Colorless ON HOLD

"Honey come down stairs please!" What's the point of giving a false sense of privacy by calling from a distance when her father unscrewed the door and removed it?

"In a minute! I'm almost done unpacking!" She calls remembering to include dialogue as to what she's doing. Last time she forgot she had to sit through another lecture of "this is for your own good. We love you, yada yada." Its not that Melanie doesn't appreciate what her parents are doing for her, she does, really...it's that she hates being a burden and would rather stick to being a lone wolf. However the privilege of being independent was taken when her dad came home early from work one day and found her laying on the floor unresponsive.

A deep gash on the troubled teenager's right wrist stains light skin red. Her inhuman immune system begins fighting against the intrusion making Melanie quiver on the cold tiled floor.

Her father had a suspicion something was wrong with his daughter but didn't question it putting it off as what girls go through. He never thought his daughter would be injured on the floor at her own will.

Retrieving a damp hand towel he wraps it around the wound and cradles his little girl in his arms sobbing. He starts rambling prayers to the moon goddess telling her how he'll pay more attention to his daughter's troubles and take care of her if she'll give his little girl the strength to carry on.

"How nice of you to join us Mel." Her mom greets cheerfully at the stove sauteeing stirfry in a pan.

"Smells good mom!" Melanie tries to smile knowing it's the response her parents want.

"Didn't you say dinner was ready?" Her father questions looking at his empty plate.

Melanie takes a seat next to her father and leans her head on his shoulder emotionally drained. "Are you okay?" He asks genuinely.

"Ya just a little tired," she frowns.

"Here we are!" Her mother's cheery voice exclaims setting the pan on a pot holder and taking a seat.

Melanie scoops a large portion of chicken and vegetables on her plate and waits politely for her parents to do the same.

"I took the liberty to find fun things to do around town. There's a flea market I want to go to tomorrow. What do you guys think?" He starts conversation biting into the delicious meal.

Sprawling on a queen size mattress she opens a story in her phone's library relaxing after the large meal she consumed. Melanie soaks the words in like a sponge and gets lost in the images that play through her head.

In the midst of reading the tired girl forget to set an alarm. Her parents shouting at her that she has twenty minutes to get ready jolts her awake. She's always been a light sleeper.

Rolling out of bed, quite literally, her feet patter to a wooden door set in the middle of her average sized room. Her fingers brush over different hangers and settle on a simple black v-line cotton shirt.

Moving to a wooden dresser with a built in mirror her fingers grab a pair of denim jeans, a black bra and mismatched socks. Looking in the mirror she uses a white brush untangling long strands of hair. Dark brown and bright orange compliment each other and cascade in waves a little past shoulder length.

Glancing at a digital clock on a nightstand alerts her to be ready in five minutes. She quickly ties a violet bandana around her head not having time to style it properly. Sliding on a grey hoodie and matching worn out nikes she heads into the hall and runs down the stairs catching herself as she trips on the second to the last step.

"Slow down hun!" Her mom scolds not too seriously.

"Sorry I'm just excited to leave the house," she offers a small smile pouring coffee in a travel mug. Melanie's been cooped inside for what seems like forever but in reality it's only been three days.

"Come on Mel your father is already in the car. If we hurry he won't be too grumpy" her mother winks taking her own travel mug coffee being essential in their family.

Offtone singing and drinking coffee helps the car ride go by. They pass a highschool that Melanie will be attending in a few days, a couple of gas stations, a few horse barns and an overly priced coffee joint that they will probably end up repetitively.

Pulling in a gravel parking lot they unbuckle their seatbelts and exit the vehicle.

"Ooh they have a donut booth" her father all but runs having skipped his daily breakfast. Food is also a key factor in their family. They digest substances a lot faster than humans.

"I'm going to look around if that's okay...I have my phone..." Melanie trails off moving her foot around nervously. With the go ahead from her mother she accepts a credit card appreciatively and walks toward a cluster of tents.

"Wow" she mutters taken in awe by how many stands fill the property. She reads a lot of signs saying what the booths entail before stopping at one labeled jewelry. Her eyes glance around at the hand made pieces taking note not to buy anything silver. After that incident her parents sat her down and explained that silver's deadly.

"We didn't think we'd be having this talk until you were a little older but our family cannot have or even touch anything silver. It will injure us and unfortunately could lead to death." Her father pauses to scratch his chin uncomfortable with the conversation.

"We aren't human..." her mother butts in. "That's why our bodies need more food because we give off more energy than a human."

"See anything you like?" A woman around her mother's age asks politely behind the counter she's been looking at for a while now.

"I really like this amethyst," Mel says fondly staring at the crystal twined with wire on a gold chain.

"That will be 30 dollars. Would you like to wear it now? Or have it boxed up?"

"Now please," Melanie almost jumps in excitement handing her the credit card.

The lady hands the necklace over with a small index card displaying the crystal's benefits: Amethyst is a calming stone providing emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness.

Melanie fidgets with the necklace for a few seconds before clasping it successfully.

The minute she leaves the booth her body falls painfully on the ground. "Ugh," she groans sitting up. Her bandana falls sending her hair out in a frizzy mess.

"Sorry!" A short boy says looking panicked. "Oh no your head is bleeding!" He squeaks.

Not responding her hand darts to her head knowing she won't be able to explain why the cut will close in a moment's time.

"It's okay-"

"Bryan! What did I say about skate boarding in a crowded place?" A taller looking boy with chesnut brown shaggy hair chastises.

"Not to do it..." Bryan frowns about to cry.

"Exactly! And what did you do-"

Melanie's groan cuts the boys' argument off.

"I'm sorry he's recently gotten this skateboard and believe or not but this isn't the first time he's ran into someone. Are you okay?"

Melanie drops her hand hoping the younger boy forgot about her cut and slowly stands already feeling better. "I guess so" she shrugs nonchalantly.

"Whoa! Your hair is super cool!" Bryan shouts staring at the colors.

Melanie flattens her hair down knowing it must be a mess now.

Her phone rings cutting the awkward silence off. "Hi mom. Yes we can meet at Curly's food stand." She nods her head and excuses herself from the two boys.