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Post by konekodemon on Jul 13, 2009 2:00:50 GMT 11
Chapter 15: Skills with Languages
Melissa and Yami Marik follows Aishizu through the marble halls, none of them are speaking. Melissa observes the internal architecture of the palace. It is really superb, specially when compared to the poor house she saw when she had first arrived in Egypt.
The walls are carved with rhythmical designs, and the ceiling is supported by columns, finely decorated with lotus flowers. The torches are already lit, and Melissa already smells food, probably being cooked to satisfy the Almighty Pharaoh's appetite. Aishizu leads Melissa and Yami Marik to a wooden door, which she unlocks and opens, and then they both enter.
Aishizu locked the door again right after Melissa and Yami Marik had entered.... It is a large room, with a big window, from which Melissa can see a beautiful Egyptian landscape, with the lights from the houses sparkling in the Darkness of an early spring night.
Aishizu motions both Melissa and Yami Marik to sit on a double sofa-like seat. Melissa is somewhat uncomfortable, sitting next to Yami Marik. Aishizu sits on a single couch. "Now,"she says,"I know you have come from far away... probably from another time."
Yami Marik looks terribly bored. Maybe even pissed... Even though Melissa knows that both Aishizu and modern time Ishizu both have the power to foretell the future, it's still amazing how she actually knew Melissa and Yami Marik were coming. Melissa then sees Yami Marik nodding his head. She wishes that she could understand what was going on though, so she asks Yami Marik,"I... would like to know.....if there's a way to understand Egyptian," she says, timidly.
Yami Marik gets annoyed by Melissa's question. She begins to move as further from him as she can. Yami Marik's lightless stare is then scaring Melissa. She has never seen such a lifeless look on his face, not since Battle Ship.... he is officially freaking Melissa out. Aishizu seems to notice the scared expression on Melissa's face. So she asks Yami Marik something, which makes him think about his answer.
He finally replies, and now Melissa's even more confused than before. They keep on their talk, and Melissa trys to keep her mind off of the Egyptian subject. Finally, after what seems an eternity to her, Aishizu stands up, and so does Yami Marik. She guides s to two doors.
Aishizu says something to Yami Marik, and he goes into one of them. Now it's only Melissa and the priestess. She smiles at her, and says to Melissa, in a perfect accent,"Please, follow me." Melissa stares wide eyed at her,'How can she possibly know my language?' Melissa thought.
Ashizu leads Melissa to her room, and introduces her to some Ancient Egyptian devices, Melissa had never thought could exist. She finally manages to get the courage to ask Ashizu,"Excuse me.... how can you know a language which has not been invented yet? I was wondering.... if you can understand me... could you teach me Egyptian?"
Ashizu smiles warmly at Melissa, and says,"Of course, but it may take some time. Until then, I suggest you do not speak, or people may notice you are not from here... Now, as I told... my.... brother..., pick some clothes, and go to dinner, in the hall. I shall introduce you to the priests."
Melissa nods, and smiles brightly. Ashizu nods too, and leaves Melissa to change. She decides to take a short bath, since she hasn't had one since she had been banished to the Shadow Realm. She then gets out and gets dressed.
Melissa then decides to go and check to see if Yami Marik is ready yet. Melissa knocks on his door. Nothing. She knocks again, and then she hears a vague,"WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS DO YOU WANT NOW!" from Yami Marik."Can I come in?" Melissa asks him. Really, Melissa isn't thinking clearly... if she were.... she would have never asked such a thing.... but, oh, well.
Yami Marik's answer is something along the lines of "d**n you!" Melissa then takes that as a positive sign. She then slowly opens the door.
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Post by konekodemon on Jul 13, 2009 2:01:05 GMT 11
Chapter 16:The Priests of Egypt
Melissa slowly opens the door, and then she suddenly realizes what she's doing. She is opening the door, which leads to a murderer's chambers, with the murderer inside.'WHAT IN THE NAME OF RA AM I THINKING?!' SHE THINKS. It must have been the scents Melissa put in the water of her bath. Yes, that HAS to be, it clouded her judgment, but now it's too late to go back, for Yami Marik has already seen her.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF AMMUT ARE DOING HERE!?" Yami Marik yells, as Melissa trys to cover herself. But to no avail, he has already seen her. Yami Marik throws a death glare at Melissa, but he doesn't move. Melissa was expecting the worst, but then she remembers that Yami Marik can't touch her. Why? Simple.
The priests are expecting BOTH of them to have dinner with them. They would not be pleased if only Yami Marik did so, and they wouldn't be pleased if they found Melissa's lifeless body in Yami Marik's room, either. And Yami Marik, of course, knows that.
So he just limits himself to saying,"Get.the.hell.away.now!" The bath has gotten Melissa in an unusual cheerful mood (*cough*sugar high*cough*), and, just to piss him off, Melissa grins and says,"No." Yami Marik stares at Melissa with an I'm-so-gonna-kill-you-when-I-have-the-opportunity face.
Melissa grins even more, and she says mockingly,"Need some help with that?" Yami Marik stares at her,"d**n you!" He says. He is trying to lace up his necklace, but he seems to need help badly."I.need.no.help!" Yami Marik replies coldly.
Melissa walks into the room. She sits on the bed, and stares at him. This is getting good. He looks so cute when he is angry! Melissa chuckles slightly to herself. Time passes, and she is getting bored of waiting,(and probably, the priests are bored too...)
Melissa then stands up and stares at him. "Don't even think about it!" Yami Marik says. Melissa smirks, and approachs him. He stares at her. (is it just me or is he staring at Melissa too much....?hahaha).
Melissa smiles at him, and laces the necklace easily. He glares at her, and gets his bracelets. While he does so, Melissa sits on the bed again. Since she arrived at the palace, she has been wanting to ask him loads of questions. How long will we be here? Will we ever go back home? WHY CANT I SPEAK EGYPTIAN? Why is it that always that I looked at Bakura, I had this odd feeling of I've-known-him-before?
Melissa finally decideed to ask him one question. The question that has been echoing in her head since she first thought about it."Marik," she asks,"What did the old lady tell you back in the Market Place?" Melissa still could remember Yami Marik's face (something like this---> ). He blushes lightly, and says."I...eh.... nothing, nothing important...err...We have to go."
Melissa chuckles. It must have been something embarrassing... at least to him.... Melissa could not get the answer, but she's sure about something: she saw him blushing. Melissa doesn't know about what... but he blushed.
Melissa nods, and gets out of the room. Melissa follows Yami Marik through the corridors and halls. Finally, Yami Marik opens a door, and they find themselves in a large room, with a long table in it. Aishizu stands up, and introduces Melissa and Yami Marik to the priests,"This is Melissa and Marik, both from the future. As I have told you before, their arrival was announced by the gods. They will be staying here, until it is wise for them to go back."
They nod, and ask Yami Marik some questions. Melissa can clearly see he's bored answering to them. Melissa then notices that most of the priests, with the exception of one who looks a lot like Seto Kaiba, are wearing shentis, which don't cover their back. She glances at Yami Marik.
He's wearing a shirt, as he has since they both arrived at Egypt. It has been very hot, but he has never uncovered his back. This is not normal... if Melissa were a man, she would wear as less clothes as possible.
When Melissa finishes eating, Aishizu introduces her to the priests,"Priest Seto, who holds the Millennium Rod, Priest Karim, who guards the Scales, Priest Shada, who keeps the Millennium Ankh, Priest Akunadin, who holds the Eye, and Mahado who keeps the Ring."
Melissa and Yami Marik shake hands with them, and all of them go and sit in a living-room like place. The priests talk among themselves, and Aishizu tells something to Priest Seto. He takes out the Millennium Rod. Yami Marik stares in interest, and it glows a gold light.
Melissa then suddenly realizes that she can understand and speak Egyptian! (note: I don't think the Rod has this power, but for the sake of the story, lets pretend it does.)
All the priests nod in approval, except Akunadin, who tells Aishizu,"They can't be here in the palace sitting around, doing nothing. His Highness won't be pleased... we should get them something to do."
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Post by konekodemon on Jul 13, 2009 2:01:31 GMT 11
Chapter 17: The Jobs
The next thing Melissa knew she's in charge of designing the pharaoh's gardens, and Yami Marik... well... he's the executioner. (lol). Aishizu explains briefly there jobs.
Melissa just has to observe the now bare gardens, sit, and plan what sorts of wild and exotic plants will suit each space.
Melissa will have plenty of free time, of course. And so will Yami Marik. His job requires just a minimum effort, since the only thing he has to do is to watch the tortures, and say when it is enough. Of course, the "Almighty" Pharaoh, sends almost no one to be tortured, partly because it's "very cruel and mean", and partly because he mindcrushes personally most of the criminals.
Melissa then has this slight impression, that Yami Marik is going to enjoy his job a lot. Priest Akunadin offers himself to show Yami Marik the underground calaboose, for tomorrow they both will begin there work.
Melissa doesn't want to go, but Ashizu tells her to do so, and after that, she suggests to Melissa to take a look at the garden she'll be working on tomorrow. "You should try looking from Marik's window... the view of the gardens is great from there. Of course, don't worry, I have already told him," she says, and smiles.
Melissa nods, and follows Akunadin and Yami Marik. They walk through a series of dark corridors, barely illuminated. The engravings on the walls are still beautiful, but a different style. This ones show war scenes, some real, dry blood stains the walls. Melissa freaks out a little. There is blood on the floor, and this one seems recent.
Melissa begins to walk faster, and almost stumbles with Yami Marik, who is some steps ahead of her. Akunadin opens a door, which leads to some steps. Melissa begins going down. Darkness surrounds her. There is no light, just a torch that priest of the Eye is holding carefully. He has told Melissa before, that if the torch fades out, there's no possible way of getting out of there.
The place is like a maze, and the Darkness is thick and sticky. The air is foul, and dirt bulks, making breathing difficult. The place is hot, but chilling at the same time. Melissa reaches the end of the steps, and Akunadin lits some torches. A sensation of imminent death claims Melissa's body, but she trys to resist. Skeletons are spread on the floor, and as she walks, Melissa steps on some, making a weird creaking sound.
Akunadin opens a door, almost rotten by the acid smell that comes from inside. Melissa doesn't want to enter, but she feels drawn to. Reluctantly, Melissa crosses the doorsill, and she finds herself in the most creeping place she has ever seen in her life. It is even more creeping than the graveyard of her city at night.
Men are chained to the walls, covered with moss and blood. There are no windows, and there's no way in which air could filtrate, so the air is vitiated. Akunadin lits some more torches. Melissa is terribly dreaded by what her eyes see. Men are skinny, all covered in blood, scars, and some of them are tied together. Some of them are dead.
Some others are about to die. Their skin is a greenish color, and it emits a nauseating smell. They are rotting. Alive. Yami Marik chuckles slightly. Akunadin smirks. But Melissa is completely shocked and disgusted. Akunadin closes the door. Melissa walks, and get to another room. She doesn't want to enter, she is sure. But Yami Marik pushes her, and Melissa falls on the floor.
The Darkness is covering everything. Akunadin has not lit any torch yet. Melissa struggles to stand up, but it seems she is not able to move... no, it's not that... someone is grabbing her... finally, light clarifies the room, and Melissa is stunned to realize, that the one grabbing her, is a prisoner, whose body is almost reduced to a bloody pulp.
Melissa screams, but nothing happens. The man is not letting go of her. He squeezes her leg, digging his rotten nails into Melissa's skin. "Please... let go," Melissa stutters, and trys to break free. But the man does not seem to hear her. Instead, he digs his nails even deeper, making some blood leak from them.
The pain is beginning to numb Melissa, and she stops struggling. Unexpectedly, Melissa feels the man's grip loosen on her, and she sighs. "Pathetic," Yami Marik says, and kicks the man off of Melissa, as she trys to stand up. But her leg really hurts, and she grabs the first thing in her way, to prevent from falling.
Of course, the first thing in Melissa's way, happens to be Yami Marik's arm. He grabs her hand, and is about to push Melissa off, when he glances at her leg, and sighs. Melissa is about to tell him something mean for pushing her off, but she shuts up when she notices his reaction. Akunadin has been staring at the whole scene, and a slight, evil smirk curves his old lips.
The rest of the tour in the calaboose is silent, and Akunadin keeps glancing at Melissa and Yami Marik. Yami Marik is too busy trying to figure out why in the d**n seven hells he has let Melissa cling in that human way to him, so he has not noticed his constant stares. But Melissa has, and she is beginning to distrust him, and his little evil smirk.
Melissa supports herself on Yami Marik's shoulder, but he seems distant, and tells her nothing. When Melissa finishes her "excursion", she goes up the stairs (with some difficulty, yes. The steps are irregular...).
Yami Marik and Melissa go to there rooms, and Akunadin says he has some business to attend to. Melissa bows politely, but she is really wandering what his true intentions are.
Melissa remembers what Ashizu told her, and she asks Yami Marik if she can see the gardens through his window. Aishizu told him this could eventually happen, so he agrees. Melissa smiles shyly, and enters the room with him. He leads Melissa to the window where she stares in awe at the beauty of the view. Yami Marik takes of his uncomfortable robe, and tosses it on the bed. Melissa is still staring at the magnificence of the gardens, so she doesn't notice this.
The window is large, so Melissa has plenty of things to look at. The gardens are lit with torches, but she has some difficulty to notice the different plants in them. Yami Marik leans on the windowsill, next to Melissa, but not too near. Melissa blushes slightly, she had never seen him shirtless. And again, this question raises in her head.
If all men here don't wear shirts/robes, why does he never uncover his upper half...? Melissa is not going to ask, of course... She turns around to stare at him. He seems to be kind of dazed, staring at the clear and starry night sky. Melissa looks at Yami Marik, and she sees something she would have never expected.
Yami Marik has a large tattoo, with Egyptian symbols Melissa can't read. Now she understands why he covers his back. If he walked among the crowd, he'd attract too much attention... (and people would find it weird that a man from the future has the Pharaoh's personal secrets engraved on his back...)
"Marik what is that tattoo on your back?" Melissa asks. Yami Marik turns around and stares at her. For a moment, there eyes meet, and Melissa feels he is only faking his evilness. But she knows he isn't.... is he?.
"I...don't want to talk about it... not now," Yami Marik answers halfheartedly. Melissa looks away, and her gaze lands on the garden. "I understand... Marik... I need to look at the gardens... would you...well... er... come... with me?" Melissa says, or rather stutters.Yami Marik stares at the nothingness and grunts.
If he agrees, he has to go for a walk with Melissa, through the gardens, at night. If he does not go with her, he runs the risk of her getting somehow hurt, kidnapped, raped, killed, etc, and he'll have the fault. Reluctantly, he sighs and nods. Melissa grins, and goes out of the window; her leg is not hurting anymore(and it's a first floor...).
Yami Marik follows her. It is really dark, and Melissa can't see nothing, so she is walking rather slowly. Melissa suddenly stops, and stare at a small bush, with beautiful delicate flowers, which seem to be lilac, though she is not sure.
Melissa is staring interested at it, when Yami Marik yells,"Are you coming or not?!" Melissa nods, and stands up. She runs a little to get to where Yami Marik is. It is really dark, and she can't see clearly where she is putting her feet. Melissa stumbles with a step she has not seen, and she about to fall to the ground, when Yami Marik catches her.
He is gripping her arms softly, and there faces are almost touching...The night is cold, and Melissa feels warm, with his bare chest almost touching her. Melissa feels protected, dazed. Slowly, shyly, she looks up, and stares into his lifeless, lavender eyes.
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Post by konekodemon on Jul 13, 2009 2:01:52 GMT 11
Chapter 18:Roses with Thorns
Melissa suddenly stops, and stares at a small bush, with beautiful delicate flowers, which seems to be lilac, though is not sure. She is staring interested at it, when Yami Marik yells,"Are you coming or not?!" Melissa nods, and stands up. She runs a little to get to where Yami Marik is. It is really dark, and she can't see clearly where she is putting her feet.
Melissa stumbles with a step she had not seen, and is about to fall to the ground, when Yami Marik catches her. He is gripping Melissa's arms softly, and there faces are almost touching...The night is cold, and Melissa felt warm, with his bare chest almost touching her. Melissa feels protected, dazed. Slowly, shyly, she looks up, and stares into his lifeless, lavender eyes. Yami Marik gazes deeply into Melissa's eyes.
The breeze blows lightly, swinging gracefully the tops of the palm trees. Yami Marik's heart is beating faster, and so is Melissa's. Yami Marik would have never thought he could feel this way, so... humanly. Having Melissa so close to him, makes him realize how pathetic, how evil he is. No one has ever told him human emotions are so complicated. If he softens now, his sheer evilness will weaken... no, he can't let Melissa be close to him.
Not in this way, not in any way. Melissa is dazed, confused, scared. Somehow, she is very happy. But his eyes are still a mystery to her. Sometimes so sad, sometimes so hateful, sometimes so lifeless. Melissa and Yami Marik stay like this for a while, gazing into each others' eyes, trying to guess what the other one is feeling.
Yami Marik closes his eyes, and sighs. He slowly takes his hands off of Melissa's arms, and she freezes. Suddenly, Yami Marik snaps out of his trance, and glares at Melissa with lifeless eyes. He pushes her, and runs away from her, leaving Melissa shocked at his sudden reaction.
A single tear falls from one of Melissa's eyes. She takes one step. One echo. One falter.
Melissa walks pausedly unsure of herself. Yami Marik has rejected her plainly, left her alone in the Darkness. Melissa rests her back against a wall, and closes her eyes. "Marik... why ...did you ...do that...?" Melissa whispers to herself.
She sighs sadly, and goes back to her room. Yami Marik got to his room a while before Melissa did. He laid on his bed and sighed. He had been about to feel human. He could not risk that to happen again. He can't risk that to happen again. He closes his eyes, and falls asleep.
~~The Next Day~~
Melissa wakes up early, and eats some fruits. She then works hardly in her task, and by the end of the afternoon Melissa is done choosing and positioning the different kinds of plants that will go in each place. She is very tired, and she still had to go to dinner. Aishizu has told Melissa, that she has something most important to tell her.
Melissa goes to the dining room, where she is supposed to meet her. She opens the doors, and find that not only Aishizu is sitting by the table, but also Yami Marik.
Melissa sighs, and greets Aishizu. She trys to pay no attention to Yami Marik, to ignore him completely. Both of them repudiate looking at eachother. Aishizu notices this, but understands it. She knows perfectly well what happened yesterday night, and she knows it is difficult for Yami Marik to realize he is not a Shadow. Not anymore. He is human, and even though he tries to appear as an evil being, he's not one.
Not anymore. The dinner is brief and silent. Aishizu perceives the uneasiness in the atmosphere, so she tells Melissa and Yami Marik rapidly that some important diplomats are coming to Egypt, so in order to commemorate the occasion, the Pharaoh has ordered the priests to organize a royal dance, to which of course Melissa and Yami Marik are invited.
Melissa nods, and excuses herself. Without even looking at Yami Marik, she runs out of the chamber, and goes to her bedroom. Melissa doesn't want to encounter Yami Marik. Not alone. She unlocks the door, and enters. The torches are already lit, and the window is already closed.
Melissa changes to her sleeping gown, and falls asleep. As soon as she left the dining room, Yami Marik asked Aishizu a few punctual questions about the dance, such as where it would be held, when, who where the diplomats, and so on. Aishizu answered, quickly, coldly, to every question.
When he had finished asking what he needed to know, he gave a reluctant,"Good night," to Aishizu, and left the room. He walked unwillingly to his room. He locked the door after he had entered, and rested his back against it. He closed his eyes, and whispered,"d**ned people... d**ned Aishizu.... d**ned Melissa!"
He took his robe off, and threw it on a chair. Unenthusiastically, he laid on the bed and closed his eyes. Darkness had claimed him before, had covered his actions, had watched his sleep. It had engulfed his "life".
But now, no Darkness surrounds him, no Shadow watches over him, no threat clouds his dreamless nights. And now, he is lost. If there is no Darkness to keep him, to take him away, where will he hide? Where will he keep his darkest secrets, those deep thoughts about an empty nothingness? Nowhere.
They will be kept inside him, rotting him, making him stay awake in the dead of the night. Those feelings that will be sealed inside him, feelings that will corrupt him, feelings that will slowly make him become what he has always feared the most.... a human.
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Post by konekodemon on Jul 13, 2009 2:02:12 GMT 11
Chapter 19:Plans for the Dance
It takes some time, since Melissa is not sure of many things, and his Highness has to be pleased when he sees them, and so have to be the diplomats. Aishizu has told Melissa they are coming from Assyria, country of tortures and war. Now, the question is, what kind of plants do Assyrians have in their region?
Melissa decides to place some palm trees in the middle. She will probably simulate an oasis and the desert, which is something both Egypt and Assyria have in common. In the desert she will make the slaves carry some sand and dirt below it.
In the oasis, green grass, and a pond, with lotus plants near the shore. Some papyrus here or there will do, too. The side gardens will probably have palm trees, and tropical plants. Flower bushes and colorful small trees, distributed evenly, will give the composition a touch of distinction.
This planning takes Melissa the whole day, and by sundown she is done with it.
~~10 Days Later (the dance will be in 3 days)~~
Melissa has finally finished planting and decorating the gardens. The priests have already checked her work, and to resume in few words their impression of her work; I'd have to say: superb, magnificent, and tactful.
Mixing Egyptian and Assyrian landscapes is a clever, not to say brilliant, idea. They have said that the Pharaoh will be charmed by the wonderful grandness of Melissa's work. In one word; they have worshipped her. Even priests Seth and Akunadin, who are usually though and almost emotionless, have shown some sort of approbation...!
(wow, that's bloody hard to believe....). On the other hand, Yami Marik has had no work all this time. Partly because nothing serious has happened, partly because the Pharaoh wants no dead people in the palace... (*cough* Assyrians love torture *cough*)...
Each time Melissa happens to come across Yami Marik, she rejects even glancing at him. And so does he. Aishizu has been really busy, she is very responsible, and she wants everything to be perfect.
Assyrians have a bad reputation about royal events. It is said that they are hard to please, and are very meticulous, always trying to find the mistakes in something which seems to be perfect.
~~The day before the Dance~~
Melissa has helped Aishizu with everything she could. This has made her relationship with her even better than what it used to be.... Right now, Melissa is very tired from moving boxes, bouquettes (sp?) of flowers, and random ornamentation around, but she has agreed with Aishizu that she'll show her some party dresses for tomorrow.
Melissa goes down the stairs, and meets Aishizu in the main hall. She leads her to a large room, where some women are sewing beautiful clothes, for the people who dwell in the palace. Aishizu shows Melissa some good-looking dresses, but she is not sure about anyone. Finally, she shows her a heavy, dark red one, with really long sleeves.
Melissa is completely satisfied with her choice, and she hopes she will not attract (too much) attention. Aishizu chooses one for herself. It's an old shade of green, and it looks great on her.
Yami Marik is not satisfied with any traditional shenti, for he does not want to walk around the dance with such an important piece of information. So he has chosen a long, sleeveless robe.
~~The next Day~~
All afternoon Melissa has been helping the priests make the last arrangements and preparations. She is now changing into her dress.
Melissa finishes putting it on, and she puts on some khol and jewelry (use your imagination....think for once in your life....). When she is done, she goes to the music room, she then needs some time alone. Melissa opens the doors, and goes into in a relaxed state.
A musician is playing what seems to be a harp-like instrument, similar to those Melissa saw in the market place, just that this one seems more... elegant. The arch is made of a golden metal (99% probable it's gold), and the cords are long, slim silver strings.
The instrument produces a soft, almost angelical sound, and it calms Melissa's soul, and frees her mind. She sits on the windowsill, and sighs. As Melissa stares through it, she thinks about what could have been if Yami Marik had not pulled away the other night.
Melissa has replayed the scene in her head thousands of times... the flower, the fall, the catch, the embrace... She knows it is better this way... and yet, Melissa would have wanted it to last.... But, she knew it is impossible. Yami Marik is... well... heh... sort of.... emotionless.... or something dangerously similar.... (second option!).
The sky is showing Melissa now its best shades of crimson and purple. Over the roofs of the houses, she can spot a weak, setting sun. Melissa would be so happy if she could be out there, in her gardens now...!She is peaceful now, but she wished she could be outdoors. And Melissa can't help feeling somewhat uneasy. The balls have never been her thing.
Melissa is not too clumsy, but when it comes to dancing. She let her thoughts wander, and she didn't even notice the music is not playing anymore, and that somebody has entered the room. Suddenly, Melissa feels a cold hand on her shoulder.
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