Echo walked home that day feeling uneasy, but nothing happened as she entered the door and securely locked it behind her.

She then set about preparing a snack for herself and her sister, a peanut butter sandwich for each. She slid out the bread and peanut butter from the pantry while whistling the tune of Shake it Off by Taylor Swift, deftly spreading the peanut butter across the slices like a pro, having made many sandwiches after school.

About thirty minutes later, Ella tromps through the front door, leaving wet footprints from the rain that had begun to come down outside.

"Close the door, wipe off your feet, and take care of your stuff, then come here, I made you a snack!" Echo hollered from the kitchen.

The smell of peanut butter wafted through the house as Ella came barreling into the kitchen, with her shoes on and backpack still on her back, of course.

Echo shakes her head in mock disappointment before handing her sister a sandwich and sitting down to turn the TV.

"I mean it about the shoes!" She barked. "Mom won't like it if the floors slippery!"

"Sorry!" Ella squealed, racing towards the mud room.

Echo sighed before turning on Bluey and retreating upstairs to her bedroom to wait until their mother got home.

She flipped the lamp on and settled into her little alcove of stuffed animals, blankets, and pillows she had built for herself and her cat, Marbles, to read in.

Begrudgingly, Echo set aside Midnight Trials and opened up her book for homework. It was a good book, but she'd much rather read Midnight Trials and find out what happens next to Blossom and Willow. And Aggie.

She sighed before pulling and disgruntled Marbles closer and burying herself in the homework book, entitled Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

Soon enough, she was lost in the world of Gods and demigods and following a dyslexic and ADHD Percy as he narrowly escaped monsters and was claimed by Poseidon, and immersed herself with him as he was blamed for something he didn't do and had to go on a difficult quest to prove his innocence or else Zeus would get VERY angry.

Almost an hour and a half later Echo's mom walked into the room with a biscuit and the announcement that dinner was almost ready.

"Mk," Echo said, barely looking up from her book. "Got it."

"Do you...? Or are you just saying that so I get out of your space and let you read?"

"The second one," Echo said sheepishly, setting down Percy Jackson to get up.

"Well then missy, I might have to take that book away to make you eat!" Virginia joked, planting a sugar-smelling kiss on Echo's forehead. "But actually, come downstairs. It's French toast night."

That roused Echo from her reading trance, as she leaped up from her bed and ran downstairs, lured by the smell and promise of French toast.

Echo tackled Ella in a bear hug as Ella ran towards the dinner table as well, whispering "I love you, the syrup is MINE first," in her ear.

Ella giggled and slid into her seat and Echo did as well, waiting somewhat patiently for their mother to bring out the food.

"Voila!" Echo's mom cried, presenting a platter heaped with French toast and toppings. "Behold my masterpiece!"

"Yum!" Ella and Echo said in unison as they started grabbing the food.

Dinner was a joyous event, as it always was. The girls shoveled food into their mouths as they recounted their days to a patient Virginia, who listened with a slight twinkle in her eye.

As dinner wrapped up, Echo cleared dishes as her mom grabbed a squealing Ella and dragged her upstairs, shouting. "Bath time!" Virginia yelled.

Echo cleaned up the kitchen and for ready for bed, then finally was able to sit down to keep reading Midnight Trials.

But as she turned the page, she realized something was wrong.

All the words had completely disappeared from the book onward from where she'd left, leaving the pages blank.

Sorry this chapter is kinda slow and boring until the very end, but I think it will be important to set up an understanding of Echo's relations with her sister and mother.