A/N: Sorry it took so long, but here is chapter three. Please read, review, favorite, and follow!
-remainNameless6
Chapter 3:
Echo
We'd powered though to Washington, taking turns between the wheel and sleeping. We were only a few miles from La Push when we splurged on a cheep motel. Whatever happened tomorrow would define these past months, weather it had been worth it or not. So we slept for the first real time in months in real beds. We showered in real showers, not sinks or truck stop bathrooms and got right back into the car the next morning.
When we crossed into La Push—I don't, know, I guess I kind of expected to feel different. If anything- I felt afraid. Morrie was bouncing up and down in her seat, peering out the window like she expected to see packs of wolves run up along side the car, but it was nothing special. Now- I honestly had no idea what I was looking for. A big arrow pointing me in the right direction would have been nice, but no such luck. We just kept driving silently though the woods. Gliding on wolf paws.
It was nightfall when we saw it- a huge roaring bonfire, the kind that stretches up with gold flames to lick the sky. Thousands things whispered though my mind as gravel crunched under flat tiers.
"Morrie. Listen to me. You will stay behind me, okay? I mean it. If there anything like me you will run back to this car and stay there until I say so, okay?" My voce felt cold in my thought, choppy and rough. Firm, yet uncertain.
"I know," she nodded, pulling her hair up just as I undid the rubber band in mine. We were opposites as usual. Morana declined my winter jacket, saying she was hot.
I popped opened the door, the night wind rushing to meet me. It felt good and cool against the skin exposed by my black tank top. Morrie laced her fingers though mine, just like we had as kids. She gave me a comforting squeeze, which I returned. I wanted this so badly, but I was terrified of what it would mean if I did find what I'd come here for. Killers. I'd come in search of monsters and nightmares- the tings most people fought to hide from.
I could feel the fire now, that's how close we were. The heat boiled the air around us, making everything burn in gold hues. I glanced at Morrie, her skin glowed, and her hair was gold. Fire looked good on her, but no time for that. I had to walk forward, one step at a time. Before I new it I was up on the cliff's edge, it was full of people, ten to fifteen from what I could see. A guy walked up to me and made some lame attempt to flirt. He wasn't bad looking, all say that, but I wasn't having it. I clasped Morrie's hand tighter and pushed her slightly behind me, a growl rising in the thought unconsciously. I snapped my head and focused. They were telling a story up there- some sort of ledged about warriors who could change form and defend there tribe against the "cold ones."
Defending?
No.
Killing?
Yes.
But maybe this was just how tense people saw the beast in them, they glorified it into some sort of hero.
Morrie stepped forward, and this time I growled at her. "Stay behind me," I snapped. "These aren't just a group of kids out partying at a bonfire, Morrie. Now. Stay. Behind. Me."
She nodded, her eyes staring into the fire. She hadn't herd a word I'd said. The flames leapt and dimmed. On the other side of the flaming barrio was… a pair of gold eyes. My breath caught my heart stopped.
"Run!" I hissed, my voice low and feral. "Car. Now."
She blinked, focusing on me now. "What?"
"I said, run!" I gave her a light shove and she took off down the hill. I knew I should be following her. I really should have been. But I couldn't, no my legs took in the other direction. Stalking slowly, I wove my way in and out of the crowd. It was him. I knew it. It was the thing that had ripped into me like as if I had been no more then tissue paper. I closed in, my eyes fixed on the golden glare. God, I wanted to kill him. Not just the beast- but me. I wanted to kill him, to make him pay.
My heart matched the drumbeat, getting faster and faster. I felt it in my thought; the warm, rich, luxurious feeling that made my blood sing. So close now, I was so close. A felt more steps and I would have him—gone. He'd vanished. I stopped, knocking into someone. And stifling a scream of frustration, I turned and raced back to the car- vanishing into the cover of the forest and smoke.
I threw open the door and plopped down inside.
I froze, my blood chilling so cold I thought I would shake. Morrie wasn't there. My heart slammed to life in my chest, screaming at me to find her, to get Morrie and run the hell away from this place. I scrambled from the car, not even closing the door as I tore off into the woods, shrieking her name.
"Morrie!" I cried, the hysteria bubbling up into my thought. We should never have come here. This had been stupid and useless and dangerous from day one. We never should have even tried, I wasn't worth it. We should have gone up to Canada and found some remote place and locked me up for good. All my fault, all my fault! My head screamed.
"Hey!" someone called after me. Not Morrie: so I don't care! I kept running, so hard I thought me feel would bleed and rip out of the boots I wore, but I didn't care. All I cared about was finding Morrie, but the reality was hard and twice as cold as I could get; we were in a forest full of monsters, the odds weren't good. I'd kill them. Anyone who touched her and it scared my to think that and know it was true. She was my sister. She was all I had left. She was the only thing keeping the beast from taking hold. She was my humanity. My sister. If Morrie dies- the thing that is me dies.
The person trailed behind me now, gaining speed. I ran faster then a humen. I could out run him. I would know if he were like me- just like I'd ercegnized the monster before.
"Morrie!" I shrieked one again, my voice hoarse and broken.
"Ehco?" It sounded calm, hell - a bit surprised, even. I stopped, predictably toping over my self.
"Morrie?" I called again, my voice shaking. Please be ok. Please, please, please.
"I'm right here," she stepped out from a cluster of trees.
"When I say 'stay in the car,' I mean stay in the car! Don't go on any detours of adventures. You could have gotten yourself killed!" My voice was rising, my fear fleeting in the charge of anger. "Why are you out here? There had better be a damn good reason!" I growled.
She shrugged, and a figure stepped out from behind a tree.
"We were just talking-" Morrie tied but I couldn't hear her. Not over the roaring in my heart and the screaming of my heart.
"You." My thought sounded breathy and feral. "You killed me!" I felt my body lunge for his thought, with every intent to rip him to shreds.
But Morrie screamed, a long high wail and jumped for me, knocking me to the ground. Morrie does not posses the strength to push my to the ground, not since the bite. I'm incredibly strong and balanced. I was on my stomach, tasting dirt and blood. Something growled- well, lets make two somethings.
"Morrie?" I asked, my voice rough and thick. I was bleeding. Shit. There was no response, just a low angry growl. I felt her on me - but her weight was too heavy to be her own. Her hot skin burned thought my shirt.
"Morrie?" This time I got a response, a high choking sound and the weight jerking off my back, followed by paws pounding the earth as she ran away. I stood, coughing and spiting out blood. She had made me bleed.
The person who had chased me stood there. Or at least- I had thought it was a person, but now it was a wolf with dark, chocolate fur. I turned back to the direction Morana had gone and took off in a sprint, the wolf following my pace. I found her first, ling under a bush… naked.
I snapped at the wolf, "Back off!" I striped my shirt, leaving my in my bra, but at the moment I really didn't care. She would never forgive me if I let someone see her naked. I pulled the top over her head, her blond hair covered in dirt. Luckily, since the bite had made me a bit taller- it stretched down on her like a dress. The wolf approached, nudging my towards a house in the distance, and at the moment, I didn't care who he was. If he could help me first, then tell me everything else later. Oh god, Morrie. Please don't be like me. Please. Please. I could barley handle killing someone- how are you going to cope? I took a deep breath and scooped her up in my arms, following the lead of the wolf.
"Morrie-" I whispered. "It's going to be ok. I promise. I will never let anything hurt you." But I can't protect you from yourself.
"Is she- is she like me?" I asked the wolf, unsure if he could understand me. A downward jerk of the muzzle told me no, or at least I thought I was a no.
I looked down at her, no blood. I remember I had woken up covered in blood after the first change and I still did now.
As I approached the house, the wolf motioned for me to wait as he ran off to what looked like a shed. A few minuets later he emerged full clothed and holding a pain of clothes in his hands. He set them down next to me with out a word and went inside to give us privacy. I pulled the too big sweats on Morrie, but kept my shirt on her, because the other thing was just massive. You'd have hard time keeping it from flashing people while you were asleep. I pulled it on - then noticed that I'd trekked a mild in my bra. Great. I fumbled with the buttons, my hands shaking so hard I had to clench them. I ran my fingers though my hair, taking shallow gasping breaths. If she was like me - I would protect her still. Maybe having me there would help her when she changed. Maybe I would help suppress the want to kill. I thought back, I'd never bitten her. We'd made sure of that. I checked her after every full moon for bites, even just to make sure. I thought back to the gold eye kid she had been with. Could he have bitten her? Well - screw killing him, now I would make him suffer first.
I finished the buttons and carried Morana inside. The house was warm and smelled like herbs. Nice, comforting, like a home. I laid her down on the couch, happy to see that blanket had already been put out for her.
I stood there for a moment, staring at her and I felt hollow again. I backed up, letting my back hitting the wall and slip down it, my legs going numb. "Please don't let her be like me, please, please, please. It will kill her. Please. Don't let her be a monster, too." I chanted over and over again, so quite only I could hear it. Someone came into the room, an older man in a wheel chair, they guy had to be about ninety. "She will be alright. The first shift is a bit jarring, but she will be fine."
My jaw creaked opened, "What is she?"
He smiled, he old eyes wrinkling. "A shifter. You were at the bonfire, weren't you?"
"…Yes."
"Did you listen to the ledged?"
"A bit…" I omitted the part when I'd gone on an assassin mission half way though.
"She is one of the legends - one who changes form by will." By will, not by force. Maybe she would be alright.
"You are her sister?" he asked.
"Yes. We're twins." I informed him.
"Humm…" he mused, "it is very rare for the shifter gene to only be passed down to one…" They didn't know I was a monster, thank god. "But stranger things have happened."
"W-will she be able to control it?" My voice quivered.
He gave me a funny look. "She already has controlled it. Unlike popular belief—she will not change into a blood thirst monster once a mouth. That's something else entirely. She can control it. Though her anger. Her emotions. From what I have been told - you attacked someone, and she stopped you. May I ask why?"
"No." my voice was steel and razor edged.
"Billy-" a new voice came. "Leave her alone, her sister is unconscious on our couch, give her a brake." In walked a guy about our age. He was taller then me with dark hair that curled slightly, the 'shifter' that had led us here and tried to talk to me at the bonfire.
The instant I knew what was going on I was taking Morrie and leaving. This place made us vulnerable, these people we strangers. The full moon was only a few weeks away.
The old man sighted a wheeled back down the hall. "Sorry about that, my uncle has a funny was of freaking people out… he's blunt with it."
I gave a sharp, bitter laugh. "So your related?"
"No, he's just… well he's everyone's uncle. I'm Theo by the way."
"Echo, and my sister is Morana," Crap, why did I tell him that?
Morrie moaned, her eyes fluttering. I scrambled to her side. "Hey, hey-" I whispered. "Its ok, Morrie. It's going to be ok." The bite in my voice was gone. I sounded hollow again.
"Echo?" she wishpered. "What happened?"
"Umm…" how do you tell some one this? I guess Billy had the right idea blunt is good. "You changed into a wolf when.." I sailed off.
Morrie bolted up. "What?! No!"
"Morrie- listen to me!" I shouted over her.
"No- no! I'm not a monster! I'm not!" She was sobbing now, her tears coming hot and fast. "I'm not like you!" she shrieked. I fell back, the hurt displayed on my face for everyone to see. I just stood there for a moment. I shook my head, the stony mask back in place. "Listen to me! You are nothing like me! You are not what I am! You control it! Morrie you aren't bound!" I yelled back at her hysterical cries. She stopped, meeting my eyes with her wide, scared gems. "You are not a monster." I told her, my voice deadly calm but my insides quivering. "You are not me. Morrie, you never will be." She fell against me and cried for a bit, hugging me.
"Morana! You need to tell my what he did to you!" I snapped, authority in my voice. We did not have time for crying. "Did he…"
"No- we just talked. Like I said. Why did you-" I held up a hand, glancing at Theo. "That is a conversation for another time. Not here." I helped her up, my shirt slipping off my shoulder. "Come on, were leaving." She nodded. I helped her up because her legs were still weak.
Theo jumped in front of us. "Whoa, there. Wait a second. You can't just take her. She's one of us."
"She's my sister." I growled.
"You take her off the reservation and we can't keep her safe," he told me, his gray eyes blazing.
"I've protected her for this long. I can keep it up." How dare he tell me I couldn't protect her? I - well, maybe he had a point. I couldn't protect he from myself for the rest of our lives. I lowered her back down.
"Echo?" she asked, her voce small and young. I looked out the window.
"Morrie. He's right. You have to stay here. I-I'll go to Canada- like our back up plan. If I were to hurt you-"
"But you never have."
"But I will eventually." I turned. Blinking my eyes fast as I stepped out the door. "Don't worry- I'm not leaving just yet. I've got one last thing to take care of," I walked out side.
"No!" she shrieked, following me out. "If you touch him-"
"You know what he did to me! To you! To mom and dad! How could you take his side? You don't even know him. I have to kill him. It's the only way."
"Whose is that speaking? My sister or the monster?" She snapped.
My voice was rough, like I'd swallowed nails. "Maybe a bit of both." I turned, heading back for the woods. I didn't look back, but every step was a knife twisted in my heart. I whipped a stray tear from my eye. She was safer there. I would hurt her eventually.