"Oh wow, oh gosh, Melissa, here I go!", and with that, Jim Collings fell to the forest floor, dead. Melissa spoke not a word. She went through Jim's pockets and began collect the valuables he left behind. One of these items was a piece of paper folded tightly between a few dollar bills. Melissa gathered her things, and silently continued down the trail. She stopped very briefly at the top of the hill and turned. With the sun setting a purple and gold glow, and the stiff but gentle breeze blowing Melissa's long brown hair, a solitary tear rolled down her cheek. She turned her back and continued down the trail.
Melissa was anything but sensitive. If there was anything she hated, it was a knee-jerk-over-emotional person. This said, she was not sure she could bring herself to read the note from Jim's pocket. After a long mental battle, she decided to read it little by little. She opened it up. It was dated November 13, 1939, almost five years ago! It began "Where should I start?" A most unusual beginning to a letter. The next line read "The first bank we held up was only the beginning of my troubles." Why did he have to bring that up? Melissa was a very strong girl mentally, but blackmail was where almost anyone would bend to evil. She put the note away. It wasn't her fault she was wanted in almost every state south of the Mason/Dixon. What choice did she have but to run? Everyone still thinks it was she who killed the teller and Deputy. Melissa stopped by a small brook to rest. Night was falling and she could hear the sound of cicadas and bullfrogs throughout the entire forest. Despite the noise, she fell asleep quickly and soundly.
The morning found her walking down the trail towards uncharted territory. There would be no record of her crimes if she went further west. Curiosity got the best of her before long and she opened the letter once again. "We were never each other's friend. Why should we be?" A seemingly needless line, Melissa thought. "But you seemed so much stronger in your young age than I was. You didn't fall in with evil as easily as I did." That was simple enough to explain, all church-going children are morally stronger than the rest. "Running from the law was my idea, but being good was yours." Melissa did not feel like hashing through every detail of their past ten years as 'partners in crime'. She was glad they were over.
The letter continued "You made me want to do what's right, and before long, I couldn't see a day without you. I knew I could turn my life around, but I didn't." Melissa's mind wandered. As the sun shone brightly through the leaves and down on the paper in her hand, she continued to read the closing lines. "Every evil about to befall you is my fault. I don't know what to do or say; I can only apologize. I want you to know I am sorry. Good luck, J. Collings"
Melissa read it through one last time. Apologizing was the most noble thing he had done. The last tear she would ever shed for Jim Collings rolled off her face as she tore up the letter.
