Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould

Author:Courtney Gould
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

16

Beck blinks awake in the low light, body sore and head full of dream and exhaustion. The morning is a blur of white and gray until Beck rubs the sleep from her eyes and reaches for her glasses, still half-folded on the carpet where she left them. Even blind, she can tell there’s something off in the room. She shifts and her muscles ache for more. The couch is itchy and coarse and the room is silent. When she puts on her glasses, everything is the same as it was when she fell asleep. Except one thing.

Across the room, Avery is gone.

Beck sits up. The shawl of mismatched quilts and blankets gathered at her shoulders falls away, but she isn’t cold. She waits for the room to come into focus, but it’s not a trick of light. The recliner where Avery slept directly across from her is empty. Without her, the air slackens.

Beck gently nudges Riley’s shoulder. “Hey, wake up.”

“Mmm,” Riley groans.

“Did you see where Avery went?”

“Who?”

Beck frowns. Careful not to jostle Riley too much, she peels herself from the sofa and replaces the blankets, tucking Riley back in. Katie, Daniel, and the others are still asleep, too, arms and legs tangled together on the floor over a scattering of sleeping bags and pillows. It’s the kind of thing Beck’s always felt a twitch of jealousy for. She slips into her boots and wordlessly makes her way upstairs.

Katie’s mom stands in the kitchen whisking in a bowl. Red gingham half-curtains hang over the windows, glass freckled with red dirt. Mrs. Horton smiles at Beck, but before she can say a word, Beck blurts out a question.

“Did you see where Avery went?”

“She’s not downstairs?”

“No.”

“Maybe she’s getting ready in the bathroom,” Mrs. Horton says, unworried. She motions for Beck to sit with a warm smile.

Beck slides into one of the velvet barstools against the kitchen counter. Half of her is excited to finally be sitting here with the woman from her mother’s notes, but the other half is still stuck on Avery. She fell asleep looking at Avery’s eyes and woke up alone.

“How did you sleep?” Mrs. Horton asks.

“I slept great,” Beck says. “Thank you for letting us stay here, by the way.”

“Of course. I love when Katie has friends over, but this is the most people I’ve ever had in the house.” Mrs. Horton keeps whisking what appears to be pancake batter. The frying pan on the stove begins to smoke and Beck’s stomach growls. Mrs. Horton continues, “And you girls drove so far. Are you liking Backravel?”

“I think so,” Beck says. “It’s definitely unique. How long ago did your family move in?”

“Oh…” Mrs. Horton trails off. “Only a couple years ago, I think.”

Another vague answer.

“Why here?”

“Same as everyone else. We came here for Ricky.” Mrs. Horton ladles a dollop of batter onto her frying pan. The air is sweet and thick with the scent of it. “Katie’s dad … we had so many complications with his health. We tried dozens

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