Free Echoes by Jason Brant Page B

feet. Beyond the onlookers I could see Nami and Sammy standing by the lobby doors, looking back at me.
    "Ash!" Sammy yelled. They both ran towards me, Nami trailing behind because of her short stride.
    Is this guy a cop?
    Those dudes are messed up!
    Why is he dressed like a male stripper?
    Look at the fun bags on her!
    Voices burst through my mental defenses and started flooding my mind. The punishment I just received had weakened me so much that I couldn't stop them from coming through. There were so many people in the hotel that the echoes overpowered me. The throbbing in my head increased until it felt like it might explode. My eyes lost focus as I swayed on my good leg.
    This is the worst selection of hotel porn I've ever seen.
    Nice view we have here, right into a brick wall.
    It's ok to drink rum and diet coke because it has no carbs, right?
    I bit down hard on my tongue, hoping the pain would give me something to concentrate on. It worked, a little. The debilitating effect abated a little as the voices dampened.
    Nami and Sammy stopped when they were close enough to see the damage Chuck had done to me. Sammy put a hand to her face, covering her gaping mouth.
    "Dude, you look like the Elephant Man." Nami looked down at Chuck. "You won? Maybe you aren't such a bitch after all."
    "Thanks, Norma." I reached a hand up to Sammy. "My knee is wrecked. Can you give me some help walking out of here?"
    "This is so gross," she said as she carefully stepped over Chuck's body. She put my left arm over her shoulders and took some of the weight off my battered leg. My hand brushed against her boob as I shifted my stance, but the horrible aches in my body didn't allow me to enjoy it.
    A swarm of thoughts threw me off balance, almost pulling both of us over. I pressed my free hand against my forehead, fighting to keep my mind clear.
    "What is it, Ash?" Sammy asked.
    "We need to get out of here. I'm losing control of my ability. I can't block out what people are thinking."
    As we moved from the elevator I turned my head to the biggest guy standing by the doors and told him to find some zip ties or rope.
    "He'll be waking up shortly and you'll want him to be restrained until the police show up."
    We didn't wait for a response as we shuffled through the lobby. No one tried to stop us, or offer assistance. The receptionist standing behind the counter looked back and forth from us to the elevator, too afraid to say anything. Her fear pulsed through me, making it even harder for me to walk despite Sammy's help. I tried to block it out, but couldn't muster the strength.
    The sounds of sirens drifted closer as we pushed our way through the double doors and into the parking lot. Sammy dragged me along as best she could. What little strength I had left was evaporating as I fought against the deluge of voices pressing against me.
    Nami waited at the edge of the parking lot. "Would you guys hurry up?"
    "Nirvana, see if you can get us a car or a cab or something. We can't be here when the cops arrive. If they stop us, the world is going to go to hell really fast."
    "Call me by my real name, damn it! What do you mean the world is going to shit if we get arrested?" she asked as she pulled her backpack off and held it in front of her.
    I needed to explain everything I'd seen in Chuck's memories, but now wasn't the time.
    "Get us out of here and I'll explain on the way."
    "Fine, boss around the small one."
    She turned and walked to a silver Ford Explorer that was parked in the fire lane, the engine still running. The top of her head didn't even come close to reaching the bottom of the window. A balding man with rosy cheeks sat in the car, waiting for someone to come out of the hotel. He smiled when he saw her approaching.
    Nami put on her best pouty expression, thrusting her lower lip out. She held her bag up to her chin, her left hand inside it. With her getup and stature she looked all over ten years old.
    "I can't find my mommy or daddy!" she