Echo

by H Waters

  Echo

  H. Waters

  I

  The early morning sun crept through the thin blinds of the bedroom window, waking me. I adjusted my position in the bed to reach for Dallas, keeping my eyes shut to avoid waking up even more. As my arm came lightly down, it passed through where Dallas should have been, instead landing on the warm, ruffled sheets.

  “Good morning, Echo,” Dallas said, buttoning up his gray work uniform.

  “I thought you didn’t work today,” I replied.

  “One of the convoys was attacked last night and a couple of the jeeps were damaged, but the city walls are impenetrable,” he said hesitantly. He seemed anxious; the Ghoul attacks had been worsening over the last couple of weeks.

  Softly I asked, “Why don’t we head west to Redwood? The attacks are only getting more frequent.”

  “We will discuss this tonight,” he mumbled, heading down the stairs.

  Downstairs Jake was chasing Lucy around with a foam sword, yelling out, “Come here, you ugly Ghoul!”

  Jake and I had never actually seen a Ghoul in person. We had only heard horrible stories from some of the families that came from the south.

  “Go put on some nice clothes,” I hollered to Jake from the kitchen. “We’re going to the market!”

  The market was located in the center of the city. The vendors there sold all kinds of goods, such as food, clothes and children’s toys. It was like the malls we use to have, but all outdoors.

  Walking down the street towards the center of town was always a haunting reminder of what things used to be like. The roads were weathered and cracked; these days they were only used for foot travel because civilians were forbidden to have automobiles. Some old office buildings remained broken and abandoned, taken over by vegetation.

  “Why are they doubling the amount of soldiers on the wall?” Jake asked as we walked next to the looming wall made of concrete and steel.

  “They’re just training new guards how to watch for Ghouls,” I lied, trying not to worry him about the increase in Ghoul activity. Two tall soldiers in their standard gray armor guarded the main entrance. Their sleek glassy helmets acted like mirrors, reflecting everything around them.

  “Have you ever seen a soldier take his helmet off?” asked Jake.

  “No, they have to keep them on when they are on duty,” I speculated.

  “Then how do we know they’re human? What if they’re robots?” he joked. We laughed for a while, then continued on our way down the broken road towards the market.

  Approaching the market we passed two statues, one on either side of the road, huge stone soldiers with red crosses painted across their chests. “I wish the soldiers still used swords like the ones in these statues, that would be a lot cooler,” Jake said, looking up at them.

  “Have you always assumed these were statues of our soldiers?” I laughed.

  “That’s what my friends say,” Jake responded, sounding very confused.

  “Well, your friends are wrong,” I told him with a smile, patting his head.

  “Who were they?” He pushed my hand away.

  “These statues were erected here years ago, way before we arrived, to honor an old guild of warriors who once protected Kata,” I explained, trying to sound as knowledgeable on the subject as possible. “They were much different than our soldiers.”

  Beyond the statues the looming skyscrapers ceased and the sun broke through. The streets were lined with smiling vendors and shop owners. A mass of smells flowed through the air. Freshly baked bread, spices, flowers and much more. As Jake ran to meet his friends at the coffee shop, I called after him in a soft yell, trying not to startle the surrounding people, “Do not leave the market!”

  Unlike Jake, Dallas and I had not tried to make many friends here in Kata, because in reality we were most likely not staying here much longer.

  While Jake ran about with his friends, I went to my usual stands and shops to collect our goods for the week. This month’s meat was pork. Every month the meat and produce changed so we wouldn’t thin out one type of livestock too much, keeping the risk of running low on food to a minimum.

  Waiting for the meat to be cut into portable chunks, I could overhear two women talking over at the next vendor. “Did you hear? Some of the Ghouls got close to the wall last night?” the women closest to me excitedly asked her friend.

  “No! But I heard the Ghouls are coming out sooner and are growing in numbers,” replied the second women.

  I grabbed my order of pork, and some random cuts of ground meat for Lucy.

  “Hey redhead!” a vendor called out.

  I looked around, and realizing he was talking to me I walked over. “Do I know you?”

  “No,” he laughed. “But, with all these attacks happening you best be prepared. What about buying some non-perishables in case you need to leave in a hurry?” With a crooked smile, he motioned to all of the stuff on his table. The scummy-looking salesman did have a point. I grabbed a couple of bags of dried fruit and nuts, paid the man and headed toward Jake. Dallas had better be ready to move to Redwood soon. Jake had already been through enough, and he didn’t need to see what was behind that wall.

  “Jake, time to head back, we have to feed the dog,” I softly told him as he was saying bye to his friends.

  “Mom, Luke was saying that the soldiers are having a harder time fighting the Ghouls every night and soon they’re going to break through the wall,” Jake confidently told me confidently as we were walking back through the statues.

  “How would he know such a thing?” I replied, too quickly.

  “His mother works in the security sector so she knows things like that,” he confidently exclaimed. “But there’s a train leaving for Redwood in a few days that no one really knows about,” he quickly added. “He said we should board the train and head towards Red Wood to be safe.”

  “Your father and I will discuss this later,” I replied sternly. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”

  As we entered the house Lucy jumped on Jake and took him to the ground. Dallas was sitting at the kitchen table looking very stressed, reading through loose papers that completely engulfed the cedar tabletop.

  “Jake, go play outside with Lucy,” I calmly instructed. “She’s been stuck inside all day.” Once I knew Jake was out of earshot I sat down with Dallas. “What happened today? Why are you so distraught?”

  Dallas quickly grabbed a folder of papers to his right and started to flip through a bunch of photos of the wall’s exterior. “A high-ranking officer came into the garage today to view the progress we’re making on the repairs for the recently attacked convoy. He left this folder behind and I was able to read it on break. Since the Ghouls’ numbers are growing and they can’t kill them fast enough, they are able to get to the wall. They have destroyed most of the south wall. I don’t know how much longer it will hold, but it’s going to come down sooner rather than later.”

  Panicking slightly, I replied, “Jake’s friend Luke says there’s a train leaving for Redwood in a couple days — is that true?”

  He stared out the window at the setting sun. “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to spook you or Jake, but I did overhear some people from work discussing it.”

  “Do you think we should go?” I asked.

  “I … I think it would be the safest thing to do, especially with a boy as young as Jake,” he replied, seeming a little stressed about leaving.

  “I know you’ve grown to like Kata, but it will be no different than when we left the old house to come here. I trust that we’re making the right decision.” I gave him a peck on the cheek.

  “You are probably right,” he agreed through a forced smile.

  The next three days were a blur. The number of Ghouls around the wa
lls at night began to grow rapidly. We couldn’t sleep because of the constant gun fire and spotlights, but Dallas went to work, Jake went to school, and I packed and prepared everything we would need to take on the long train ride to Redwood. When the third day reared its ugly head, Jake, Dallas and I grabbed our backpacks and said goodbye to Lucy. Animals like our border collie, Lucy, were not allowed on the train because they would take up too much room that could be used for humans. A couple next door, determined that the walls would never fall and the city was going to stand forever, were staying behind and were kind enough to take care of Lucy.

  Dallas calmly opened the front door. The smell of smoke replaced the fresh scent of the early morning air. People were flooding into the streets to see what was going on. In the distance flames danced across the gray sky as giant streams of fire cascaded down the wall, illuminating everything around them and then fading away again. The guards were using flamethrowers to get the climbing Ghouls off the walls.

  “What are they doing?” Jake asked with concern in his voice.

  “Those …” Dallas replied with deep sadness, “those are the last resort, when the hordes grow too strong and the guards have done everything they can, they turn to fire to try and destroy the Ghouls in large numbers.” He shut the door and we began heading into the street. Dallas pointed to an old rusty street sign that had a simple train on it and an arrow pointing ahead “We have to head for the train terminal now! We don’t have much time until the wall is breached.”

  The terminal was at least an hour’s walk from our home, and that was without all the people in the streets, or the threat of being ripped apart by Ghouls before we got there. “Why aren’t the Ghouls backing down?” I asked Dallas, pushing through the crowds of shocked and frightened people. “Sunrise is in a few hours.”

  “They’ve consumed the majority of the food sources beyond the walls and are growing hungry. They have to breach the wall or face starvation,” said Dallas. “We should stay along the wall to avoid the crowded streets and save time.”

  As we slowly approached the wall through the growing crowds, we could begin to hear the haunting screeches of Ghouls being burned alive. This was the first time Jake and I had heard Ghouls, and it was terrifying. With every step the screeching grew louder and louder, until it was so overwhelming I could barely think.

  “DO NOT TOUCH THE WALL!” Dallas screamed from behind us, attempting to yell louder than the worried crowd. Jake looked at me in confusion, and I was just as confused. Why couldn’t we touch the wall? Had my husband gone mad?

  Quickly we realized what he was talking about. As we forced our way out of the crowd and beside the wall the temperature was rising at an incredible rate, and standing next to the wall it felt as if we were standing in a fire.

  “Why is the wall so hot?” Jake asked Dallas.

  “The soldiers are using every flamethrower on the wall to keep the Ghouls at bay. If they keep this up the heat is going to weaken the steel and the wall will come down … we have to move fast.”

  I had no idea where to go from here, so Dallas took the lead. The terminal was on the other side of the city, and at this rate we would never make it there in time for departure. I never thought I would say this, but I would rather be pushing through the crowds of worried civilians than walking beside this wall. The sounds of the screeching, guards yelling, waves of gun fire, and flamethrowers were deafening. The heat from the flamethrowers made my skin feel like I was inside an oven. My backpack grew heavier with every step. I could only imagine how much pain Jake was in, since he was only a kid.

  “Once we board the train, how long will it take to reach Redwood?” I asked Dallas.

  “About seven hours,” he replied as he handed Jake the last of the water we brought. “Then we’ll be safe.”

  The heat radiating from the wall made every minute seem like an hour.

  A battalion of about thirty soldiers stormed past us, running towards the main entrance in the wall. Dallas stopped one of the slower soldiers. “What’s going on? What does it look like from the top?”

  The soldier replied sternly, “The front wall is taking too much weight from Ghouls climbing. The weight and heat are beginning to warp the steel in the wall. I suggest you keep moving.”

  Dallas let the guard pass and looked over at Jake and me with fear and worry in his eyes. We started to run, letting Jake lead the way so he could keep up, sweat dripping out of every pore, the heat wearing down my body. I felt like I was going to collapse, but I just kept running, desperately trying to visualize a cool spring morning to try and drown out this burning smoky one.

  In the distance the terminal came into sight. The large armored train was just pulling in. The crowd around the terminal was massive, with even more people wanting to get out than we anticipated. Approaching the terminal we heard a large crashing sound of twisting steel, crumbling concrete and explosions. Behind us, over the buildings, a large cloud of dust and fire ripped through the sky. The wall had fallen.

  II

  People started to freak out, pushing and shoving their way to the train cars like wild animals. The lady ahead of us was violently shoved to the ground, but people did not seem to care; they just stepped over and on her. We followed Dallas as he forced his way closer to the train. The screams of desperate people begging for sanctuary filled the air.

  We finally reached the edge of the platform, the giant armored train resting above us. One of the crew members yelled through the speaker system, “We have almost reached max capacity, only children are allowed to board at this moment.”

  We were still a few feet away from the door. Dallas tried to force his way to the doors to put Jake on the train, but the crowd was too thick. Dallas turned to Jake and said, with tears in his eyes, “You have to board without us. We will find another way to Redwood, even if we have to walk there. I’m going to throw you onto the platform, then you have to run as fast as you can into the open doors and find a seat. Do you understand?”

  “I can’t!” replied Jake.

  “Yes you can. Be strong, we will find you,” Dallas told him.

  “Are you sure this is the right thing to do?” I asked Dallas, my eyes beginning to swell with tears.

  “It is the only thing to do,” he replied in a depressed tone, not even making eye contact with me. I nodded. Dallas hugged Jake quickly.

  I grabbed Jake and pulled him close. “We love you and we will find you in Redwood,” I told him through tears, squeezing him tighter.

  “I know you will,” Jake replied, hugging me back. After the hug Dallas grabbed him and threw him as far as he could onto the terminal.

  Jake barely reached the platform. He looked around scared and confused with no idea where to go. “RUN TO THE OPEN DOORS AND STEAL A SEAT!” Dallas screamed. Jake quickly glanced around until he spotted the open train doors to car number sixty-six. He had a straight, clear path to the doors and he ran as fast as he could. Luckily the train staff was busy stopping the hordes of frightened civilians from climbing the terminal. He slipped into the car and disappeared from sight. I tried to hold back tears, thinking to myself, What if this is the last time I ever see my son?

  In the distance, towards the market, sirens began to blare. Then the train doors shut. The train slowly pulled away, as the giant metal gates opened to let it pass through to the world outside the city.

  Jake was on his way to a safe place free from all this chaos and carnage, I thought to myself.

  Pushing our way to the edge of the crowd away from all the crying and screaming, Dallas turned to me and said with anger in his eyes, “The loud siren we just heard, that means the city has been breached. The Ghouls are here.”

  Trying to sound calm, I replied, “Where are we going to go? How will we get to Jake?”

  “Sunrise is not far away, we need to stay outdoors and wait. Hopefully the Ghouls don’t have time to make it to this side of the city before sunlight. Once they retreat into the darkness of the buildings a
nd we’re safe, we can worry about finding our way to Redwood.”

  Dallas led the way back down our earlier path. “Where are we heading?” I asked him.

  “There’s an old weapons cache under the church. I saw it on the blueprints at work,” he mumbled quickly. “The church is only a fifteen-minute walk from the terminal. It will likely be safer to walk down the old highway — stay close, and if you see a Ghoul don’t scream, just point.” We turned off the path towards the highway.

  As we walked, the intense heat from the wall began to give way to the cool morning. Approaching the old concrete highway I saw what he meant: with four lanes on each side of the road we could see the area around us and not get ambushed. All but a few of the street lights were burned out, but it was still better than the path. We hopped the short wire fence that lined the highway. Grass and weeds could be seen forcing their way through the concrete of the highway, fresh morning dew dripping off them. The lines of old cars were tangled in long, crooked vines.

  Once we’d climbed the overpass we could see much farther into the city: the ominous red glow in the distance, the silhouette of the toppled wall. The screams and cries of the terrified people from the terminal had faded and been replaced with the spine-tingling howl of the Ghouls. The odd gunshot would ring through the air before fading back to silence.

  “Come on Echo, I know it’s scary but we have to keep moving,” Dallas said, calmly grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the overpass. I was in so much shock I didn’t even know I had stopped to look. “The church is just ahead.”

  As we got closer to the church the gunshots got louder and more frequent. Dallas stopped me and pulled me behind an old pickup truck.

  “What’s wrong?” I tried to whisper, but it came out as more of a soft panicked scream. “Do you see a Ghoul?”

  “Look,” he said softly, pointing towards the sound of the gunshots. Ahead I could make out the church’s large bell tower. As the dim morning light began to creep up, a horde of easily seventy Ghouls was running towards the church.