The Ethereal Vision

  ***

  After a few minutes of running, she approached the edge of a wooded area and entered. She had never, even in her childhood, been in this remote area that surrounded the local villages. She stepped over a threshold—a path that had been worn by others—and walked down the muddy trail. Trees gradually encased her and shrouded her in dim light as she hoped to escape the men she knew were now pursuing her with vigour.

  After walking for some time, she found that her legs were starting to hurt and that the January sky had clouded over, making the wooded area even darker. She thought she should have reached the edge of the wood by now, but there was no sign of it. She stopped and leaned against a large tree. Jane looked around and saw that she was surrounded on all sides by bare forest; she finally admitted to herself that she was lost. She wanted to stay on her feet, but her legs were filled with cramps and were begging her to stop moving. Her eyes filled with tears as she sank to the ground.

  As she sat there breathing deeply, the memory—and the feelings of guilt—finally came. She could feel the safety belt as it pressed against her small, fragile body. She felt the soft touch of the teddy bear as it fell over her shoulder and faded into the pure black of the night below. Then the memory was gone and her mind was clear. She was glad.

  She took a deep breath and scanned her surroundings. She was in a clearing. She thought maybe it was a space people her age came to hang out. It was littered with cigarette butts, and the centre showed evidence of burn marks: the site of a long-ago summer party and a feeling of warmth she had once been familiar with. Still, she was surrounded on all sides by bare trees and had no idea where she was.

  Her hands trembled as she thought about the three men who were pursuing her. Would they be awake again and looking for her? Her pulse began to race beneath her skin once again as thoughts of them bounding through the woods after her teetered on the brink of her consciousness.

  She pushed the thoughts aside and let her head fall into her arms as she drew her legs under her. The silent, gentle breeze blew at her face. After a few moments, she fell asleep.

  It was only a short while later that she heard him whisper her name in her mind. She woke up suddenly and gasped. It was darker now, but only somewhat. She guessed she had been asleep for no more than twenty minutes, but even that small amount of time was enough for the light of winter to have faded a little. She looked around and saw the ghostly visage in front of her; it was Max, but his appearance was faded slightly. She gasped and a grin rapidly spread across her face. Every cell in her body lit up at the sight of him. This time, the telepathic communication came effortlessly.

  Thank God.

  Yes. I should be with you in full form momentarily.

  Good. I have absolutely no idea where I am!

  You were doing really well, Jane. You were going in the right direction. The edge of the forest is only two hundred feet away.

  Her mouth dropped open, and she shook her head in disbelief. She slammed her fist into the dirt at her side.

  Don’t worry about it. You did fine.

  She looked up at him through half-closed eyes. He smiled at her, and she found the energy to smile back.

  You’re having trouble with that memory, aren’t you?

  She winced, knowing immediately what he was talking about. “The one with the bear?” she asked, quivering, unable to disguise it. He nodded at her. “Yes,” she said. “I don’t…I don’t understand it.”

  Take the sand out of your pocket, he said simply.

  She looked at him for clarification, and when he merely nodded, she reached into her pocket and found the handful of sand he had asked her to take from the beach.

  “Another trick, Max?”

  Call it more of a totem than a trick. But it will require tremendous concentration.

  She nodded at him and sat up with her back flat against the hard bark of a tree trunk. She glanced at the sand. “What do you want me to do with it?” she asked.

  Think of something you like—an animal. What’s the first one that comes to mind?

  “Butterfly,” she said without hesitating, and a smile appeared on her pale face. Although she was no longer looking at him, she could see him smile in her peripheral vision.

  “Then make one,” he said. His voice was loud and clear now as he once again took solid form. She looked up at him, unsure, and saw that he had completely returned to her.

  “You know how to do it.”

  “Like with the fire?”

  “Yes. Go to the most basic elements. The molecules. The fire.”

  She stared back at the handful of sand and could already feel her mind light up as the previously dormant faculties came online more quickly this time. The sand began to swirl in her hand—a small vortex—and she could feel the wind on her face. Her vision went through the swirling mass and beyond the individual grains, into the internal structure. Then, as she focussed, she could see every particle moving at once and understood their interrelatedness. She heard his voice again.

  The butterfly.

  Oh yes, she heard herself say from the more basic parts of her mind. It was almost like another person was speaking through her, as she occupied the vast expanse of her consciousness beyond that. The image came then: a gorgeous picture of an exotic butterfly she had seen once for a brief second. The sand began to take shape, and she saw the light shine out from her hand as it crystallised. The wings formed first as clear, transparent glass. Then the light continued across the shape of the creature as the sand continued to encircle it wildly. The few swirls of remaining sand fed into the body as she shaped its final parts with her thoughts.

  It was over. The light in her hand faded, and the forest once again came into view around her. She looked up at Max and saw that he was smiling at her. She took a few deep breaths and looked back at her hand. She gasped, seeing that she had created an incredibly intricate and complex glass sculpture. A butterfly, unlike any she had ever seen, sat in the palm of her hand where a moment ago there had been only sand.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “Yes,” she said and looked up at him. “But why?”

  “Consider it a totem. The memory that’s bothering you—we can’t do anything about that right now. It’s something that will need time to resolve, I’m afraid. But this will help. If you have to use the power again, keep hold of this afterward. It will help with the intrusive memories.”

  “Okay.”

  “Come on. Let’s go.”

  She pushed herself off the ground, ignoring the pain in her legs, and watched as Max continued onward through the forest. She followed him, placing the new ornament in her pocket, and they walked in silence. After a few moments, she had gathered the courage to ask him the question that was on her mind.

  “You’re training me, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” he said flatly, and they walked on.

  A few minutes later, they reached a clearing that led to the road. Max stood to the side of the clearing and gestured forward with his hands for her to leave first. She smiled and thought the gesture both regal and comical. She stepped out and looked to her left and then her right. It was not a road she was familiar with, despite having been down many of these roads as a child, but she noticed trails of sand on the right side at either side of the road.

  “That leads back to the beach.”

  “Yes, and…” He stopped talking abruptly as a screeching sound erupted in the distance, coming from a crossroads up the road to their left.

  Move, she heard him say in a stern voice in her mind. The authority in his tone felt like a strong hand pushing at her back. She realised immediately what was happening: they had found her again. She began walking down the road quickly in the direction of the beach, which she could only imagine was a few miles away.

  It’s them, isn’t it? she asked desperately.

  Yes. I’m sorry, Jane, it’s that device they’re carrying with them. I can’t see everything they do. I don’t know how they
recovered so fast. Whatever you do, don’t look back. Just keep walking.

  She heard the faint swishing sound beside her, and she knew he was gone again. She could hear the car moving slowly behind her like a predator, and she couldn’t resist glancing back. She regretted it immediately; she locked eyes with Lucas and recognition spread across his face. Max was near the vehicle now, his back to her as he examined it. She turned quickly and broke into a run.

  Can you stun them again?

  No. It’s too early. I don’t have enough reach in this world to do that again so soon.

  She heard Lucas’ voice clearly. “That’s her, move!” She sprinted down the road as the sound of the revving engine filled the space behind her. The sky in front of her was caked with silver-grey clouds. She watched as Max teleported around her in a haphazard fashion, seeming to check the scene from every angle, looking for options.

  “Max, what do I do?” she yelled, hoping for an answer. She kept her eyes on the horizon and kept running, but her breathing was already strained, and each intake of air was a ragged gasp. Her legs no longer felt like appendages, but more like pained wooden planks that she had almost no command over.

  Keep moving, Jane.

  The warning tone in his voice as it echoed through her mind was ominous, but she couldn’t move any more now, so she stopped, turning around to face Lucas. Half his torso protruded from the passenger window. He seemed spectacularly out of place against the backdrop of endless, beautiful green countryside. He had both arms stretched forward, pointing his weapon at her. Max was standing to her right now, and she looked to him as her eyes began to fill with tears. She braced for what would no doubt come.

  She heard the sound of the weapon, like a jet of compressed air. The dart hit her in the right shoulder, just above the collarbone. She felt the impact as though someone had punched her in the chest. Her body jerked back, unbidden, as though she were a puppet. Then she felt it pinch as it punctured her skin. She whelped and looked down at the metallic tube that protruded from her upper chest. She reached to touch the cold metal encasing the intoxicating liquid, which was now beginning to circulate in her bloodstream.

  She looked up as she pulled out the dart—gasping in pain—and then she felt a lull as the world swam when she moved. She held the dart in front of her, and her eyes grew wide. She looked ahead and noticed vaguely that Max had teleported back to her side once again.

  It’s all right, Jane, just relax, he said.

  She fell to her knees, barely noticing the pain as they slammed to the tarmac below. She could not stay upright. Her body drifted over to the right, and she raised her arm out, looking futilely for something to grab as she fell sideways onto the ground. Her face fell flat against the gravel. She felt her temple hit the solid surface. It hurt, but she could barely feel any pain now.

  She noticed Lucas in the distance, approaching slowly and cautiously. Why? she wondered. Then she realised it was because of Max. He had introduced a new, and possibly dangerous, element to this chase. She didn’t think he could see Max very well, but Lucas seemed to have become aware of a presence nonetheless, and it was obviously not something he had prepared for. Lucas was a large and bulky man, but also athletic. She turned away from him, wincing, as his body language disgusted her.

  Max…stay with me.

  Yes, I’m not going anywhere.

  I’m afraid.

  Don’t be, I won’t let you go.

  He was crouched over her. She noticed that Lucas was not looking at Max as he approached. She was motionless now; only her mind was awake, as she had lost all awareness of her body and its function.

  Can he see you?

  No, he doesn’t have “vision.” Too hard for him to see me unless I really want him to.

  She was drifting now, badly. Her eyes opened and closed as she struggled for a few more seconds of consciousness to talk to Max.

  Wait.

  What is it?

  Tell my mom what happened, please…

  Okay, Jane. I will.

  So wonderful…to meet you…

  There was no more worry for her well-being. She was glad she didn’t have to run anymore. She fell through the darkness that awaited her, like the depth of an ocean, into deep unconsciousness.