Wraith

Chapter 06: Mirror

Chapter 06: Mirror

Taking a firm grip on the containment suit at the shoulders, I concentrated on turning it ethereal along with me. It turned shadow when I did, and I pulled it away from her slightly. When I saw the skin of her left shoulder, I instantly halted and put the suit back in place.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You're only missing a sleeve on your right side," I explained. "When I started to remove the containment suit, I saw your shoulder on the left. I was accidentally taking the jumpsuit underneath with it. Give me a minute, and I'll try again."

I inhaled deeply and centered my focus on the containment suit once more. It changed into a featureless shadow as I did, but when I pulled it away, the blaze orange of her clothes showed through. Knowing I was only taking the containment suit, I pulled it off her and dumped it on the floor. The instant the suit left my hand, it became solid and crumpled into a heap.

"You did it!" she cheered in delight.

I retook physical form and helped her off the table.

"It just occurred to me," I told her. "I don't know your name."

"It's Denise," she told me. "Denise Greer."

"Well then, Denise Greer," I announced, offering her a hand. "Shall we go? The time has come for your escape."

She put her hand in mine, and I smiled while relaxing my focus. I drifted out of physical substance first, followed almost immediately by Denise.

I'd never gotten a look at myself when ethereal, so her appearance startled me. She was a transparent figure of darkness, completely devoid of all distinguishing features except for her eyes; they were orbs of the purest white. No iris or pupil broke the completeness of the pale surface.

"Do I look like you when ethereal?" I questioned.

"I don't know," she answered. "What do I look like to you?"

"You appear as a three dimensional shadow," I described. "I can't tell what you're wearing as it's all blended together in one dark shape. You don't have a mouth I can see. Only your eyes are visible, and they are pure white."

"Yep," she confirmed. "That's what you look like."

"Interesting," I mused. Redirecting my thoughts to our escape, I held up a hand and pressed it against the wall, sinking in to the wrist. "You try."

Denise placed her palm against the wall and pushed, but the concrete structure had no more success holding her back than it had with me. Her hand easily passed through the spongy softness of the wall. I didn't have to encourage her to do more as she eagerly ventured ahead.

Not wanting to lose my hold on her hand, I walked quickly alongside her and entered the wall and the soil surrounding the military compound. We paused momentarily outside to look the base over.

"This is how you see?" she asked in awe. Her voice was slightly muffled by the earth between us, but I heard her well enough to answer.

"Yes," I confirmed. "Let me show you something."

I walked her upward from her cell, giving her a better view of the other people who'd been experimented on.

"Is there anything we can do for them?" she inquired.

"Not yet," I denied. "We don't know if they would even be on our side, or of they would trust us after what they've been through. If we can find a way off the island, then, we will have an easier time convincing them. Until then, they had best stay where they are."