#thehoststarter

[melaniestryd]

       "Why are you lookin' at me like that?"

[melaniestryd]

       "What are you doing with that?"

[melaniestryd]

         Two lanterns dimly lit the game room. Every few seconds a loud thump could be heard as Melanie kicked the soccer ball at the wall. Jared was still on the raid, Jamie was with his friends and Wanda with Ian, so Mel was on her own. She wasn't lonely, not really. She just preferred the company of other people to being by herself.

         She counted fifty-three kicks when she heard the scuffing of someone's shoes. Turning around quickly, her smile slipped when she realized who it was. "Oh. It's you," Mel mumbled, picking the ball up as it rebounded back to her, as if Arianna would snatch it. She hadn't seen the blonde girl since their fight a few weeks ago. "What do you want, Arianna? Here to insult my friend again?"

[melaniestryd]

         Mel was up to her knees in wheat, and as Jeb would say, earning her keep in the caves. She felt like she was sweating everywhere. Even when it was approaching winter it was still humid and hot. Someone started to work near her and her lips twitched into a half smile.

[melaniestryd]

After her run-in with Lucy, Mel couldn't relax enough to sleep. How could she shut her eyes when a psycho maniac with split personality disorder lived in the caves? She couldn't stop herself from checking up on Jamie once every hour. When the dimmest of light started to creep through the cracks in the cave ceiling, Mel left her room to go find Jeb. Hopefully he'd be awake by now.

She was on her way to her uncle's room when she spotted a man in one of the hallways. She was yet to meet the guy but she'd heard enough descriptions of Brody to know that it was him.

She huffed angrily and stormed past him, hoping to get to Jeb before anyone could stop her.

[melaniestryd]

       ❝What is that noise? It's four in the morning!❞

[mavis-butler]

Pillsbury sugar cookies. I miss them.

[mavis-butler]

Ouch!

My leg....