More Than an Echo (Echo Branson Series) Read Online Free Page A

eyebrows rose. “Is that how you see yourself?”
    “They cut their losses. End of story.”
    “How are you sleeping?” Dr. Knowles liked to change subjects quickly. I had a teacher who used to do that because she felt our responses were more sincere.
    “Actually, I’ve been sleeping really well.”
    Dr. Knowles waited, her sharp blue eyes piercing mine. She knew I was lying, though I didn’t know how I knew she knew. “I seem to be having nightmares or something. Of course, I’m living in one so I shouldn’t be surprised that I have one at night.”
    “I’ve studied your tapes, Jane, and what you’re experiencing isn’t a nightmare. They’re called night terrors.”
    “What’s the difference?”
    “Nightmares and night terrors can be differentiated both biologically and psychologically. Nightmares occur largely in REM sleep in the second half of the night. Night terrors usually occur in the first hours of sleep, and the sleeper typically doesn’t remember the episode. Night terrors occur during non-REM sleep and don’t occur during the dream cycle. They’re often accompanied by physical manifestations of the terror.”
    “Physical manifestation?”
    “You’re fighting something or someone in every episode.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “It’s on the tape, Jane. Every night. Is this news to you?”
    “Gee, Doc, I don’t know. I’ve never had twenty-four hour surveillance in my bedroom.” It bothered me that I was doing something I couldn’t remember. Apparently I was losing my mind in the nighttime as well as the daytime.
    “So you have no memory of your episodes?”
    I wished she would stop calling them that. “None at all.”
    “Well, I’ve prescribed you a sleeping pill. You must be exhausted.”
    The truth was, I felt pretty good and even well rested. I didn’t need a sleeping pill, and was thankful Celeste had given me The Magic Button. I was pretty sure I could hide a cereal bowl in my mouth, I had practiced so much.
    As if on cue, Dr. Knowles brought up Celeste. “I understand you and Celeste have become friends.”
    I shrugged. “The only friend I have has come by every day and still I haven’t gotten to see her. I would clean every bathroom in here with a toothbrush for only five minutes with Danica. Why can’t I see her?”
    “It’s complicated,  Jane, really. You’ll get to see her soon, though. I promise. Now, let’s talk about your last foster parents.”
    For the next half-hour, we talked about all my foster parents and how it made me feel to be unwanted. It’s funny; I’d never really felt unwanted. I felt more uninterested than anything else. Unwanted was for sissies who sat around feeling sorry for themselves because they hadn’t been adopted out. I never had time to feel sorry for myself.
    Apparently, I was too busy going insane.
    My session over, I was heading back to my room when a huge commotion broke out in the dayroom. Normally, I ignore all of the hourly outbursts, but today something drew me closer.
    Orderlies were yelling, people were scattering, and someone ran by me with shackles. It was the shackles the drew me closer. I hated those things more than anything else on the planet, but whoever they were intended for actually feared them. That emotion came through loud and clear and rang in my head like one of those stupid canned horns people use at football games. The feeling was so intense, I didn’t even notice when Celeste approached me.
    “Come on, J, let’s DD outta here.” Celeste grabbed my arm.
    “Wait.”
    “For what? The Mute’s gone bad, man. She’s gonna blow and you don’t want to be there when she does.”
    “The Mute?”
    “You need to get out more. Yeah, the Mute. She’s gonna do something stupid. Come on. I’d rather not watch her stab someone with scissors or something.”
    I pulled my arm away and started back to the dayroom.
    “What’s the matter with you, J.? Have you fucking lost your mind?”
    “Probably.” When I got