»»---Echo---««

Chapter 15 - Clues

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I spent the next morning in a state of anxiety.

I couldn't eat breakfast, the weight in my stomach made sure of that.

The worst part was I couldn't figure out where this all came from. It seemed to pop up suddenly. Like some monster lying in wait for me to pass by.

It got me.

"Are you okay?"

I turned to see Syd looking at me with a worried expression.

"Yeah, just nervous I guess."

"About your exam coming up?" She said, "Don't worry about that. You always pass the physical with flying colors, and Bridge said you're making tons of progress in reading and math. Nothing to worry about."

"Yeah... the exam." I said, rubbing my temples to try and make the growing ache go away.

"Why don't you go lay down? You have some time before training," she suggested.

I thought about it before nodding and heading back to my room.

It was weird how empty the room felt without Sophie's things in there. She had shipped out for the Theta Quadrant early this morning. I went with her to transport to say goodbye and promise to send coms when we both could. And now half the room sat bare with only a bedframe and a desk. A ghost of the person who once stayed there.

I laid down and let myself fall into a peaceful state of mind.

My dreams however were not so peaceful.

Flashes of purple made me jump. The sound of laughter filled my ears. When I looked down I was standing on a floor of glass looking over a raging river below. The darkness began to give away, and a figure appeared from within.

The feeling in my chest worsened and I felt my stomach churn. Maybe I shouldn't have had that cheeseburger last night.

I tried my best to make out their face, but it was still too dark to see.

"Remember me?"

My body shook at the sound of her voice. I racked my brain, trying to figure out where I had heard it before.

"You're gonna pay for what you did."

I looked at her confused, "What?"

"You're going to pay for leaving Gruumm. One way or another."

"Who are you?"

She laughed, "You're telling me you don't remember me? We used to be best friends. On the ship. Playing with dolls, remember?"

I shook my head.

"I guess the memory block really did work, huh? Probably for the best."

I felt something be tossed to my feet, a piece of blue cloth that I picked up slowly.

I looked over it, the small cloak looked like it had been made for a child.

I felt my hands start to shake.

Not just any child. It was made for me. This was my cloak. From the memory.

"Crazy how such a simple thing could bring back such painful memories."

"What do you want from me?" I asked.

The girl came closer, and only then could I make out her face.

I froze in fear, "Mora?"

"Morgana now. Used to be a kid remember? Well, Gruumm turned me back into this. To punish me. He always had the worst punishments, didn't he?"

"Moreso for me than for you," I snapped.