1The night was filled with only the soft clop clopping of footsteps on the worn concrete. The source of these footsteps was a girl no older than 14, running to a small apartment. She went into Room 6, and sighed in relief when she saw her brother and their mom sitting on the couch together. She had been worried that her mom would have snuck out of the apartment, and lose her way home.
Her mother was losing her memory. Alarmingly fast. Just the day before, she had forgotten Echo's name. Lydia's brother, Echo, had already talked about putting their mother in a nursing home.
"Lydia, I'm getting tired of this! Mom doesn't even remember me anymore! She doesn't even remember Dad! W-what are we gonna do? I don't think… I don't think she's been the same since all of this started happening. What if she forgets who I am, and calls the cops, thinking I'm an intruder? What then?" Echo asked, alarmed.
"Echo, please calm down. I'm fine," their mom insisted, startling them.
"You always say that when Lydia's around. It isn't fair! You remember things when she's here but when it's only me here you forget everything!" Echo replied angrily.
Lydia and her mother exchanged a look. They had hoped they'd never have to tell him, that they could keep Lydia's secret for as long as they lived, but they were wrong. Secrets have to be told eventually, otherwise everyone else around you suffers. And they definitely didn't want that.
"Echo, honey, hear us out on this. Please," their mom pleaded.
"...Fine," Echo said.
"When your sister's around, she makes me remember everything, that much is true. But, that doesn't mean that you should be jealous of her. Shouldn't you be happy?" their mom asked.
"I… don't understand," Echo replied.
"Here, mom, let me explain it," Lydia insisted. Her mom nodded. "What she was trying to say was that my… powers help her remember things. We've never told you this but I have powers. I can see everyone's deepest, darkest secret by looking at them."
Her brother froze, shocked. "S-s-so you can-" he stuttered, but was unable to finish his sentence.
"Yes," Lydia replied, already knowing what he was going to ask, "I can see what yours is, too."
Echo's eyes widened. "Then why don't you hate me?" he asked.
"Because I know that mom would forgive you for it, so why shouldn't I?" she replied, smiling.
"What is your secret, anyway?" their mom asked gently.
"I-I…" Echo stuttered, "I killed someone."
"What?!" she yelled.
Echo winced. "He deserved it! A boy in my grade pushed another student in front of a car. He and his friends laughed about it, and left before anyone could determine if she was alright. The police said she was dead. The next day, I asked the boy if he knew what happened to the girl he pushed in front of the car. He laughed and said she was probably at home, being a wimp over a broken ankle or something. I told him she was dead. He said she deserved it. I grabbed him by the arm and led him to the road. I said, 'Were you the one who had to experience being pushed in front of something that could kill you, without warning? Were you the one laughed at when killed?!
Were you the one who looked at someone before your death, knowing that they are truly a monster? That they shouldn't have been born on this world because of the sins they've commited! No, you haven't. Want me to show you?' And I pushed him in front of a bus filled with his fellow students. And I laughed at the horror-stricken look on his face when the bus swerved but was unable to avoid him, and how he looked into the eyes of his fellow students expecting pity, but only getting hatred and looks that only said, 'serves him right.' He died that day. And nobody came to his funeral."
His mother gawked at him, then she asked, "What's his secret now, Lydia?"
"He doesn't have one," Lydia replied, smiling.
"I can't believe you kept that from me! You should have told me before you went off and did that… but I'm proud of you. I can't imagine what it would be like to live with that on your mind for years," their mom said, hugging Echo. "We should tell the principal what you did though," she whispered.
"No! It was hard just telling you guys! I wouldn't be able to tell the principal!" Echo exclaimed.
"We'll be with you, it'll be fine. Please, they need to know what happened," his mother insisted.
Echo shook his head. "N-no, I won't tell them," he said. Lydia watched in horror as Echo's secret reappeared, but it was new. Wants to run away.
"Running away from home won't help you," Lydia said, "it'll only make things worse. We'd miss you, and that would make us worry."
His secret nearly faded from above his head, but then suddenly it came back, glowing red.
"I don't care," Echo replied.
"Then leave," their mom said harshly. "But at least let me help you pack."
"I'll help too," Lydia muttered, and as a family they helped Echo pack his things to leave. Although he was only the same age as Lydia, he stayed strong on his decision to leave even though his own family seemed to not care if he left. But they really did care. They just didn't show it, and figured he'd have been worse off if they didn't know he was leaving and he quickly packed up a few things, not thinking straight.
"There," Lydia said when they were done packing. She looked at Echo, noticing his secret had disappeared. At first she thought that he had changed his mind, but then remembered that it wasn't really a secret anymore that he was running away if he knew someone knew about it. She sighed, it was truly saddening that he was really going to leave them. And it's all my fault, she thought.