Chapter one:
Fear and Confusion
TEARS STREAMED DOWN THE GIRL’S FACE AS SHE DARTED THROUGH THE CAVERNS OF ECHO. Her hair, matted with sweat and blood, whipped around her cheeks as she ran. Although she was completely exhausted, she didn’t stop running. Never stop running, she told herself. The girl knew it was only a matter of time before she herself would fall pray to the invisible creatures hiding at every turn. It was pitch black in the fierce underground city, not a lantern or torch in sight. Her heart pounded out of her chest, picking up the pace every time she heard a thud or a movement in the darkness. That was a rare event, though. In fact, it was so quiet that the only sound in the black was the pitter-patter of the girl’s bare feet against the cobblestone. The lack of light was starting to take a toll on the girl’s sense of direction. Every couple steps she would trip and skin her knees or elbow. Not knowing if she was headed up or down, the girl continued her search for a door, a window, some way of escape. Her lungs burned and her side ached, but she knew that if she stopped even for a moment she would perish. No matter where she looked, no matter where she ran, there was not one door in sight. She was trapped in a fierce, deadly hole, Echo. It was named well, for as you grew closer to the populated areas you could hear the echoing screams of the Invisibles’ next victims. The girl was far from any populated areas by now. She had been running for hours. Not stopping once, she pushed herself.
The girl’s mind wandered back to the morning when her family was still intact. They decided to take a trip downtown to look at the Christmas lights. It was crisp cool and just plain splendid outside. Emily, for that was the girl’s name, loved downtown. She loved the huge buildings and the endless amounts of taxis. Emily’s mother only consented to the trip because her favorite bookstore was right next to the mall. The bookstore’s location was important because of the fact that Emily’s sister was absolutely shoe crazy.
“Mom, can I pleeeaaase by those new, pea toe Prada shoes I saw on t.v, this morning?” Carla, Emily’s sister whined.
“Carla…Honestly, those things cost three-hundred dollars.” No way was her mom going to spend three-hundred dollars on a pair of shoes. Emily giggled and returned to listening to her music.
“But-”
“Carla, no way; you will just have to earn the money yourself.” Carla was no hard worker and would rather wear last years Prada shoes than work for new ones.
All of a sudden, Emily remembered she wasn’t paying attention to her running. All of her sense of direction was now gone. She was lost. Her family was lost. There was no use running now…She was doomed to die in the stone walls of Echo.
“Can we go to the mall now?” Carla asked her mom locking Emily’s harm in her own.
“What… the mall? Come on…” Emily complained stomping her foot like a little girl. She wasn’t really far from a little girl. Emily was only 14 years old with long golden brown hair that curled down to her mid-back. She actually had a pretty face, much like her sister’s.
“Yes…The mall.” Carla said in a slightly demeaning voice.
“Okay girls. Be safe and stick together. I will be in the book store on the right side of the mall.”
“Bye mom!” Carla said practically dragging Emily by the arm. “We’ll be carful.” So says the cat stuck in the bag that never learned to back up.
Emily was freezing all over. There seemed to be a draft coming from somewhere, but how could that be? She was deep under the ground. She quickly jumped to her feet. She had to steady her self against the cold stone walls for fear of falling. No, not a draft, but it was something.
“Girl?” said an invisible voice in the darkness. Emily jumped from the shock. It wasn’t a draft. It
was the breathing of a woman.
“Yes?” Emily’s stammering voice echoed off the walls. “Where am I…I mean…I know I’m in Echo, but where in Echo?”
“Oh…” The women’s voice was as smooth as butter. “You are in the far East wing.”
“Who are you?” Emily was confused by the kindness of the women’s voice.
“That isn’t important…Emily.” The women knew Emily’s name. “Are you alright?”
“No…yes.” Emily didn’t want to give away her fragile state to the invisible stranger. The unknown, in Echo were the ones to fear.
“Are you lost my dear?”
“No.” Well of course she was lost, but why would she own up to it?
“Yes you are.” The women cued in the pitch black.
“Crap…We’re lost!” Carla groaned.
“No, no, no!” Emily was getting worried. After Emily and her sister visited the mall they went out to find they’re mom. Unfortunately she was no where to be found. By now they had been searching for about two hours. Where was there mother? Would they ever find her?
“No I’m not!” Emily screamed. She refused to be lost again.
“Come with me child.” Emily imagined the women standing in front of her, her hand held out for Emily to take.
“I don’t know you.” Emily shrunk back, pushing herself against the frigid stones.
“I have nothing to hide.” The women’s voice was so sweet. How could Emily not come with her?
“It is what you don’t hide I am most afraid of.”
“Fear won’t get you anywhere my darling.” I am not your darling, Emily thought to herself. The woman laughed a sparkling laugh.
“Why should I trust you?” Emily was afraid. She slowly backed up trying to get as far from the voice as she could.
“Just follow my voice.” Emily heard foot steps walking away and than they stopped. “Come…” The women urged. Emily imagined her holding out her hand once more.
Emily started to follow the voice. What did she have to lose? She was going to die down there anyway. Wasn’t she?
“Dude…we need to find mom, Emily.” Carla was shivering now. It was getting dark and cold.
“I know I know. Where did she go?” There was no way that their mother just ran off.
“Excuse me?” A man’s voice came from behind them.
“Yes?” Emily replied turning around to see him. The first thing she noticed about the man was how pale he was. He looked almost dead with his snowy face, bruise like shadows under his eyes and his purple toned lips. Still somehow he was quite handsome. His brown hair was combed back and on top of it rested a black 1940’s Fedora. He was tall and muscular. His suit was smooth and crisp, but still he looked a bit strange.
“I was just wondering…Do you girls need help?” The man’s voice was ice cold and slightly creepy.
“Yeah…We’re looking for our mom.” Carla shot out with no though at all.
“Carla!” Emily hissed, kicking her fiercely in the side. She didn’t want Carla to tell him too much.
“Here come follow me. I will take you to the visitor’s center to get you help.”
“Er…Thanks.” Emily didn’t know this strange man, but she followed him, treading behind her skipping sister.
The women kept talking about various things that Emily didn’t understand. Something about the shadow people and how they could appear invisible and such. Oh, but wait. That made sense.
“Are they here?” Emily asked the women in a stand offish voice.
“No they left a year ago. No one has scene them since.” Well goodbye to reason.
“What are you…who are you?” Emily was becoming more afraid with every step she took.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about that.”
“How do you know I am pretty?” Emily asked. How could the women possibly see in this darkness?
“I can see you.” Emily froze. What?
“What was that?” What was this woman? Who was she?
“I can see you.” Emily backed up. That was enough for her. Huge terrified tears welled up in her eyes. She turned around and started to run. Never look back Emily though. This was it. The tears finally gushed over her giant, crushed eyelashes. Running again? It was all over. She was doomed to run to death. She was ether going to die from exhaustion or run right into the arms of a dark stranger. Emily started back up, still sobbing. The tears burned her dry, scratched cheeks. Emily imagined she didn’t look pretty at all. Maybe the woman didn’t see her. Yeah that was it. Since Emily didn’t look pretty, the woman could not have seen her. Emily stopped in her stacks’.
“Please don’t do that again!” The women hissed.” Do you want to die before it is your turn?”
“No…Wait, my turn?”
“Uh…Just follow me and don’t run off this time.” What was going on? Emily clasped her hands together. Despite the cold, her hands were hot and sticky. She was so tiered. She just wanted to lie down and sleep. Everything just needed to stop. It felt like her knees where going too buckle under her.
“Where are we?” Carla asked the man nervously. The tall, well dressed gentleman stopped abruptly, turning around on his toe. A devil smile stretch across is face revealing his terrifyingly sharp teeth.
“Where are we?” Carla stammered, asking again, cold clinging to her cheeks.
“No need for questions. You will be in help’s hands soon.” Emily looked up at the back of the Man’s neck. It was stressed in the oddest way possible; the vanes were clearly visible and ridged. Was he cold too, under all that cloth?
“Stay here for a moment, girls. I just need to check on something quickly.” The Handsome stranger darted off into the night, leaving the girls cold and alone.
“I say we split. I don’t like this guy.” Emily whispered fiercely into Carla’s ear.
“No! He’s friendly enough. Plus I haven’t been to this side of town before.” Carla smiled, her perfect teeth sparkling just the smallest bit in the moonlight.
“Exactly and this part of town doesn’t seem like the kind of place that would have a service booth.”
“Er…”
“Well I’m going and you should follow.” Emily turned around and started walking. This always worked. Emily would start to leave her sister behind and then Carla would hurry and catch up with her before she got lost. This time was different, though. Carla wouldn’t move a muscle.
“Carla, get your face over here!” Emily screamed, frustrated by her sister’s defiance.
“No! I am waiting for the nice man.”
“I don’t think he’s nice, Carla.” Emily stomped her foot into the snow, angry. “He is actually kind of creepy.” Carla always liked danger. The bad boys were always the ones texting and e-mailing her.
“No he’s hot.”
“What?! He’s like… I don’t know, nine years older than you!”
“Stop screaming, Em. Your ganna wake up the neighbors.”
“Neighbors’… I don’t even think this part of town is populated by rats.” But as Emily said that, a small fizzy body scampered over her foot and down into the sewer. “Okay… maybe only rats.” Emily jumped up and ran a couple feet closer to her sister.
“Ew… Well, we’re not going to be here forever. Oh and look the man is coming back.” Emily dropped her shoulders in defeat, and ran to catch up with Carla.
“Sorry girls… I just needed to find some… I guess… Help?”
“Why are you asking a question?” Emily asked, squinting into the grayish evening.
“Was I? Well that’s a little odd. Come girls lets be on our way.” The man said dismissing the topic. Emily followed, dragging her feet in the slush on the pavement.
“Can I ask you something?” Carla chimed, picking up her pace.
“Of course,” The man stopped and turned around to face her, “what is your question?”
“How old are you?” The man laughed abruptly and than went back to walking.
“Much older than you, my dear. I can assure you that.” The man was still laughing as he spoke.
“What do you mean? Are you like twenty-five or something?”
“No, no, no… much older than that, Carla.” Carla wrinkled her nose in discussed.
“Never mind…” The man chuckled again, but kept walking.
“Is that light?” Emily’s heart seemed to jump out of her chest.
“It’s a torch, if that’s what you’re asking.” Emily sighed. At least it was some light. The women snatched up the torch and held it up to the ceiling. It was made completely out of wood; witch was a slight surprise to Emily because of all the stone.
“I can see!” Emily giggled with joy, forgetting her fear.
“Yes you can, and you are beautiful… just dirty.” Emily smiled at the women; witch wasn’t so bad looking herself.
The women’s hair was red, but was so smooth it could have been spider silk. Her skin was almost translucent, like the strange man’s from the mall, but in a way softer, fit for a woman. Her eyes were silver. They looked strange, terrifying, but gorgeous. The woman was a vision of beauty and stood about six feet tall.
“You’re gorgeous!” Emily exclaimed suddenly.
“Well thank you.” The women turned away, smiling.
“What’s your name?” With light in the room, Emily felt more comfortable, at ease; very much more at ease.
“Manura.”
“What a nice name.” It sounded like the name of a Goddess, a fairy.
“So_” Emily was cut off short when Manura started to talk.
“We’re here.” The women said quietly; so quietly that Emily could barely even hear her.
“Where is here?” Emily whispered, twisting her hands together nervously.
“Don’t speak. It is better if I do the talking.” Manura said, a figure pressed against her lips. Emily’s spine twitched, fear and the since of danger ran down her arms.
“But_”
“No… keep your mouth closed if you value your life.” Manura’s eyes were like scalding silver flames now. They seemed to wrap around Emily’s throat until the air was gone.
“Manura,” A voice traveled out of the darkness. From what Emily could see, it looked like a man was coming towards them, “is that you?” Yes it was a man but not any man.
“Yes it is me. She seems to be calm enough now.”
“All mum?” The man was now entering the light of the torch. Emily could see him. She new him! A screech escaped out of her throat. It was the man from the mall.
“I told you too keep your mouth shut!” The women’s hand flew too Emily’s lips, her perfect nails digging into her cheeks.
“No need to be mean, Manura.” said the man, a smile stretching across his flawless face. Emily new that smile… she hated that smile.
“I am sorry.” Manura dropped her hand. Although Emily wasn’t harmed, Manura’s nails had left little pink scratches on her cheeks.
“Ew,” Carla exclaimed, “a rat!”
“Yes, there are rats this part of town.” The man looked back, winking his exquisite left eye.
“This doesn’t look like the sort of place that would have customer service or whatever.” Carla was starting not too buy it anymore. Wouldn’t they have arrived there by now?
“That’s because I’m not taking you to customer service or the Visitor Center.” The man’s eyes laughed, as if he found Carla’s forgetfulness funny.
“What?” Emily knew it. The man was a kidnapper or a… a. She didn’t know, nor did she want too, but what she did know was that she was going to spend the night walking… or worse.
“Don’t be harsh.” The man said coolly. “We are just getting some food and than we will be on our way.”
“I don’t need food.” Carla whined, grinding the boll of her foot into the sidewalk.
“I don’t ether. I’m not hungry.”
“Oh please girls,” The man whirled around, his face suddenly tense. “Calm down!”
“Why are you yelling at me?” Emily asked nerves and afraid all at the same time. “Just go away and let us find out mother on our own!”
“I’m just hungry, and now you’re yelling.” The man’s voice was suddenly calm as if he had never been angry in the first place.
“That’s, that’s because you were yelling at me!” Emily said still shrieking. The man cocked his head and stared into Emily’s eyes.
“You don’t know my name, do you?” That was weird.
“No I don’t, but what does that have anything to do with this?” He was a very odd person and Emily was ready to fight if needed.
“I just thought it would be nice for you too know. It’s Daniel.” He did look like a Daniel, but why was he changing the subject?
“Why are you changing the subject?” Emily said, saying her thoughts aloud.
“Oh sorry, but do you even remember what we were talking about?” He asked, staring his eyes directly into Emily’s. It made her feel strange and weightless, but than she noticed something. Daniel’s pupils grew large. They looked like giant pulls of black, capturing Emily’s brain, wrapping it around and around until everything was gone; sucked away, into the night of Daniels soul.
“Yes… You and I were fighting and no… at the same time.” She didn’t remember. It was like Daniel’s eyes had whipped away the previous five minutes.
“I know what you guys were fighting about.” Carla said in her smug little voice, twisting her blonde hair around her index figure.
“No you don’t.” Daniel said, whirling around on his heel and peering into Carla’s soul. That’s what he was doing. He was looking into her very soul. He didn’t want there to be anymore disagreements so he must have decided to just… whisk them away.
“Yes I_ I guess I don’t… anymore.” Carla’s head dropped as she said this, her eyes becoming glassy and fixed. He killed her… he killed her memory, what was he doing?
“You did something to her! What did you do?” Emily knew there was something wrong with that man and she was going to prove it. She couldn’t stay here anymore. She had to get out, away from this insane person! He was going too kill them, or at least kill Carla. Emily didn’t want to lose her sister too a psycho path. That much she was sure of… Everything else need too come soon, or it was over.
“What just happened?” Carla’s head suddenly shot up, as if she had just been woken up from a bad dream.
“Nothing, we are still walking.” Daniel’s face was back to its normal composure. Creepily… like a homicidal maniac, and that’s probably what he was.
“No, we just got in to a fight!” Emily was so confused and she couldn’t seem to keep her voice down. “I don’t know what about, but we were fighting. Don’t lie to her. She’s not just a toy you can reset every two seconds!”
“Hey keep it down over there.” said a scruffy, unkempt man from a rusty apartment building window.
“Sorry.” Daniel apologized, waving his hand, like the gentleman he pretended too be.
“Hey, can you stop changing the subject?” Emily moaned, frowning in complete frustration and anger.
“There is no subject to change.” The man’s eyes were doing that weird hypnotist thing again. Emily looked away, covering her face with her hands.
“Stop doing that!” Emily whaled. “This is all so confusing. Can’t everything just slow down?” Just stop! Emily bellowed in her mind, but even speaking in her thoughts scared her. For some very strange reason, Emily believed even her own mind weren’t safe. She wasn’t sure, but her thoughts were going to stay very mute until she was out of that odd man’s presence.
She opened her eyes again; her head still turned away from Daniels deadly stare. Looking away helped. With all the confusion she hadn’t seen that they were in an ally. There wasn’t much light except for a lone streetlight at the mouth of the odd little place she was in. The bricks beneath her feet were jagged and harsh, although the star speckled sky was as smooth as butter. The walls in witch she was contained were the walls of lower class apartment buildings, covered in graffiti. Although Emily had never fancied gang art, she found this graffiti interesting and different. Everything behind them was so… so peaceful, but than if she was to look back up at that twisted creature called Daniel, it would all just slip away.
“Emily, you need to keep following me or you will be even more lost then when we started this.” Emily hesitated for a moment, and than she turned around. Daniel’s face was normal again, if you could call if normal. All the elements around her were like elements from a horrifying dream she couldn’t snap out of. Daniel had compelled them some how too keep going, even if they didn’t want too. It was all in his eyes, the way he walked, talked. All parts of him contributed too this strange effect. The effect that you have to keep going when you know you don’t. That you have too do what he says or even orders you too think, just because. It was all a huge mind game and if Emily could break it, she and her sister would be fine. They would be safe and home… maybe, but what about her mom? They still didn’t know where she was. What if she was hurt or lost herself? Emily was dying to be held in the loving embrace of her mother. She needed a hug and not from her head strong sister.
“I want my mother.” Carla must have been feeling the same way. She looked sad and her usually hyper demeanor was gone. Carla felt hopelessly lost and broken. “Where is my mother?” Carla asked, turning the unhappy statement into a question.
“I don’t know.” That is what the man had to say? He didn’t know? He was supposed to know; he needed to know.
“How could you even say that?” Carla shrieked, thrusting her hand into her golden curls. A pinch of terror attacked Carla’s spine, making her fall too the ground. “Really… I want the truth.” She sobbed, resting her head against the filthy bricks of the ally. She didn’t want to move. This was all some sort of twisted plot that Daniel was conveying.
“The truth,” Daniels repeated, rubbing his right shoulder fiercely, “the truth is… I’m not bringing you too safety… I am taking you too Echo. I’m taking you away from safety.” The look in the man’s face showed no regret for this thoughtless remark.
“If… if that is the truth... If that is your evil scheme, than why are you telling us?” Carla asked, no longer crying. The fear the Daniel’s “truth” caused, had scared her tears away. He wasn’t taking them to the visitor Center. That was probably the thing she new most. He had said it himself. The purpose for their endless walking was much graver.
“Because my dear, it won’t matter in a couple of hours.”
“Why won’t it matter?” Carla was brave she could take it. She was usually the brainless sporadic one, but today she knew that needed to change. So Carla got up, off of the vile ground and squared her shoulders, ready for whatever came out of the man’s mouth.
“Because… You’ll be dead.”
(That was the first chapter. The paragraphing and indentation got messed up when i coppied it, so I am sorry for any problems related to that!)
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