A busy night with people crowding the streets of Baltimore, it was Christmas eve and all creatures were stirring all through the night. Each with their own reasons for being out on this night. With so many people out doing something on this night, we could follow anyone and have an interesting enough story, but there is one story that is dying to be told. Let us follow the story of Alex.
From birth Alex was normal, he never did anything special either in a good way or a bad way. He seemed destined to break even. He was content with his obvious luck or lack of it; however you see it. It even seemed to be good luck for him. But this isn’t about his luck well not until a certain day. Alex never believed in aliens and hadn’t seen all of the alien movies (copy rights belong to Paramount), yet somehow he always seemed destined for the stars. One lazy afternoon, rather cold and in the middle of December, Alex decided to go for a walk perhaps to ease his mind, perhaps to ease his soul, perhaps both. He was headed for an abandoned building in a small part of Baltimore County. He was taking his usual shortcuts and heading through alleyways and streets when he saw a light in an alley he never would have taken. Fear and curiosity fought for the number one spot inside of him, curiosity won.
Walking down the alley way he felt warm, and slow. The alley wasn’t but a few 100 feet long. After what seemed to be a good hour he made it to a clearing and found nothing. He looked around and saw a big trashcan and a fire escape for the apartments above him. He began to feel extremely stupid for coming down this alley and finding nothing. Turning, Alex hears what sounds like a door opening. He stops and looks back into the clearing and finds nothing still. Turning to leave again Alex hears a distinctly good-natured voice call out, “Boy…”
Turning silently and getting ready for a street fight, Alex looks around the clearing again seeing nothing. He begins to wonder if he’s gone crazy…”Maybe I’m dreaming”
“No”
“Who are you” Alex asks
“If that mattered I’d tell you, I’m going to give you something boy. I can’t tell you why or what but you can decide if you’ll accept the power.”
“The power?” Alex raises the question and an eyebrow.
“Yes.”
“Okay…” Alex contemplates pinching himself.
“Here, close your eyes. You’re not to see me.”
“I don’t see you.”
“I’m invisible”
“Good explanation.” Alex pinches his left bicep.
“This isn’t a dream boy. Now close your eyes.”
“Fine” He closes his eyes ignoring the slight tingle in his left arm.
“Good”
Alex can see a flash of light through his closed eyelids and wonders what it is just long enough for our good-natured alien to be visible and then reach into his mouth and pull out a little blue stone. “How long do I have to keep my eyes closed?”
“Put your right hand out” Alex puts his right hand out. “Open your hand, I have the gift for you” Alex opens his hand, the alien puts the blue stone in his hand and Alex shouts out in pain as two bright lights shoot out; one from Alex and the other from the alien.
“Ahhhhhhhhhh” The alien then puts his hand over Alex’s mouth in a semi-successful attempt to silence him.
“Boy, calm down it won’t hurt long.” Alex gets quiet as the flash fades away from him and the alien, “Now open your eyes boy”
Alex opens his eyes to see a transparent blue figure standing in front of him with a spherical spaceship-pod behind him. “Now look at your hand boy” Alex looks down and sees that he’s a transparent blue as well and inside his closed hand he sees a blue stone.
“How do I see through myself?” Alex asks fearing the answer.
“The same way everyone else sees through you.”
“What do you mean?” Alex asks, “Am I dead?”
“Yes and No”
“What do you mean?!” Alex asks getting angry
“What’s all the noise you hoodlums….huh? I don’t see anyone hunny” A man about 30 says looking out his window and right at Alex and the alien.
“Sorry sir I just….” The alien puts his hand over Alex’s mouth. Then the man upstairs looks around, squinting, “Forget it hun, I’m going to bed, this is horrible no more sake from here out.”
The alien takes his hand from Alex’s mouth. “What are you doing?” Alex asks in a loud whisper, “And why couldn’t he see me?”
“The same reason you can’t see you” The alien answers in the same tone he’s always used but with a little smile at his apparently inside joke.
“Look I’m tired of playing games with you just tell me what’s going on”
“Boy, you’re invisible.” The alien looks toward the sky, “It’s time for me to go”
“What? Wait you’ve gotta tell me about this.”
“No it’s best you find out yourself. But I will answer one thing. Rub it to turn it off, if you think about seeing yourself normally then you will see yourself normally”
“This stone is making me invisible isn’t it?”
“Bye.” The alien hops in his pod and it takes off and shoots toward the sky faster then Alex’s eyes could possibly follow.
“Bye…” Alex decides to walk home and on his way, after having forgotten the effect of the little encounter, realizes that he really is invisible as people pass right past him. ‘Wait’ Alex thinks, ‘People always pass right by me. Well I wonder if this thing is for real. I think I’ll just test it out then huh’ He walks to the nearest person who has just walked past him and he taps her on the shoulder, the woman turns and looks around then turns back and keeps going. “HEY” Alex shouts to the woman. The woman runs fast away from him as fast as she can. “Well hmm that didn’t really tell me anything, but she didn’t look right at me so maybe she didn’t see me. Damn I have to try again” Alex looks up and down the rest of the street and sees no one but spots an open super market. ‘Why not?’ Alex thinks as he walks toward the front of the super market.
‘Much better’ Alex thinks as he sees a lot of cars and people going to and from them. ‘I have a better idea…I’ll just go mess with the…no wait’ Alex sees a man pushing a shopping cart to his car. He runs as fast as he can to get in front of the cart and stands there. ‘Well either this guy’s gonna kick my ass for this or I’m gonna die of laughter.’ The guy looks around under the cart, trying to find what’s impeding his progress. “What the hell is going on?” The man then let’s go of the cart and Alex pulls it away from him. “Hey WAIT!” Alex stops and so does the cart as the guy walks up to it and his stomach meets the handle. “OUCH”
“Sorry”
“What the Fuck? Who said that? Look whoever or whatever you are just leave me the hell alone” The man begins to run to his car without the cart
“WAIT! You forgot your groceries” The man stops and looks at his cart, then runs to his car, opens the door and pulls out of the parking lot fast enough to make his Neon look like a sports car.
“Well. This is TOO GOOD!!!” Alex says then falls to the ground. ‘Ahh, so…tired. I’ve gotta…get home.’ Alex gets up and stutters a few steps then begins to run home.