Waking up in the next morning, Echo was confused where she was and why she wasn't woken up by her alarm. After a quick sweep of her surroundings she recalled that she was at her mother's house and it was a Saturday.
Her mom was still asleep, so Echo laid her down fully on the sofa and went off to the kitchen to make her mom breakfast.
Echo made some scrambled eggs, waffles (there was already some batter in the fridge, that she smelled to ensure was fresh), cut some strawberries and squeezed some orange juice. As Echo was boiling the kettle to make some coffee, her mom walked into the kitchen. Smiling she hugged Echo. Jumping in surprise from the contact, Echo relaxed when she realised it was only her mom.
"Thanks honey, really appreciate you making breakfast- you didn't have to," Anna told her daughter, smiling at her.
Echo responded, "No worries Mom, you deserve to have a treat every once in a while, I know that hospital you work at doesn't give you enough breaks."
Anna Carter worked at a hospital as a nurse. She was overworked nearly all the time. Yesterday she took a day off, as she did annually on that date. Very often she had the night shift in the hospital- like that time Ralph had been shot.
Maybe, just maybe, Anna thought, if she had been home that one time she would have been able to save Ralph.
"Mom?", Echo's voice interrupted her melancholy thoughts. Looking up, she realised she had cracked the mug she was holding- luckily it didn't have any coffee in it yet. "Mom," Echo repeated, once she had her mother's attention, "This is getting worse each year," she paused and sighed. Looked at her mom and continued, "You should really go to a therapist,".
"Echo," Anna whispered, "I can just about afford the bills as it is, a therapist will be out of my pay check,". Glancing at her mom, Echo saw she was dead serious. "And I don't want you offering to pay for my therapist- you are living in a tiny apartment!" Anna's voice had reached a shrilly volume at that point. Putting her hands up, Echo surrendered.
They began eating and an awkward silence hung in the air. Normally when they ate there was silence, just this time the tension was palpable (A.N.Always wanted to use that word) you could literally cut it with a knife.
Stirring her cup of coffee, Echo said, "You remember Aayan Mom? My best friend who is a therapist- I'm sure he wouldn't mind having a few sessions with you for free,"
Echo could see her mother was teetering on a yes, she just needed a little more persuasion. So after 6 minutes of persuading her, Anna finally agreed to visit Aayan. Making sure it had past Aayan's praying time, as he was a Muslim, she texted him asking him if she could have a favour. A couple minutes later he replied with an affirmative yes- as long as it was something he could do, and she told him about her mom's situation. He agreed to see her for the next four weeks on a Sunday from 11 o'clock in the morning to 12 thirty. A ninety minute session. Afterwards he would give her a discount for the sessions after that if she wished to continue the sessions. Echo immediately agreed and thanked Mohammed profusely, "Thank you soooooo much, it means so much for me, I'll pay you back!"
"No worries" he texted back, "Anything to help!"
They went a long way back. They had gone to university together and became best friends. Echo had set him up with another Muslim friend of hers, and they became a couple soon afterwards. A couple years later she was invited to the wedding. It was amazing. It was really interesting to see all the different customs other religions had. Both Aayan and Inaya looked positively radiant on their wedding day. (Author's note: love the meaning of these names, absolutely beautiful.).
After finishing their breakfast, mother and daughter parted from one another. Anna went out to do some shopping and Echo returned to her flat, via Uber- of course. Once home, Echo showered, changed her clothes and started cleaning her apartment. After doing a load of her laundry, Echo checked the time. It was two-sixteen. Deciding to take a break, Echo went to her freezer and took out a couple pieces of bread, which she toasted in the toaster. Taking out some raspberry jam from the fridge, she realised that she was running low on her favourite jam. Taking out her phone, she opened the notes app and wrote 'Shopping list'. The first bullet point was 'Raspberry Jam'.
After that important matter was laid to rest, Echo made her raspberry jam sandwich and had her lunch. After lunch Echo decided to go on a run around the neighbourhood she lived in. Changing her outfit to a more sporty and thin one, Echo began her run.
As she hadn't run in a few weeks, Echo felt extremely worn out after just three minutes of jogging. Five minutes and she had a stitch. Meanwhile every other person who were jogging were having no problems at all. Deciding to change her jog into a walk was an extremely easy choice, at some pints she did jog a bit, but she mostly speed walked. Returning to her flat, Echo realised she was very sweaty and would need to have another shower. Inwardly she groaned; it wasn't that she didn't like showers, it was just the effort. There was nothing she could do that would change the fact that she desperately needed to take another shower. Therefore, Echo resigned herself to her fate, and had her second shower of the day. Little did Echo realise that this would soon become the most infinitesimal of her problems.
When seven o'clock struck the clock, Echo had just finished a solitary dinner in her flat. She had gone on to Instagram to check how all her friends were doing. Her phone pinged suddenly. It was an email from work. Thinking that perhaps there had been a change in her schedule for Monday, Echo let the email sit in her inbox until she finished dinner. About fifteen minutes later Echo tapped on the email:
'Subject: HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL
Dear Miss Echo A. Carter
We hope this email finds you in good health. As you may be aware, your job brings you into contact with some of the most dangerous criminals in the world. When you first signed up for this job, you will have been fully briefed upon all the risks that could occur. Many of these criminals have only you for company whilst they are in prison- this causes your face and name to be plastered on their mind. If any of them happened to escape, you would be one of the highest on their list.
We have the unfortunate duty of informing you that this dire scenario has happened. In the early hours of Friday morning on the 19th of May, two inmates from prison x (A.N. Have no knowledge of prisons in the USA, if any of you have names of highly secure prisons in the US close to Los Angeles with a maximum of a three hour train ride, let me know please.) escaped from their cells. One of them you have been seeing for the past couple of years, her name is Julia Smithson, in prison for back-to-back life sentences with no chance of an appeal. As you are well aware, she is a hired mercenary. The second one you have been seeing for the past six weeks, his name is Robert Max Barton. On death row. He is one of the heads of a major gang which is based all around the globe.
For your safety we have decided to relocate you and place you under protection. We have considered long and hard about where to move you. We will not disclose that information in this email in fear of it being hacked.
Go to work as usual on Monday, we will meet you during your lunch break.
Yours sincerely,
Witness protection program.'
Echo re-read the email numerous times. Shock and horror were the first emotions that crashed upon her. She felt like the leaves in the trees being hurled around by the wind. Confusion, horror, fear. Her whole world was being overturned. How did such a pleasant day become so distorted?