Echo

To the Beginning

Back then, I didn't understand why my mother named me Echo. I didn't really care I guess. I wish I never found out. Back then, everything was okay, things were normal. I didn't need to worry about anything but keeping my job and if my old dog was being fed or not. But now, I'm here holding a gun in my hand in a dark alley up against a wall peaking around the corner, running away from the people trying to kill me. How did I get here? Let me tell you.

One Year Earlier

"Bye guys I'll see you tomorrow!" I called while opening the store door to leave. Tomorrow will be the same thing at the same time. Great. I walked to the subway station a block down from where I worked. I don't like work I felt like it's a waist of my time. I want to leave this noisy, smelly pit of a city that is called New York City. But I need stupid money to do that.

When I got to the station, the train wasn't there yet so I just stood a couple feet away from the tracks and waited. A girl with short brown hair jumped down onto the tracks. I could hear the train coming now.

"Move you idiot!" I yelled at the girl. She didn't budge. What the hell is she doing! She's going to kill herself. I quickly jumped onto the tracks with the train not too far away. I grabbed the girl by the arm and yanked her onto the platform. I landed right next her and sat up.

"Your fuckin' welcome! You could of di-" I stopped when I saw the girl. She looked exactly like me. She looked back at me and her eyes were puffy, from crying perhaps. Her lips were cracked and she was a little bit paler than me. She had the same poop brown eyes as me, the same crooked eyebrow as me, the same face as me. Before I could say anything she tried to stand I thought quickly and grabbed her hoodie sleeve, she pulled away and ran. Fast. I looked around and I noticed a phone. I picked up and put it in my bag. The train was about to leave so I jumped on the train and went home. The entire way there I was trying to find an explanation for what just happened. Maybe I was drugged and I'm just seeing things, maybe Mama had twins and she never told me. Maybe my brain is just exaggerating. 

When I got home my roommate was on the counter eating my donuts.

"Oh my god Echo I'm so sorry I'm eating your donut I jus-"

"Lineah! Shut up!" I screamed, instantly regretting it.

"Geez, I'm sorry," she began while putting down the donuts and hopping off the counter. "I only took some donuts."

"No, I'm sorry. You can have the stupid donuts," I apoligized.

"Honey, are you okay, you look like you've seen a ghost," Lineah was such a sweety.

"Um... yeah, I was at the subway when I saw a girl jump on the tracks an-" DING-DONG! The door swung open with a loud bang.

"Mama's home!!!" My mother yelled. She's so damn loud. She wore bright pink tights, green shorts and a flowery blue top. She is the complete oposite of me. "Hey baby how was your day!" She walked over to me and kissed me on the cheek and hugged Lineah.

"My day was stupid... just like every other day."

"Oh! Echo everything is stupid to you! Why don't you ever see the good in things?" she chirped. She can never see the bad in things. My mother and I are very different from each other but I still love her.

"Echo was just telling me what happened to her after work," Lineah began, "She said that a girl jumped onto the bus tracks."

"Oh my, that's horrible what happened?" my mother asked.

"Yeah... this girl jumped in front of the tracks and I jumped onto the tracks, too. I saved her, but... she looked like... she looked identical to me. Every little detail was the same," My mother's face fell. I've never seen her face like this. "Mama? Are you okay?"

"Uh... yeah, I just remembered something I didn't want to remember. Love, I need to tell you something I never wanted you to know," Her face said business but her eyes said concern, anger, longing and she was playing with her wedding ring meaning she was nervous.

"You can tell me anything Mama. What is it?" I asked. She sat down in a chair. I sit across from her.