It was so much more than merely a kiss.

     It was like, for a single moment, Whisper's soul reached into Skip's to fill with her love. He embraced her even as she embraced him. In his life, the only love he'd ever truly, fully known came from his mother and two sisters, certainly he'd never felt that sort of love either for or from his father, but the love Whisper filled him with felt so much more personal and intense it made him tremble.

     It really was like she passed her soul into his.

     Then,

     Whisper pulled her mouth away to look into a stunned teen-ager's face. 

     "You okay?" she asked, true concern in her eyes.

     "I...I...uh..."

     "Good." She gave him one last peck on the cheek. She crossed over to what looked like an outcropping of rocks and brush but was another passageway to The Cellars.

     She smiled at her new friend, Skip.

     "You see?" she said. "Now I get to remember the way you look right now, with so much love in your eyes."

     "I'll never forget you for as long as I live, Whisper."

     "Skip! You sound like you're never going to see me again!"

     "Well..."

     "We'll see each other again! I promise! You'll see!"

     "I love you so fucking much, Whisper."

     "And you want to know why I know we're going to see each other again?"

     "You have to tell me."

     "Because I want to! Because I love you too, Skip!"

     Tears filled Skip's eyes until he couldn't see.

     By the time he blinked and wiped his tears away, she was gone. 

     Skip's eyes refilled with tears.

     "Skip," Claudia said. Then, "Skip!"

     "What? What the fuck do you..."

     "It's time we took off too, right?"

     "You..."

     "We stay here you die, and I don't think Whisper would want that,"

     "No, I don't suppose..."

     "Have you forgotten how to walk, Skip? The idea is to put one foot in front of the other to propel yourself forward."

     "I just want to..."

     "No, come on. We're on a mission."

     "What mission?"

​END OF CHAPTER ELEVEN

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