Josie. He’d felt the touch of her mind on his. From under the haze of drugs that kept his body immobile, Bane struggled to follow the whisper of her presence through the maze of his neurons. Her image flashed at him from time to time, weaving as she retreated. Eventually, he found her in a bubble. Under the surface, ferns burst in giddy explosions and moss-coated dying trees. Bane tried to permeate the space, only to find it hard like rubber, a perfect sphere of protection. “Josie,” he whispered. The wall between them pulsed, and Bane pressed inward with his mind. But the membrane held firm. A voice spoke directly into his auditory cortex. “You scared me.” He wanted to comfort her but didn’t know how. “Did you do all those things?” Her voice was soft and ethereal. Bane wished he could give her another answer. “Yes.” He waited for her response. When she didn’t give one right away, Bane pulled back his energy. “Did you want to?” He felt a caress, as if Josie stoked his face.
