The Past

Later that night I barely slept. I keep thinking of what that little girl said. The next day, my parents had arranged for us to go to visit my grandparents. I get ready to go to work and plan on working fewer hours so I have time to get back home and go to my grandparents with my parents after. I won't have enough time to stay and watch the sunset. Ever since yesterday, I have been feeling cold. Like things are just out of proportion.

My friend that I work with, Dusty, which isn't his real name, noticed that I was just sitting at my desk doing nothing and decided to come talk to me.

"Yo Ice, what it do bro? Hey, I found this new bar at the corner of the ramen place you like to go to so much and it's fantastic. You want to go later?" he asked with a big grin.

"Not really. You know I don't drink. Also, what's up with your name?" I asked.

"Oh, my name? Good question," he said while smiling.

We chatted a bit more until it was time to go home. Dusty is a good friend of mine. He lives alone so I think that's why he is always inviting me to events. I would like to go but I don't really like going out unless it's ramen. Then I will go.

As I'm walking and come to the creek, I look at the bench. The girl is not there. I haven't seen her ever since that day. I'm still wondering if I just hallucinated the whole thing or if I actually saw her. I let Dusty know that I would be at my grandparents until the following Saturday and he was on the phone begging me to take him with me. He's always dramatic like that and that's why we are friends.

Later that night we drove to my grandparents' house. I seriously think my parents have some issues because who in their right mind will drive at night especially if they are going out of town for 600 miles?

At my grandparents' house, as we were eating, they noticed I had been acting a bit different from my usual self.

"Ice, are you feeling alright? You look a bit distant. Is it something on your mind?" Grandad asked.

I was so curious about that girl, and since people tell stories here, my grandparents must have heard something similar. I decided I'm going to ask him.

"Grandad, do you really believe in the supernatural? Why do you believe in it? Have you ever seen someone apart from this world? The world of the living?" I asked.

My granddad looked at me confused. "Haha. What a weird question to ask, Ice. Tell me what is on your mind and I will listen," he said laughing.

I hesitated for a moment before speaking. "About a month ago after work, I stopped by the creek to look at the sunset and noticed this little girl sitting on the bench. I went over to talk to her thinking she just needed someone to talk to until she said she had died there. On top of that, I was the only one who could see and talk to her."

My grandad looked at me with horror on his face. I looked around the table, and the same reaction was on everyone's face. I did not understand the reaction, so I simply asked what was wrong.

"When did this happen again? Why haven't you mentioned this to me or your father?" my mom asked shakingly.

"You clearly saw this little girl? She was really there? Could you touch her?" my dad then asked.

Questions were flying left and right I didn't know who to answer.

"Ice, do you feel cold anywhere?" my grandmother finally asked with a calm voice.

That was a weird question but an interesting one as I have been feeling cold.

"My whole body has been feeling cold since I saw her. I think it's just a cold," I said.

"Have you been sneezing or had a runny nose?" she asked.

"No," I replied.

"That is not a cold, Ice," she said.

My grandad who was calm and laughing before suddenly had this serious face. "Ice, let me tell you a little story of back then when I was a kid," he said. "Back then I was just like you actually. My parents would always tell me this story about a certain village that wanted to find out what happens after a person dies. When my parents told me this, I didn't exactly believe it myself until something happened when I was getting ready to sleep. As I was getting on my bed, my shoulders suddenly got cold, and to my ear, I heard a whisper. I couldn't quite make out what was said but I heard 'Die'. As soon as I heard that whisper, I turned around immediately and to my horror, I did not see anyone."

He continued his story, his voice growing more serious. "I was freaked out and because I was scared, I couldn't sleep until like 4 a.m. Around 5 a.m., I woke up to the sound of another whisper and this time I saw a dark shadow looming around in front of me. All I could see was the eyes. It opened its mouth and whispered something in my ear. I did not understand it. It was like a screech. Two days later, me and my parents were walking to the store to buy some groceries. It was a good day and we were just talking and having a good time when all of a sudden this huge piece of metal fell from the sky and crushed my parents behind me. Everyone was screaming while my mind couldn't process what just happened and in the end, I fell into a deep depression. That is when I remembered that dark figure in my room. People around the town said they had experienced similar events where people suddenly go missing or they fall victim to a horrible death. Some people who saw these shadows would tell their friends or families. The people who were told of these things later did not hear from their friend or family member who had told them of these things or they would see them die in a horrible way. Because of what it whispered in these victims' ears, they were later called and known as Whisperers."

This story terrified me to the bone, but I told Grandad, "This girl was not like a shadow figure. She was there, like all there. I could see her and her whole figure."

"What you saw may not be Whisperer, but rather something else and I hope it's not something to worry about. I just told you this story just for you to know since you saw something out of this world," my grandad told me.

"Ok, let's forget this and find something fun to do as a family," my father said trying to lighten the mood.

"How about it? You down for some Poker? And don't tell me you're scared," said Granddad smirking at Father.

"You bet, old man," Father replied smirking back.

I don't know what's wrong with them honestly. They say something like "Let's do some family thing" and then you see them betting money on Poker just by themselves. My mom and my grandmother just sit back and just chat while watching them go at it. As for myself, I sometimes join but mainly like to play video games on the small TV they have in the living room.

We spent a week at my grandparents' place before we headed back home to the city. On the way back home from my grandparents' house, I just had one thing on my mind. I need to find out what is going on and what she is. My parents told me it looked to them that I was starting to believe in the supernatural. I didn't want to spoil the mood so I just agreed. On the road, we spent hours talking about it. Well, mostly my parents. It's like they were waiting for this moment and I quite liked it. It's like a happy memory that will stay with me.

A couple of days later, I was back at work and it was rough. I did a 12-hour shift and all that standing around nearly killed my back that I could lay down all day. If only I had a maid life would be easy. It's 11 p.m. and I just wish I had a car. Suddenly I hear screaming coming from behind me. I get scared and look back. It's Dusty.

"You dumb idiot. Don't go yelling like that in the middle of the night giving people a heart attack," I yelled.

"Haha, cmon now. Just a little friendly greeting for my best pal," he said as he hugged me.

"Let go of me. Also what the heck are you doing here at this time?"

"I was going to the bar till I saw you so I had to come running here. But anyway, since it's on the way to your house, instead of the bar, do you want to get ramen?" he said with a smirk on his face.

"I couldn't say no even if I wanted to," I said.

As we are walking there, I ask him, "Why do you go to the bar all the time when you can go to this ramen bar instead? It also has a bar?"

"Because some of the good drinks are at the bar that I like to go to," he replied.

Oh well, if that's how he likes it, I don't mind. As we are eating, Dusty asks, "Have you went to the doctor?"

"No. Why?" I replied.

"Back when I hugged you, you felt really cold bro. You sure you not sick?" he asks.

"Haha, no I'm not sick. It's weird though because a couple of weeks ago I saw this little ghost girl and ever since then I've been feeling cold," I told him.

The rest of the night continued as normal and Dusty was really surprised about what I told him because he knew I didn't believe in anything like that. We finish our ramen and head home. I got home around 1 a.m. and my parents were waiting for me when I got home. I guess Dad got tired and decided to fall asleep on the couch. Mom saw me open the door and let Dad fall on the couch seeing as he was laying on her shoulders. I asked if he was going to be alright if she left him like that and she just replied with a smile saying, "That's what he gets for sleeping so early. How was work?"

"It was alright. Just a long day. Had ramen with Dusty after."

She looks happy just hearing that. I tell her I have to go to sleep since I have to go back when I wake up.

As I'm walking home I decide today I will take only a few minutes to look at the sunset and let my body rest for a while. There was a tiny breeze and it was refreshing. That spring air is what I just needed. As I'm taking in the scenery around me, I hear a voice behind me.

"You're back," I heard.

As I turned around, I say, "Sorry, who are...?" at that moment my heart started racing. It was the girl. She was standing behind me.

"You've been looking for me," she said.

All I could think about is how did she get there and how does she know I'd been looking for her.

"I was looking for you truthfully to ask you some questions, but I haven't seen you for some time now," I told her.

She said, "Do not worry. I know why you look for me and are curious as to what I might be. And maybe I might not be what you think I am. Your grandfather might know a lot of things, but not all."

"What do you mean? And how do you know about my grandad?"

The girl walks towards me and vanishes. Suddenly she appears in front of me.

"I know many things. Things about you, things about your family. In life, I saw just my life with my parents, but in death, I see many things. Things I wish not to see."

Her appearing in front of me had my knees to the ground and I couldn't move.

"What is your name?" I asked.

"Your grandfather must have told you about The Whisperers, dark shadows. All you can hear are whispers that sound like a screech. Those figures are demons called Echos. Souls of the once living now dead back to make their voices heard. And when you hear or see them, be wary because things are about to turn into something you won't expect," she said. "You asked what is my name, correct? I am Nia, and I am a Lost Echo."

Confused, I asked, "What do you mean by 'Lost Echo'?"

She looks down on me and smiles. "A Lost Echo is a demon who has lost its voice. And by voice, I don't mean the voice you and I are using for speech. The voice which your grandfather heard that night was the voice of an Echo."

Nia went on to explain that Echos are not something you should be taking lightly because they exist and they exist for one thing only. To take the lives of the living.

"The God of Death created the first Echo thousands of years ago. Now we Echos roam free in the world of the living just for one thing. You may be asking yourself why am I different? Why am I not a dark figure? I do not know. The others call me a Lost Echo and now they hunt me," Nia said.

And with that, she disappeared once again.

Later that night as I was sitting at my desk. I only had one thing in mind. Who or what is this God of Death?