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Description
I wondered through the institute silently, making sure not to step on the many loose floorboards.  I knew Max would be asleep, but the older students might still be in the library, or the gym.  I didn’t have a specific place to go, but only a general want to be alone.

The institute was huge.  I still hadn’t been everywhere in it, and I had lived here for as long as I can remember.  The place seemed to refresh every day.  It was never the same home twice.

I turned a sharp corner and saw a long hallway.  On either side were stained glass windows that covered the walls.  I remember coming down here as a child, and listening to the stories of my people in these pictures.  At times, I had been sure they had moved to help me see what really happened.
I walked down the long forgotten hall slowly, relishing in the quiet.  Tomorrow
would be another hectic day of studying and preparing, but tonight I could just… be.

At the end of the glass hall were two doors.  One was the old clunky wooden one from my memories, the one that looked like it would fall apart at the slightest touch, but was as hard as steel.  The other, I couldn’t remember.  It was smaller than the wooden one, but no less grand.  I had never seen a metal like it.  It was like a living thing; it shimmered and moved in the torchlight.  Not quite silver, it was clearer, yet I still couldn’t see what was beyond it.

Well, if I had wanted some alone time, an unexpected door could definitely help me.  I walked forward and pushed the door, feeling the cool and smooth surface.
The room was smaller than I would have thought, and looked a lot less important than the door made it seem.  The same stone walls and the same high ceiling as the rest of the institute.

I walked in cautiously, my instincts telling me not to relax.  The door was about to swing shut, but I quickly blocked it with the trashcan that had been next it.  I walked further into the room, and saw that one wall was covered by a large mirror that covered the entire side.  The borders were deep purple, and looked slightly swirled.

I approached the mirror and stared at myself.  I sighed at the reflection.  The same fire-engine-red hair that fell in a loose cascade down my shoulders as always.  I could see the amber in my eyes, that on anyone else would look intriguing, but it never stood out because of my hair.  I traced the soft line of my jaw with my eyes, from my small ears down do my small chin.  My eyes swept over my full lips and soft button nose.  Everything about me was soft.  No one would ever peg me for the athletic type.  My figure was small, but not muscular.
I heard a small sound like a cough and I instantly snapped out of my trance.  I whirled around, but I was alone in the room.  I had been sure there had been a noise.  I turned back to the mirror and clamped my hands over my face as not to scream.

There in front of me, breathing and right there was Desmond.  Desmond, the man I loved.  Desmond, that was who was supposed to be dead.  I turned to see him, but no one was behind me.  He was only in the mirror it seemed.  How strange…
I walked slowly closer to the mirror and held out my hand to touch it.  Desmond smiled and my heart melted.  There was the smile I hadn’t seen in so long.  The smile I had been craving.

Desmond came closer to the mirror – or perhaps glass.  He placed his hands on mine through the glass.  It felt oddly colder then I would have thought.

“Des,” I whispered, using the nickname from our childhood, “I thought…” I couldn’t finish the sentence.  How was he here, when he had been dead for over as year?

“Penny.” He whispered so softly I could have been imagining it.
“What are you doing here, at the institute?  Why are you here?  Why weren’t you here before?  Where have you been? I… I’ve missed you so much.” I whispered in a long rush.

Desmond smiled, but it wasn’t the same as before.  It was sadder, painful, “I’m not back, Penny.  And I’ve been here for as long as I’ve been away from you.  I wanted to see you again.  Really see you.”

I smiled.  If only I could touch him… feel his cheek in my palm, hold him close, and just hold his hand…

“God Desmond, this whole time we all thought you were dead!  When the others find out… we’ll all celebrate!  Max will be so happy to see you!  You should see how much he’s grown, Des!” I babbled, clenching the glass in a vain attempt to hold onto Desmond.

“Penelope.” Desmond said forcefully.  I looked up into his sky blue eyes and I could see the tension there.

“Penny honey, I’m not back.  It was all true.” He whispered, as if the volume of the words could change anything.

“W-w-what?  I don’t understand! You’re… you’re right here with me!  We’re together, finally!” I yelled, slowly backing away from the glass, “You aren’t dead!”

“Yes, I am Pen.  I’m sorry; I left you all alone in the world.  It wasn’t fair.  I was ripped away from you and now I can’t come back.  Please don’t leave,” He begged, “Stay with me.” He sounded almost as dead as I felt.

I came closer to the glass slowly.  I knelt down, and Desmond did too from his side of the glass.

“How is this possible?” I asked.

“I have no clue.  It’s like a window between our worlds.” Desmond said softly.

“I wish I could touch you,” I whispered, “I wish I could touch your hand or your hair one last time.” I said, sobbing.

“Shh… shh, Penny.  We have as much time as we need.  And remember, I’ll always be with you.  Wherever you are, I’ll be there.  I promise you.” Desmond said with such determination, I had to believe him.
“I’ve missed you so much.” I whispered hoarsely.  I leaned into the glass, and so did he.  We sat like that, forehead to glass to forehead, for who knew how long.  I told him about my year without him, about Max and his adventures.  I told him about my studying and my teachers.  I told him about my control with my gifts, and how well I could tame it, even if I got into a temper.

“I’m proud of you, Penny.” He whispered over and over again, “I’m so proud, and I love you so much.”

“I love you too Des, forever.”

We stayed silent after that, just looking at each other and smiling.  I barely cried by the time the sun broke through the crack in the doorway between the wall and the propped trashcan.

“They’ll be looking for me soon.” I finally whispered.

“Mmhmm.” Desmond said, not really listening, but looking at my hair.

“Des, I should go.  Will you be here when I get back?” I asked desperately.

“Of course.  Go, I’ll wait.” Desmond smiled and put his hand firmly on the glass.

I joined my hand with his through the glass and for a moment everything was at peace for the first time in a year.  I was finally with Desmond, he was finally with me.  But I knew I’d have to pop our innocent bubble, or else someone else would when I wasn’t ready to leave.

“I’ll see you soon.” I whispered as I got up.

“I know you will.  Good bye Penny, I love you.” Desmond said softly.

“I love you too Des, more than anything.”

Description
I wondered through the institute silently, making sure not to step on the many loose floorboards.  I knew Max would be asleep, but the older students might still be in the library, or the gym.  I didn’t have a specific place to go, but only a general want to be alone.

The institute was huge.  I still hadn’t been everywhere in it, and I had lived here for as long as I can remember.  The place seemed to refresh every day.  It was never the same home twice.

I turned a sharp corner and saw a long hallway.  On either side were stained glass windows that covered the walls.  I remember coming down here as a child, and listening to the stories of my people in these pictures.  At times, I had been sure they had moved to help me see what really happened.
I walked down the long forgotten hall slowly, relishing in the quiet.  Tomorrow
would be another hectic day of studying and preparing, but tonight I could just… be.

At the end of the glass hall were two doors.  One was the old clunky wooden one from my memories, the one that looked like it would fall apart at the slightest touch, but was as hard as steel.  The other, I couldn’t remember.  It was smaller than the wooden one, but no less grand.  I had never seen a metal like it.  It was like a living thing; it shimmered and moved in the torchlight.  Not quite silver, it was clearer, yet I still couldn’t see what was beyond it.

Well, if I had wanted some alone time, an unexpected door could definitely help me.  I walked forward and pushed the door, feeling the cool and smooth surface.
The room was smaller than I would have thought, and looked a lot less important than the door made it seem.  The same stone walls and the same high ceiling as the rest of the institute.

I walked in cautiously, my instincts telling me not to relax.  The door was about to swing shut, but I quickly blocked it with the trashcan that had been next it.  I walked further into the room, and saw that one wall was covered by a large mirror that covered the entire side.  The borders were deep purple, and looked slightly swirled.

I approached the mirror and stared at myself.  I sighed at the reflection.  The same fire-engine-red hair that fell in a loose cascade down my shoulders as always.  I could see the amber in my eyes, that on anyone else would look intriguing, but it never stood out because of my hair.  I traced the soft line of my jaw with my eyes, from my small ears down do my small chin.  My eyes swept over my full lips and soft button nose.  Everything about me was soft.  No one would ever peg me for the athletic type.  My figure was small, but not muscular.
I heard a small sound like a cough and I instantly snapped out of my trance.  I whirled around, but I was alone in the room.  I had been sure there had been a noise.  I turned back to the mirror and clamped my hands over my face as not to scream.

There in front of me, breathing and right there was Desmond.  Desmond, the man I loved.  Desmond, that was who was supposed to be dead.  I turned to see him, but no one was behind me.  He was only in the mirror it seemed.  How strange…
I walked slowly closer to the mirror and held out my hand to touch it.  Desmond smiled and my heart melted.  There was the smile I hadn’t seen in so long.  The smile I had been craving.

Desmond came closer to the mirror – or perhaps glass.  He placed his hands on mine through the glass.  It felt oddly colder then I would have thought.

“Des,” I whispered, using the nickname from our childhood, “I thought…” I couldn’t finish the sentence.  How was he here, when he had been dead for over as year?

“Penny.” He whispered so softly I could have been imagining it.
“What are you doing here, at the institute?  Why are you here?  Why weren’t you here before?  Where have you been? I… I’ve missed you so much.” I whispered in a long rush.

Desmond smiled, but it wasn’t the same as before.  It was sadder, painful, “I’m not back, Penny.  And I’ve been here for as long as I’ve been away from you.  I wanted to see you again.  Really see you.”

I smiled.  If only I could touch him… feel his cheek in my palm, hold him close, and just hold his hand…

“God Desmond, this whole time we all thought you were dead!  When the others find out… we’ll all celebrate!  Max will be so happy to see you!  You should see how much he’s grown, Des!” I babbled, clenching the glass in a vain attempt to hold onto Desmond.

“Penelope.” Desmond said forcefully.  I looked up into his sky blue eyes and I could see the tension there.

“Penny honey, I’m not back.  It was all true.” He whispered, as if the volume of the words could change anything.

“W-w-what?  I don’t understand! You’re… you’re right here with me!  We’re together, finally!” I yelled, slowly backing away from the glass, “You aren’t dead!”

“Yes, I am Pen.  I’m sorry; I left you all alone in the world.  It wasn’t fair.  I was ripped away from you and now I can’t come back.  Please don’t leave,” He begged, “Stay with me.” He sounded almost as dead as I felt.

I came closer to the glass slowly.  I knelt down, and Desmond did too from his side of the glass.

“How is this possible?” I asked.

“I have no clue.  It’s like a window between our worlds.” Desmond said softly.

“I wish I could touch you,” I whispered, “I wish I could touch your hand or your hair one last time.” I said, sobbing.

“Shh… shh, Penny.  We have as much time as we need.  And remember, I’ll always be with you.  Wherever you are, I’ll be there.  I promise you.” Desmond said with such determination, I had to believe him.
“I’ve missed you so much.” I whispered hoarsely.  I leaned into the glass, and so did he.  We sat like that, forehead to glass to forehead, for who knew how long.  I told him about my year without him, about Max and his adventures.  I told him about my studying and my teachers.  I told him about my control with my gifts, and how well I could tame it, even if I got into a temper.

“I’m proud of you, Penny.” He whispered over and over again, “I’m so proud, and I love you so much.”

“I love you too Des, forever.”

We stayed silent after that, just looking at each other and smiling.  I barely cried by the time the sun broke through the crack in the doorway between the wall and the propped trashcan.

“They’ll be looking for me soon.” I finally whispered.

“Mmhmm.” Desmond said, not really listening, but looking at my hair.

“Des, I should go.  Will you be here when I get back?” I asked desperately.

“Of course.  Go, I’ll wait.” Desmond smiled and put his hand firmly on the glass.

I joined my hand with his through the glass and for a moment everything was at peace for the first time in a year.  I was finally with Desmond, he was finally with me.  But I knew I’d have to pop our innocent bubble, or else someone else would when I wasn’t ready to leave.

“I’ll see you soon.” I whispered as I got up.

“I know you will.  Good bye Penny, I love you.” Desmond said softly.

“I love you too Des, more than anything.”