Ow.

Melody came to slowly. A sharp pain in her side and muffled noises, all around, guided her to awakening. She pushed past the pain to allow her other senses to complain, something that probably wasn't healthy. But she had awoken far too many times in shit to really panic over pain anymore.

She faintly tasted copper in her mouth and the scent of something sickly sweet was lingering in her nose. That scent was overtaken by must and what must've been a massive wet dog. As she stirred, the voices grew louder and louder, making her attention slowly catch on.

"She has no use to anyone else. And the twins have been longing for a new toy." Despite the ice cold words the voice was pleasant, as if whoever they were was discussing what to pick out from the toy store.

Melody cracked open her eyes...

And there was a cat.

Or what remained of one.

Said cat looked like it had been hit with a truck, several stitched up wounds darting across its body. Part of its chest had been removed to reveal what looked like clockwork and it staggered all the way up to the cat's face. As she stared, absently wondering where clockwork cats came into play in her nightmares, she got the faintest glimpse of the skull and then the brain slid into view as the cat cocked its head.

And then the cat giggled. "She's awake!"

Melody might've screamed. Or swore. She definitely tried to sit up and fell back almost immediately.

The voices continued on as if Melody hadn't just met a clockwork version of that cat from Pet Sementary. "Her skull might not be the best way to grace your halls, but I would be honored to slice this annoying woman's flesh off."

Annoying woman? Were they talking about her? Of course they were. When wasn't she the annoying woman?

Melody managed to sit up, pushing against the weight solid around her neck and the ache of her muscles. Her mind was still foggy and she felt strangely warm, like she did when she went down with the flu. She managed to look around.

She was sitting on the floor. Based on the remains of stained glass windows, she was in the church. Pews had been arranged in a circle, with her at the end.

The cat had lingered in front of her. With a manically gleeful giggle, it turned and scampered away to the distance. A figure sat in a chair, dressed in old-fashioned hunting clothes. Their face was covered with some weird mask but Melody had a feeling they were staring at her. Next to the hunter was a tall figure, also staring straight at her. At first, she thought he was wearing some weird black feather cloak.

He moved and the feathers ruffled. Nope, wasn't a cloak.

"You mean you'll screw with her in private and where's the fun in that?"

"Your fun usually only lasts an hour if not shorter." Melody glanced at the owner of that voice. It was a person, she could make that out. They were dressed in a fine white and blue suit. Blonde hair was pushed out of what might've been a beautiful face once. Now, however...Melody wondered if screaming at the full-on zombie would be out of place. "I promise, Mother, that I will make it last."

Oh goody.

"Yeah, yeah, golden child, keep promising that. One look at that face and she'll bend over dead." And there he was. The asshole. Currently not looking at her. As such, Melody's fingers pressed against-

Not her throat. Not her scarf.

A thick metal collar.

What the fuck.

As Asshole (he was officially dubbed that in her mind, now and forever) talked, something about a show, Melody was panicking. She traced the collar with her fingers, hoping to whatever sick shit ran the show that was her life there was a latch, a keyhole, something!

There was nothing. Not even a chain, which was good.

Immediately, she started trying to pull at it. It was useless, she knew that, but damn if she didn't try. The argument around her grew louder and louder, blocking her desperate struggles against the collar. Ivy was making unhappy noises in the back of her head as Melody's panic grew.

"SILENCE!"

The immediate flash of intense, seething, hatred, nearly knocked Melody right the back out. Ivy was furious, it seemed. But whoever had yelled had stopped the fight. Melody looked up and gave a start.

She hadn't noticed the last figure.

Honestly, she wasn't sure why. The woman was hard to miss.

Long, golden hair flowed down her back. She was dressed in what looked like a nun's habit, the colors reversed, leaving her in pure white. Golden jewelry wrapped around her neck and down her arms, looking like double helixes. She stared down at Melody.

Ah. So, based on the logical way to consider, this was Mother.

A hand, a glittering gold ring firm on her ring finger, raised and beckoned. "Perhaps, Doctor, you are more useful than you seem." Melody stared, unsure of how to react.

A snarl behind her made her jump.

A werewolf had been lurking behind her, snarling at her lack of response. Melody scooted back, feeling her heart race. It was eyeing her neck as if deciding which spot was best to bite though. At least the-

Could werewolves bite though metal?

Before Melody could consider that, her thoughts bordering on hysteria, a low growl rolled through the church.

Then a hand was grabbing the hood of her jacket and yanking her up and practically off her feet. Sirens went off and even in the odd haze her head was in, she didn't need to guess who was there. The moment she was sure she was steady on her feet, Melody launched forward. There was a door, there had to be a door-

"Nope."

And Melody was skidding back as the collar yanked her back, right back into a chest. Ah, right. That probably explained the lack of chain. Why would you need one when weird magnet powers could keep your prisoner in place?

She craned her head back and Asshole smirked down at her-

Was that her scarf?

Melody mentally slapped herself, trying to snap her out of whatever haze she was in. She pushed away and he allowed it. Instead, he glared...

At the werewolf?

It whimpered when it realized, bowing its head. Which was understandable. Melody wanted to do that now. But why was he angry? Why was it in trouble?

The collar dug into the bite mark and she bit back a hiss. Weird, it should have healed-

"Doctor." Mother's voice said, breaking through her consideration.

The woman seemed unbothered by the scene. Her hand was still raised, waiting for her. A shove on her back pushed Melody forward. The man looked away when she glanced back. The zombie was glancing between them with an odd, unpleasant smirk on their face. Melody swallowed and turned her eyes to the goddess waiting.

The church was silent as she walked up to the altar.

"I need your help," Mother said when she had reached her side. Melody cocked her head, unsure of what she meant, before the ground underneath them rippled.

Her stomach twisted as Ivy made an angry noise.

But then her eyes went wide as something rose.

There, tucked inside what looked like a tree branch, was a small baby. Her little face was scrunched up as if she was having a nightmare but her pink onesie, the same one Melody had dressed her in before she left for the store, was spotless.

"Cecily!"

She lunged forward, snatching the baby out of the makeshift cradle. The moment Melody held her close, Cecily's eyes opened. She wanted to sob at the sight of Summer's eyes, the original's now glazed over with death. A happy coo escaped the baby as she reached up, batting against her aunt's face. Melody chuckled, rubbing that little hand.

"You're okay. I gotcha, everything is going to be fine-"

A dagger buried itself in Cecily's chest.

The world froze.

Mother smiled pleasantly, as if she had only helped Melody up instead of tearing her heart in half. The dagger pulled out with a wet sound. Cecily's face was frozen in shock, staring up at her aunt. Melody stared, unsure of what she had just witnessed.

Somewhere, someone was screaming.

Slowly, Cecily began to melt, her small face overtaken by what appeared to be dark liquid. Under them, waiting, four small bottles caught each trickle. Eventually, the bottles were full and Melody's hands were empty. There wasn't even a stain.

The church was silent.