Lovechild

My sister says I'm the reason she's marrying the man of her dreams. It happened during my first performance at the Olive Stick. I was a nervous wreck, but my sister effortlessly caressed the rim of her glass until I felt invincible under her Echo. While the lyrics poured from my body like warm honey, she locked eyes with the boy at the table in front of her. She said her heart felt like a swelling balloon sailing closer toward the sun. It was the strongest Echo she'd ever felt.

One year later, as I clear off  both tables, I'm reminded of that moment. The invincibility has worn off. Maybe I'm not as powerful as everyone thinks.

"Have you seen this?" Freddie rushes in holding an LED poster of ringing bells. It's for a talent show competition called Struck. "They're having auditions downtown. You should go."

"I can't. I have to work." I move for the kitchen.

Freddie blocks my path, on a mission. "You're wasting your time bussing tables when you should be singing."

"I have been singing. Here."

"But you could sing for the world. God knows we need it." It wasn't an Echo, but it's just as effective.

Next thing I know, I'm standing before three stoic judges. They haven't been affected by the Echo before me. Unsettling, since she's a frequent performer at the Olive Stick and most of the patrons love her. Do I even stand a chance? 

The music begins and I sing along, only my voice comes out timid and trembling. They're getting impatient. I find Freddie at the door. She pats a palm to her heart. I breathe and catch up with the music. This time my voice is amplified, powered by truth. The microphone shimmers under my Echo. The judges awaken with life. With love.

Standing on stage in front of the world, I feel the air swell around me. The crowd is holding hands, wiping tears. I'm like a wave carrying us all to someplace beautiful and warm.

After the live show, the contestants unwind in a hotel room. River plucks his guitar, playing minor. His melancholy mood bleeds through my skin like ice water. "We're never going to change the world..." he croons. 

I need air. 

I go outside, but the air is tainted here too. People are yelling, weeping, fighting. Echoes from the performances they swallowed to the very last drops. How can I make a difference in a world crippled by hopelessness? I'm not enough.

I stop when I see an LED poster of my lyrics taped to an electronic store. Words someone held onto. My performance flashes onto the display of TV screens. Now I feel the sun too. 

River won the competition. His Echoes made the biggest impact. Held the most resonance. Instead of tuning in, I hit the road. No longer watching the world get enveloped in darkness. Not when I have two lungs full of glitter to spread around.