I snuck up behind him. He didn't know I was coming. I got a little bit closer. He still didn't move an inch. He was too busy with his reading. I quietly stepped right behind him. I took a very deep breath and got ready to scream!
"Oh, hi Amy." Roland said. He never looked up from his newspaper.
I took a very loud exhaling sound. My breath blew over and moved Roland's hair. That finally got his attention. He put his newspaper down. "What ya need, Amy?" he asked.
I pouted. "Aww...Roland! You’re no fun anymore! You always see me coming at ya."
Roland thought for a moment. "Well, over time, I got used to you being there! Just came with time and practice I guess."
"So you always know when I'm around?"
"Eh...not always. But I honestly can say you don't surprise me as much."
Well, that part was true. Out of the many times I tried to surprise Roland in the last few weeks, only a few them succeeded. I guess he was getting used to me. "Well...you’re still no fun! You should at least play along!" I playfully pushed him over again.
"Hey, nobody said I didn't like them." Roland smiled at me. "They just don't work as well as they used to!" I even noticed he was looking me straight in the face, even though I didn't have anything on.
"Ack! You can tell where I am!?" I asked.
"Am I wrong? I don't know if I'm looking in the right place." Roland started looking around.
"Oh no, oh no..." I took a few steps backwards. "I'll be right back." I hurried out of the room.
I ran into the living room and laid down on the couch. I was so used to being invisible, I actually got kind of scared knowing that I could be seen. Invisibility is a great tool, but if you’re discovered, it kind of leaves you defenseless. In any case, I convinced myself that Roland meant no harm. He always knew I was around. I fell asleep on the couch, still thinking heavily in my mind.
I woke up to some sort of great pressure upon my body. I opened my eyes and saw Roland trying to sit on me! I screamed out a few...well...not-so-nice words. Roland immediately jumped up and looked shocked, just like he used to.
After I calmed down and the anger passed through my system, I asked Roland, "What the heck are you doing?"
Roland look flustered. "Ah geez, sorry, Amy. I didn't know you were there. I just came in to sit down and watch TV." He motioned to the bowl of popcorn in his hand.
"Ahh....I see. I guess that makes sense." Roland looked happy and proceeded to sit down on the couch and turn on the television.
"What’re you watching anyway?" I asked, a bit curious.
"Football game." he replied.
I let out a bored snort. "Football? Waste of time. So many other good shows on."
"Well hey, I'm gonna be here for awhile, so I figure I should watch a little bit."
I didn't feel like staying around at the house. There was nothing to do now. But then a thought went into my mind. "Hey....Roland, is it all right if I go out?"
"Eh? Sure, why not? When you going to be back?"
I started to head towards the front door. "If all goes well, in a couple of hours."
"Hey, hey, are you going wearing clothes or not?"
I thought about that one for awhile. "Nah, no clothes this time."
I heard Roland let out a sigh of relief. "Good...you've been on the news too much as it is."
"You know you like the attention!" I shouted at him.
"Only if its my attention and not yours." He laughed. "Have fun." I walked out the door.
The weather was so warm that I could go out without any covering. Winter was about to set in, and I'd either be to forced to stay indoors, or walk around town in visible clothing. The second option wasn't that appealing, so I decided to make the most of the last few days I had left.
Walking around town invisible was always a different feeling. People would always make sure to stay out of your way when they can see you. But while being invisible has its advantages, you also have to be a lot more alert. You never know when someone could bump you from behind and knock you onto the street. That was an experience I didn't want to relive. I did my best to stay with the flow, though. I kept my distance from the people, crossed the street when it was safe. If people knew I was around, I doubt they would take it kindly.
I kept walking on, until I came across a local bar. This was where I spent my time if I didn't have anything else to do in the city. There were always a lot of people, but I could get away with bumping into people, because the lights were always dim here. Actually, I got a lot of my kicks from surprising people. But in one case, I started a bar fight because of it (it seems I touched one person in the wrong place. Lesson learned though).
I grabbed a few unattended drinks and had my share of fun. I think I even got on the dance floor for a little bit and danced. Well, you know, alcohol isn't a great memory booster. But I do remember what started to happen afterwards.
I was tired, so I decided to sit at the bar. I found an empty stool and sat on it, placing myself all over the bar itself. I had to watch out for sliding drinks from the bartender though. I forced my head up whenever one came. Then I quickly fell back down when it was gone. I took immediate notice of the person who sat next to me.
He was wearing dark clothing. Black shirt, black pants. However, he had short blond hair, which somewhat stood in contrast to his dark clothes. He even wore dark sunglasses, even though it was dim as night in the bar. He must be the dark, mysterious type. And those are some of my favorites to pick on.
I moved my hand and slowly brought it toward his glasses. I wanted to pull them off his face and send him into a shocked state. My hand kept going towards it mark.
Suddenly, his arm moved. I quickly withdrew my hand. I noticed that he only was reaching for his drink. I let out a quiet sigh and started again.
My hand was almost there, I could almost touch the glasses...
"Excuse me, is there something you want?" the man said.
Instead of me shocking him, he shocked me. I think I almost fell off my barstool. The shock moved all over my body and I tried to contain any shocked gasps, lest I alert any other bystanders. I calmed my nerves enough to sputter out a few words. "You...you...knew...I was... coming?"
The man seemed relaxed. He took a sip of his drink. "Obviously. Your hand was about to pull my glasses away. If you want them so badly, I can tell you where I bought them."
Again, another tinge of shock leapt up my spine. "Uh...uh...no, no. I don't need them. I'm... just...well..." I left the sentence trailing into the air.
"Hrm? Is there a problem?" the man said. "Cat got your tongue?"
I let out a polite chuckle. That was enough to ease my nerves. "I'm sorry if I shocked you. Yeah, I guess I was going for your glasses. I'm just surprised you knew I was going for them."
The man let out a smile. He never turned his head to look at me. "Yeah well, you’re not the first. A lot of people seem to think I’m an easy target."
"You get stolen from a lot?" I felt a bit of pity for him.
The man laughed. "People try. Oh, how they try! But they never get away with anything except a punch in their stomach."
"Wow...I guess I’m lucky you didn't punch me then, eh?" I chuckled again.
The man took another sip from his drink. It took him awhile before he spoke again. "Yeah, well, I never hit women. Now...hit on them, that's another story."
My shock was gone, but now I felt a bit of worry. Did he know he was talking to a person he couldn't see? What would happen if he took off those dark glasses? Maybe if we ended up walking out and he couldn't find me?
Common sense told me to just leave. "You know...I should really being going now..." I started.
"Leaving so soon? How come? We just met. Stay a little bit."
"But...well, I can't hang around anymore. I hope you understand."
The man sighed and looked over his drink. "Fine, go then. I guess your a bit worried about my condition then."
His condition? I was about ask what he meant, but the bartender came over to us.
"What's wrong mate?" the bartender asked the man.
"Huh? Oh nothing." the man said. "I just got rejected by another woman. Just add her name to my long list."
The bartender looked around a bit, as if searching for something. "Hey, there ain't no woman around here, mate. Methinks you've been drinking a bit too much."
The man looked up at the bartender. "Are you blind? She's right there!" He pointed right at me.
The bartender looked straight at me, but he obviously saw nothing. He blinked a few times in hopes of getting a better view. "I said it before, I’ll say it again. There ain't no woman there."
"Ah...she probably left already." The man finished off the rest of his drink. "Just put it on my tab."
The bartender took the glass and hid it away. "Sure thing, mate. Just take care and stop drinking so much. You'll need your strength for the operation."
The man sighed heavily. "That's if I ever get enough money. Okay then, take it easy." The man got up from his barstool.
I watched the whole thing. I was still wondering what he meant by 'his condition'. And now they were talking about some sort of operation.
I decided to follow him a little bit. He was a very slow walker though, it took him forever to leave the bar. He was also very cautious. He made sure to check his surroundings before he took a few steps forward. I felt like pushing him forward many times, but I kept my feelings in check. I had to do my best to stay invisible, I was starting to lose my touch.
When we emerged out of the bar, the sun was still shining bright. I took a look at the man. He actually looked a bit better when he out in the light. But I noticed something else: He held a cane in his hand. No, not a cane, he wasn't leaning on it. He seemed to be tapping it around. Wait a minute...I know where that came from...
A walking stick? Did that mean...that the man was blind? Really? Was I found out by a blind man? The logic of it ran around in circles in my mind. A person who couldn't see, saw a person who couldn't be seen? I stood there looking dumb and I noticed that the man was almost out of my sight. I rushed up to him.
"Umm...hello there..." I said to him.
The man jumped up a bit. "Oh, its you. The girl from the bar, right?"
"Yep. Uh, sorry about running out on you like that." I tried to sound as sincere as possible.
"Ah, no worry. It's okay, I've been rejected before, I got used to it. I'm surprised you came running back for me though. Nobody has done that."
"Yeah, I just had to say I'm sorry. I had no idea...about..." I let the sentence trail off.
The man picked it up for me. "Ah...about this?" He waved the walking cane at me. "Yeah, it's true. I'm blind as a bat. Ever since I was born. But it helps my other senses. That's why I could feel someone coming at me back in the bar."
I began to notice that passersby were looking at me and the man with weird looks. In fact, a few of them stopped, probably thinking that the man had some kind of show or act. "Umm...is it okay if we go to your place? It's kinda crowded here." I wanted to avoid attracting any more attention.
"Well...that's a new question for me. Sure, I’ll take you there." He started to walk again and I closely followed behind. "Not too many people want to go over where I live. I wonder what it even looks like. It's been awhile."
I started to feel a sense of pity for him. I don't know why. I guess it was just the loss of vision. But it granted him the power to see me. Well, in a roundabout way. But still…
"So...anyway...what's your name?" he asked me.
"Me? Amy. My name is Amy." I told him. I was interested that he wanted to know my name.
"Ah. Amy. Nice name." I blushed, luckily he couldn't see that. "Oh yeah! My name is Kyle by the way. Where are my manners..."
"Don't worry about it." I smiled quietly.
We talked for a bit, just idle chatter. A few people did look at us in a weird way, like Kyle was talking to himself. Eventually we did come over to his place. It was a somewhat small house. But it didn't look run down or anything. It looked like it was kept in good condition.
"Umm...how come?" I started to ask.
"How come it looks so nice?" Kyle knew what I was about to ask. "I have a few friends who come by and clean while I'm out. I guess they did a good job this time." He replied.
"How thoughtful." I said. Kyle went up to the door and held it open for me. "Ladies first." He motioned me in.
Well, I had to give it to him. He was very charming. I took my first few steps in. And I was quickly amazed by how beautiful it looked. The walls were decorated with a variety of items. Some looked cheap, others expensive, but all had their own unique beauty. I just kept staring at them while Kyle came in.
"So, what can I get you Amy?" He asked. "Oh, you’re looking at the stuff on the walls?" He must have sensed that.
"Huh? Oh yeah. It’s amazing; how'd you get all this stuff?" I was very curious.
"Eh? I just grabbed them whenever I could."
"Interesting."
Kyle started to walk over towards the kitchen and he motioned me to follow.
As we stepped in, I noticed there were a variety of paintings hanging on the wall. Again, some cheap, some expensive, but all beautiful.
"Ah, you’re probably looking at the paintings...am I right?" Kyle asked, as he walked over towards the pantry.
"Yeah, its amazing. You have so many." I was in a sort of awe.
Kyle gave out a laugh. "Too bad I can't see them. But people like them I guess."
While I kept looking all of them over, Kyle was busy doing something. I wasn't really paying attention, but he was making some sort of drink.
"I know its probably late, but you care for some coffee Amy?" Kyle asked. I looked over at him, he held two cups.
"Oh sure! Thanks." I took the second cup from him. "Wow, ya even make your own coffee."
"Something that gets easier with time." Kyle took a sip. "So...how come you ran after me back at the bar? I thought you left."
"Well...not really." I thought about what to say. I decided I probably should just tell him. It would be nice to have someone else to talk to safely. "I was always there next to you."
"That's what I thought. But the bartender said nobody was there. Odd of him. Maybe he needs to have his eyes checked."
I took a drink out of the cup. "Yes, well, he couldn't see me."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"I have a bit of a...condition, I guess. Yeah. That's a good way of putting it."
"A condition? So people can't see you?" Kyle let out a quiet chuckle and took another sip.
"Yeah, that's basically it."
"So that means you’re...?"
"Invisible. Yes, I am."
Kyle had a look of disbelief on his face. "What, an invisible person? Come on Amy, I'm blind, but I'm not stupid. There isn’t any such thing."
"You don't believe me, do you?" I sighed. "Oh well, I guess you can't really see me anyway. It's okay I guess." I took a long sip out of my coffee.
Kyle sensed my disappointment. "Okay, okay, if you’re really invisible...I'd like to ask for your help."
Help? Why would he need my help? "Help? For what?" I asked. I was very curious what he'd want me to do.
"I need you to get something of mine back. Something that was taken from me a few weeks ago." Kyle had a sound of disappointment in his voice.
"Ah, a stolen item? Who took it?"
"The person who lives next door to me. I just know he did. I left my door open one day to get my mail. While I was out, I heard the door next door open, someone run from there to inside my house. I heard some noises from my house, then more running, and the house next door slamming."
I was shocked. "Oh my gosh! Did you call the police?"
"Yeah. They didn't get anything. He covered his tracks well." Kyle sighed quietly.
"So you want me to go in and look around? See if I can find it for you?" I was slowly catching on to his plans.
"If you wish, if you really are invisible. I really don't believe you, but if you do this, I guess you really are...invisible."
"Well...let's go then!" I stood up, ready to charge.
"Amy!" Kyle quickly shouted. "Not now, he's still home. Safety first; wait ‘til he leaves. I figured out his schedule, he'll leave the house later tonight." Kyle stood up from his chair.
"Oh, okay...I guess I’ll wait then."
Kyle smiled at me. "Good, I'll be upstairs then. I'll tell you when its time to go." Kyle left the kitchen and went up the stairs.
I finished up my coffee, cleaned up the cups and started walking around the house. All the rooms seemed furnished very well. Especially for a person who was blind and couldn't visually enjoy the beauty of them. Exquisite furniture, detailed paintings, beautiful sculptures, it seemed he had everything. I wondered how he was able to get all these items. Maybe charity from his friends or something? I pondered about it for a long time.
Probably too long. I was still thinking when Kyle came down the stairs. "Okay, I saw him leave." He said. "Come on, let's go."
We went outside the house through the back door. He led me over to the back of the house next door.
"Here, I think he leaves this door open." Kyle started to pull on the back sliding door. He struggled, so I figured I'd help. We both pulled and managed to move it enough so I could fit through.
"Is it wide enough for you?" Kyle asked.
"Yeah, I think so. I can just squeeze in." I started to push through.
"Okay, look for a music box. It's kinda small, red, and has a gold border. The pin on the side should play a song if you turn it. You'll know it when you find it. I'll be here when you want to go." Kyle said.
I finally got through the door. "Wish me luck!" I said to Kyle.
"Good luck." Kyle said. I turned and looked around this house.
Compared to Kyle's house, this house was very drab and poor. There was little decoration on the walls, save for a clock which read the time. I must have entered the dining room, but there was only a small table a few chairs. I started searching around the house.
As I explored the house, I noticed that many of the doors were locked. I guess the owner was a very cautious person. But, I had learned a few tricks in my day and I had a good handle on lockpicking. I was able to open all the locked doors. Most of them led into rooms with nothing of any value. And I didn't notice the red, small music box.
But as I picked the lock on one door and opened it, I opened the door to a much different room from the others I had inspected.
It was obviously a woman's room. Women’s clothing hung in a nearby closet and various beauty accessories were neatly placed on a drawer. The bed was neatly made and artwork hung on the walls. They were nothing professional. They were obviously drawn by an amateur artist, but they still had their own beauty. I looked around the room; it seemed that everything in here was moved to some extent. I don't know why I got that feeling, but it kind of felt that way to me. Like something had happened here.
I looked around the room. Under the bed, in the drawer, the corners. As I looked through the closet, I pushed away some of the clothing and found a small chest. I pulled it out and placed it on the bed. It was locked, but once again, my skills of lockpicking came into play.
I opened it. The first I found was a small teddy bear. It stared me in the eyes and I stared back. The bear must have seen many things, as it looked very old. I placed it gently on the floor and looked again in the chest. I found a diary, or journal of sorts. It read on the cover: "The Diary of Elizabeth." I didn't know who Elizabeth was, but this must have been her room. I didn't feel like invading her privacy, so I placed down next to the bear.
That's when I found what was hidden below those two things: The music box Kyle had described. Small, red, gold bordered. Why would it be hidden here, below a teddy bear and the diary of a girl? I took it out and placed it on the bed. I moved the pin on the side so I could hear its music.
Now, I heard many types of music my life, but the music box played an enchanting melody. The notes were beautiful and seemed to be in perfect pairing with each other. The melody quickly stopped, but I rewound the box and listening to more of the melody.
I could have stayed there all night and just listened to the box. But I remembered I had a job to do: get it back to Kyle. He'd probably let me listen to it whenever I want. I couldn't resist though, I wound the box one more time.
I was so busy listening to the melody that I didn't notice someone was standing in the doorway.
"What's going on in here?" the person asked.
I quickly turned towards the voice. I saw a man there, standing in shock. He wore all black, like he had been to a funeral. He took cautious steps toward me. I couldn't run out, he was blocking the way.
"How come...all of her stuff is out? And how come..." He stuttered many times. "...the music box is playing itself?"
I started to pick up the music box so I could run out with it. The man took a few steps back. "Now it’s moving by itself!" He was about to scream.
"Calm down! Calm down!" I shouted. A big mistake. I lost my only strength, invisibility. I was found out for sure.
The man did calm down, but then he realized that he didn't see anybody. "Umm...who said that?"
He looked behind him and all around. "I don't see anyone."
"Excuse me." I said. I had given up and was going to tell him everything. "I'm in front of you."
The man looked in front of him. He even squinted his eyes. "Excuse me, is this a trick? I don't see anyone in front of me! Please, no tricks, I’ve had a long day."
"I guess you can't see me then?"
"See who?" The man waved his hand cautiously forward. He hit my left arm. "Ahh! I felt something!" The man was going to scream again.
"Please! No screaming!" I pleaded with him. I didn't need any more attention.
The man calmed down enough, but he was very nervous. "Who...who are...you?"
"Me? I'm..." I started.
The man interrupted me. "No, wait. I know who you are. I understand it all now."
"Huh? Understand what?"
"You're Elizabeth, aren't you? You've come back." The man finally seemed to be at peace.
Elizabeth? The same name as the girl on the diary cover...The man started talking again. "Just like your mother, you’ve come back to me after you died."
Died? She died? What the heck was going on? My mind was so confused.
I decided to play along. "What? What do you mean?"
"I guess you wouldn't know. You were young. Your mother died only a few years after you were born." The man sighed. "I thought she was gone forever, but one night, I found her things floating around. Kind of like now." He gave a small smile. "After a bit of confusion, I found out that your mother was there...in spirit I guess. She was always there, even if I couldn't see her."
Another invisible person? Could it be possible? "So...where is she now then?"
"Your mother? Long gone I suppose. My last talk with her was three years ago. She said her time was finally up, she had to move on. I told her I loved her and I never heard from her again. I guess she's in a better place."
"Does this mean...then...that...I'm dead?" I said, trying to find out what happened to Elizabeth.
"Well, wouldn't you know? Maybe you don't want to accept it...You’re dead in body, but alive in spirit."
"What happened to me then?"
"I don't know. I found you in your bed. I thought you were sleeping, but you never woke up. I was hoping so many times that you'd wake up and say hello. But you never did. Eventually they said you were dead. At least you went peacefully."
"That's...that's so sad." I was about to cry.
"Now, now...Elizabeth, don't cry about it. You had a lovely service, don't worry."
"Service?"
"Yes, I just came back from your funeral."
"Oh my god..." If what I thought was true...
"What's wrong Elizabeth?"
"Will you excuse me?" I asked him.
"Of course." I ran past him and towards the back door where I entered. Kyle was still standing there.
I squeezed through and shouted at Kyle. "Kyle!" I screamed.
I scared him, since he wasn't paying attention. "Amy! Gosh, ya almost killed me. What happened? You get it?"
"Your darn right I got it! Damn Kyle, this music box isn't yours, is it? This is the music box of a dead person?"
"What? You’re crazy!" Kyle had a nervous tone in his voice.
"You know I’m right! This belongs to some girl named Elizabeth! This is not yours!" I was about to hit him.
"Maybe you’re right." Kyle said. As my hand was about to hit him, he grabbed it and pushed it aside. He was strong, and I remembered that he was very aware of my presence, more so than most people.
"You can't cover yourself all the time! I'm giving this back and calling the police!" I shouted at him. I was so mad. Kyle had forced me to do his dirty work, stealing and disturbing a dead person's belongings. I should have smelled a rat when he told me that story before. 'I went out to get my mail' he said. Why would a blind person even care about the mail?
I was about to run, but I heard a click coming behind me. I turned and stared down the barrel of a gun. Kyle must have pulled it out. He was aiming straight at me.
"Amy. I liked you. Really. An invisible person was hard to believe, but it seems you really are invisible. You would have been a good friend." Kyle sounded serious.
"What? You mean a tool! A good tool!" Although I sounded angry, I was really afraid, since I could be shot. "You only wanted to use me!"
"Eh, if that's what you think. Still, I could always use a few more pieces for my collection."
"Your collection...wait...is all that stuff really yours?"
"I guess its no point to lie anymore. Its not mine. I got it from other people."
"Stealing?"
"Stealing, taking, its all the same, Amy."
"What's the point? You can't see any of it?"
"Amy. My blindness has been a handicap. You know how expensive it is to cure it?"
"Cure blindness? That's not possible."
Kyle lowered his aim on the gun a bit. "Yes it is. Its possible. The public doesn't know, but it’s very costly. I plan to get enough to buy the procedure. Then I can finally see the real world."
"Kyle! Blind people can see the world! Just in their own way!" I tried to put some sanity in him.
"You don't know what its like to not see! The world is always unknown! You don't know if you’re about to hurt. You don't know anything. I want to see!" Kyle seemed to get angry all over again. He re-aimed at my chest.
"I'm sorry, Amy." He said. "Maybe we could have been friends. But I need my procedure, and if you get in the way...you have to get out of it."
I closed my eyes, I was frozen with fear to move. Was this my final moment?
I heard a shot. I expected death in a second.
Some time passed. Maybe only a few seconds, but to me, it was too long. Kyle was still there, but his gun was pointed to the sky. He seemed to be struggling. But against what?
A different voice came out of nowhere. "Whoever you are! Run! Just go! I'll take care of this!"
Kyle was shocked, but I was just as shocked. "Who's there?" I asked.
"Elizabeth!" the voice said. "Hurry up! Get out of here! I'll get rid of the gun."
"Elizabeth?" Kyle shouted. "But...you’re dead!"
"Dead in body...alive in spirit." Elizabeth said. Kyle lost his grip on the gun and it fell to the ground. I quickly jumped for it and grabbed the gun. I aimed it at Kyle. He was still struggling around.
"Elizabeth!" I said. "I can't see you! Are you...?" I let it trail off.
"Invisible? Yes, just like you. Sadly, I’m dead, but I can still hold my own." She said. "I'm over here, by Kyle."
"Not anymore!" Kyle said. He drove his elbow backward. He must have hit Elizabeth, I heard her groan in pain. Kyle seemed released from her grasp and jumped at me. I fired at him, but missed my four shots. We grappled for the gun and he pulled it out of my hands.
I heard a shot and reactively jumped to my left. If I didn't take that little jump a few inches, I'd be dead. Really.
The bullet hit me, but it was only a graze. I still felt pain and blood started to leak out where the bullet hit. Kyle tried to fire more shots, but he only got empty clicks. He threw the gun down in disgust.
"Your...a pretty good shot...for a blind guy." I said to him. The pain started to take its course through my body and nerves.
Kyle snickered. "You find ways to take care of your time. Amy...it seems you are the winner. I'll see you again." I saw Kyle pull his walking stick out of his jacket and run away back towards the city. I couldn't chase him, the pain had taken out all of my stamina.
But...where was Elizabeth?
"Elizabeth!" I shouted. "Elizabeth! Where are you?" I heard a faint groan nearby. I slowly made my way over. I saw a depression in the grass.
"Is that you?" I asked.
"Huh? Yeah." I heard Elizabeth say. "Damn...I let him get away. I almost got him." She sounded angry.
"Just rest for now, Elizabeth." I tried to calm her down.
"No! I have to get him!" The depression over the grass slowly disappeared.
"Elizabeth! Where are you going? Come back here!" I saw her footsteps in the grass go away from me.
Elizabeth stopped. "Your name is Amy right?" she asked me.
"Yeah..."
"Amy, we'll meet again." The footprints in the grass distanced themselves away from me.
I groaned. I was left alone. I felt like a fool. I let a person take advantage of my invisibility. My mistake. But I was able to recover enough to stand up. I made my way back into the house.
I found the man sitting in the basement, sleeping. I guess he didn't hear the gunshots and the fight. Better for him I guess. I found paper and a pencil and wrote him a little note. I told him that the person he met really wasn't Elizabeth, I introduced myself and that I was going to look for her. Then I reached over for the phone.
The phone rang. A familiar voice picked up: "Hello?"
"Roland...can you pick me up?"
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"Amy! I don't believe that story." Roland said, amazed.
I had just told him my story, the one you’ve just read. "It happened. Hey, that's why I'm bleeding."
"Well, I guess a gunshot could do this kind of wound." Roland was examining it, trying to clean it. "You’re lucky its only a surface wound; it could have been worse."
"Yeah…yeah, whatever. Just see if you can clean it up."
"I'm doing my best. Hand me that wet cloth." I picked up the cloth and gave it to Roland. "This might sting."
It stung. I held my shout. Roland started wiping up the blood.
"There, I cleaned up the blood." Roland placed the cloth down. "So...wait a minute..."
"So...what? What's up?" I looked at Roland. He had a shocked look on his face. "What's wrong."
"Amy...move your right arm." Roland said. That was the arm that was grazed. I did.
"What? Why?" I asked, still curious why he was a bit shocked.
"Amy...look at your wound." I looked at it. And I was amazed what I saw.
I saw my skin, I even saw my wound. I poked at it. It was there. My arm, which was invisible for so many months, I could see it. Well, not my whole arm, but the parts where the blood had touched. It was like there was a visible bit of skin on my whole invisible body.
"Hrm...how long is this going to last?" I asked Roland.
"Not long enough...look..." He pointed at my wound. The visible skin was fading away. In only a few seconds, it was invisible.
"Put that cloth on it again." Roland did. I bore the stinging again. He removed it. Nothing happened to it.
"Hrm, interesting. Maybe your blood has something to do with your brief visible state."
Did this mean...I could be seen again?
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"Is this the place?" Roland asked.
"Yes." I said. "Right here."
"Okay, I’ll wait." Roland sat on a nearby bench.
I walked on the gravel path. There was only one thing I wanted to see. I found it and knelt above it. I placed flowers I had gathered on it.
I read the gravestone:
I laid flowers next to the grave and slowly walked away.
--End