3.

I hated myself for it, but I couldn’t stop thinking about her. And I don’t mean that in the gushy, romantic way either. I won’t lie – she was beautiful, extraordinary, but it was in my best interest that I didn’t fall in love or anything. Girls are like that; they infect your mind and strip you of your sanity. You might think they’re these perfect creatures, but believe me when I say: they’re out to destroy us all, one heart at a time.

So, when I did think of Echo, I made sure not to think of her perfect body or her encapsulating eyes or her sweet voice. I made sure not to postulate this near-infallible creature and then agonise over why the hell she was so rude to me. But why was she so rude? I didn’t understand what I had done. Moreover, what was she doing there? Why was she dressed so incongruently with her surroundings? She seemed like she had just got back from her prom, not as though she’d taken an hour-long bike ride to get there.

I thought about going back and not going back and what it’d do to me if I didn’t go back and what I’d say if I did go back. What made me think she would even go back?

I shook my head despairingly the next morning, having dreamt of Echo strolling about the lake. I needed to stay away, some sort of distraction. Instinctively, I grabbed my phone to check for messages. Nothing. My friends, who I was beginning to suspect I would never see again, weren’t there for me. Telling my parents was out of the question. I mean, they’re cool and all, but – as a rule of thumb – you don’t talk to your parents about the mysterious, bitchy, but most beautiful girl you met at the lake (which, incidentally, they don’t know about) who is in the process of stealing your sanity. Besides, it was nine o’clock and they were already off to their hot-shot jobs, which they had in order to keep me happy. We teens have high demands, apparently.

Anyway, my point is, I had no distractions. I sat in my bed, tossing my obsolete mobile from hand to hand and thinking of Echo. She was like a song stuck in my head and, for me, the only real way of ridding my mind of said song is by listening to it. I had to go back. I was always going to, anyway. I jumped out of bed resolutely, deciding that I would go back, see that she wasn’t there, and return back to my friendless life.

There wasn’t time for breakfast; I had to get this done and over with. I grabbed a few cereal bars and took off, in practically the same clothes as the day before. The journey was the same, but it felt different. The wind blew my hair everywhere and the novelty of adventure was lost to me. Instead, I was worried. Fear coursed through my veins for many a reason and I knew exactly why, but I refused to make it a conscious thought. I hated myself for it; I honestly did.

The infinitesimal incline (that you can feel all the same, after an hours’ ride, by the way) began to flatten and I arrived at the lake. Absolutely nothing had changed. It was still as scenic as yesterday. The mountain loomed overhead like some great protector and the lake multiplied the world’s beauty. It was nice that no one was there, but it could still feel so welcoming, so tranquil. It made me think of the expendability of friends or even love or parents. The truth is, when it comes down to it, your happiness depends on you and you alone. It’s relative to how you receive experiences. So when Echo didn’t appear, I was actually glad. Who needed her? This place was mine; the perfect escape.

I lay in some grass and spread eagle, as I would at home on my room’s carpet, and closed my eyes. The chirps of birds, the baying of animals from the mountain, the soft ripple of the lake – it all welcomed and encompassed me, until the thin line between being human and belonging to nature faded and I understood what it felt to be free. I didn’t need anyone.

“I thought you’d be back,” she sighed.

Shit. I was instantly broken from my state of meditation. Shit, shit, shit. I kept my eyes closed, fancying she might disappear that way. I was in an awful panic, honestly.

“What do you want … whatever-your-name-is?” She prodded my side with a bare toe, forcing me to spasm. So much for playing dead.

I inhaled, preparing myself, and then opened my eyes while simultaneously propping myself up. “Hey, you,” I proclaimed in my falsest, most ironic voice.

“Go home, for the love of God.” She frowned, her eyes fierce.

I’m not going to lie – it hurt. She stood with her hands on her hips, staring directly at me, showing no signs of humour. “Why do you hate me so much?” I tried to say without sounding too hurt. I’m not sure if it worked.

She tucked a strand of her hair behind her left ear and turned to the lake. She wasn’t going to respond; I knew it.

“Listen, until I get answers, this is my place as much as it is yours.”

“That’s the problem with people like you; you think just because you found a place, it automatically becomes yours. Don’t you see the fallacy, the injustice of that logic?” She had her back to me, but the tone of her voice implied desperation. Why was she getting so worked up? Women are crazy; I swear to god.

“I… The only reason I said that was because you’re acting as if you own the place!” I rebuked.

“No!” She yelled, spinning around and shaking every leaf of every tree in the vicinity. Her ire made me fear my safety. “I bet you think it’s normal, don’t you? Humans have been storming upon land that isn’t theirs forever, haven’t they? Finders – keepers?”

“No… W-what’s your problem?”

She opened her mouth to unleash another can of whoop-ass on me, but suddenly paused. She looked out into the trees and her wild look of fury was replaced with one of steely determination. She glanced over to the mountain and then back at me. What was she doing?

“You ruin everything,” she spat with stark disgust and suddenly ran nimbly off into the distance.

She was gone. I stood there feeling a sense of urgency in the atmosphere, but at a loss as to why I needed to be urgent. All the same, I ran in the opposite direction – the direction of my bike.

It wasn’t there. I looked around, completely and utterly confused. I knew I had left it there because that’s where the path back to the road was. No one could have stolen it, could they?

I ran to catch Echo, but the attempt was futile. Who was I kidding? I had no idea where she went. Goddamn it, I was losing my sanity. The sweat of fear humidified my hair, causing it to paste disgustingly all over my face. I was dizzy, but immobilised: scared and agitated.

There was a low rumble nearby. It wasn’t the rumble of a car or even the rumble of thunder. Thunder I could handle. This was the low rumble of a beast. It was coming from my three-o’clock, in the trees. I had no means of escape and the only other person around had already run off. Hyperventilation kicked in and I stood there, waiting for something to happen.

And it did. The next sequence happened inexplicably fast. A great black shadow knocked me from my feet and dragged me into the lake. The force at which we hit the water threw me into unconsciousness. Or at least that’s what I assume happened because when I woke up, I was drenched in water.