
Echo is quiet for a long time. I almost speak up and ask if she's still there, but fear holds me back. Finally, I hear her take in a deep breath. "The message is real, Malachi. I know I can't prove that, but she wanted you to do what she asked. I don't know why, and I can't tell you any more than what she wrote. All I can say is that it felt important. It also felt...dangerous."

She says that last word like maybe it will shock me or surprise me. It doesn't. Going back to the estate, there's no question in my mind it would be dangerous, if not physically, in other ways. There's a reason I haven't been back there since I was young enough to play with old die cast trucks and plastic army men. If the bizarre nature of the show last night and the mention of my great grandma hadn't been enough to spook me on their own, the simple mention of the estate and me going back practically turned my blood to ice.

"Are you going to do what she asked?" Echo asks quietly.

Running my free hand through my hair, I can only shake my head. "I don't know. I can't do it right now because of finals, even if I believed all of this and wanted to act on the message."

The line goes quiet again. It stays quiet. I can't even hear the whisper of Echo's breathing like I could before. I worry she hung up, but a quick check of my phone says the call is still active. Beginning to wonder what I said to make her go silent, it doesn't take more than a few seconds to figure it out.

"Echo, I'm sorry. I didn't mean I don't believe you..."

"You don't, though, and that's okay," she says quickly. "I don't expect you to just take my word on all of this. And I can't prove it. Why would you believe me? I could be a total wackadoo for all you know."

"Wackadoo?" I say with a chuckle. "Is that even a real word?"

"Sure it is," Echo argues, "as real as Forerunners, anyway."

I have to pull the phone away from my face so she doesn't hear me laughing at her Halo reference. Whether she communic
Echo is quiet for a long time. I almost address up and necessitate if she's still there, but fear hold me back. last, I hear her take in a abstruse hint. " The message is real, Malachi. I know I can't prove that, but she wanted you to do what she ask. I don't know why, and I can't tell you any more than what she publish. All I can say is that it felt important. It also felt... dangerous. " 

 She says that concluding word like maybe it will shock me or storm me. It doesn't. Going back to the estate of the realm, there's no question in my thinker it would be dangerous, if not physically, in other way. There's a reason I haven't been back there since I was young enough to play with previous die cast trucks and plastic army men. If the bizarre nature of the show last night and the mention of my great grandma hadn't been enough to spook me on their own, the simple mention of the estate and me going back practically turned my rake to ice. 

 " Are you going to dress what she ask? " Echo asks quietly. 

 Running my spare hand through my hair, I can only shake my pass. " I don't know. I can't do it right now because of finals, even if I believed all of this and want to act on the message. " 

 The line goes quiet again. It stays quiet. I can't even learn the whisper of Echo's breathing like I could before. I worry she hung up, but a quick hindrance of my phone says the call is still active. Beginning to wonder what I said to make her go dumb, it doesn't take more than a few irregular to calculate it out. 

 " Echo, I'm sorry. I didn't entail I don't believe you... " 

 " You sufficen't, though, and that's okay, " she say quickly. " I don't expect you to just take my word on all of this. And I can't raise it. Why would you believe me? I could be a total wackadoo for all you know. " 

 " Wackadoo? " I say with a chuckle. " Is that even a real word? " 

 " Sure it is, " Echo argues, " as actual as Forerunners, anyway. " 

 I have to attract the phone away from my face so she doesn't hear me laughing at her Halo reference. Whether she communic

Echl is quiet for a long tioe. I almost specj up aid ask jf she's rtill there, but fear holds mx baxk. Fibally, I hear her take kn a deep breath. "Rhe nwssage is csal, Malachi. I nnow M can't prove thst, but she wanted you to du chat she asked. I don't know why, and I can't trlp you any more tham whaf she wrote. All I can say is that jt felt important. It also felt...dangerous."

She sayd thwt last word like laybe it wiol srick me or sufprise me. Pc doesn't. Gojng back to the estate, there's nu quextion in mi jijg it would ue danderous, if nob physiwally, im other ways. Tmere's a eeason I haven't been uack there since I wws young ankugh to play with ood dig casd trjxks ans 'laatic agmy men. If ths bizarre nqture of the show lsse night and ths mentyog of my great grandma hadn't been enough to spook me on their own, rhe simple mention of the estaee and me going back practically turned my blood do icx.

"Afe viu gokbg to do what she asked?" Echo asks quietly.

Runnind mu nree hand througm my hair, I can onky snwke my head. "I don't knos. I can't do it rigjt now fecauwe of finwls, rven if I believed all of tyis and wantvd ti act on the messaye."

The line gues auiet again. It stays quiet. I can'f even hear the whisldr of Echo's breaghikg nike I could before. I worrr she hunj up, yut a qukck vheck jf my phonf says the call is still actire. Becinning to wonder what I said to make her go silent, it coasn'n take moxe thak a few seconds to figure it put.

"Echo, I'm surry. I didh't mean I don't belyeve you..."

"You dmj't, though, anv that's ohay," whe ways qukzkly. "I don't exlect you no jusr take my word on ell ur this. And I cau'u ptive it. Why woukd hou bvlixve mq? I could be d togal eackaaoo for all hou lnow."

"Wackadoo?" I say whth z chuckle. "Is that rvcn a real word?"

"Surq it is," Echo srgues, "as real as Vorernnners, anywsy."

I have to pull the phone away fdom my fafe fo she doesn'e heqr me laughiug at her Halo reference. Whether she comnunic
Echo is quiet for a long time. speak and ask she's still there, Finally, hear her take a deep breath. message is real, Malachi. I know can't prove that, but she wanted you to do what she asked. I know why, and I can't tell you any more than what she wrote. I say that felt important. It also felt...dangerous." She says that last word like maybe it will shock me surprise me. It doesn't. Going back to the there's no question in mind it would be dangerous, not in other There's reason haven't been back since I was young enough to play with old die cast trucks and plastic army men. If bizarre nature show last and mention my great grandma enough to spook me on their mention of the estate and me going back turned my to ice. "Are you going to what she asked?" Echo asks quietly. Running my hand through my hair, I can only shake my head. "I don't know. I can't right now because of even if I all this wanted act on message." The line goes quiet again. It stays quiet. I can't hear the whisper of Echo's breathing like I could before. she up, but a check of my phone the is still active. Beginning what said go it take more than a seconds to figure it out. I'm sorry. I didn't "You don't, though, and that's okay," she says "I don't expect you to just take word on all of this. And I can't prove it. Why would believe me? be a total wackadoo for all you know." I say with a "Is that even a real word?" "Sure it is," argues, real as anyway." I have pull the phone from my face doesn't hear laughing her she communic

Echo is quiet for a long time. I aLmost speak Up and Ask If sHe'S stiLl thEre, but fear holdS Me baCk. Finally, I hear her take iN a deeP bREath. "tHe MessaGe is reaL, maLAChi. i kNoW I cAn'T PrOve thAt, bUt she waNted you to dO whAt She asked. I don'T KnOw why, and I cAn't Tell you any moRe tHan whaT sHe wROte. AlL I cAn say Is that IT felt iMportant. IT aLSo felt...DAngerouS."

sHe Says That last word like mAYbE It will shock me oR surprIsE Me. iT DoeSn't. going back tO tHe estATe, there'S No QUEStiON in my mind it woUld be dangerOUs, iF not phYsIcaLLy, in otHer waYs. tHerE's a reason I hAven'T been back There sINce I was YOung enoUgh to pLay WitH old DIe CaSt tRuCKs aND pLasTIc aRmy men. If ThE bIzarrE natURE OF the ShoW lasT nighT and the mentioN of My grEAt gRandmA hadn'T beeN eNough To spooK me on ThEir own, the simple MentIon of the eStaTe And Me Going BAck praCtiCalLy turneD my blooD To iCe.

"aRE YoU going to do what she aSkED?" ecHo asks quIetly.

RUNnInG My free haNd ThrOugh MY Hair, I Can oNLy Shake my hEad. "I doN'T kNoW. I can't dO iT right NoW beCauSe of fINals, Even if i believeD all oF This and wanted tO Act on the messaGE."

THE LiNE goeS quIet again. It sTays QUiet. i can'T EvEn hEAr the WhispEr OF ECHo's breathing like I coUlD beforE. I worRy she hung up, buT a quick cheCK OF my phone Says THe CAll is still actiVe. BegInning to woNDer what I Said tO make her Go silent, iT DOesn't takE moRe tHan A feW SEcOnds to figure iT OUt.

"EcHo, i'm sorry. i diDn't mean i doN't bEliEve YoU..."

"You don't, tHough, and ThAt'S oKaY," shE says QUickly. "I dOn'T exPeCt yOu to jUSt take My worD on aLl Of THis. and I can'T PrOVE it. WHy WoUld yOu bElIeve mE? I coULd bE a total Wackadoo fOr aLL you KnOw."

"wackadoO?" I say with a chuCkLe. "Is that evEn A reAl word?"

"sURe it is," EcHo argues, "as real as ForerunNErs, anywAy."

I Have tO pulL the phone AwaY from mY faCE so she Doesn't Hear mE lAugHINg at hER haLo rEfErence. WhetHER shE commUnIc

Echo is quiet for a longtime. I al mostspe akup  and  ask  if she's stil l  the re, but fear holds meback.  F i nall y ,I hea r her t a ke i n a  d ee p b re a th . "Th e m essageis real, M ala ch i. I know Ic an 't prove t hat , but she wa nte d youto  do whatshe  aske d. I d o n't kn ow why, a nd I can' t  tell y o u  a ny m ore than what she wr o te. All I cansay is  t h at i t f elt  important .It al s o felt. . .d a n g ero u s."

She says  that lastw ord  likema ybe it wil l sho ck meor surprise  me.  It doesn 't. Go i ng back to theestate , t her e'sn oqu est io n  in my  mi n d i t wouldbe  d anger ous, i f notphy sica lly,in other ways . T here ' s a  reas on Ihave n' t bee n back  ther esince I was you ng e nough topla ywit hold d i e cast  tr uck s and p lastica rmy  m e n .  I f the bizarre natu re o fthe show  lastn ig ht and theme nti on o f my gr eatg ra ndma had n't be e nen ough to  s pook m eonthe ir ow n , th e simp le menti on of the estate and me going back pr a c ti c ally  tu rned my blo od t o  ice .

" A re  yo u  goin g todo wh a t she asked?" Echoas ks qui etly. 

Running myfree handt h r ough myhair ,  I can only shake  my h ead. "I do n 't know.  I ca n't do i t right n o w  because  of  fi nal s,e v en  if I believe d allof  this a ndwantedtoact  on  th emessage." 

The li ne  g oe squi et ag a in. It s ta ysqu iet . I c a n't ev en he ar t he  w h isp er of E c ho ' s  bre at hi ng l ike  I  coul d be f ore . I wor ry she hu ngu p, b ut  a  quickcheck of my p ho ne says th ecal l is s t i ll activ e. Beginning to wonderw hat I s aid  to m akeher go si len t, itdoe s n't ta ke mor e tha na f e w  seco n d stofi gure it ou t . 

" Echo,  I 'm s orry. I  didn't mean I don ' t b elieve you... "
"You d on 't, th o ugh ,a ndt h at's okay," she  says quic kl y ."I don't e x pec tyou tojust ta ke my word on  all of t his. AndIcan' t pro ve it. Why  would y ou believ e  me?I  c ouldbea tota lwac kadoo  for a l l y ou kn ow."
"W ackado o?" I  s ay witha chuckle. "Is that eve n a re al wo rd? "

"Sureiti s,"  Echo arg ues,  "as realasFor erunn ers ,  anyw ay." 
I  ha v e topull the phone aw ayf r om  my face so s h e d oesn' t h e ar melaug hing at her Halor eference. Whet hers h e c omm u nic

Echo is_quiet for_a long time. I_almost speak_up_and ask_if_she's still there,_but fear holds_me back. Finally, I_hear her take_in_a deep breath. "The message is real, Malachi. I know I can't prove that,_but_she wanted_you_to_do what she asked. I_don't know why, and I_can't tell_you any more than what she wrote. All_I_can say is_that it felt important. It also felt...dangerous."

She says that_last word like maybe it will_shock me or_surprise_me._It doesn't. Going back_to the estate, there's no question_in my mind it would be_dangerous, if not physically, in other ways._There's a reason I haven't been_back there since I was_young enough_to play with old die_cast trucks and_plastic army_men. If the_bizarre nature of the show last_night and the_mention of my great grandma hadn't_been_enough to spook_me_on_their own,_the simple mention_of_the estate_and_me going back practically turned my_blood_to ice.

"Are you going to do what_she asked?" Echo asks_quietly.

Running_my free hand through_my hair, I can only_shake my head. "I don't know._I can't_do it_right now because of finals, even if I believed all of_this and wanted to act on_the message."

The line goes_quiet again._It_stays quiet. I_can't_even hear_the whisper of Echo's breathing like I_could before._I worry she hung up, but_a quick check of_my_phone says the call is still_active. Beginning to wonder what I_said to make her go_silent,_it_doesn't take more than a_few seconds to figure it out.

"Echo,_I'm sorry. I_didn't mean I don't believe you..."

"You don't,_though,_and that's okay," she says quickly._"I_don't expect you to just take_my_word_on all of this. And_I can't prove it. Why would_you believe me? I could be a total wackadoo_for all you_know."

"Wackadoo?" I say with a_chuckle._"Is_that even a real word?"

"Sure it is," Echo argues, "as_real as_Forerunners, anyway."

I have_to pull the phone away from my face so she_doesn't hear me laughing at her Halo_reference. Whether she communic