"You can't see me? I'm standing right in front of you."
"I can't see you."
"I don't understand. I can see you. Here, take my hand."
For a moment, Julia hoped. There was nothing.
"Why, I can't touch you!"
Not even a breath of wind.
Julia walked over to the dresser and took a package of cigarettes out
of her handbag. She carried it over to the sofa and sat down.
"You walked through me!"
She lit the cigarette, inhaled deeply and blew out the smoke in a long
steady stream. When she was a little girl and she had a sharp pain in
her side, her mother would say it's only gas, hold on, it'll pass.
She would hold on.... Mother, help me!
The voice in her head. "I wish I had paid more attention to those
scientists. What was it they said? I had so much to do before I left.
Something about transporting living matter.... Are you _sure_ I'm
invisible?"
"I can't see you."
"Do you people have trouble with your eyes? No, that's not it. I can't
touch you. And I'd expected to bring back some artifacts. I am terribly
disappointed."
"I'm sorry."
"And well you might be. It's going to be extremely difficult going
around asking people a lot of questions when they can't see me. You
must have had quite a start."
"Stop it! Stop it! My head. Oh, dear God, my head!" Julia got up. "I'm
going out!"
"You are having trouble with the thought projection. I'll sit down and
be quiet for a moment."
* * * * *
The voice stopped. Julia paused at the door. The room was quiet.
Breathing! She heard breathing. Her own? She held her breath. It was
there in the room. She was sure of it.