Melina reappeared in the apartment and sat down to finish her now-tepid supper with a sigh. “I’m sorry I lost my temper,” she said aloud. “Help me not to do it again.” A silver arrow thunked into the tabletop, sloshing the stew in her bowl. The message read, “Follow him tomorrow after work. He will choose the wrong path.”
Melina groaned and almost face planted into her stew. “Really?” she griped. “I don’t like him, and he doesn’t like me. He put a knife to my throat, for goodness’ sake! Why would he listen to me?”
Another arrow thunked into the table, barely missing her bowl. “Does he need to listen to you?”
Melina sighed. Of course He had the answer before she could even get started. “Fiiiiiiiiine,” she groused, and added under her breath, “I hope tomorrow loses itself in a pit.” She didn’t even have time to breathe before another arrow whistled through the window. “I get it!” she yelled, “I just don’t like it!”
Silence. With a frustrated sigh, she checked the message. Do everything without complaining… it read. Melina dropped her head onto the table with a groan, fighting angry tears.
---
The next day dawned bright and cheerful, the sunbeams tickling the birds into warbling song. Melina opened her eyes and looked out the window. The sky was a powdery blue, laced with ethereal wisps of white mist. The air was fresh and cool up above the city haze, and Melina stuck her head out the window to inhale the breeze.
“What a beautiful morning,” she sighed blissfully. Suddenly she remembered the hostile boy of the day before, and the peace of the morning fled. Determined not to start another argument with Misham, Melina gritted her teeth and opened her Bible where she had left off yesterday...and ran smack dab into the verse Misham had challenged her with:
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. (Phil 2:14-16)
“Can’t you ever leave me alone?” she muttered. An arrow thunked into her bed’s headboard. “Of course not.”
Check Hebrews 12:15, the message read. Melina obediently flipped to Hebrews and found it read See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled…
“Okay,” Melina gulped, “I get Your point.” She hung her head. “I’m sorry for being bitter and complaining, Misham. Please forgive me and set me free.” Peace washed through Melina’s soul, and she looked out the window once more, ready to face the day.
After a quick breakfast of oatmeal, raisins, and milk, Melina shrugged into some loose black clothes (to wear under her costume) and teleported to work.
“Ah! You’re here now, Melina, and just in time!” Torine, one of Melina’s fellow actresses, exclaimed. “I was beginning to worry that you’d never come! Anyway, we have to get into costume now - soon it’ll be filming time!”
Melina smiled gently, despite her lingering frustration. “Of course it is. How’s the new part coming along? Have you gotten into Siel yet?” Siel was Torine’s newest part, since Kathy had suddenly been called to her father’s funeral. It was an especially bad time, since the final deadline was fast approaching. Hopefully, they could still pull the movie off.
Torine blushed. “Oh, no, not really. I still have a hard time getting her accent right.” She slipped into a perfect imitation of the foreign accent that Siel was supposed to have as they walked to the dressing rooms. “Sometimes I still tend to slip up in my head, you see. Hopefully another night of practice will make perfect.”
“I think you’ve got it just fine, Torine,” Melina replied, “I couldn’t tell which was your real accent there!” Torine always tended to underplay her talent for accents.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Torine replied, “You’re just buttering me up for the acting. I hate acting the lead part.” She shuddered in mock horror, but spoke with real dread. “I wish you could have the lead,” she sighed wistfully, “You never seem to get it.”
“I don’t really mind,” Melina answered, “It’ll come one of these days.”
“Torine! Melina! GET OVER HERE!” the director bellowed. “Time to film!”
Inwardly, Melina groaned. Cristor was nice, as long as he liked the assigned movie and wasn’t pressured for a deadline. Unfortunately, neither applied at the moment.
Their current movie was a sappy story about a foreign slave girl named Siel, who fell in love with a prince from afar. When she sneaked into the palace to meet him, it was love at first sight for both of them. Then the prince and Siel eloped together and lived happily ever after, end of story.
Privately, Melina wondered why they had ever taken up the movie in the first place. It was so obvious that you could see the plot twists a mile away in a thick fog. Why would anyone watch it? But they had taken up the movie, so she must play her assigned part - the friend who advised Siel to run away with the prince and live happily ever after. Yay, Melina thought sarcastically.
The costumes weren’t that bad, but they were a bit thin, which didn’t help in the air-conditioned set. Since the movie was set in a desert, however, the clothes were long and flowing. “Melina!” Cristor barked, “Get on set! Act four, scene 1! Action!”
---
After a solid three hours of acting, Melina was ready for lunch. As she headed out of the lobby to try a nearby fast food stall, she saw a silver arrow nestled in the thick red carpet. After quickly glancing around to see if anyone would notice, she quickly walked up to the arrow and read the message.
You’ll find Nieth two streets to the left. Go now and go quickly. Melina sucked in her breath, then let it out with a long sigh. “There goes my lunch break. This better not be long.” Stifling her disappointment, she stuffed the rag in her pocket and trotted through the glass sliding doors.
The sounds and smells of the crowded city hit Melina like a blow, at once draining and invigorating her. The city was so active, so busy, so lively, yet so...lonely. Everyone was so caught up in their own whirlwind that they missed the sickly breezes on the edges.
But now was not the time to ponder; she had a job to do. Melina gave herself an inward shake and checked her watch. She had half an hour to find Nieth and do whatever she had to do - and eat lunch as well. Stifling an inward groan, Melina turned left and began to walk with a speedy stride that ate up the sidewalk.
A truck came screeching round the corner, barely making the red light as it careened around the corner, leaving a cloud of pungent fumes in its wake. Melina covered her face and coughed. Why can’t that driver look where he’s going?! she thought angrily.
A silver tinkle caught Melina’s attention, and she glanced up to realize there was a silver arrow balanced on the traffic light. “How am I supposed to get that?” she grumbled, then suddenly a flash of understanding fell on her. She followed the arrow’s direction with her eyes straight to a narrow alley squeezed around the back of two buildings. Of course he would be there, she thought.
Cautiously, she padded up to the opening and looked inside. It wasn’t terrible, as alleys went - there wasn’t any refuse or abandoned elders lying groaning in the streets - but it had a lot of trash. Apparently, trash here was swept into the alley rather than under the rug.
Nieth was slouching there, apparently waiting for someone. Probably not her. There was another silver tinkle, and an arrow suddenly appeared in her pocket. Watch and wait, it read. Melina stuffed it into her pocket, and it immediately disappeared with a faint tinkle. Not talking to the strange, hostile boy? That was fine by her.
She quickly changed her mind when she saw who he was waiting for. A large man seemed to emerge out of the very shadows, and the sickly sweet odor of death wafted all the way to where Melina was standing. She gagged and covered her mouth with her jacket.
The man looked plump and powerful, but also carried a dangerous air about him. Melina knew that if she could see his face from here, she would see beady black predatory eyes staring back at her. She shuddered in disgust.
Nieth straightened and slapped his own arm in some sort of greeting. The black man nodded in turn and asked something too quiet for Melina to hear. Nieth growled a reply, equally quiet. Melina growled under her breath. What’s the point of watching when I can’t hear what they say? she thought.
She edged around the corner, hoping to get a better view, but froze when she saw a silver arrow glinting in the wall. The message rag was unrolled and its words were as sharp as the slashes they were written in: Stay put. With a growling mutter, Melina acquiesced and stayed put.
Nieth and the dark man were talking more loudly now, Nieth’s voice rising in anger. “I said I was ready!”
The man murmured something, and Nieth glowered back. “Fine,” he bit, “I’ll do your initiation tonight. But it’d better be final. I’ve done enough already. Make good on your promises.”
The man gave Nieth an oily smile and palmed a bag of...something into Nieth’s hand. Then he muttered an incantation and vanished into the darkness. Nieth spat in the general direction where the man had left, then opened the bag. He took out something like a black marble and eyed it, holding it up to the light. The marble glinted darkly, then emitted a sharp scream.
Nieth dropped the marble in surprise and kicked it hard, sending it skittering past Melina into the street. Melina put her hands over her ears and whipped around the corner. The marble’s screech rang in her ears.
Suddenly there was a knife at her throat as Nieth dragged Melina into the alley’s shadows. “So, you have been spying on me!” he accused.
Melina stared back at him defiantly. “Actually, I haven’t. This-” she broke off in a gasp when Nieth dug the tip into her throat, drawing blood.
“Try again,” he ground, his anger practically making the air shimmer around him, “Since I caught you spying just now. How’s that for your Misham, eh?”
Melina glowered straight back at Nieth. “I was going to say that this was the first time!” she hissed through gritted teeth.
Nieth barked a laugh. “Really? You expect me to believe that?” he asked.
All the bitter frustration Melina had been trying to hide burst out, and she kicked Nieth as hard as she could and jerked free of his hold. Nieth gasped and clutched his stomach, clearly shocked. Melina pushed him over, then stood over the startled boy and kicked his knife away.
“You can believe what you like,” she fumed, “But it doesn’t change the truth. Do you think I want to follow you around all day? I have a life too, you know! But even if I did follow you, I’d definitely not be foolish enough to be seen!”
Melina stepped away from Nieth and punched the wall, stifling an angry yelp. She whirled back around to glare at Nieth. “That’s what all this dark business is going to do for you!”
Nieth grimaced. “Says the spy.”
“I’m not a spy!” Melina yelled. “Now stop dabbling with things that aren’t good for you and leave whatever initiation thing you are going to do before it kills you!”
Nieth simmered. “What would you know about that?” he spat.
“Fine!” Melina shouted, throwing up her hands. “Believe what you like! Go ruin your life in bondage! Don’t listen to me! I’m done with you!” And with that, she turned and stalked out of the alley.
“I was wishing you’d say that,” Nieth shot back as Melina rounded the corner. No reply. He growled muttered curses and threats as he retrieved his knife. Warily, he grabbed the dropped bag of marbles and carefully drew its drawstring shut.
No comments:
Post a Comment