Echoes Part VII

By Melanie Ezell

New revelations and an unexpected encounter bring Miriam's confusion and anger to a head. Something has to be done... but what?

(Note: This set of chapters has a murder scene. It's not all that intense, but those who are a little squeamish about such things might wanna be careful. From this point on, the maturity rating of the chapters ramps up a bit.)

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Chapter 16: Night of the Living Dead

“–Wake up. Come on, sleepy head, it’s time for school!”

“Wha?”

“And isn’t that Wight boy walking you to school today?”

“George!” With a jolt, Marina was up and out of bed, rushing to get dressed.

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“Where is he?” Marina tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for George to arrive and pick her up. They had been going out officially for almost three weeks now, and not once had he been late to walk with her. “Where could he be?”

If she waited any longer for that boy, she would be late for school, and she knew it. Reluctantly she set out on her own for the long walk, still wondering what could have happened to her boyfriend.

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Marina slowed down drastically when she saw what awaited her at the doors to her school. Line upon line of people picketing the building... and all of them black. She had never had a problem with blacks, what little she had dealt with them, but after hearing the news about the race riots in Chicago earlier in the year, she couldn't help but back away from the angry mob before her. She watched as several of her friends turned away from the scene and started back for home - no one felt like going to school today.

For Marina, though, home did not feel like the right option. She wasn't sure how she felt about the race issue that was causing such a stir - weren't their own facilities supposed to be equal already? - but she knew if she went home, her mom would want to talk to her about why she was home early, and about what the people were doing. Her mom had said quite often over the last few months that she felt like nothing would be better until the blacks had everything the whites did, which often caused fights between her and Marina's father, and she didn't want to get caught in the middle of THAT again, with both parents trying to get her to agree with their view.

Instead, she set out for The Banks, in hopes that the cool water would help her to think about things. Mostly, though, she hoped that George would be there. Seeing the picket at school had told her exactly why he hadn't been by that morning to walk with her; his family helped a lot of businesses in the black section of town, so she knew his family would probably be supporting whatever was going on. It was a slim chance, but he just might be there, laying low while his parents took care of whatever it is they did.

She took her time walking along the park paths, enjoying being out in the fresh air on a school day, rather than cooped up in one of those tiny classrooms listening to a teacher drone on about geography or whatever. She started thinking about what she would do when she ran into George at The Banks, and what she would say to him.

"George! I didn't know you were gonna be here!"

No, that wouldn't do.

"George! I'm so glad I found you!"

No, too needy.

"Hey!"

No, too --

"Hey, Marina!"

She shook her head and looked around, trying to locate the voice that had been calling her, though when she found it she was less than happy.

"Oh. Hello Sam."

Samuel Prince had had a crush on her for as long as she could remember, and no matter how many times she told him "no" he still never seemed to understand that she didn't like him. There was just something... creepy about him, and she always felt uncomfortable when he was around. It was just her luck that he would find her out here.

"I've been following you since the school," he said as he continued to approach her with his trademark cocky swagger that everyone at school hated.

"I'd really rather be alone for a while, if that's okay." Marina didn't trust him at all, especially with no one else around, and the way he was leering at her only added to her discomfort.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Not with everything that's going on. A girl like you could get in trouble, out all alone."

"I think I've changed my mind. I'm just gonna go home." Marina tried to walk around Samuel and back the way she had came, but his hand came out and grasped her arm tightly.

"Nah, don't worry. With me here, nothin' bad's gonna happen. Let me walk you to The Banks."

"No, please...." Marina tried to pull away, but Prince was too strong. She was getting more scared by the second, and couldn't even scream as he pulled her down the path and into the woods. *George, where are you?*

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George wasn't there.

Samuel had kept his relentless grip on her arm all the time they had walked down the path, and Marina knew she would have bruises on her arm where he had been squeezing her. She had tried to pull away, she had tried to tell him to stop, but he wouldn't listen to her. She tried to make herself scream, but she was too scared -- she could barely make a whisper.

All the way to The Banks, she had prayed desperately that George would be there, waiting for her. If he was there, she would be safe, and Samuel would have to let her go.

But George wasn't there.

Samuel had dragged her out to the edge of the shallowest part of The Banks, slippery with slime and water from the quickly moving river, and had then spun her around to face him. With his hand still holding a death grip on her arm, he had inched closer and closer, until finally his clammy lips were pressed against hers, and she could taste his nasty, meaty breath.

She wanted to vomit. She wanted to run. She wanted to do anything but kiss this... TOAD in front of her. Pulling on all her will, she pushed him back as hard as she could. It was enough to jerk them apart, and as soon as she was free of his disgusting grip, she raised her free hand and slapped him hard.

A look of shock appeared in his eyes as Samuel stared down at her, and she thought for a moment that maybe now he would let her go. Instead, the shock quickly turned to anger, and she felt his fingers dig deeper into her arm as his face reddened with rage.

"You stupid bitch! Think you're too good for me, huh? Huh!"

He was shaking her now, and no matter what she did, she couldn't pull away. She finally found her voice enough to scream, but as soon as the sound left her mouth his fist impacted her face, silencing her.

"Let's see if your George likes you after I'm through with you." He hit her, again and again, as she scratched at him and tried to pull away.

She was sure he would beat her to death when she flailed upwards with her foot and managed to find the juncture of his legs. She heard him roar as he let go of her arm and stopped hitting her, doubling over in pain. Unfortunately, losing both the support of his grip and her foot beneath her sent Marina toppling backwards into the shallow water.

*I'm away from him!* She wanted to scream in relief as she plummeted into the river, when suddenly a sharp crack to the back of her head brought searing pain.

The last thing Marina Fallon saw as the darkness engulfed her and she sunk beneath the water was the form of Samuel Prince as he turned around and fled from the rocks, never looking back at her.

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Miriam's eyes snapped open as she clawed at her throat in a panic to release the pressure of the water filling her lungs.   Except, there was no water, only the room full of women she had been in before.   She didn't scream this time -- instead, she pulled herself into a ball, hoping no one noticed her.

From the crowd of women surrounding her emerged the girl in the school uniform again.   Miriam recognized the uniform now, and knew who the girl was.   Even here, the sight of her brought a rush of memories to Miriam that were not her own.   This time, instead of being pristine and beautiful as she had been before, the girl's uniform was torn and wet, her hair stringy, and her skin a nasty blue-white tint.   Miriam could just see the edges of a pulpy matted mass at the back of her head, and as she stood before her the water and blood pooled at her feet.
"W-why?"   Miriam heard herself ask.

"It's the curse.   It's always been the curse."   Water dripped from Marina's mouth as she spoke.

"What curse!   And what am I supposed to do about it?"

"That's what you'll have to figure out."   Marina's eyes closed, and as Miriam watched her form changed back into the beautiful young girl Miriam had first seen.   "I've only been trapped here a short time, and I haven't yet started to fade, but it won't be long.   A strong emotional connection to our deaths seems to keep some of us here longer than others," she said as she glanced at the pile of rags in the corner, "but most of us seem to fade after about fifty years.   The older spirits that were still here when I arrived told me the curse has been around for over four hundred years, but nobody knows why it started any more.   All we know is that every time we come of age and connect with our soul mate... we die."

  "But what am I supposed to do about it?"

Marina shrugged.   "We're not sure.   All we know is that you're the first of us to have a chance to break the curse."

"I got that, but how?"

Marina shrugged again.   "Live."

Miriam tried to say something more, but her world started to spin about her as yet again the grey mist closed in and engulfed her.

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Miriam sat bolt upright in her bed and gasped.   She quickly swept her gaze over her room, checking to make sure she was really herself and in her own bed.   There was her desk, there was her mirror... and there, sitting by her dresser, was her father's guitar on its tripod stand.   Her mom and dad must have put it in after she went to bed, she realized, knowing that playing helped her to feel better.

Glancing at the clock, she saw the time to be only two in the morning.   Too late to play -- she might wake her parents.   Besides, there was too much she needed to think about.   Why was she cursed?   Was this all some kind of weird dream?   Was the Prince that drowned her back then related to the Prince she knew?

  There was so much to go over, and so many questions.   She knew she was missing something, probably a lot of things, but what?   And there was something else....

  "Crap!"   She threw her covers off and jumped from her bed, sliding her hand down her front to see if the changes from in the fog had really happened.   When she reached the top of her panties, she stopped, unsure if she even wanted to know, then with a grimace slid her hand inside.

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Cary half yawned half cursed as he noticed the display on his digital alarm clock.   Two in the morning?   Why had he woke up so early?   He could remember some strange dream about going to Miriam's house and looking for her but not being able to find her, only her parents had been different, and so had the town.   There had been something about a protest or something, and then he heard her scream -- and that's what had woke him up, he remembered, Miriam's scream.

For a brief moment he considered calling her and making sure she was okay, but shook the idea off as silly.   Her mom would KILL him if he called her this late, and she wouldn't be too happy to be shook awake either.   *Doesn't keep me from wanting to, though, if just to hear her voice.*

With another yawn, Cary rolled over and tried to force himself back to sleep, knowing the sooner he did so the sooner his alarm would go off, and the sooner he really would get a chance to see Miriam again.

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Chapter 17: Aftermath

Felicity did a double take as she watched her child enter their den with a bowl of cereal in hand.   Gone was the bandage from the day before, and in its place she was happy to see that Miriam was using something much more comfortable and reasonable, though she knew a warning was in order.

"Honey?"

"Yeah?"   Miriam asked around a mouth full of Chocky-Frosty Ohs.

"If you're gonna wear a dark colored bra, you need to wear a dark colored shirt on top of it, too."

Felicity's expression never changed as she watched the look of abject horror descend on Miriam's face.   She had promised a long time ago that she would never laugh at her child for mistakes he didn't know he made.

  But it was a close thing.  

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*Stupid bra.   I should have just used the wrapping again this morning.   Why was I so stupid?   Stupid stupid stupid!*

But Miriam knew why.   After the night before, the idea of wearing such a feminine garment seemed practically normal, and the bandage had been far less comfortable.

Cary was already waiting on the steps of the front porch when Miriam opened the door, and after a rapid greeting the two set out for school.

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“So, umm… how’d you sleep last night?”

“Good… you?”

“Oh, uh, fine. Weird dreams, though.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it was like back in the sixties or something, and I came by your house, only it wasn’t yours… it’s really hard to explain. Hey, are you alright?” Cary asked worriedly when he saw how pale Miriam had gone.

“Uh huh! Fine! Why wouldn’t I be fine? Weird dream, huh? Heh, I’d say just forget it, it doesn’t mean anything, I mean really, why would you dream that? I think it’s best for everyone if we just... oh, look, Lindy! LINDY, OVER HERE!”

As he watched Miriam run off, Cary shook his head and decided there was no way in the world he would ever understand girls. Or Miriam. Whatever.

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“LINDY, OVER HERE!”

“Huh?” Lindy turned away from Jonathan to see Miriam sprinting towards her, leaving Cary standing back with a confused look on his face. “Oh, hey. What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing really, just… so, yeah. Oh, hi Jonathan.”

“Uh, hi.” Jonathan waved to Miriam with a bewildered look on his face. Lindy had to agree with that look; she had no idea why Miriam was acting so weird.

“So, umm…” Miriam glanced behind herself, and quickly turned around again, rushing past when she saw Cary approaching. “Lindy, can we talk for a bit, please?”

“Oh… kay?” Curious, Lindy followed her friend’s brisk pace. Oh, she just HAD to find out what was going on with this.

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“Alright, Miriam, we’re away from the big bad boys, what’s going on?”

“He’s having them too!”

“Who’s having what now?”

“Cary’s having the same kind of weird dreams I am! Only he isn’t me in them, he’s him.”

“Ah. Well, that explains EVERYthing. What dreams?”

“The ones about who I was in the past! He’s there too, and he’s seeing them!”

“He is? But, wait, no, he can’t. I mean, Cary wasn’t up on stage and wasn’t hypnotized or anything, so why would he be having the same things happening to him that are happening to you?”

“Because we’re soul mates.” Miriam blushed at the admission, embarrassed to be saying such a thing even to Lindy.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit early for ya’ll to be saying something like that?”

“Lindy! He’s… I think he’s been my… boyfriend… before. A lot.”

“You mean?”

“Yeah.” Miriam nodded, as Lindy’s face twisted into an expression of comprehension.

“Huh. Wow.”

Miriam nodded. “I know. And, Lindy? There’s something else.”

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Lunch time came quickly, and Cary was more than happy to leave his classes for a while and not have to pretend to be listening to the teachers drone on while he tried to think.

What was going on with Miriam? THIS time? She’d been avoiding him all day again — she seemed to be doing that a lot lately, come to think of it. *I mean, I know the whole hypnotism thing has her messed up right now, but come on, this is ridiculous.* The thought passed through his mind that perhaps she didn’t like him any more, but he quickly dismissed that idea. They had been friends forever, and he was almost certain that Miriam would be more open with him than that.

But with how much things had changed between them recently, how could he be sure?

Before Cary could truly think deeply on that question, however, a nearby voice distracted him.

Miriam.

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Miriam’s arm was really starting to hurt, but there was no way to pull it from the grip that Sandra had on it. “Please, let me go, you’re hurting me!”

“Miriam, I’m sorry, but what were you thinking? You nearly gave me a heart attack!” Sandra’s grip lessened, but only slightly as she gave Miriam a worried look.

“I, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I wasn’t paying attention and-“

“You’ve been going to this school for months now and never made that mistake before. Miriam, is everything alright?”

“What’s going on? Miriam, are you okay?” Miriam looked around, and there was Cary, approaching quickly and staring at the spot where Sandra’s grip had again become rock solid.

“Cary,” Sandra started, seeing the anger start to rise to his cheeks, “maybe you know what’s going on. Please, keep an eye on him, before he gets himself hurt. You’re lucky it was me who saw you,” she said, turning back to face Miriam, “there are some people around here who woulda hurt you if they'd been there.”

“I know, thanks,” Miriam told her honestly as her grip released. “I’ll be more careful.”

“Good. Last thing I need is for you to be hurt and Lindy to take it out on me.” Sandra tried to smile, but it was obviously forced. “I’ll see ya later.”

“Okay.”

“What happened?” Cary asked when he reached Miriam, his voice full of concern.

Miriam winced, recalling Sandra’s screech as the door to the restroom had swung open and she had turned to see who was walking in. "Nothing. Just... nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I just ran into her when she wasn't expecting me."

It was obvious Cary wanted to know more, and was still worried, but the last thing Miriam wanted was to think about what had happened any more.

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"He did what?"

"Just walked right in and was heading towards the stalls. If I hadn't screamed I don't think he woulda ever noticed."

Lindy rubbed her eyes and tried to come up with some excuse for Miriam, but the building headache pounding behind her eyes was making it hard to think straight. How had she ever gotten mixed up in this to begin with?

"-n't think it's a good idea for them to make it so obvious, either, with how much they already get picked on, an-"

Lindy tried to listen as Sandra droned on, but it just didn't matter. She HAD to talk to Miriam... now.

"Don't you agree?"

"Huh?"

"About them, you know, dating?"

"Yeah, sure. Hey, I gotta go. I'll talk to ya later, 'kay?"

"Yeah... alright." Sandra gave Lindy a sideways glance, but Lindy ignored it.

She had more important things to deal with.

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Alright, so maybe it wasn't the most dignified lunch that Miriam had ever had, but the group managed to make it through without any mention of the bathroom faux pas.

"So what're we doing this afternoon? I ain't got any more homework, so 'm ready to do somethin'," Jonathan said around a mouthful of the school's special Thursday Shepherd's Pie.

Miriam stared at Jonathan, pondering how anybody could actually EAT the school's Shepherd's Pie, before answering. "We're going to see The Amazing Gordon again."

"Hmm? The amazing who?"

"It's the guy who hypnotized Miriam," Lindy said, seeing the confusion on Jonathan's face.

"Ah," he nodded, remembering what Cary had told him. "Think he can help you figure out what's goin' on?"

Miriam's chin and hand met, propped upon the table. "I hope so."

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(End of Chapter 17 and Echoes Part VII)

NOTES: Alright, so I broke my supposed "schedule" for posting new chapters, but trust me, I have a good reason.

As I write this story, I'm doing it in "parts" of ten chapters each, similar to the acts of a play. Well, the last chapter I posted was fifteen, which is only halfway through act II. So, here's how the change in plans is gonna work:

-I'm going to post the chapters as I write them/get them test read until the end of Chapter 20, at which time NO MORE CHAPTERS SHOULD GET RELEASED UNTIL THE STORY IS FINISHED. It shouldn't be too much of a cliff hanger at the end of that chapter, but it will be a transitional spot, after which there will probably be another ten to twenty chapters before the story is finished. And no, I don't plan on the next 23 chapters total to take me years to write -- barring major problems, we might be seeing the last chapters of "echoes" posted by mid 2011.

A big thanks goes out to John in Wauwatosa for test reading these things for me and letting me know what he thinks of the story as it comes along. There have been a lot of times when he's pointed out little things I've written that have become much more important or were more telling than I ever would have guessed, and without his assistance this story would be a lot less mysterious as well as a lot less coherent, so "Thank you, John!"

Chapter 18: The Curse What Did It To 'Em -- Coming Soon to a Big Closet near you!