Search for Beyond

My Echo, My Shadow, and Me

I stare out of the window and sigh. Father was supposed to be back two days ago, and he's never been late before. He says being a delivery man isn't a hard job, just pretty tiring. He leaves for days and when he does, I'm left in our small apartment with nothing but books. I've read all of them, but father sometimes brings me a new one he gets on his trips. He travels all around Rapture, but I haven't been to a lot of places in a while. Not since my mother has been gone, anyways.

I stand slowly and stretch, glancing around. "Where could he be?" I say, worried. A long sigh escapes me and I walk over to the record player. I put on my favorite song that I've heard play over the speakers in Fort Frolic a lot.

"We three, we're all alone. Living in a memory" The music fills the apartment and I smile slightly to myself as I go to look for something to eat. Before I get to the kitchen, a loud, urgent knock sounds at the door. My face brightens as I think it may be my father. I rush over to the door and open it. My Smile fades as I see a stranger in front of me. He looks strange, and as i glance over him, I see a splatter of crimson on his clothes. He stares at me with crazed eyes.

"Uh....yes?" I say to him slowly. As I do, he lunges at me suddenly and I yelp. He tackles me to the floor and swings a wrench towards me. It connects with my head and my vision blurs. I try to push him away, kicking at him hurriedly, but it's to no avail. He pins me down and looks at me with a wide grin.

"Looks like I caught something, Tobias!" he yells, and after a moment, another man appears at the door. His clothes are stained even more than the first man. I try to back away, but I'm held tight. I struggle for my life but it does no good. Tobias walks into the room and looks down at my terrified face before smirking.

"Slightly old for a Sister, isn't she?" He shrugs "We can still use her." My vision has slowly been blurring more and, finally, it fades to black as I lose consciousness.

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"Mother! Father! Look what I found!" I run up to them. They're sitting on the blanket we spread across the ground as they unpack the sandwiches. I show them the small worm in my hand and they smile at me.

"It's cute, Moné!" my mother tells me. I grin happily at her.

"It was on the sidewalk. I saved it from being stepped on!"

My father chuckles and says "That's very kind of you. I know the worm is thanking you greatly right now." I beam at him and run off to find a safe place to put him. I find a large tree beside a large window and let the worm go among its roots. When I look back up, I see one of the vents against the wall. Peeking out of it at me is a small girl with glowing yellow eyes. When I see her, she quickly ducks back into the vent and is gone. I stare silently for a moment, but turn my attention away when my mother calls me to eat.