The Art of Avoiding Pain

I looked up, me back heavy with the pack: Spare clothes, change saved up for 30 years so it added up to a good amount by now, and various other items. My heart weighed heavy against me chest, seeming to rock back and forth like a metronome as I walked. It was the dead of night, on one of the abandoned streets from Rosa Mansion to Rome, and from there she could go anywhere... Persia sounded nice. 

Anywhere but here, where every where I looked Alison winked down at her and Apollo ignored me. Anywhere but where it felt like I died as Penelope walked by, a stunning mix of blond hair and grey-green eyes and Apollo's pale skin and Alison's nose and the two of them together, but not Me. Never Echo, the little sister, the friend, the one he comes to when he and Ali have a spat, but not a lover.  

If I stayed there any longer, I'd go mad. Literally insane: Voices already talked to me, though I dared not talk back.

...The ghosts were gone now, though.  

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WHY?! Apollo, Alison, Penelope- WHY!? What had they ever done to deserve this?! Alison had done nothing, Penelope was caught in between her mother and her father- Apollo! 

I knew perfectly well why him, even as tears screamed down I cheeks I knew. Apollo had been fighting, so he had been marked for death. 

I had considered suicide, but cast that away as soon as it struck me, nausea threatening to over-take my stomach. But once again, the halls of my home killed me with their memories, washing me away in a wave of confused emotions that battled with one-another for dominance. Sometimes I even felt like Apollo was there- watching me go through this. 

That ghost of Apollo gave me strength in an odd way: If he haunted me, I would have to put on a brave face for him, because seeing me go through this would undoubtedly make him insane as well.

Where did I put that bag?

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Such a jerk! When he had come back from the dead, I had been so shocked- recoiled- repelled! He was angry all the time, at me, at our enemies... 

Nope, not sticking around for this one. 

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SAHJLSAJAK!!! I HATE HIM I HATE HIM HAAAAEEETT!!!!! 

*haets*

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...I.... I don't know what to say.... 

All that time, he had been forced to watch... Maybe the Apollo!Ghost actually WAS him? That... Makes sense... A bit... Not really... 

He was so angry because of Ali, sister... I... It... 

I can't stick around. He... I'm just so confused... 

Why hallo der Pak. What say you and I go for a stroll, ne? 

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I... Every time he's around, I feel like myself for a while, but then after a year or two Alison comes back, like she always does, and I feel like I betray her just by looking at ApolSkulduggery. 

...Besides, it's fun when he chases me! <3

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A/N: I know there is verb-tense shift and all that bad stuff. Too bad. I'm too lazy to fix it. 

Some random drabbles taking place around the same time as the song-fic. Joy joy joy.