In a valley between two mountains lived an echo.
The echo had no body.
No face.
No home.
Just a voice.
And the voice could only do one thing.
Repeat.
Whatever anyone said, the echo said it back.
Every single time. 🗣️
🏔️ Copying Isn’t the Same
A hiker called out: “Hello mountain!”
Hello mountain, said the echo.
“It’s beautiful today!”
Beautiful today.
“I love it up here!”
Love it up here.
The hiker smiled and walked on.
And the echo was alone again.
Alone again.
The echo hadn’t meant to say that one.
It just… came out.
“I just want someone to say something back to ME,” said the echo.
Back to me, said the echo.
Which didn’t help at all.
🗣️ The Question
A little fox came to the valley and called out: “Is anyone there?”
Anyone there? said the echo.
“Are you a friend?” asked the fox.
A friend? said the echo.
“Do you want to play?”
Want to play?
The fox tilted her head.
“You only say what I say.”
What I say, the echo agreed sadly.
“That must be lonely,” said the fox.
Lonely, said the echo.
And this time it was true, and everyone knew it.
💛 John Tries Something Different
John came to the valley and had heard about the echo.
John cupped their hands around their mouth and called out:
“I came to visit YOU!”
Visit YOU! said the echo.
“I brought a story to tell you!”
Tell you!
“Are you ready to listen?”
Listen!
And John sat down in the valley and told the echo a long, winding story about a fox and a mountain and a very round rock.
The echo repeated the very last word of every sentence.
And it sounded, John thought, like a conversation.
Not quite the same as having a friend who answered back.
But close.
Close enough to make the valley feel less empty.
And the echo repeated that last word too.
Empty.
Then thought about it.
Not empty.
Not anymore. 🗣️