Fifty-Three

Melody Cloud *unpolished*

Fifty-Three

     Fifty-three people. I know them all. It’s called “Cloud City” by the people native, because of the people who built it. I would not say I love to live here, despite the high standards everyone seems to place me simply because I am Melody Cloud. Little Miss Melody, they say.

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     Emmy smiled and invited me in.

 

“Take a seat, will you?” She said softly. I sat on the white frilled couch opposite here. “Why are you here, then?” Blunt. It never could be simply a friend going to see a friend.

 

“A rumor. I should think you know about it?” A thin smile stretched over Emmy’s lips at my words.

“

Yes, quite everyone has heard it. Fifteen year-old Melody cannot ride a horse!” The smile grew wider.

 

“And the granddaughter of such amazing people!” Her voice had turned malicious. “Little Melody, so useless.” A huge smile and a nasty tone of voice.

 

“I can ride a horse, and you know that very well, Emerald Bay. As I recall we learned together, yet somehow no one is skeptical of your skills.”

 

“Don’t call me Emerald Bay! Such a ridiculous name!”

 

“It’s your name! Well so be it. Then don’t call me little Miss Melody.”

 

“Fat chance, Little Miss Melody.”

 

“Stop the rumors now! I know you  started them!”

 

“ME?” Wide eye-d innocence now. “Well- I never!- wait till I tell the others about this! Accusing me, Emmy of doing such a malicious nasty thing!”

 

She grabbed her sun-hat and started out the door.

 

“Are you going to leave now? Or are you going to sit there with that stupid expression on your face?”

 

I ignored her last comment. “We were best friends, Emmy.”

She raised her eyebrows. “No. No Melody we NEVER were. Now get out of my house!”

 

“It’s my house.” I said softly.

 

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?”

 

“Nothing.” I got out as fast as possible, running down the cobblestone path.

 

     Who was the girl staring back at me? Her wide blue eyes and softly curled brown hair…she was pretty, sweet, soft-spoken. Melody Cloud is not. She’s wild, nasty, vulgar, rude and crude, with her nose up in the air. Or so everyone said. Not a single person stood against this fact, not even my family too busy working on the farm that supported the population of fifty-three. Not that they were free from the rumors either. “Manager? What do they do? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Sit there and pretend they’re kings and queens! They’re a horrid bunch, those Clouds.” And so on.

 

     But still, I thought to myself as I undid the knot of lace that tied my hat on tight, what if they’re right?

I took a step back from the mirror. Yes, it was me for sure in the mirror, yet it was not.

 

     Soft chords floated up from the piano. My mother was playing. I recognized the piece. She wrote it watching the sunrise one morning. It seemed colorful, soft, yet mourning somehow. I once asked my mother why, and she turned away quickly, though not before I saw a tear fall down her cheek.

 

“Mother?” I called. Her hands slipped of the keys. “I’m sorry, but I wanted to ask if you remembered we have a picnic today…?” I could tell by her expression was angry that I’d disturbed her.

 

“Yes, Melody, how can I forget? Now go and do your schoolwork. When I was a little girl I had top grades! Look at you! Don’t disturb me again today. I want to play in silence.”

 

“Yes Mother.” I said softly and disappeared up the stairs as the music started again.

 

     Three hours later, the music still filled the house. The picnic was in one hour. I was already ready, sunhat, dress, basket full of sandwiches.  I shut my eyes tight. I had to go to the picnic, but I could not disturb my mother playing the piano. I don’t know how long I sat there, just later the music stopped and I heard yelling.

 

“MELODY CLOUD! We’ll be late for the picnic!!! Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“You told me not to disturb you!”

 

“Are you talking back? No we are NOT going to that picnic. I see no use for it anyway. Go study!!!”

 

     Silence. I caught the tears starting to fall off my cheeks and took off my hat, and sat down again, homework  in front of me.

 

    The next day nobody even said hello. Behind my back, I heard their whispers. “Too stuck up to go to a picnic with those lower than her, hmm? We shouldn’t have even invited her. Useless, that Melody Cloud.” I turned around, and suddenly everyone was in a rush to get things out of their backpack.

 

     I took my homework out and handed it Mr. Mer, my teacher, who took it and set it in the pile without even glancing at it.

 

     “Okay, class, everyone’s here, hmm? Time to get our tests back, I suppose.” He went around the class, handing everyone last week’s tests. He came around to me, glanced under his large brown spectacles disapprovingly, and floated a torn-up piece of paper to me. I took it with my stomach sinking. Not again.

 

“Do better next time Melody, or you’ll be repeating this grade.” Snickers from around the classroom.

 

     I looked at the paper. My neatly written answers were replaced with obviously wrong onces, scribbles doodled all over it and random rips and dents in the formerly perfect page I’d handed in. I turned around. Arial May sat behind me, smiling at my reaction, her pencil twirling in her fingers. A pencil covered with teeth marks, a test page as messy as mine, but with a huge 100 on it that felt like a slap on my face.

 

“I have to go.”

 

Mr. Mer looked at me questioningly. “What? Only five more minutes of class.”

 

     “I have to go.” I felt the panic rise in my voice. “I have to go!” I grabbed my backpack and took of down the street, whoops and laughs resounding behind me, stinging my ears. Worthless, stupid, rude, stuck-up.

 

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     Years ago, the Clouds were rich. Five houses dotted their farm, and with a family of three, it was considered extravagant.

 

Nasty. Rude. Stuck-up.

 

     To avoid the talk, the Clouds invited three families to help with the farm, payment being a roof over their heads. Now the population had increased to fifteen. A city started to form, a cobblestone road, houses and stores on either side, and eventually the population grew to fifty-three.

 

     But it didn’t stop the talk.

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     I ran to the edge of the farmland, in the grove of the biggest apple trees. It was quiet here. I could actually hear myself think. I plucked an apple from the tree and held it up to the light, where it shone like a huge red ruby.

 

“Hello?” The call was soft. At first I thought it came from the City, but then I realized it was from a tree opposite me. “Who are you?” The girl hopped off the tree, her blue eyes bright, her golden hair catching the sun.

 

“Mel-“ I thought the better of it. “Amy White.” First name I could think of.  “Who are you?”

 

     Her smile seemed genuine.  “Number Twenty-Nine.” She held up her sleeve, where twenty-nine was stitched in black. “Otherwise known as Emilie Hillcrest. What number are you?”

 

     Every person in Cloud City had a number tattooed on the underside of their wrist.  I thought I knew everyone who lived in here, but clearly I was wrong. I slowly turned my wrist over where “Twenty-Eight” was written in curling numbers.

 

“Cool. You’re the same age as me. But-“She seemed puzzled now. “That’s Melody Cloud’s number.”

 

“Do you know her?” I asked cautiously.

 

“No. But I’ve seen her from afar. She’s very pretty. She seemed nice. I don’t know why everyone says that she’s nasty.”

    

“That’s funny.” I said softly, and hid my wrist again. “Well I guess you’ll find out. I’m Melody Cloud.”

 

Her glance seemed inquisitive now. “What’s it like?”

 

“What’s what like?”

 

“Being hated. By everyone. For simply being who you are. What’s that like?”

 

“I don’t really know.” It was true. I kept away from reality as much as possible.

 

“You should do it.” She grinned.

 

“Do what?” This was getting confusing.

 

“Run away. You always say you want to, yet you never do it.”

 

“Well I probably wouldn’t make it a day, so I always think the better of it.”

 

“You won’t know unless you try. I got to go. Number Twenty is calling.” She smiled and ran toward Cloud City.

 

“You can do it.” I whispered it to myself, and took off after Emilie.

 

     I took my choice items, packed them neatly in a suitcase along with some food and water. I opened the door quietly, silence apparent through the walls of the rooms.

 

“Good-bye.” I whispered. I felt a small smile on my lips forming. “Good-bye!”

 

     Out the door, down the road, out the gate.

 

I am Melody Cloud. I can do anything I want. The smile grew bigger and I set off into the world.

 

 

 

Reviews

[Archia]

That's a nice ending, I like how took control of her own life and was happy. It's actually quite an interesting place you've got here, with their only being 53 people, and their prejudiced views about the family that you would think they'd be grateful too. I like how you established the story and the setting through both dialogue and thoughts, and how it was really, only how Melody sees things, but it still seems accurate. Quite a nice story.

[Dream Hunter]

this is such a unique idea for a story! it's sort of mysterious, too, and like Archia said, the ending is great. The dialogue was so natural and flowing... you write so well, Jazz! GREAT JOB :D

[Nima M]

It captivated my attention from the very beginning. Please,please,please finish it. I can't wait to read more.

[Summer'sBreeze]

How this is an amazing story Jazz!
I love how you can create these own little worlds, such description.
I love it!!!!

[Starcaller]

Aww...sad :( but I really like the imagry and the ending. Great job over all XD

[Manpreet]

It looks nice and interesting! God work here!

[JadeForever]

i like it a lot...its a pretty good idea for a short story!!