Page 1 of Echo
Chapter 1:
Howmuchdoesafresh start cost?
I sped down the rock road with intention. Every mile behind me was more space between me and my demons. I escaped.
All it cost was one life and a couple hundred dollars in gas.
That didn’t stop my eyes from flickering into the rearview mirror every few minutes to make sure no one was following me though.
When I was at a distance, the tall mountains were majestic and intimidating. The presence of nature's magnificent structure peered down at me as if it knew I was a fool.
Now that I was up here under the emerald blanket of giant trees, speckled with pops of vibrant colors from the wild flowers, nothing could match this place in beauty.
It certainly beat the nights spent in the emergency room in Miami. I didn’t want to be someone to benefit from a person dying, but the call from my great aunt’s lawyer, a long distant cousin, couldn’t have come at a better time.
The universe provides, I guess.
The call was a shock. I’d only met Pearl a handful of times at family reunions over the years. I knew her voice from her calls to my grandma, but that was about it. I didn’t know what compelled her to leave me the family property, but I wasn’t in a position to ask too many questions.
Please don’t be condemned.
“Look at the river, Ranger.” I pointed out to my German Shepard, like he cared, as we went over a bridge that was questionable at best. The only thing he probably cared about was getting out of these cramped quarters. But he yipped as if he agreed, keeping me company, even if he didn’t understand what I said.
I pet him on the head in appreciation for the effort, as he whined and barked at the passenger side window. Surely some animal had gotten his attention, but I didn’t dare let my eyes stray from the winding road.
The turns were so sharp that I was sure a moment of distraction would land me in yet another hospital. Vivid pictures of twisted, mangled metal rolling down the mountain, with me trapped inside screaming for help, kept my focus where it needed to be.
This place was different from the bustling city I was accustomed to. We hadn’t passed another car in miles. It was just me and Ranger out here, but it was far from silent. The radio lost signal twenty miles ago, but the forest was alive with birds chirping and leaves rustling. Eventually, I’d try to find a channel that worked, but I didn’t care enough at the moment.
“Turn right in point two miles,” the distorted GPS voice said. The internet was struggling to stay connected too.I turned down the dusty, dirt road, following the directions that led to a large, run-down cabin house with some kids playing in the yard. A giant man poked his head out of the rusty barn as I pulled closer.
He stepped further out, revealing more of himself. A large mud stained, neon-yellow apron covered what I guessed was a tattered flannel and jeans.
Maybe it was rust on his apron. As he got closer, I realized the color was louder than I originally thought. Must have been muted compared to the yellow.
No, something wasn’t right. My heart sped up. Some instinct I couldn’t identify filled me with unease. The stains covered a majority of his apron and arms. What the hell was that?
It wasn’t mud or rust. It was too bright. Suspicion tingled down my spine, like sticky ooze.
This looked awfully familiar.
It reminded me of my dad coming home at two in the morning, scrubbing his hands in the sink, then washing the whole thing with bleach.
Light finally made it through the canopy of the trees, illuminating the Picasso of bright red that hadn’t dried yet.
Blood.
There was enough blood on him to account for a grown man that wouldn’t be breathing for much longer. I sympathized, since the air wasn’t exactly coming naturally to me either. My lungs froze in my chest and refused to properly move.
My dad was a bad man. And he taught me, when you catch someone committing their sins, hesitation could kill you. He drilled it into me so hard that even as an adult his lectures auto played in my mind.
First and foremost, get the fuck out of there. Second, didn’t see no shit, don’t know any shit. Third, don’t look back.
I didn’t even need this house. I’d travel the world in my car. That was a great plan.
I threw the car in reverse and slammed on the gas. The smallest flicker of movement in my rearview camera made me stop just in time to avoid hitting a child.
What’s wrong with you? For all you know that’s a psycho baby that needed to be ran over, twice for good measure.
