Outlaw Star Fan Fiction ❯ Everything is Fine ❯ Prologue

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Everything is Fine


Melfina had trouble sleeping that night. She kept on having a repetitive dream. She had never dreamt before-always slept soundly like a well-fed baby in her mother's arms. But now, in the heart of night, those horrible dreams came for the first time in her life. Dreams that foretold a tale unlike a fairytale. If ever she had a chance to see a dream like a tale of fantasy she imagined that the color would be blue-her favorite color. But these dreams were black and red. The colors of ominous phantasms. They scared her but she was too frightened to call out from her sleep, too frightened to move even to take the tiniest of breathes to calm herself. So there she laid on her small bed, tucked under thin blue sheets and lying on her side, curled into a ball. Her eyes were wide, staring and red rimmed by many tears while her arms were squeezed tightly against her chest. She dared not to move at all, not daring to attract of hungry attentions of the wondering ghosts, of the evil man who abided under her bed in the darkness. She was so terrified.
Her dreams were always the same. She was alone in a dark maze that seemed to be endless. She were a long red dress that started off to be a very lovely gown but it became torn and dirty over time because the maze was overrun by filthy vines and voracious plants that grew large sharp thorns. It cold there, her body ached terribly, and she was always running. Running away from something that frightened her. She couldn't see exactly what was chasing her but his mocking voice always followed her around every bend and down every corridor, it meet her in dark niches and chased her throughout the dark labyrinth, always making her go the wrong way. The voice that said she belong to him, that they should always be together, that their sole purpose to be alive was to be by each other's side no matter what.

Why are you running away? Why don't you come away with me? There is no reason to turn me down, right? I'm the only one who can see you like this. You know it's true, Melfina.

That voice scared her because all it spoke where lies. She knew it was all lies. It had to be. She already was were she belonged. Wasn't she?

Nothing good can ever come from staying with normal people. Come on. Come with me. We'll look out for each other.

And of course there were the roses, the deadly roses of red reeking with the foul stench of a crestfallen fate that was all hers. The roses of darkness whispered into her ears the song of her unquestionable destiny. The roses talked to her in descants, aided the voice in its chant of love. She always ran away from them, hating-loathing the very sight of them yet unable to get them from her mind. But they too followed her wherever the maze and her fright led her in the darkness. The red blossoms overran the maze and the air was thick with their deadly aria and redolence. She could not hide from them. They were everywhere.

Come along with me, Melfina. You and I belong together.

Melfina closed her weary eyes carefully and her tears rolled down her raw cheeks and slipped onto her damp pillow. Even though she was awake she could not get his voice out of her mind. She shivered from the chill that had long before settled into her bones but made no movement to cover herself with more blankets that would provide wonderful warmth. She was scared to death about her dreams, about the darkness that eat away at her heart, about the monster that followed her, that plagued her very being. Harry McDougle had gotten too close this time; Gene had let him get to close. But that wasn't his fault. He didn't know what the McDougle Brothers were plotting.
Harry, that unbelievable demon, had hurt her too. He had slapped her hard across her face, knocking her into a momentary catalepsy. It had left a beaten cheek that throbbed with pain but no one seemed to notice that mark. Only Gelium, their ship. Not Jim or Gene. Was she not important to them? No, of course she was important to them. Right? They were just to busy with the brothers and damages done to the ship to take time to check on her. That was it. That was why they didn't ask about her bruise, about her tears, about her drawn face and lowered eyes. But when she disappeared, went to that mysterious shrine later that day, did they worry about her? Did they try to find her? No. They didn't even realize she was missing. Did they even care? A darker, loner part of Melfina believed the answer was no. They only wanted her because the ship couldn't operate without her.
What am I saying, the better part of Melfina asked suddenly. These are all lies. Foolish lies because of that monster. He has gotten to me. I could never think that Jim or my dear Gene do not actually love me. They do, in there own way. It is foolish and selfish to think that they should stop everything they are doing just to ask me if I am all right.
Melfina muffled a soft sob that arose suddenly from her throat and turned and pressed her face against the damp pillow cradling her head. She squeezed her eyes shut and grind her teeth together to bear the pain lying deep in her heart. It felt so lonely lying there in her bed in the darkness, thinking that she was all alone. No matter what her mind told her, she knew in her heart that Gene didn't really care about her. If he had he, he would have hugged her or something. Tried to calm her fears, to do anything to comfort her. A hug looks like a simple thing to do. Melfina had seen many people share an embrace and always wanted one herself. The action looked so nice and warm. It didn't take much to give a hug. Was it too much to ask Gene to hug her? It did not sound hard but insolent. Was she being insolent-wanting a hug, to feel wanted, after someone tried to attack her, to take advantage of her heart and mind in such a ingenuous state?
She guessed that Gene probably thought so. When she returned to their flat after visiting the shrine, it was rather evident that she had been crying. But Gene and Jim did not see it in her face, didn't even look up to see her when she entered. Had Aisha or Sazuka been there, they would have seen her sorrow and would have comforted her in some way or another. Maybe it was a female thing. Maybe it wasn't. She didn't know. No one had ever consoled her before. Walking like the dead, she had made her way to her little room and did not come out for the rest of the evening. Still the boys did not come to see her. Not even about dinner.
Playing back the memory of the whole day in her mind, Melfina saw how insignificant she must be to them to deserve such lack of love. Reality hit like a steel dagger and she was left shocked and sad by the news. By and by Melfina broke down and wept without care. For so long she had loved Gene. Now it was all over. She knew the manifest truth. He did not love her. He never did.
Then pushing off her covers she quickly stole out of her room, making sure that her sobs were for the moment in check. The ship was near-by and a quiet place to run away from her thought s and nightmares. Maybe Gelium would even listen to her. He always had before.
She quietly passed that sleeping figure of Gene Starwind and a lonely and sad feeling soon overshadowed her heart. He slept without care or worry. He looked so warm. She wondered faintly how it might feel to sleep beside him, wrapped up in his arms. But immediately banished the thought and quickly turned and hurried away in the shadows of the flat.





He thought it was only a dream. Why in the world would someone be looming over him at this hour of night? It was absurd. Groaning from his interrupted sleep, Gene rolled onto his back on his bed-a couch more like it-and impatiently threw his thick arms over his closed eyes. He was so tired. Damn the dream that awoke him-the dream that someone was walking around like a lost shadow in the darkness so miserably while sniffling. Were they also crying to? That nagging dream that slowly eat his slumber away.
Then he realized it wasn't a dream. Someone was really walking around in the flat. Gene was slowly brought back to the shores of reality and laid very still on the couch with a pale moonlight poured about him from the large window to his left. He hardly breathed, not wishing to miss the sound of the soft footsteps in the darkness heading quickly down the stairs, towards a door to the left. The sounds were faint yet it was just audible. Who in the world would be seeing the ship now? If he was right that person was heading for the door that led straight to the bridge that led to the ship. Jim? No way. That little punk would be fast asleep no matter what. Melfina?
Now Gene was fully awake. It would make sense that she would be the one going to see Gelium-after all that had happened to her that day. But why? Why now? Why alone? Why didn't she come and see him instead? Getting up, Gene stretched and quietly made his way over the passage Melfina had just treaded upon. He could smell the salt of the tears that clung to the warm air. So she was also crying. If something was troubling her he had to find out. It hurt him to know that something could make Melfina cry. He did know why though. Maybe because she ought to be happy instead of sad. She did have the prettiest smile.


She stole quietly into the deck area of the ship and hide away in a dark corner, trembling and hugging her knees against her chest like a child. She openly wept now that she did not have anyone to wake up to become alarmed at the sound of her tears. Soon her thin form was racked by her mighty sobs and the entire deck was filled with the tragic sounds of weeping.
"Melfina?" It was Gelium's voice, now gentle and confused. "What in the world are you doing here? And at this hour?"
"I'm sorry," she murmured between sobs as she dug her nails into her shins and hid her face deeper into her lap. "I had no other place to go. I'm sorry. Can I...I stay here a bit more?"
"Melfina, I do not mind at all," the ship replied quietly. "But the others might worry about you."
"No they won't, Gelium," she told him, still crying very much. "I don't think I ever was important to them."
"If you say so. But I don't believe it. Could you tell me why you are crying alone in the darkness of the deck? I am worried about you. I-"
The door of the shadowy deck slid opened suddenly and in stepped a large dark figure hid partially in shadows. Gelium immediately stopped talking while Melfina held her breath, despite the pain in her lungs, and tried to press herself against the wall, further into the darkness of the chamber.
Did someone hear her? She was not ready to face them-whoever it was. Cowering in the dark like a stiff piece of wood, Melfina held her breath and prayed that they would leave her alone. She bit her lower lip hard in anxiety and closed her eyes so tightly until she saw color dots dance before her, before her eyelids.
Please go away, she prayed to the unknown figure. Please. I don't want you to see me this way.
Despite her plea, the figure walked further into the dark hatch. Quietly. Slowly, as if the person was afraid of treading on forbidden ground. Melfina continued to sit still, pretending to be only a deceitful shadow against the wall that would hopefully fool the caller into thinking that no one was there. It was a desperate plan however. The visitor would have to be deaf not to hear her loud sobs that dominated the air only moments before.
Melfina heard the person slowly turn around, felt his piercing eyes scan anything he saw. She did not have to open her eyes to see who had followed her. She knew that it was Gene, by the way he walked. Sleep did not make him very graceful and he smelled very strong of his mysterious cologne, like he always had before. But why was he here? Why did her follow her? What did he care if she cried? Was he worried?
"Melfina?" Gene asked. His voice was soft, filled with concern that torn at her heart.
She heard him move farther inside the room, closer to her, and she still forced herself to sit still, to delude him into thinking that she only a phantom. Yet every fiber in her being longed for her too move. Her back ached and her legs were falling asleep from staying in that position for are too long. She was also loosing feeling in her left arm. She hoped that he would leave soon so that she could stretch her taut limbs.
"Melfina?" A warn hand fell on her crossed arms and she felt someone's strong presence was kneeling before her. For a moment she allowed the comforting feeling to encircle her but all to soon Gene removed his hand and she heard his heavy sigh. She felt like sighing too out of disappointment. She didn't want him to leave her. "Melfina? What's wrong? Why are you here?"
She finally stopped playing her childish game and opened her haunted brown eyes to look up into his face, allowing him to see all the pain and sorrow that lied in those two lonesome pools of darkness. She licked her swollen lips and said in a strained voice, "Don't leave me, Gene." Her voice was begging as she looked up at him through the dense darkness of the deck. Tears started to fall once more from her pleading eyes. "I don't want you to leave me. I'm so scared."
"Melfina." She could hear Gene sincere surprise in his voice as he saw him move even closer to her on the floor of the hatch. He told her hands in both of his and held them tightly in spite of their icy feeling. "I-I heard you leave the flat. I was curious. I came to see if you were all right. Why are you crying?"
"I keep have nightmares, Gene," she told him, her voice sad and quivering with her tears. "It is so scary. I don't ever want to see him again, Gene."
"Who do you mean? Harry? Why? What happen? Did he do something to you, Mel?" Gene was frantic now to get some answers out of her. If that creep did anything to her he would...he didn't know what to do. Beat the living crap out of him sounded good to him right then.
Melfina nodded silently, averting her watery eyes. She couldn't just yet tell him the truth. She wasn't ready.
"What?! He did!!! Tell me, Mel. Did he try to touch you? Man, that bastard is so dead when I get my hands on him. Mel, why didn't you tell me earlier. I would have kicked the crap out of him!"
"I-I was scared," she confessed, looking down at her knees that laid bear before her, afraid to look at Gene, afraid that he would see the truth in her eyes.
"Scared?" he echoed softly. "Why? Mel, if he tried to do anything to you, you should have told me earlier." Gene placed his hands on her slender shoulders and looked intently down at her. "Don't try to keep it a secret, Mel. I can see something is wrong by the way you are looking. Just tell me. I'll take care of everything. Harry McDougle will never so much as think of you after I get done with him."
In a desperate attempt to make him see without words, Melfina quickly turned her head and removed her hair, which she had strategically placed there to hid the black bruise from sight. She heard his loud intake of air as he stared in surprise down upon the torturous abrasion that marked Melfina's pale cheek.
"He hit you?" he asked, indignant and suddenly very angry. "That damn bastard! Why didn't you tell me?! Damn it, Mel, I can't believe you didn't tell me. I'm gonna kill that cheap mother fu-"
She stared to cry again. Her lips trembled automatically and her eyes filled with large salty tears. Was he angry with her? She quickly hid her face in her shaky hand.
"I-I didn't want to tell you," she sobbed into her salty palms. "Because you didn't seemed to care what had happen to me-only the damage that had been done to Gelium."
Her misery-filled words stung him like fire for a moment and he was left numb. He held her lifelessly and stared down at her, his anger replaced by his shock. "I didn't seem to care? What? I do care, Melfina. I do."
She stared up at him, her eyes large and fuming with sharp accusation. "You didn't even ask me if I was okay."
"You said that you were fine," Gene told her in self-defense.
She shook her head and placed her hands over her ears so that she didn't have to listen. She was openly crying again. "I was so scared, Gene! So scared of what he might do to me. He was so frightening. He yelled at him and throw the roses at me. He was so angry. So angry that I thought he might actually beat me. He hit me and I passed out her a moment. Gene, he told me so many disgusting lies. He showed me so many horrible things. I'm so scared of him. I hate him. I'm so scared of him, of what he might do, what he is capable of doing to me. I never want to see him again. I...I...I..."
She couldn't continue. She was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath let alone speak one coherent word that Gene could possibly understand. She was shaking now, shaking with fear and her puissant sobs. Once again she was faced with her dream and this time she could not escape her fright. She could see Harry clearly in her mind now and she was filled with a sick kind of dread. She could see his fury and his promises that he would come back for her.
Suddenly she found herself surrounded by warmth, by Gene's large arms. He held her tightly against his chest and stroked her hair. The visions immediately subsided and her fear and tears became less and less wild. She bit her lower lip and tried to hold back her sobs, not sure if he wanted her to cry on his shoulder.
"Don't to do, Melfina," he whispered tenderly into her hair. "Don't try to hid your tears from me. That is the worst thing you can do. Do worry, you can cry. Tears are very washable." Had it not been for the circumstances, she would have smiled at his silly words but instead she took his generous offer to hard and continued to wept like a lost child. She cried without stop for a long time, until her heart felt empty and drained of anything. The pain was lesser now, it didn't hurt as much now that Gene had willingly allowed her to share he burden with him. But she was still trembling and a little scared. He had held her all along, wrapping his warmth around her, stroking her black hair and rocking her to and fro gently as if moved by the wind. This calmed her and soon her tears vanished all together.
"Are you all right, Melfina?" he asked after a moment. "Don't lie either."
She looked up at him slowly and replied, "Truthfully, I'm still a little scared, Gene. I'm sorry. I can't it.'
"No, I understand completely," he told her quickly. "You have a right to felt that way. But, have no fears, Mel, I'll never let them get that close again. They will be dead if they do. Don't worry I will protect you."
"Do promise, Gene?"
"Yes."
She felt a little comforted then, like everything was going to be all right very soon. Then she blushed a little and bit her lower lip, peering up at him from under dark lashes. "I was feeling a little unimportant to you guys, now I can see that I was mistaken, Gene. You care very much for me, right? Or else you would not be here right now."
"Of course I care, Mel," he said with a bright smile. "That is why am gonna shoot the brothers next time I see them. So that they won't have a chance to scare you anymore."
Melfina smiled a little at this and heard his quiet sigh. She looked up at him, her eyes curious.
"I'm sorry, Mel," he told her. "I should have looked out for you besides pushing you away."
"It's fine. Really, Gene. Just as long as it never happens again," she told him. "Please don't let it happen again, Gene. It was too much-too much for me to endure alone."
"It won't ever happen again, I swear, Melfina."
She beamed and smiled at him. "Thank you."
Just then the door slide open once more and in traveled a smaller figure enrobed in a layer of darkness. Melfina and Gene turned to look at the caller, curious and somewhat disappointed to have the interruption.
"Hey, is anyone here? I know your-Hey! Ere..." Jim suddenly covered his eyes and turned to leave. "I'm not seeing anything. I'm not seeing anything...."
"Good night, Jim," Melfina and Gene said, their voices happy and amused.
They saw his shudder before walking through the door again in his pajama. "Jeez, you two are so strange. If you say anything about this in the morning I'm gonna vomit. I'm going to bed. Good night, love birds."

The end