Trigger warning (at the endish of the chapter). Don't read if you are sensitive about it and I do understand it is a sensitive topic. Please don't bash me about it though.
"Where are you two!"
Echo was in her room, huddled up to her brother. Their dad had come home drunk and was mad
and scary which scared Echo because she hated seeing him like this. Ever since mum had died, he had it in for her brother and her. He blamed her brother for their mum going but it wasn't his fault at all.
"Come down here now!" their dad screamed, from downstairs. Echo could feel her brother's breathing quicken and he was shaking. He never got scared which made Echo terrified.
"Stay here. You'll be safe," her brother said.
"What about you?" Echo loved her brother and really didn't want to get hurt and he should just stay up away from dad because he would definitely get hurt going down there because he was drunk and everyone does stupid things when they're drunk. Especially dad.
"I'll be fine." Echo gave him the look she gave people if she didn't believe them. "I promise. I'll be back up here in a minute." She hoped so. He was everything to her. He stayed by her whenever and wherever, especially at school. He protected her from all the mean nasty children.
Echo heard loads of shouting and someone kicking and punching something and it all made Echo very scared and she tried to squash herself into the very corner so that maybe she could just disappear until it was all over but no matter how hard she tried she was still in the same old house feeling so small and so tired of everything. She knew it was her dad kicking and punching something and she also knew that that something wasn't just a something but a someone and that someone was her brother. The shouting and screaming went on for ages and ages but the everything suddenly went quiet as if nothing had ever happened even though something had happened.
Echo heard the front door shut really quietly and then footsteps coming up the stairs and although she wished for it to be her brother bringing comfort and hope that everything would get better, Echo's little brain was screaming out that her wishful thinking was wrong because the only person coming up the stairs was her dad.
Once his door shut, she waited and waited and waited for her brother to come back like he promised. He couldn't and wouldn't ever break a promise. She waited a minute, then 5, the 10 and then before she knew it, an hour. He should be back up here. Her brother said a minute, not 1 hour! Where was he? Echo could feel her chest tightening as all the possibilities of where her brother could be came into her mind. She couldn't breathe.
"Help," she whispered, black dots dancing across her vision. "Please." No one replied though. She was all alone. It was after that realisation when everything went black.
She sat up panting, tears free falling down her face like a rapid river. Her chest still felt tight like in her dream. It wasn't a dream though and she knew it but she wished it was a dream because that day, that memory, was the worst day of her life because her brother never did come back. She stayed alone, except for her dad but that didn't count because he was drunk most of the time. The only other person that stayed with her was her social worker Rob but that was only because he was paid to care, just like Mike and May-li and all of the other care workers even though none of them actually cared. It was always for the money, which most of them spent on booze and cigarettes, just like Denis from Burneywood.
Echo had known Tyler before, she had recognised him, but she only just realised, after all the horrible thinking, that he was at Burnywood at the same time as her. He must have been one of the ones to get sent to Elmtree house. She, however, got moved to a foster home where the parents were both horrible and were always shouting and screaming and it always reminded her of her old home with dad. Mr and Mrs Aycliffe she seemed to remember.
After all the horrible thoughts about all her old homes and horrible care workers were out of her head, she decided to do something with the rest of the day. She could see light coming from under the curtains so even though it was dark in her room, it must have only been 2 o'clock.
She got out of bed, tripping her way to the curtains, bringing light into the room. She looked in the mirror and tried to make it look like she hadn't been crying which was quite hard but she didn't want to get called a cry baby by Floss and one of the twins. Even after a month, she couldn't tell which one was which but she knew one of them worshipped Floss and the other one followed them round like a lost puppy but she couldn't exactly say anything so she stopped thinking like a bully because that was bad and she knew how it felt to be on the receiving end of the stick.
After brushing her wild knotty hair which confused her because no one she could remember in her family had curly hair like hers, she stumbled out of her room and went downstairs hoping Ryan was in the kitchen or something because she really wanted to talk to him.
"Hey. You okay?" May-li asked.
"I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"For running off."
"As long as you're safe. There's some lunch left over, if you want it,"
"No thanks. I'm not really that hungry," Echo said. All she wanted to do was talk to Ryan because he understood everything. "Um, where is Ryan?"
"He is in his room I think. Don't quote me on that though," May-li said.
"Thank you," Echo said. She ran up the stairs and went through all the corridors to Ryan's room. Although she had now lived there for over a month, the whole place still confused her. Ask her for directions to Carmen's room for example, and you'd have her lost.
She knocked on Ryan's door and hoped he would answer. Just as she was about to leave, Ryan came to the door.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Um, could I talk to you about something?"
"Yes. Come in," he said, pushing the door open more. Echo stepped inside and sat on the bed like she did most days at 2ish, except for when they had school. She was so glad it was the Christmas holidays because although everyone was nice enough, she just wanted a break from everything. She also needed to get her secret santa present for Ryan. Apparently, every year the dumping ground do secret santa because none of them have enough all pulled names out of a hat and Echo got Ryan. She was glad because she didn't really know what she would have gotten anyone else.
Her brain had completely ignored everything so she didn't realise Ryan had asked what she wanted to talk about.
"Sorry. My mind is all over the place at the moment," Echo apoligised.
"I know the feeling. I'm so glad it's the holidays. I don't think i could have taken another day of school if they paid me. Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?" Ryan asked.
"I had this dream. Well, memory," Echo began, explaining it all. Ryan sat there, listening to every last word, playing with the button on his sleeve. Although it was a red shirt, Echo could see blood and she wanted to stop talking about her and talk to him about it but she knew that was a sensitive issue and shouldn't unless he tells her about what he was doing to himself.
"And I just want to find him and tell him I forgive him because it's not his fault even though i know that's what he thinks and yeah," Echo drifted off. "Ryan?"
"Yes," he said.
"Please can you promise 2 things. One, please don't tell anyone. They'll all call me a crybaby. And two, please, just please, stop hurting yourself." She told herself she wouldn't mention it to him but trust her stupid bing fat mouth for doing otherwise.
"Get out!" Ryan shouted. "It's none of your business what i do!"
"But Ryan. I was trying to help. You don't deserve it," Echo cried.
"I do and if you tell anyone, I will make your life a misery." Echo got off of the bed and ran back to her room, tears falling down her face. She was just trying to help but as usual, she just made everything worse. She just wanted him to stop because he doesn't deserve the pain. She did. The one person who treated her as a human being now hated her. She picked herself up off of the cream carpet and ran to the bathroom, locking the door. She knew what she was doing - she had done this before.
Echo picked up one of the razors and cut three times. Once because everyone hated her. Once because everyone she ever loved left her and lastly once for being so stupid and thinking he was different.
Echo sat in her bedroom, after cleaning her cuts, leaning against the wardrobe. She didn't deserve to be in this house, she should be in the old house, with dad. That's what she deserved. She cried and cried and cried, silently, until she fell asleep, the pain of the world disappearing temporarily.
What did I tell you. Only four chapters in and it's already getting deep.