Wraith

Chapter 7: Discipline

Chapter 7: Discipline

Neither of us slept the remainder of the day. My haunting nightmares refused to let me find rest, and Denise seemed perfectly willing to stay at my side.

As night silently moved across the island, darkness grew. Long shadows expanded until they merged together in a single, obscuring layer. My own physical substance followed after the island, becoming wrapped in shadow. Denise's arm around my midsection dropped through to land on the cavern floor as my body became intangible.

"I guess it's time to get up," I suggested.

Denise nodded and tried to rub her eyes, but her sleep deprived mind had forgotten about her helmet. Water splashed against the transparent visor over her eyes, and it woke her up as well as being a reminder of her current attire.

"Here," I offered, turning solid just long enough to pull the containment suit off her. It went much easier than before, and I thought I might be getting better at using my powers.

"Thank you," Denise said when the containment suit was removed. Her hair went pure white, and the silvery moonlight projecting from her skin filled the cavern in its soft glow. She stood up and stretched.

I caught myself staring at her. I could see through the torn areas of her blaze orange jumpsuit the toned muscle under her flawless skin tighten and flex with each graceful movement. Quickly directing my gaze elsewhere, I tried to keep my mind centered on something other than the beautiful woman sharing the small cavern with me.

"I'll see about getting us something to eat," I offered, vanishing through the rock wall before she could respond.

As I emerged on the surface, I tried to understand what was wrong with me. I was clearly a highly trained military agent, and a variety of skills were in my employ. Yet, the mere presence of Denise seemed to monopolize my thoughts; she was all I could focus upon. Even apart from her, my mind regularly returned to her. It didn't make sense. What was it about Denise that unbalanced me so badly?

Putting a foot partway into the side of a tree, I discovered I could climb the trunk as easily as moving through the ground. Every part of the tree became a hold where I could leverage myself higher. Reaching the top, I easily phased a coconut loose from where it was attached and dropped it to the ground below. I repeated the process until satisfied with the quantity.

Climbing down, my mind centered on my current problem and its possible origins. With a lack of memory, I didn't know who I was or where I'd come from. Nightmares haunted my dreams, and the only one on the island who didn't seem intent on either killing me or locking me in a room for scientific experiments was Denise.

She was patient, understanding, and caring. In my darkest moments, she was the support at my side. Denise had been acting as my anchor, and I was only beginning to see how much I needed her.

I realized the skills I possessed, combat and gun handling abilities, didn't require conscious thought. They'd been so completely instilled in me, they'd become instinct. I didn't need my memories to maintain them, but the mental stability necessary to avoid distraction came from training and understanding. Without memories, I didn't know the proper techniques. If I were going to survive, I would have to relearn them, fast.

After selecting a generous helping of fruit to go with the coconuts I'd retrieved, I headed back for the cave. As I approached, I noticed Denise wasn't there any longer. Searching through the transparent rock around me, I easily located her swimming in the bay. Her blaze orange jumpsuit was very noticeable in the blue waters, and the moonlight coming from her skin lit the ocean near her in a bubble of silvery light.