She reached for his hand, but instead let her own hover over his, knowing if he tried he could almost feel her. Almost.
I'm a soul. And that's my body.
It sounded so unreal, like a made up children's book. She hadn't believed in anything so silly in a really long time. But it was true. She hadn't known it then but she certainly knew it now. Somewhere deep down she could still feel a glimmer of something that connected them. The body and the soul.
That's what the blackouts were for.
She explained more for herself than Train. For so many months she had been in the dark, not knowing why she was here, what her purpose was. But now, just being in the same room as her body seemed to open the door that led to the answers. Now that she had them her words tumbled out in a haste to explain.
They were trying to take me here. To connect me with my body.
Despite herself, her voice sounded hopeful. Hope was always the hardest thing to kill. She prayed that he hadn't heard, but he did. And he reacted to it.
So it can still you know… go back into your body?
She was cruel. This part of the story was unnecessary but she had told it anyways. He had pounced on the hope she had unwittingly given to him. She shook her head repeatedly, trying to dash the hope she saw both in him and in herself.
Its too late, Train.
She held up her hand as evidence that she was fading away. It had only moments before made a look of horror and despair cloud his eyes, now he barely glanced at it.
Aren't all ghosts like that?
It was unbelievable. In a matter of minutes he had come to whole heartedly believe everything she had said. And he did. She saw the trust he instilled in her shine with incredible brightness in his slanted eyes that reminded her of far away times. A time when he sat on a rooftop and fed a stray cat do much like himself.
But those times had already faded much like her own body was beginning to. They were running in circles and time was almost out. She motioned for him to sit in the visitor chair just a few feet from where he stood. She only continued after he had obeyed her silent command.
She would tell him all of it, lay it all out there for the both of them. The answers she had found in this room were not just her own. He had every right to know.
Normally, yes. We are transparent and no one can see us. But cant you see, Train? This isn't normal. You can see me.
She let her words have time to sink in. Fortunately, this gave her time to steady her quivering voice.
The only energy we have is the energy we take with us. I was hurt and bleeding…
She didn't have to see the way his body tensed or the way his eyes glazed over to know that he could see the scene just as perfectly as she could. She thought that he probably remembered it better than she did. She had died in his arms. They both knew that any energy she had when she took her last breath wasn't much.
Usually the little energy I had would have lasted a very long time. It doesn't take much to float around unseen. But I wanted to be seen. I wanted you to see me.
Her eyes pleaded with his. She wasn't that different from him after all. As a little girl left alone in the world, all she really wanted was someone to understand.