Echo - Chapter 15

"Echo-"
Echo spun at the sound of her voice and was met by the long mirror behind her, she froze as her reflection stared back at her. Her reflection seemed to study her for a moment, just long enough for Echo to question if perhaps she was imagining the returning stare, but the thought vanished as the other girl smiled. Her dark lips, stained red, stretched across her face and nodded her head to one side. She wore a short white summer dress that was tinted red from the dark red sunlight that streamed through the window. After further observation, Echo saw that the dress was covered in blood and the bottom hem of it ripped.

The girl rose her hand and beckoned Echo towards her with her black painted fingernail.
Echo shook her head and turned to leave, startled from the deep traces of evil that seemed to emanate from her eyes. Just when she was preparing for the dream to end like always at this part of the recurring dream, she felt a hand slam down on her shoulder and looked in horror as she saw black fingernails digging into her skin.

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Echo's eyes flashed open and she sat upright breathing hard, once again troubled by the dream she could not escape when it came to sleep. She let her head rest on her hands as she shook it gently, willing away the stubborn thoughts.
"Bad dream?"
She turned her head and found Lucian leaning against the wall, his favorite resting position.
"What are you doing in my room?"
"I heard a noise, I thought you were in trouble. Saw you were having a bad dream and shook your shoulder to wake you, but I suppose you woke yourself."

She breathed a sight and smoothed the sheets before her out of nervous habit.
"I don't know what it means. The dream I mean. It keeps coming back, ever since I first went to visit Emmer. It starts of in my old house, the sun is red making everything kind of eerie looking. That's not the worst part though; the worst part is this mirror and the reflection. It's mine but at the same time it's not... she's not me. I know she's not! Her eyes... have got this evil set in them. She doesn't say anything except one thing... my name."

She looked down as she told him this, clenching the dark sheets in her fingers again and again.
"You know... I'm not an expert on dreams, but I'd say that you're trying to tell yourself something. Seeing as how much you hate vampires and you're vampire half, maybe it's just you trying to convince yourself you're not evil. Or maybe you're more human than you are vampire but like it or not Echo... it's half and half. You only show one half; the other half is bound to show itself one day or another."

She looked at him sharply before glancing at the clock. Too early to go to Natalie's perhaps, but not so much as to where it was unreasonable to start off her day.
Echo made her way to the kitchen where she proceeded to make coffee, hearing Lucian follow. She ignored him as she loaded the coffee machine with a fresh filter.
After she was done, she leaned her back against the counter and began the wait which would present her with her morning caffeine.

"I don't hate vampires you know..." She began and then looked up to Lucian who returned her look with a doubtful one.
"I mean, I did... for a long time. But ever since I met you and Emmer and Cedric, that's changed. It's funny how things change," she finished and was soon lost in her own thoughts of what she said.
"When I was 22, I chose to become a vampire." Lucian said interrupting her thoughts.

"Why?"
"Where I lived, it wasn't exactly the best place. Times were tough and when someone offered to turn me I thought it was the perfect choice. Strength for protection, fast healing so I'd never spend money on doctors again, and endless amounts of time that would never run out so that I could do whatever I pleased without it being a problem. I have no regrets; it gave me everything I thought it would and more. Except one thing that is... I got to see everyone I knew die, that's not something easy to go through."

He looked straight into her silver eyes as he relayed this to her and she was forced to look away. The pain in his eyes was evident and she didn't want to witness it anymore. She knew how he felt to an extent... but she couldn't say everyone she knew was dead. She couldn't imagine what it would feel like and from the look in his eyes, she knew that it went deep.

The light sound of the coffee machine rang out saving her from the fumbling for words she could not find to comfort him. She poured two cups and offered one to him, and offering she hoped would cast away the memories. He took it and smiled slightly at her small attempt and took a spot on the counter beside her.
"I'm going to my mother's friend's house today," she said quietly.
"Yes, I recall you mentioning that before. Why's that?"

"I'm hoping to get more answers; It seems as though there is a lot of catching up I need to do before I get anywhere close to understanding this all."
"Ah, well I hope you get your answers. As for me, I'll be out with Theron and his crew. I think he may know more on the situation with Emmer. I feel like he knows something, and I could be wrong but it would do much good if I wasn't."
"Well, I hope you find what you're looking for," she replied in his same tone while flashing him a smile.
He raised and eyebrow. A short laugh came through her lips and she shrugged off the counter and headed to her room.
"Be careful," Lucian said while nudging her shoulder.
"Will do."

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Echo shifted uncomfortably as she stood in the living room of Natalie's house as she waited for Natalie to return with the glass of tea she insisted on fetching for her. Ever since the incident of last time with Amy she felt edgy and more unwelcome than ever. Her shoulder relaxed as she heard shoes round the corner and smiled politely as she took the glass of tea from Natalie.
"It's so nice of you to visit; I feel like we hardly get to see you anymore."
Echo looked down at hearing the remorse in her voice but knew that distancing herself from her and them was for the best but was glad when exceptions like this came and she got the chance to see her.

"Yes, I know and I'm sorry. I just get caught up but it's good to see you too."
"So what brings you here?"
"I've some questions about... my father," she said getting straight to the point; she felt this was a topic there was no easing into. Her assumptions proved to be correct when she saw the smile waver on Natalie's face for a moment before retaining itself. The reaction was slight enough for one not to notice but if looked for could be easily spotted.

"What is it you want to know?"
"I want to know more about what he did? I get the feeling his profession has more to it than it seems."
"He did his own workings on things... you know that," she laughed. Echo watched as Natalie smoothed out her jeans; a nervous habit that she caught because she had inherited from her.
"That's not what I mean. I know that there's more. Why are you not telling me?"
"Okay," Natalie breathed in defeat before continuing, "your father's research wasn't just ordinary work. He was working on vampires; yes I knew of you and your mother and what you were."
"That's something I didn't know, but as for the topic of my father... I already knew that. If you wouldn't mind, can you please go into more detail on his work."
"I really shouldn't say; he never wanted to suck you into this kind of thing."

"I'm quite sure I can fend for myself Natalie."
"Alright... he wasn't working on the cure to vampirism. It was nothing near close to that; the note your mother left was a lie. She left it so that there was a chance you would believe it and move on with your life; she had never had any intention of hurting you. Your father... he wasn't very popular with the vampire community, but your mother loved him so she wordlessly supported him and helped him."

The more she spoke the stiller and quieter Echo became; her mouth parted in disbelief at her words.
"What was my father doing?" She finally managed after seeing that Natalie wouldn't continue the story willingly.
Natalie's gaze fell to the floor as she spoke, the silence of the room making her answer more prominent.
"He did horrible things to them Echo... at least that's what your mother told me. I'm sure there was more than she didn't speak of but what she did say was painful to hear."

"To who?!"
"The vampires Echo! They had methods of capturing them and running tests to get progress; they were relentless, I'll give them that."
"What were they trying to do? What were they trying to accomplish??"
By this point Echo's breathing had increased and she shot a look at Natalie that seemed to plead her to make the answer seem less horrible than it was.
Natalie returned her gaze and sighed while shaking her head.
"They were trying to find a way to control them. What better weapon than someone who had the talents of a vampire without turning yourself? And you want to know something? ...they found a way to... they got what they wanted."

At this Echo rose and walked a fast pace to the door, the temptation to run to it almost taking over. After exiting the house she got on her bike and rode having no destination in mind, only the need to get away from what she'd learned. After half an hour of driving she found herself in an area seemed deem able to break down in so she stopped and collapsed off the seat; her side hitting the concrete of the floor. Her shoulders shook as her breathing came in quick gasps but no tears found their way out; only the hard pounding of her heart was heard in her ears. Her head swung from side to side in an attempt to rid her brain of the words Natalie spoke.
"He did horrible things to them Echo..."
The words repeating over and over in her head as if a broken record had been played.

After a time she lifted her body from the hunched position she had been in and scanned her surroundings. It was dusk and the only thing she saw were small shops that lined the street she stopped on. A slight breeze ruffled her bangs and the smell of food filled her nose; in response her stomach growled in protest. She chose to ignore it and rose to check her phone which sat safely in her pocket. Two missed calls from Lucian. She hit the dial button and placed the phone on her ear hearing the ring.

"Where are you?"
Lucian's voice was heard faintly from the other end; he sounded worried.
Echo scanned the area once more and spotted a sign which was likely to be the name of the area and repeated it to him as best she could.
"That's an hour away! What are you doing there?"
"I don't know, Okay?"
"I'm going to be there soon."
"I've got my bike."
"Yes, but I'm still going to meet you. I heard it has a nice restaurant nearby."
She could hear the laugh in his voice as he said this.
"Alright," she agreed and hung up.
She sighed as she took a seat on the curb nearby awaiting the sight of his black Camaro.

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Comment Replies:

Mary: Thank you, I'm glad you liked. I was so worried that I might have taken too long in the uploading of the chapter. Hope you liked!

Sandy: Thank you, I'm really happy you're enjoying.

Maree: Yes, I think she does have some trust issues haha. And I'm going to try to make the next chapter more for them.

Jazz: Thank you so much, I really hope you like the chapter.