Whisper

Chapter 25

A few days of just chatting with Frost, Clarise didn't have to lean all the way towards the hole that had seemed to grow slightly, the two women using their pillows to cover it up. 

Frost was so excited to talk to another woman her age, even if Clarise was 3 years her senior she was nice. Frost didn't even ask her much about her, she just started blabbing, mostly about her current life here on the ARC base. 

Clarise already knew these things about her, but it was nice to hear someone tell their own story. What they got wrong about past events, how they interpret current story. It was amusing. 

"So did you turn yourself in too?" Frost finally asked something to Clarise, kicking her feet carelessly as she hugged her pillow, temporarily forgetting the consequences as her pillow began to freeze as soon as her hands touched it. "Aw shit." 

"No," Clarise's voice had a delicate tone, like if she raised it above a certain volume it would shatter her vocal chords, "My father brought me to BEYOND, a way to get rid of me and my problems." 

"Ouch, I'm sorry to hear that," Frost pushed the shards of what was her pillow aside, blowing on the rest to clear the bed of these crumbs, "How old were you when that happened?" 

"I was 8," Clarise sighed, rubbing her eyes sorely, "My mom had just passed away so it was hard for him to keep up with me." 

"Were you born with your 'gifts?'" 

"Yeah." 

"Oh dang, mine came around when I was 17," Frost let out a chuckle, "You know how I found out?" Yes. "Nearly froze off my prom date's dick." 

Clarise let a laugh escape out of her, something that she hasn't done before for a long time. It felt so nice. Just mindlessly talking to someone without a purpose. Mateo and she shared small conversations like this, but Mateo didn't really know how to keep up a conversation with someone like Clarise. 

"I ran away from his place like a confused little kitten, parts of my dress were freezing off as I ran. Some how ran myself to the police but they were no help," Frost's voice got lower, a bit sadder, "They didn't understand how to handle me, some of them almost lost their hands trying to take ahold of me." 

Clarise once again knew all this, and felt for her a bit. Clarise could only know the facts of a story, sometimes know the word to describe one's emotions, but actually hearing the recount was more heartbreaking. 

"Someone in that station got ahold of someone from BEYOND, and gave me the ultimatum. Either I rot away in a deep hole I could dig myself, or allow myself to be researched on." Frost felt tears begin to form, but she had to brush them away before they froze her eyes shut, "They lied to my face and said they could cure me." 

Clarise looked outside her cell door, seeing a familiar form leaning against the side of the entrance. She didn't comment though, and it appears he was being respectful of the two. 

"Of course my parents believed them, and signed me away to live at that damn place." Frost's voice trembled slightly, "The only good thing they had there were the ugliest clothes," she let out a choked up laugh. 

Clarise was silent, eventually sitting up and knocking on the glass, getting Conrad's attention. He didn't really hear their conversation, but he heard Frost cries and decided to wait. They weren't supposed to be talking, but he couldn't bring himself to stop the two. 

Clearing his throat loudly, Conrad alerted Frost of his presence, allowing her to wiped away her tears and go silent, pretending she wasn't talking to Clarise. Leaning against the wall, Clarise waited for Conrad's questions, already knowing the essence of them. Conrad was still an anomaly, one that Clarise did not want to deal with. 

"Another facility has fallen," Conrad began, crossing his arms as he stared down at the much shorter woman, "No Projects were found in the remains but it has fallen much like the facility you're from." 

Clarise stared blankly at him, not indicating that she knew anything. But Conrad has grown to know better than that. 

"Clarise," Conard stepped forward, not trying to threaten her but he was getting desperate, "We need to locate those Projects." He witnessed first hand was a rouge project can do, so 8 missing ones seems like a recipe for disaster. 

"Don't worry," Clarise stepped up and forward too, pushing her face right under his, their breaths mixing from their proximity, "They'll find me soon." 

Like pure coincidence, the containment area's lighting shut off, red emergency lighting coming to life as heavy metal doors fell over the glass ones, locking in all the captive projects. Even the doors of Mateo's cell was locked like this. 

"What the hell?" Conrad ran to the door, pounding on his futilely. "Did you know about this?" 

She rolled her eyes, going over to the wall where Frost was panicking. She knocked on the wall, getting the attention of the girl who was about to go into a full blown panic attack. 

"What is going on?" Frost panted, her breathing getting heavier and faster. 

"Frost listen to me," Clarise's voice was too soft, drowned out by the sudden blaring alarms. Sighing she turned to see Conrad just standing by the door, watching her. "Frost!" She tried to raise her voice, but a sharp pain instantly shot through her throat. As she expected. 

"Frost!" Conrad's voice rivaled the alarms from how loud it was, but it finally caught the poor girl's attention, "Can you break down this wall?!" 

"W-what? Y-yeah!" 

Placing both hands on the wall, a thick sheet of ice spreading all over what used to be a pure steel wall, it was thick enough to appear on Clarise's side. Soon the wall was made of delicate ice, enough for a weak push by Frost to just fall apart like brittle pasta. 

Frost was frozen in shock after, just staring at Conrad with fear in her eyes. Now that Clarise can see her, Frost had frosty blue eyes and an incredibly pale complexion. Titanium blonde hair nearly as white as her skin, but about 4 inches of dark brown roots leaked from her head. 

Clarise, resting her voice now, waved in front of Frost's face to get her attention, pointing at her cell wall indicating exactly what she wants. 

Shakily nodding, Frost walks past Conrad, once again placing both her hands on the even thicker cell door.