Secret World

18

"Peter, why are we at the mall?" I asked as we walked into the building. Music played over ahead as two moms with strollers pushed past us deep in conversation.
"Have you ever been to the mall?" He quipped back as we stood next a book store.
I went to respond but thought about it for a moment. I really had never had the chance, when I lived with my Auntie we never really had the opportunity. We went the store, went to get food but the mall was always so busy we had decided it was best never to take me there. And as I got older it was just something I had never thought about and then after she passed the mall wasn't even a thought. Then Livatech got me and when I got free from them I was on the run to stay free.
"No." I finally replied looking at him.
"Then that's why we are here, come on, let's have a bit of fun." He smirked, grabbing my hand a leading me further in.
Flashes of science fairs flickered for a brief moment, flowing over his voice and his aunt's. I smiled to myself as we deeper into the building before he pulled me into a store. The lights bright over head, clothes lined the wall, the open space before us litter with rack of more clothes. So many colors, patterns, types. Music with a poppy underbeat blared over head. I looked around the store in no doubt wide eyed wonder, sure I had been stores with clothes but nothing like this.
Before I knew what was really happening I was in a changing room trying on a pastel summer dress. I looked at myself in the mirror, for a brief moment I didn't even recognize myself. For once I didn't have that tired, war torn look I had become so accustomed to seeing when I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair wasn't a disheveled mess, I bit down on my lip trying to repress a smile. I took a deep breath before I turned back to the door and slowly opened it.
Peter looked over and grinned, he nodded at it.
"You should get it." He stated. "It looks really good on you."
"I don't have any money." I told him with a sigh, a gentle reminder to myself of my reality here.
"But I do." He winked.
"You are not."
"You," he stated reaching forward and gently pulling the tag off. "Don't get to make that choice."
Before I argued he turned and walked away, I shook my head and walked back into the changing room to grab my stuff. I sat down on the stool and started to pull on my shoes when the over head light flickered. My heart leapt to my throat in an instant. Quickly I tied up my laces as the light flickered again, I shoved my stuff into my bag as the light went out.
"He's here." I heard the same voice I heard in the bathroom the day before, it was rushed a whispered. My head shot up and I looked into the mirror as the creatures looked back at me. One stepped forward, it's inky body seemed to ripple with muscles as its white eyes focused on me.
"He's here." The creature stated agin, it's word emphasizing the first word. Jagged teeth catching in the low light coming in over the door of the changing room. My heart pounded hard in my chest and the muscle tighten making it hard to breath. I took as deep of a breath as I could.
"Who's here?" I asked it, I watched as the creature tilted its head slightly, the corner of its wide mouth pulled upward giving it a demonic grin.
"Echo." He whispered.
"Echo?" Peter asked, I could hear the concern in his voice as his foot steps quicken. The lights flashed back on in the blink of an eye. I took a raggedy breath as I looked around the room for a moment. "Echo? Are you okay?"
"Ye..yeah." I responded, standing up and slinging my backpack into my shoulder before opening the door.
"I came as soon I saw the light was out, are you sure your okay?" He asked me again. I nodded, taking a step out of the room and looked back for a brief moment.
"Yeah, they.. they didn't do anything but one of them said 'he's here'." I replied walking toward the entry of the store with Peter.
"Who's here?" He asked me as we walk out and down the center of the mall.
"I don't know, maybe he meant you. The last time they spoke, they mentioned you." I explained shaking my head.
"Me?" He asked as we rounded the corner heading toward the smell of food.
"Yes you, they called you the itsy bitsy spider." I told him smirking over at him.
    "Itsy bitsy spider?!" He asked his eyes widening. "They think they're funny don't they?"
    "I guess?" I shrugged, looking around. We went to a little coffe booth and grabbed something to drink before sitting down. "They've never spoken before yesterday so.. I don't know what they would normally say."
    "Well, they know who I am, so some how they are present wherever you are. Whether you're in the light or not." He said, looking around before his eyes landed on me.
     "Now that, is a scary thought. I never thought they could follow me in the light."
    "Maybe somehow they are on a different plain? If there is more then one reality maybe they travel in between them." Peter stated, he bit his bottom lip as he leaned forward and took my hand. "They pulled you to this reality, right?"
    "I don't think so, the creatures weren't in the movie theater." I took a sip of the iced coffee he had bought. I felt Peter's hand twitch beneath mine as I spoke. "When I woke up that morning I stepped outside and saw this crazy battle and started running. I don't ever remember seeing them, maybe? I just don't remember."
    It was sudden, half the lights went out over head. The temp seemed to drop at the same time, Peter looked around as his eyes widen. My heart sped up again as the creatures materialized behind them dwarfing Peter in the process. Jagged white teeth, and smokey bodies beginning to fully form behind him most the size of bears. I felt Peter pull his hand away as the same one from store stepped forward next to Peter.
   "Echo, He's here." Peter look from me to the creature and back to me. That's when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand. My eyes drifted from the creature to the Peter, slowly I stood and the racing went to pounding in my chest. I shook my head as the implication hit me, the British accent, the one that was my walking nightmare, one I thought I had rid myself.
    "No." I whispered as I felt a lone tear fall to my cheek.
    "Hello Echo." The voice that had caused me so much pain came from behind me. My body tensed as soon as I heard that accent, the muscle in my arm involuntarily twitched. I felt Peter wrap his hand around my wrist as cool metal met my skin.
    "No." I said a bit a louder more to myself as I slowly looked over my shoulder as Peter tried to pull me behind him. Rainier stood there at the escalator, twenty or so feet away, dressed in his usual black suit. He pulled slight at the cuff of his sleeve as his eyes trained on me.