Echoes Of Innocence

By Alex G Zarate

Discover a world of drama, magic, mystery, and the enduring power of friendship.

When a home invasion takes the life of a beloved neighbor, Tommy Harris's world is shattered. At only twelve years old, he's already witnessed more danger and trauma than most. Awoken by gunshots and discovering his neighbor has been killed, Tommy's anger consumes him, leading him to reject his calling and separate from his beloved pet and companion, Snowy.

As Tommy's guardian cat insists on following their rules, Tommy remains apart, uncovering secrets from his father's past, which reveal the origins of his own nature. As Tommy's control slips away, he fears losing the last remnants of innocence and childhood.

Is Tommy doomed to become one of the monsters that haunt his dreams?

Echoes of Innocence is the dramatic third book in the Linked urban fantasy trilogy by Alex G Zarate. This conclusion wraps up a thrilling journey of unique heroes and villains. Dive into a chilling page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zarate Creations
• Release date: Jun 26, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227808073

Book preview

Black and white version of cover

Other books by Alex G Zarate:

Urban Fantasy/Supernatural Suspense:

Linked

Ripples of Mind

Echoes of Innocence

Connections In Crimson

Reflections In Darkness

Tremors In Time

Science Fiction:

Drake’s Orb

Non-Fiction:

Zarate Zen: Captured Images From My Life To Yours

Zarate Zen: Colorful Captures & Positive Posts

The Ultimate Guide To Writing With Chat GPT

Positive Pets: A Colorful Celebration Of Our Furry,

Feathery & Finned Friends

ECHOES OF INNOCENCE

BY

ALEX G ZARATE

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.

Echoes of Innocence

Copyright © 2012, 2024 by Alex G Zarate

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof, in any form.

Editing assistance provided by:

Samni Bell

Steve Bell

Gabrielle Gerbus

Book illustrations by Alex G Zarate

This book is dedicated to two people: The bravest woman I’ve ever known: My grandmother, and the kindest man I’ve ever met: My grandfather.

Both of you are forever missed and forever loved… and shall never be forgotten.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Masks and Murder

Chapter 2: Cat Rules and Dark Deeds

Chapter 3: Evelyn’s Goodbye Kiss

Chapter 4: Shots in the Dark

Chapter 5: Gatherings and Grudges

Chapter 6: Laura’s Lament

Chapter 7: Zombies and Gymnastics

Chapter 8: Desserts, Dogs and Deceptions

Chapter 9: Kid Tales, Cat Tailing and Kissing

Chapter 10: Losing Sleep, Finding Keith & Losing Friends

Chapter 11: Bad Days and Bank Robbers

Chapter 12: School Skipping and Cap Snatching

Chapter 13: Proposals, Promises & Face Paint

Chapter 14: Farewells and Family

Chapter 15: Heartaches and Homecoming

Chapter 16: Friends, Foes, Fido and Family Fun

Epilogue: Wizards, Wishes and Wonderland

Frame With Cat Rules

There are wonders in the world that few will ever experience, wonders capable of providing an artist with a lifetime of inspiration; wonders that transform the world into a place of beauty and reveal the connections we all share. We each enter our lives like a drop of water into a still ocean, spreading out with each experience in waves, touching the lives of each person we meet. And they, in turn, share their lives and experiences with us.

Ripples On Water

Chapter 1:

Masks and Murder

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.– Oscar Wilde

Two shadowed figures move along the entryway of a darkened house, one large and one small. The small figure takes short steps, stopping every few feet as the larger and more menacing of the two draws near the stairs, moving with purpose… with confidence. The man moves with confidence, as if he were more comfortable in the darkness than in the moonlight outside.

Breaking into the house was one thing, but inside, shadows obscure everything, making it hard to distinguish between cheap items on shelves and anything of value. Laura tries hard to do her part, peering into the shadows and trying to identify more with her hands than her eyes what may be valuable.

Here’s a bunch of crystal figurines… Laura’s soft voice begins to say before a hand clamps over her mouth, fingers pressing tightly into her cheeks. Her arms tense as pain surges, yet she resists the instinct to pull away, understanding all too well how pulling away will only make it worse for her. She trembles as he pulls her close, remembering when she thought him to be strong and protective of her. The sense of protection from him vanished long ago.

I told you not to touch anything. The looming shadow says in a low growl. She’s upstairs. That means she’s got the jewelry or maybe a safe up there too. The grip slackens around Laura’s mouth, and she keeps herself from whimpering in the dark. Suddenly, she feels Johnny leaning in even closer, making her shudder with the urge to either cry out or run back out the door. We don’t touch nothin’ down here ‘til we get the loot up there. He turns again, motioning to the stairs.

Sorry, Johnny. Laura whispers, choking back tears and wondering if her choice to run away from home was the right one. Too late. She thinks, ascending the stairs. Knowing she left home a year before and realizes after such a long time, she doesn’t even know what town or state they’re in. A year too late.

They reach the top of the stairs and immediately spot the door to the master bedroom. Johnny motions for them to rifle through the drawers by the door. Laura swiftly discovers a hand towel tucked at the back of the middle drawer, concealing an assortment of jewelry and a bundle of twenties.

There’s over two hundred in cash here. Laura whispers with encouragement. With the jewelry, we can… She feels the hand hook around her face once more and the sharp pain triggers tears.

Both of her hands close reflexively. Her left hand drops the jewels to the carpeted floor as she grips the towel by the corner. Her right hand pushes the clenched wad of bills against her side with the other to stifle her cry. She struggles to look at the shadow before her, thinking of the man she’s been following. Laura wonders if the face he shows her in the daylight is a mask, while the one made of shadow, the one hurting her now, is his true face.

I wasn’t looking through the dresser for a little cash and junk jewelry. I wanted to make sure the old bat wasn’t packin’. Johnny leans in close. Remember the paper we read about the string of bank robberies? Laura tries to nod, feeling the grip tighten. Those guys know what they’re doing, but one day they’ll have to deal with cops. I’m not stupid enough to shoot it out with cops when I can get into a home safe using an easy mark like this.

Laura can hear the smile in his words and tries to understand what he’s talking about as he releases her, turning to face the moonlit bed.

We’re here for money and… jewelry. Laura says in a whisper. We don’t have to… The hand comes back at once and she drops the wad of money.

We’re here for the safe first. You got that? Laura nods as much as she can and nearly collapses when her face is released. I’m gonna check the table next to her, then…

There’s a sound in the darkness that Laura doesn’t recognize at first; a sliding metal sound ending with a click that makes her gasp. She sees the silhouette of the man she left home for. The man she professed to love and willing to do anything for. She sees his shadow raise a gun in the dark by her side before stepping towards the bed. The old woman in bed is sound asleep, but her face is partly illuminated by the moonlight coming through the open window. Laura’s reasons for leaving home return at once.

Her grandmother died, and she felt that she had no one else to talk to. The bond with her Nana was unique, and for all the difficulties in her life, it was always Nana that made them better. After a semester in College, she decided that she wanted to drop out, feeling the pain of loss growing beyond her ability to cope with the challenges of school. This tragedy sparked endless arguments with her parents, leaving her feeling even more isolated and alone. Then one evening, her dog, Raider, didn’t come home. The family scoured the neighborhood for days and all Laura could think of was how even her beloved collie would rather be homeless than live in a house where a night couldn’t go by without yelling.

Laura took this as a sign for her to do the same thing. The following day, she and her father argued about her return to school and her boyfriend’s bad influence on her. When her dad saw Laura wasn’t changing her mind, he resorted to the only argument left to make her listen. He told Laura how much Nana would want her to care about her future more than some hoodlum. Laura burst into tears, unable to continue the argument and wishing she had left right after the funeral when Johnny had offered to take her away. She ran to the back porch, slamming the screen door open and knocking the leash off the hook. She heard it clink to the floor and took it into her hands, holding it like a painful memory that refused to be ignored. She walked onto the grass of the backyard, thinking of how she would never again play with her beloved pet. Just then, the sound of a familiar engine filled the air and Laura rushed around the house expectantly. Johnny pulled up to the curb, and flashed a smile.

In her memory, Laura pulls off the dog tag from the leash and grips it in her hand, ignoring the tether as it falls to the grass. She clasps the metal dog tag like a talisman of hope… and a better tomorrow. Pocketing the tag, she wipes away tears and leaves with Johnny. From that day on, the relationship that was supposed to make things better, grew progressively worse.

The first time he slapped her was a shock that made her think twice about being with him. His apology was grudgingly accepted with the knowledge that she had little choice in what she could do on her own. The second and third time became reminders of how volatile his temper was. After a few months, getting slapped or grabbed by the face was common.

Did he wear a mask? She thinks to herself, nervously holding the towel that moments earlier held jewels Johnny cared nothing for. Was it a mask I saw when he pulled up in his car? Could I have put the mask on him? On who I wanted him to be? Laura looks at the frightening figure before her and realizes what she is seeing is his true face. In her mind, a mask falls away, and she sees before her a creature of shadow, brandishing a gun to a helpless elderly woman. Laura looks to the sleeping woman again and sees her grandmother, feeling the scream of fear and terror, wanting to escape from her, rising with every hard breath she takes.

No. she whispers at last, controlling the panic and alarm inside her as her entire body trembles with the effort. Johnny, don’t. She says to the back of her boyfriend, seeing him stop and turn back to her slowly, like he always does before he hits her for talking back. We don’t have to do this. She almost winces as the dark figure faces her fully, making no move to slap her or grip her face in anger. Laura wonders if he’s considering her words for the first time. She… She reminds me of my Nana. Why don’t we just… Her pleading feels pointless, but Laura decides she can’t let someone else’s Nana get hurt, even if it means she will be the one who is hurt instead.

A tense moment passes in silence before she sees the familiar hand moving, but not in a motion to slap her and not open to grab her by the face or throat. Instead, she sees the shadowed hand raising the gun. Her blood runs cold at the realization of what he intends to do.

Johnny, no… she hears her voice say distantly. There’s a flash of lightning followed by immediate thunder as the world rushes away into pain and blackness. Laura understands that it truly is far too late… and knows she will never go home again.

Chapter 2:

Cat Rules and Dark Deeds

Way down deep, we’re all motivated by the same urges. Cats have the courage to live by them. - Jim Davis

There are wonders in the world that few will ever experience, wonders capable of providing an artist with a lifetime of inspiration; wonders that transform the world into a place of beauty and reveal the connections we all share. We each enter our lives like a drop of water into a still ocean, spreading out with each experience in waves, touching the lives of each person we meet. And they, in turn, share their lives and experiences with us.

Snowy returns home feeling tired. The day has been longer than usual. While Tommy spent the day at school, facing his own challenges with the lessons presented, Snowy had his own set of difficulties. Most of the time, Tommy’s mother thinks Snowy is hiding somewhere in the house and leaves him be until he turns up to play with Tommy or eat his cat food. She is unaware that both he and Tommy often leave home without a trace. As he pads into the yard, Snowy looks at the two-story house and wonders why he feels a sense of dread at this late hour.

The day was hot, and the night is warm, leaving the yard in need of watering but also making it easier to hear any movement in the dark corners of their home. Snowy feels certain that Tommy and his mother have gone to bed by now. The faint breeze in the moonlight maintains the quiet of the night. He circles the house several times, walking along the edges and doing his best not to make noise on the dry grass. Then, he steps into a shimmering glow beside the porch and reappears high above, now padding softly on the roof. He walks the length of the house, making no sound as he watches the house below and recalls the many memories it holds. When he reaches the end of the roof, he enters another portal and makes his way through the inside of his home, moving as all cats do, with grace and stealth.

Despite finding no cause for alarm, Snowy continues to feel tension building just beyond his awareness. On the bed, he sees Tommy sleeping soundly, and down the hall, Tommy’s mother sleeps with white cords dangling from her ears, swinging to the side of the bed when she moves. The temptation to jump up and swipe at them is great, but Snowy keeps his impulses under control and lets her sleep undisturbed.

As Snowy sits on his cushion and looks around once more, he draws out memories from the house and sees ghostly images of times gone by. In one image, he is playing with Tommy as a kitten, barely a few weeks old. In another, Tommy and he are running through the rain, taking two quick steps before vanishing in a ripple of light.

Seeing through the veil of the world is a gift Snowy shares with Tommy, allowing them to see beyond words to the manifestation of inner thoughts. Sometimes, they find embedded memories in places where emotions are strongest. These places retain the memories of the greatest happiness and sometimes, the greatest struggles.

Within these windows to the world, gaps exist, making it possible to enter the point of origin for an incident. As a kitten, Snowy could see the trauma Tommy and his mother felt when Tommy’s father died in a car crash. In a moment of panic, Snowy leapt into this memory and disappeared in a flash, finding himself on a large dog sleeping on a discarded car seat from the now-destroyed vehicle. Traveling this way is like slipping between cracks in reality that no one else can see. Tommy was eight years old when Snowy and he joined each other. Tommy sometimes struggles with his gifts, and Snowy does what he can to help him cope, often trying to return Tommy’s attention to the rules. Snowy looks closely and finds images revolving around the sleeping boy. He sees some fragments of their time together earlier that day and feels frustration at the recollection as he tried once more to illustrate the rules Tommy should have taken to heart years ago.

I know, I know, Tommy says in the shimmering memory Snowy now draws upon.

Tommy takes a few quick steps down the sidewalk in front of his house, moving past it for the third time since they started out, eyeing Snowy with a sideways glance, trying not to look like he’s talking to his cat, even though that’s exactly what he’s doing. They begin circling the block once more, and Snowy produces images before Tommy again, emphasizing each rule as best he can, wanting him to understand.

Life is the first rule, Tommy says, keeping himself from slouching as Snowy holds fast to his shoulder, claws firmly embedded in the thick padding his mother has sewn into all his shirts and jackets. "Then there’s Family, Balance, Enemies, Sacrifice, Calm, Attention, Creativity, and Starting." Tommy rolls his eyes as he says these things, but finds the images of each rule repeating before him. With the weight of his cat on his shoulder, the emphasis on expansion is plain. "Fine. Life is the first rule. We protect it always." Images of his mother and friends shimmer around him as he continues. "Family and friends are the next rule. We need to stay connected to those who matter most." Tommy gives Snowy a sideways smile before taking a running leap and landing on a two-foot-high iron fence, balancing himself while keeping Snowy from falling off his shoulder. "The next rule is Balance. We have to keep ourselves balanced in everything we do." The images that follow are dark and menacing, making Tommy almost fall off the fence before he jumps to one side, landing on the sidewalk almost as gracefully as his feline companion. "I know. Enemies is the next rule. There are dangerous people in the world we always have to be aware of." Tommy does his best to avoid looking at all the enemies he has seen in his short life, waiting for the images to change and breathing a sigh of relief when they do. "Sacrifice." Tommy says before the images shift, and he sees friends and family who have placed themselves in danger for his sake. "Self-sacrifice is a part of life, and sometimes we have to put our own lives in danger to help others. I know." The images vanish, and Tommy breathes a sigh of relief when he sees an image of himself and his cat sitting on the roof, watching the sunset. "Calmness is the next one. Peace and quiet. I would enjoy that even more if you would stop showing me the rules just for a day, you know." He jokes, but Snowy arranges the next set of images into a line before them, and Tommy sighs. "Attention. The next rule is attention. I need to focus and pay attention. That’s not just a cat rule, you know." The images shift to one of a house being constructed a few miles away, and Tommy considers going to the site just to see how far the construction has gotten. "Making things. Creativity. I like that rule." He smiles. "My teacher lets us play with clay in art, and I like making new things." The last of the images appear as they round the corner back to his house, and Tommy sees the image of himself and Snowy at the gate, preparing to go for their walk and review the cat rules. Tommy puts out his hands, running as fast as he can, coming up to the image of himself and Snowy as it shimmers away and is gone, making as if he were finishing a marathon. "And here we are back at the beginning!" He declares, grinning at how Snowy struggles to hold on both when he started the sprint and when he stopped. "And that’s the last rule: Beginning and continuing with our lives each and every day. Starting something new is