Chapter:3
I leave my food tray on the bed, stand up to do my first try at flying, feel myself shaking from the mere effort. I wonder if it’s from excitement or fear of failure. I suspect it’s the latter.
I focus my thoughts, casting away everything but the vision of the sky Tina has engraved deep in my mind. I think of us soaring through it, sometimes looking at the view above, some other times gazing at the landscapes below. I think of us watching the sunset and the sundown together, every single day, waiting for it like two birds waiting for their mother to come home, to feed them love and hope. And also worms.
I cast the vision of the worms away and refocus. I let them all sink it, filling me with a temporary happiness, then finally, whisper Tina’s words, and they taste like magic.
O Gravity, keeper of the Order, binder to the Earth, master of the Laws, please take me away. At first, nothing happens, and worry clouds my thoughts for a moment. I keep my eyes closed, afraid to break the momentum. Then, suddenly, I can’t feel my feet touching the floor anymore. My eyes snap open, I can’t help but gape at my floating body for a few seconds. I’m flying! It feels great, it feels amazing. I urge it to move forward, circle around the room. I feel so light, almost as if I left my body and became a ghost, roaming through this dead territory , dead of souls but alive with inhuman, cruel bodies.
I don’t know how long I keep on floating before I remember Tina next door. I reluctantly land on my bed, not wanting to walk on my feet anymore.
“Tina!” , I almost shout her name. “It worked!”
Yes it did.
I am surprised by her reaction. Her voice does not sound cold, but it’s rather…abnormally normal. As though she wasn’t taken aback by what just happened.
She wasn’t?
“You knew it would work.”
Yes.
“Why didn’t you tell me about it before?”
This passing ability of mine needs a certain love for the receiver of the power, so I needed to get closer to you to do it.. I’m sorry if it took this long. I don’t get attached to people easily…circumstances, you see.
I can’t help but laugh, not out of humor, but happiness.
What’s so funny? I’m feeling guilty here and you’re laughing! , she says, the amusement in her voice betraying her chastising words.
“I’m happy because I’ve just known how exactly you feel about me.”
She doesn’t say anything, and I like to think that she’s blushing, embarrassed by my sudden show of affection.
Even if it feels kind of stolen, I finally have an ability. However, if Tina’s love no longer exists , or if she loses her memories of me, will the triggering sentence no longer work ? Will I be powerless, once again? Have I, in fact, done my best to unravel the magic inside of me?
Perhaps I gave up too easily, perhaps I didn’t want to be changed by them completely, when they first brought me here, after all the torture they inflicted on my brain and my body. I didn’t want to lose my soul to become one of their morbid creations… Then, when Tina spoke to me about herself, I couldn’t help but envy her, envy how special she was…without realizing the truth behind her seemingly amazing powers. If I had been as special as her , what kind of price would
I be forced to pay? I shudder at the mere thought. No, I can’t afford to be their monster pet, I can’t simply become —
Penny?
I am startled by my friend’s voice. Was I that deep in thought?
Have you ever thought about something you’ve always wanted to do, but couldn’t?
“What do you mean?” , I ask, not quite getting her point.
I’m wondering whether there’s a triggering sentence for you too. Words only you can manipulate into showing you your true power.
“That..” , I begin. “Is a very good question…”
What do I really want? I’ve been here for so long all what I longed for was company, and a way to get out of here.
A way. I think, and an idea hits me so hard I almost punch the air with my fist shouting “I HAVE AN IDEA” like mad scientists do, or maniacs, for that matter.
What I want is to get out of here alive, without ever being followed by anybody, without ever making them look at me in disgust, as though I was a disobedient dog that needed to be disposed of, without having them put these disgusting too-big handcuffs on my hands, freezing them to the point of no return.
I want to be invisible.
Think about it. Tina says from behind the wall. And I do.
I picture myself, invisible to all eyes, stealing the guards’ weapons, with them only realizing it when it’s too late, walking through the corridors of this stinky facility, opening the main doors and just leaving, never , ever looking back.
I open my eyes once more, the way I did when I was trying Tina’s powers,and look down at my hands, my stomach, my feet. By this time, I’m too used to it to ever feel the tiniest of shocks. I stretch my arm in front of me and gaze in amazement at the bed and the wall right behind it. It’s like I am feeling my presence but I simply can’t see it. This is incredible, this is —
My hand slowly reappears before me, as though a fog was clearing, leaving me bare to my own staring eyes. The disappointment weighs on me like nothing else did, squeezing my heart a little, and even though it merely lasts a second, it hurts me more than the torture I’ve gone through. It hurts me because I’m so scared, scared of never being able to be invisible again, scared of never doing what I’ve always wanted.
Hey , Penny , I can’t see you, you know, so you might as well tell me what’s going on in there, Tina retorts, helplessly.
I reluctantly sit back on my bed and lean against the wall, defeated.
“It worked for a while, I became invisible. Then…I don’t know what happened, it just didn’t work anymore, maybe it was my imagination.” , I say, my voice on the edge of breaking.
I could feel Tina’s enthusiasm radiating from her despite the block of concrete separating us. Wow, I never thought your ability would be this useful! It’s okay, you’re still not used to it, you just need to practice a little more. After a few tries, you’ll completely disappear!
She giggles at that, as if it was the funniest joke in History. “What do you mean, useful?” , I can’t help but ask.
I know the answer before her lips part.
We’re going to leave this place.
