Echo

Progress

It's been a few days since we left Emma behind. I wanted more then anything to find her and make sure she didn't stay a monster. But, I have a responsibility now. A big one.

Promises mean a lot to me. My mom told me from a young age, "Don't make a promise you can't keep." Every promise i've made I treat like a precious gem. Promises are more powerful than any words ever could be.

The days have been getting a bit cooler since the leaves are changing colors. Thank God, because I hate the heat in Georgia.

Olli hasn't said a word. He walks by me with his teddy and looks down at the ground sadly. He only shook or nodded his head at what I would say.

I wish I could make him feel better but I know that I have to just let him grieve. Time is the only thing that patches up a wound good enough to keep going.

We made it to a big abandoned gas station and were at the edge of entering, "Stay close by me, okay." he nodded and held my hand and held his teddy in the other.

I had my gun in my other hand and watched our surroundings solemnly. There were a few walkers down the road but not close enough to worry about.

I knocked on a gas station door and waited a few seconds, when I heard nothing I entered carefully and held Ollie's hand behind me.

I looked around in every corner and behind the cashier table. When I saw nothing I picked up Ollie and set him on the counter, "Stay here while I get some food."

I found peanut butter, crackers, and a water bottle. I only grabbed one water bottle since Emma filled two bottles for us and I still had one of my own.

I brought the crackers to him, said a quick grace, then we ate in silence.

After he was done I handed him some water and looked around at the small parking lot through the window. There were luckily a few cars in the distance that I could get gas and get at least one started up.

"Echo." I heard his little voice say.

"Yes?" I asked and went to stand beside him. I leaned on the counter slightly and waited for him to speak,

"Did the monsters get my mommy?" The first time he talks in days is an awful question. This is going to be harder then I thought.

"Do you know what a soul is?" I asked softly.

"My heart," he said. Smart kid.

"Her heart is watching you from the sky, making sure you're safe. Do you understand?"

He nodded, "She is safe?"

"Yes," he held her necklace in his small hands and opened it. He showed me the pictures in it.

"This is my mommy and me." he pointed to Emma in the left side of the locket. She wore a sundress with daisy all over it and a farming hat, holding baby Olli. She smiled wide and you can see in her eyes she was so happy.

"This is my brother." he pointed to a guy who looked about my age, he had brown eyes but the same hair and skin color as Ollie. He looked like he was trying not to smile at whatever someone said.

Ollie had his moms eyes, icy blue that were so bright you could see them from miles away.

"Will we find Cody?" I assumed Cody was his brother, and I have no idea where to even look for him.

"I don't know, we can only hope." he nodded and went silent again. I hope I handled that okay, because I honestly have no clue what i'm doing. AT ALL.

"We should go get a car, I can teach you how to hot wire a car and get gas for it and maybe even let you drive." His eyes got wide,