The Story of Melpomene

The Story of Melpomene

         Once upon a time there was a beautiful young girl. She was always in the best of spirits, for she had never been given a reason not to be. She had parents who loved her and sisters who were more like best friends. She was popular at school and always received the highest marks. Both her mother and father were college Literature professors, and so they had decided to name their children after their favorite literary characters. The couple had three daughters, each three years apart. Their first daughter was named Eustacia, after the heroine in Thomas Hardy's The Return Of The Native, but they called her Stacia for short. The middle child they called Rosalind, from Shakespeare's As You Like It. And, much to the third daughter's dismay, she was called Melpomene, which she thought a terrible name and would only answer to Mel by the time she was seven. Mel was named after one of the ancient Greek Muses, the goddesses of the Arts. Mel and her family were as content as could be and the three sisters wanted for nothing. They were raised in a loving and intelligent home. Their parents were forever receiving compliments on how beautiful their daughters were, how smart they were in school, and how well they were certain to do in the world.

         Eustacia, being the eldest, was the first to venture out into the world. She went to the university on full scholarship and studied art, as she had always been a gifted painter and sculptor. Rosalind enrolled at the same university, also on scholarship, while Stacia prepared to graduate. Rosalind had decided to study music, as she had a beautiful voice and could learn nearly any instrument in only a matter of days. By the time it came for Mel to enroll, on scholarship, of course, it was Rosalind's turn to graduate. Mel had decided to study literature, just as her parents had done. She had always loved to read and had to ability to empathize with nearly every character ever put to paper.

         It was Mel's first year away from home and she felt confident, and ready to take on the world. Though Rosalind was quite busy preparing for examinations and graduation, she was still able to show Melpomene around the campus and introduce her to a few friends who would not be graduating with Rosalind and could, therefore, keep an eye on Mel after Rosalind had gone. But Mel was quite sure that she wouldn't need a babysitter after her big sister left. Mel had every confidence that she could conquer the whole world if she chose to, and yet she never appeared arrogant or conceited to anyone she met. In fact, almost every she knew agreed Mel was sure to accomplish anything she set her mind to.

         Mel's years at the university seemed to fly by in a blur of exams and essays and friends coming and going. By her third year, Mel had made the Dean's List consistently each marking term. She had already decided to become a teacher, and later a professor, just as her parents had. Mel was so obviously gifted and dedicated that she had even already had positions offered to her upon her commencement. Everything was going beautifully for Mel, as she knew it would. And perhaps best of all, she had made it three years without anyone asking what Mel was short for.

         As Christmas Break approached that third year, the campus was bustling with talk of a Winter Dance. Most of the girls in Mel's circle of friends had already picked out their dresses and shoes and were now just waiting for someone to actually ask them to the dance. Mel had been asked by several young men, but was not even sure that she was going to go. Exams were coming up right after the dance, and she was determined to keep up her work. But when a handsome young man in her Mythology class asked her to come with him to the dance, she found herself forgetting about Dean's List and thinking more about dresses. She had noticed him before in class, but had never spoken to him and did not know his name. "I'm Alec," he told her after she had already accepted his invitation. Alec, Mel thought dreamily, is the name of a character in my very favorite novel. Of course, that Alec was a villain. But not this one...

         Mel and Alec spent a great deal of time together. They studied for exams and she helped him on their Mythology homework. Mythology was the only class they shared, as Alec was going into medicine. "It just filled a vacancy in my schedule," he explained. In the weeks before the dance, Alec and Mel had become quite a well-known couple and it was rumored they were a shoo-in for King and Queen of the dance. Mel was as happy as she ever was. Her life was going exactly the way she had anticipated. Her grades continued to be outstanding and she was one of the most popular girls on campus. Her sisters were both tremendously successful in their professions and very happy, both having recently married. And on top of all that happiness, Mel had met Alec. She was living a faerie tale life. There was nothing she could ask for in the world that would make her more content.

         On the evening of the dance, Mel was getting ready and anxiously awaiting Alec's arrival. He was a little late and all the other girls on the floor had gone already. She wore a long, silky, off the shoulder, moonlight blue evening dress that resembled something Aphrodite would wear. Her golden hair was mostly pinned up, but she left a few soft tendrils down that brushed her bare shoulders. Looking in the mirror, Mel had to admit that she rather did resemble the Goddess. "I couldn't have been name Aphrodite or Athena, could I? No, I had to be named Melpomene," she said spitefully. Alec's knock at the dorm door interrupted her thoughts. She opened the door and let Alec in. He looked very handsome in his vest and tie. He complimented her several times, and presented her with a beautiful corsage. He leaned in to pin it to her dress and she felt quite breathless that he was that close, that his hands were so close... Her thoughts shifted immediately and uncontrollably to a place they had never been. Alec must have noticed because when he had pinned the corsage, he asked her if she was feeling all right. She blushed and nodded as they headed out the door for the Winter Dance.

         It was a beautiful and fun filled night and Mel was glad to be there with Alec and not studying Philosophy or Greek Tragedies. They danced the whole night, and he held her closer as the night went on. Mel thought, This is how we'll dance at our wedding... for she was deeply in love and was quite certain he loved her in return. As the end of the dance crept up, the king and queen of the dance were to be named. The class president stepped to the podium and announced, to everyone's pleasure and no one's surprise, that Alec was the King and Mel was his Queen. Everyone applauded and she was even given a sparkling tiara. It was the perfect end to a perfect night. And another chapter in Mel's perfect life.

         It was after midnight when Alec and Mel finally escaped from their friends' congratulations and back to her dorm room. Mel stood quietly in her doorway, looking into Alec's eyes. They were a beautiful shade of blue, with a hint of grey. She began to feel as though she were blushing again, and turned her face away. She thanked him for a wonderful evening and for being such a gracious king. And for the first time since she had met Alec, she leaned forward and kissed him. She kissed him softly and sweetly, her eyes closed, and thought how perfect a first kiss that was. For Mel had never kissed anyone before. And she thought that kiss to be as good as it could get. She pulled away, her eyes still closed, and felt Alec's arm around her waist. He began to dance slowly again and Mel rested her head on his shoulder. Alec moved slowly and deliberately and quietly shut the door. Mel lifted her head and opened her eyes. She stopped dancing and looked at the closed door. She turned to ask why the door was shut, but before she could utter a word, Alec grabbed her and put one hand over her mouth. He held her back against his chest and began to sway, as though he were encouraging her to dance again. She couldn't move and she couldn't scream. And she couldn't believe what was happening. She began to cry as she had never cried before. For until that very moment when Alec closed the door, Mel had never had reason to cry or to be sad. Her life was a perfect faerie tale. But, unfortunately, she had just met the Big Bad Wolf.

         The hand that wasn't covering Mel's mouth began to wander over her body. Over her chest and up to the neckline of her dress. He tore it violently, exposing her breasts, and threw her onto the bed. Her mouth was uncovered now, but she couldn't find the strength to scream for help. All she could do was cry, sob from fear and embarrassment and absolute misery. Alec was kissing her all over, seemingly unaware that Mel was the least bit upset. His hands were everywhere and she was now fully exposed, as he had cruelly shredded her dress. Mel closed her eyes and, though still sobbing, tried to convince herself this wasn't happening. Not to her. She suddenly became vaguely aware that his hands were no longer on her body. She opened her eyes to see if it was really over, and saw that Alec was now undoing his belt. She tried to think of how to escape, but something shiny on the table next to him caught her eye. She first thought it was her tiara... I was named Queen, you know... but she felt her tiara entangled in her hair. Her eyes tried to focus on the shiny object that had distracted her, when Alec picked it up. Mel saw it and knew what it was- a scalpel. She tried to scream, to tell him to stop, to make any sound at all. But suddenly there was a searing, brutal pain between her thighs and she could only gasp for air as the suffering became so intense, she nearly lost consciousness. She kept her eyes tightly closed, as she did not want to witness what was happening to her. Maybe when I open my eyes, it will all be a dream... She hurt all over, her breasts, her thighs. Even her face ached tremendously. Everywhere he touched stung and caused her to wince in agony. He forced himself inside her for what seem like an eternity. And when he was done with his lascivious assault, he left her there, naked and crying.

         When she was sure he was gone, she stumbled off the bed to the floor and scrambled quickly to the door to lock it. She leaned against the cold door and tried to make sense of what had just happened to her storybook life. Still crying and panting, she tried to cover herself with the remains of her shredded clothes. She felt something warm running down her thighs and her face, and her chest. She hoped it was only his sweat, but she was certain she knew what the scalpel had done. She looked at the bed and saw her sheets drenched in red. There was a trail of smudged blood across the floor to where she now lay. She thought, There's too much... too much just for rape... She tried to stand up but was unable. She crawled to the mirror that had hours before shown a goddess and slowly turned to face the reflection. The last thing Mel remembered was her head hitting the floor.

         She was found the next day by a girlfriend who didn't see Mel in the Mythology exam and became worried. A member of the dormitory staff unlocked the door and made the girlfriend open it, in case Mel wasn't decent. As she opened the door, she screamed and nearly fainted as she saw Mel's mutilated half-naked body lying in a tremendous pool of blood. The janitor ran to call an ambulance and Mel's friend stood shocked in the doorway, surveying the damage done to her friend. Her breasts were exposed and sliced a dozen or more times. Her hips, thighs, and pelvis were completely covered in blood. And her beautiful face was so badly damaged, it was truly difficult to tell who lay beneath to wounds.

         Mel regained consciousness, still lying down, and when she could finally focus her eyes, she stared up at a beautiful pair of blue-grey eyes. She panicked and tried to scream and escape, but he restrained her. "You're okay," he said, trying to calm her down. "I'm not gonna hurt you." These eyes were not Alec's. She hurt all over and had IVs in both arms. She settled back down onto the gurney. "You're in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. We're gonna take care of you." Someone had just given her a sedative and she began to feel drowsy. "What's your name?" he asked.

         "Mel," she replied groggily.

         "Mel. Is that short for anything?" he asked.

         She closed her eyes. "Melpomene."

         "That's a pretty name," he said. "What's it mean?"

         Mel opened her eyes and smiled faintly at him. "She was a muse. A Greek Goddess." She closed her eyes again and listened to the sirens wail. "She's the Goddess of Tragedy..."