Set Alight

Chapter 9

I step back to admire my handiwork.

Lovely. I break into a huge smile as I turn, sending my ghostly white dress spinning. Black boots lead to white tights, but they're barely seen, as my dress is long. The sleeves are loose, but follow the shape of my arms until it reaches the edge of my wrist, where black gloves highlight the femininity of my hands. My hair flows loosely, constricted by only a single braid.

Not wanting to look like I had copied Danny Phantom, I had altered the plain black and white costume.

The dress had been simple- scoop neck, fabric following close to my skin until fanning out at the waist until my knees. I had designed and cut the bottom to look like flames... Nothing too dramatic, though. I did the same with the sleeves. Because my skin seems to glow golden, I'd painted the edges subtly with gold paint, dusting the edges and smearing to give it a gradient into the white. I'd taken a gold ribbon and lightly cinched my waist, giving it a delicate bow behind my back and letting the excess ribbon flow down my dress to end just past the hem. Finally, I'd woven a gold ribbon through my braid.

Supplies had not been easy to find. The paint and scissors, sure, but the ribbon, gloves and boots posed a challenge. Thankfully, Benedict knew my secret and helped me find the necessary items.

I look like a living flame, I think, a huge grin spreading on my face as I float in front of the mirror. Dangerous and... totally like a ghost. Pushing the discomfort that comes of thinking of ghosts and my father away, I fly slowly out my room and down the stairs.

Benedict is reclining, fiddling with his phone, but when he sees me, he breaks into a huge smile. "You look... Amazing."

I turn for him.

"All you need is a name."

I snap my fingers. "Emma-" I grasp for an ending. I recall Blaze and grin. "Wildfire."

"Lovely! You've decided to embrace your ghost side, then?"

"Do I have a choice? Besides, it's so cool! And yes, I know, the whole fire core makes that contradictory but I don't care! I'm flying!" I float higher to emphasis to my words.

"Will you tell your father?"

"No." I answer so suddenly I surprise myself. "I..." My heart squeezes, filling me with uneasiness. Lies, to my dad, again. "I can't. He hates them." I place my hand on the side of my face to give myself comfort.

"I find a walk really clears my head. However... You can fly." He smiles. "That's bound to give you some thinking time."

I appreciate his advice and tell him so, bidding him goodbye and making for the door.

"Emma?"

"Yes?" I turn, with a little difficulty. I'm still getting ahold of this whole flying thing.

"Stay high, it's mid afternoon, and..." He looks thoughtful for a moment. "Can't you go through walls?"

"Um..." I look doubtfully at the wall. "In theory. But I'm... I'm not very good at this."

"Better to get these powers under control before your dad gets back. You've only got a week."

"Right." Concentrating on who-knows-what (phasing, think weightless thoughts???), and fly at the wall.

I don't go through the wall. In fact, I slam into it and fall back, losing my flight and landing hard on the ground. "I told you," I mutter, annoyed, leaping into the air and catching myself with my flight. Despite the risk of slamming, however, I-thinking of an amazing theory-launch myself once more at the wall... And pass right through it.