ECHO [Rewritten - NaNoWriMo '16]

Chapter 12: Drink It In

17 March 2016

Phoenix, Arizona

Wren

The moisture on the tips of the grass stained the knees of my jeans. But I hardly noticed it. I was kneeling, my hands curled into a tight ball on top of my legs. I was kneeling in front of a tombstone that had the following carved into the stone:

PRIA PATEL

1992 – 2009

Sister. Friend. Sunshine.

I sucked in a deep breath and studied the words. I remembered the dinner that we had with our parents just four months prior to her death. Pria had confessed that she liked women, which had infuriated their parents. Their father, Kamel, had banned Pria from ever coming back home and had written her out of his will. He had been so ashamed that he hadn't even come to the funeral that I had held. Ma had. That was worth something. What had shocked me the most was that Pria's girlfriend hadn't come. In fact, she had been the first one to say that I should stop looking for her, and just assume she was dead.

It had shocked, and hurt me. This woman was the reason as to why Pria had come out in the first place. She had loved her deeply, so deeply that she knew what would happen with their parents. I had fought and argued against it, but once Pria had gotten an idea in her head, it was impossible to divert her from it. I frowned, trying to remember what the girlfriend's name had been. Gia. That's right.

I closed my eyes, "Pria. I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I became a police officer in order to do some good. Yet, I haven't done anything. I am beginning to wonder if this was the right path. That's partly why I agreed to help Echo. Despite the fact that she is not someone I would usually even consider could do something good. Yet, I feel like I'm on the right path. I'm so confused. Pria, am I doing the right thing by working with Echo? Should I back out now while I still might have a chance?" I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I wish I could just talk to you. I miss you so much. And you were always smarter than me."

I don't know how long I sat there. It was one of the few times that I allowed the grief for my sister wash over me. It felt like it had been so much longer than it really had since I had last seen her. If it weren't for the photos, I wouldn't be able to remember her smile, which spread so wide it crinkled her eyes. A dimple had marked her left cheek. Her eyes were such a delicate shade of brown, her hair cropped short but thick and full. There had been a small dot of a birthmark on her lower lip. But I couldn't remember the exact way she used to laugh. It sounded akin to bells, but if you asked me the details of it, I couldn't tell you.

Some time later, I heard the distinct sound of footsteps behind him. I didn't move, even as they stopped beside me. A cat's purr filled my ears, and Paiute pressed his head against my arm. A few minutes passed in respectful silence before Echo said, "I'll help you find out exactly what happened to her. Go home, I'll drive you. Rest, and I'll see you later tonight."

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"There is a fellow agent in town. A Shadow. There is a CEO on vacation here that holds a lot of money, and quite a bit of power. An impressive security force also guards him, so of course they sent out one of their most skilled Shadows. I know him personally, so this will be quite interesting. And fun." I could hear the smile in her voice.

"You won't need help?" I looked up at her.

She arched a brow, "Me? Need help? No. And when I bring him to the basement, I would stay away from it for a bit."

"Why?" I asked.

"There's a reason as to why he is only sent out occasionally." Echo replied. She held out a hand, "Come on."