob.

As she slowly turns the knob, voices came from downstairs.

"Welcome back home Lady Jade," A chorus of Maids and Butlers said.

Melody's eyes widened in panic at hearing that. Her sister was back home early.

Not wasting another minute, Melody opens her parent's room as footsteps were coming up the stairs. She closes the door as quickly and quietly as she could. She leans on the door and presses her ear against it.

"Melody, I'm back home. I brought back some snacks that you might like for one of the local stores," Jade said.

Sound of a door opening, most likely Melody room, was heard followed by Jade Voice.

"Huh? She not in here," Jade said as the sound of a door closed.

"Nancy, where is Melody? She not in here room like usual," Jade voiced faded as the sound of footsteps went downstairs.

Melody let out a deep breath once she realizes the coast was clear. Taking her ear off the door, she glances around the room.

She expected it to be something like a spy room or magical, but it wasn't anything like that. It was an ordinary bedroom from the floor to the ceiling. 

A large bed is neatly-made in the middle of the room. Expensive-looking navy blue and gold furniture filled the room. But what caught Melody's eye was the vanity desk and mirror in the corner of the room.

Out of everything in the room, it stood out the most. It was the only furniture that was worn-out and dull.

Melody walk towards it, being cautious not to touch nothing important. She sat down in the seat in front of it. She moves her dark hands lightly over the desk. Melody hands pause at the first drawer.

She pulled it open, and she saw a picture.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" She whispers to herself as she picks it up.

A moment of went by at her staring at the photo before she drops it to the ground. A shock and horrified expression on her face. Her hands begin to shake as she continues to stares at the photo.

"Oh my god." She whispers out.

In the photo, her parents were smiling at each other while holding swords. Blood was splatter across their faces and clothing. Behind them lay the bodies of what looks to be mermaids. Her mother was holding a newborn in one of her free arms. 

Words in her mother's handwritten were under the photo.

'After killing my first clan of mermaids, I find one of the women newborns. I decided to keep her and name her Melody against Richard's wishes. She would be a living trophy of my first hunt.'

Melody could not believe what she saw and read. Her parents were not only murders but not even her real parents. Her entire life has been a lie, yet explains so much in her life.

Melody could not believe what she saw and read. Her parents were not only murders but not even her real parents. Her entire life has been a lie, yet explains so much in her life.

The reason why her parents were strict in raising her compared to Jade. The reason why she was never allowed to leave the house. The reason she had to be home-school, unlike her sister. The reason she had a darker complexion compares to the rest of the family. It explains why her father was always so mean to her. It explains why her sister was put on a higher pedestal than she wasm despite her mother stating otherwise.

She reaches down and picks the picture back up. She started to place it back in the drawer when she heard her parent's voices. It sounds as if they were coming up the stairs.

"How could Nancy or any other workers lose her? How hard was it to make sure one girl stay in her room?" She heard her father asked.

Too hard for those mindless idiots. I told you that we should have hired somebody guards instead." Her mother replied.

"Bananas," Melody said in shock.

Her parents were walking towards their bedroom.

She looks around for a place to hide but saw none. The closet was too far across the room for her to make it in time. Not seeing any other options, she dives under the bed as the door opens.

Her dark eyes follow the pink heels of her mother and the black shoes of her father.

Her mother sat down at the vanity desk Melody was at before. Her father's feet begin to walk towards their closet.

"If you listen to me long ago, we should have finished her with the rest of her family when we had the chance." Her father said.

"How dare you say that about her! She is our daughter." Her mother said.

Her father snorted loudly. The sound of a hand hitting the wall follow afterward. Melody watch as he kicks the closet in front of him.

"For the last time, she is not our daughter. She is a trophy that you and Jade got attach too.," He yelled at her mother, "She not even a good trophy at that. She has no mermaid power, not even the ability to breathe underwater. If I had my way, she would have been dead the moment I saw here."

Melody's hands flew to her mouth to stop the gasp that was trying to come out.

"Don't you ever get tired of saying that? Hurry and grab our things so we can look outside for her." Her mother said.

Her father made a huffing noise. The closet door was thrown open as Melody holds in another gasp. 

From her view, she could see the bottom layer of the closet. Instead of shoes and clothes that might have felled, she saw the bottom end of weapons. As she slid over a little more, Melody saw the closet had only weapons in it.

Melody saw the two swords from the picture get taken out of the closet. Although she could not see it, she heard her father take more weapons.

"If I find her first, I won't hesitate to kill her." He said as he closes the door.

A dry laugh came from her mother. A hand clench around the bottom of her chair.

"If you even think about doing-" Her mother stop talking.

The sound of the drawer slamming shut echo in the room. The room became silent. Her mother stood up from the vanity. She walks over to Melody's father, her heels clicking with each step.

"Did you go into my drawer and took my photo?" Her mother hissed out.

"No." He replied.

"Don't lie to me, Richard." Her mother shrilled at him.

"Did you go into my drawer and took my photo?" Her mother hissed out.

"No." He replied.

"Don't lie to me, Richard." Her mother shrilled at him.

"Both of us know if I took it, then I would have to burn it right in front of you, Melissa.", He replied, "Now stop poking me with your fingers."

"Somebody took my photo out of the drawer. Once I find out who did it, I might lose it." She said.

"Hopefully, Melody took it then." Her father said.

Their room was silent before her mother broke it.

"Let's go look for her Richard before I take my anger out on you. I need to find her before I ask the maids who clean the room today." Her mothers said before walking out of the room.

Her father soon follows after her, slamming the door behind him.

Melody waited a few minutes before climbing out from under the bed. The photo was clench tightly in her hands.

"What the heck? What am I going to do? I am freaking mermaid", She mumbles.

Melody was startled as she touches her face. She was crying and did not even realize it. Everything around her felt numb after hearing her parent's conversation. She wipes her face before walking out of their bedroom.

She turns around and made eye contact with Jade. She was standing across from her with a sword in her hand. Jade's eyes were wide as she glances between Melody and their parent's door.

"No freaking way," both of them said as they stare at each other.