Third Life's A Charm
This is a plot map for my novel 'Third Life's A Charm' by Emma Hox
Chapter 1 - January
Melanie arrives in Marcus after being released from witness protection.
You don't know it is Melanie and her mother released from the program. Melanie ran away after being released because she resented her parents making her go into the program. She said she would have rather been adopted out by grandparents or something. She feels that she and her mother were never in danger, only her father.
Meet Mayor Elton Reeves while sitting in her vehicle waiting for someone to arrive in town hall and tell her a place available to live at.
Mayor Reeves description and speach idiosycrancy
Mayor makes a call to Old Man Carl Johnson and Melanie rents his place.
Description of the trailer.
Melanie gives the mayor her resume and he takes it around to all the council then shows up at the trailer to hire her.
Melanie goes grocery shopping.
Chapter 2 - February
Melanie grocery shopping in really homely clothes, glasses, sweats, baseball cap, can't really see her well.
run away shopping cart while she is putting groceries in the back, cart hits Bray's midnight blue truck as he and Jayson re walking into the walmart store. Bray kind of get's gruff telling her to watch what she is doing then as he and Jayson walk away they talk about how the girls in the area just get worse, not better and that he's going to have to head back to Seattle to find any decent women., The back of Melanie's FJ was open and Bray didn't get a very good look at the car.
Melanie rearranges office
Bray called in by the mayor to help fix the water main in old school yard. Car he doesn't recognize.
Bray remembers talk with siblings about the new girl and we get to know that the mayor is frequently taken advantage of by people because of his kind heart. We also learn that there has always been a Reeves family member in Marcus.and most have served as Mayor at one time or another., Learn a lot about Karen Reeves and the Reeves family of siblings. Learn how close all of them are and set the stage for a tight knit family who can't keep a secret.
Thigh high skirt scene. He tries to be all suave and ask her out. She has to jog his memory by telling him to go to Seattle to find a girl. Bray is absolutely shocked when he realizes the girl is Melanie. Upset at himself and tries to back pedal the conversation when the mayor arrives.
Melanie is glad she saw the real Bray before she had been tempted to go out with him, solely because of how hot he was.
Jayson calls Bray and Bray tells him how they offended Melanie and how he made things worse and how hot she really is.
Jayson calls and tells the entire family and everyone starts calling Bray., Bray calls Jayson back and gives him guff then they all agree to chat that night.
Chapter 3 - March
Night Chat where Bray tells everyone.
Melanie learns more about town and its people.
History of the town down the mountain and relocated up above. You can see the old townsite down the hill.
Melanie decides to go down to the lookout rock below and see the old townsite while the water is low.
Melanie sits on the risk and thinks about her past. We get a memory of the night she is taken away in a black van, switch vans every 50 miles or so. She is young and scared, with her mother. Put in a very large house with other people, she doesn't know anyone and there are no other kids. She is told to write a strange name over and over and to never forget it. People start calling her this name., Melanie is alerted to rustling bushes behind her.She searches the bushes and sees Bray emerge, stretch and then look at her.
Bray restless as he drives back to Marcus from Colville. His mind constantly on the pretty brunette that he wishes he hadn't offended. It had been months, he had seen her a few times, but always she avoided him.
Lake looks calm and clear, Bray stops his truck to go down to the lookout spot and sit on his favorite thinking rock. He pulls over get's out and instead of going to the trail he traipses through the brush and growth loudly., As he fights his way from the growth he makes it through and he looks to the sky, stretches and then comes face to face with Melanie sitting on HIS rock.
Bray walks over to talk with Melanie, the conversation is stilted and short and then Melanie excuses herself to leave. She doesn't want to talk to him.
Bray wishes she would stay but watches her leave.
Chapter 4 - April
US Marshal looks up Melanie because it has been 1 year since her release from the program and he want's to see her - romantically. Finds out she lives in Washington and disappointed that she is so far away. He is looking for a reason to see her, call her, etc...
Easter Family Event at the Reeves. Melanie is invited.
Melanie bring's an Apple pie. Bray loves apple pie and everyone teases him. He just wants to say how he can't wait to eat it, but instead he offends Melanie with his clumsy words.
Karen Reeves keeps sending Melanie outside with plates of meat for Bray to cook. It becomes obvious that she wants them to talk so Melanie stays outside to talk to him.
Jayson and Bray are joking around and Melanie misunderstands that Bray does not live off the parents, but rather most of the family live off of him. She learns where his house is, but does not see it., They all tease Bray about living off daddy's money and everyone get's a good laugh. Melanie feel stupid for not knowing and thinks they are laughing at her even though they clearly aren't. This shows her lack of confidence., Finally conversation mellows out and they talk about hiking and the area.
While talking a husband of one of the older twins mentions the hiking loop around kamploops island and Melanie is interested in hiking there. She decides to go once the weather is warmer.
Melanie and Bray sit next to each other at dinner and constantly misunderstand one another. The Reeves family try to make Bray look good, but it just keeps getting more and more irritating to Melanie.
Chapter 5 - End May
Melanie wishes to go hiking at Kamploops and see the beauty of it. She wraps up early at town hall and sets out on her hike.
Partway into the hike Melanie comes across a guy who asks her what time it is. She tells him and then he turns around and starts hiking with her back towards where he says his motorcycle is at the end of the island at the campground., Melanie is worried by the man, uncomfortable, etc. She stops to take a drink and encourages him to continue. He waits, she then says go ahead without he because she is turning around to go home. He attacks her and tries to rape her.
Bray is restless working on his computer and feels the urge to go hiking at Kamploops. He grabs his pack and sets out.
Bray see's Melanie's FJ and knows she is there, In hopes to get to hike with her he walks fast. He sees a fight ahead of him and runs to them., Bray attacks Roger and takes him down, knocking him out. Want's to help Melanie but he must get Roger tied up. Checks Melanie, she is unconscious but breathing. He grabs cell and wave's around until he get's 1 bar of reception. he calls 911. Bray stays with Melanie.
Melanie starts to come too, she is fighting and screaming. Bray calms her, but she looks at him with a hollow look. He is very afraid for her. They hear ambulances and police coming.
Melanie is taken to the hospital, Roger arrested. Mayor shows up from hearing the event on the police scanner and Bray and the Mayor follow the ambulance to the hospital., Bray admits to the mayor what everyone knows that he loves Melanie and that he is very afraid for her.
Melanie is admitted to the hospital. She is bruised, beaten, scraped and very distressed. She keeps mumbling about whether it was a coincidence or if he knows her. She makes sense to no one.
They ask if she has someone to call but she says there is no one. Karen goes to the hospital to stay with her, while the Mayor goes with Bray to make statements and go home to get cleaned up., Melanie in hospital for 2 days and released to Karen and Elton Reeves care.
Police reports from Bray and Melanie with a report that the man who escaped from jail has been recovered. Young US Marshal has Melanie's name flagged in the system to notify him if anything every come up about her.
He panics about her and starts calling around.
Chapter 6 - End May
US Marshals call the hospital who tell them to call the Mayor.
US Marshals call the mayor to inquire about Melanie but he is not there. Bray answered the phone and talks to them instead. Learns there is something in her past that she has not told anyone but is not able to get many details from them., The US Marshal slips twice and calls Melanie by her witness protection name, Paige Nielsen. Says he is coming to Washington and should be there in two days., Bray starts to research Melanie/Paige.
Melanie released to care of Reeves, she goes to their home with them.
Bray is over visiting, mostly in the kitchen talking with his mom, Karen, when a large SUV pulls into the drive. Young US Marshal get's out and comes to the door. Karen answers and let's him in to speak to Melanie., Melanie hears his voice and comes running from the other room crying. She lunges at him and hugs him. He wraps his arms around her, shocked but happy and tries to console her., Bray watches upset and heartbroken., They get to talk and Melanie asks him if Roger Hudson is part of her past or whether this was a coincidence. He explains that as far as he can tell it is just a conicidence., Melanie is relieved. She has not feelings for the young US Marshal, she simply was distressed wondering if ti was related to her past and whether she would have to go back into witness protection.
Mayor get's home and the Reeves join Melanie and the US Marshal in conversation. The US Marshal can tell that Bray adores Melanie and tries to make him more jealous by having Melanie sit by him on the couch and draping his arm behind her as if they are an item.
Bray watches from the window. He can tell the US Marshal likes Melanie a lot. He cannot tell what is said but sees the guy kiss Melanies cheek before he gets in the car and drives away.
Bray's heart is broken when Melanie turns around and locks eyes with him through the window.
Bray is getting more and more upset. The mayor and Karen offer the US Marshal a place to stay. he says he is staying in Colville and get's ready to leave. Melanie walks him out while Bray watches from the window.
Melanie walks the US Marshal to his SUV. He speaks with her while leaning against the SUV for a few minutes. Then he asks if he can see her again, mumbling that it's been over a year since she was off the program., Melanie is distressed that he would be so thoughtless about her present situation only thinking about himself. He says that is why he came, using the providence of her attack as a chance to get in contact with her again. Melanie get's mad at him and tells him never to speak to or contact her again. He tries to apologize, but Melanie just crosses her arms over her chest. he leans in and kisses her cheek. She says nothing and feels nothing. He gets in his car to drive away. Melanie stands there watching him. She then turns around and and sees Bray watching her from the window.
Chapter 7 - June
Police start calling Melanie to tell her that she is going to have to testify at the trial of Roger Hudson. It has been a week since she went to the Reeves's and she has seen Bray every day. She is so grateful that he saved her, but he seems to be staying away from her. She starts to like him, but is worried that he cannot like her now that this has happened. Bray is just trying to give her time and space to heal.
All of the Reeves family are out. Melanie packs her things and puts them in her FJ. When Karen returns home Melanie tells her she is going to her house. Karen is worried but does not stop her. from returning to her little trailer out at Old Man Carl Johnsons place.
Melanie get's to the trailer and quickly packs as much of her belongings as she can into the car. She takes all of her clothes and just shoves them into the car. She grabs as much of her bedding, bathroom products and kitchenwares as she can in one hours time. She see's old man Johnson get home and rather than continue to load she tells him that she is leaving right away but that she will be back in a week for the rest of her things., Carl Johnson knows she is running and that she will not be back. he can tell because she won't look him in the eyes when she is talking to him. As Melanie drives away he goes into the house and calls the Mayor.
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Prologue
Judge's gavel declaring man guilty on 13 accounts of murder and one account of attempted murder.
Melanie and her mother leave the courthouse with the new, young US Marshal that has been assigned to their case only one year. He pays closer attention because he likes Melanie.
Melanie has been in witness protection since childhood because of what her father saw/did. She resents it and wishes she were not involved.
The man is put away and her father is long ago dead. She wants to be removed from the program and they consent to release her and her mother. The young US Marshal being an integral part of that because he likes Melanie and could never think of seeing her while she is in the program, but once out he may be able to see her in the future.Her mother returns to her parents in Jackson Hole Wyoming. Melanie goes with her for 1 month, reunites with her grandparents and then takes off on her own.
Melanie heads to Oregon and resides there for awhile until she get s stalker boyfriend then she takes off, heading in the direction of North. The US Marshal had looked her up and told her landlord to watch out for her. Also told him to call him when she left., The young US Marshal is updated when she moves from her apartment by the landlord., Doesn't know where she is going but hopes she will hit the grid again and he can look her up soon.
