Echo

Chapter 3

-Tobias-

She held me in her arms for a while then she let me go and took a step back. For a second I missed the warmth of her embrace.

"So this is where I've been all these years," she said taking cautious steps around the attic. Her demeanor changed completely, she looked like a warrior ready for anything that life would throw at her. All I could do was stare at the way she held her self with such confidence even though she looked like she'd been through a tornado. Her dark red hair fell all the way to her waist in layers with some strands falling over her searching brown eyes. The black dress she wore fell limp against the floorboards now that winds weren't pushing it around.

"Echo, what's wrong?" I asked her when she finally came to a stop in front of small window in the attic.

"It's been so long since I've seen even a glimpse of light." She answered reaching for the drapes, but her hand just went right through it. She frowned and tried it again but the same thing happened.

"Echo?" I walked over to her side, taking care not to step on any of the broken mirror pieces. I grabbed her hand, and held it in both my hands. I don't know if she was shaking because she was angry or because she was scared all I knew was that I was gonna be there for her like she'd been there for me earlier.

"Its fine, I'm fine." She looked down at me trying to reassure me that everything was alright, but I knew she was lying because if I was her I'd be going crazy with frustration.

"Why can't you tou--," I started to ask but she answered before I could even finish the question.

"It's probably because I don't have a body. Wraiths probably killed me and took my soul into that prison." She let my hands go and sat down on the floor, I sat right next to her, my back against the wall. For a long time we just sat there in silence, not making a sound until she spoke up again.

"So where exactly are we?" She asked.

"Grandma's house, in the attic." I added, "She's an evil old crone."

"Oh." That's all she said, well this was the most awkward conversation I've ever had.

"Why do you think I'm able to touch you?" I wondered.

"You have wraith blood in you. It's the only way you were able do what you did back in the Abyss." She answered. I stared at her my brows furrowed in disbelief, she had to be wrong I'm human, just human.

"You're not a full-blooded wraith as far as I can tell." She continued on while a million thoughts were going through my head like if I was part wraith why didn't I look like one of them, not that I'm complaining those things were scarier than the bogey monster.

"Am I evil, too?"

"No just super short and squishy." She smiled as she poked one of my cheeks. She kept poking my cheeks until I slapped her hand away because if I let her keep poking me, my whole face it would resemble Swiss cheese.

"Hey stop treating me like a little kid and I'm not short. I'm a growing boy." I said defensively even though I was smiling right back at her.

"A growing short boy."

I stuck my tongue out, "For your information I'm six years old."

She winked, "I'm sorry, Tobias."

"No you're not."

"Okay I'm not." She smiled.

"Meanie," I muttered.

"So how long are you gonna hide up here?" She asked.