Book of Short Stories

Not a Normal Day

Based on prompt: What scares you?

Colin Frio dodged the passersby on the sidewalk. He didn't mind anymore that they didn't bother to move. They couldn't have known he was there anyway, he was invisible. Colin had grown accustomed to avoiding people, which gave him fast reflexes. Everything he touched turned invisible too, which made it very easy to steal necessities. He never stole any more than he needed. And he didn't take advantage of anyone, he still had morals. Being invisible did give him some freedom though. Colin didn't have to go to school anymore, he didn't have to attend college or get a job either.

Colin actually enjoyed the solitude being invisible gave. Where others would've been overjoyed to finally be noticed, he feared it. He rued the day he would be seen again. If that was to come to pass.

The shop Colin stopped in front of was a café, he visited here every morning to eat breakfast. He knew all the people who worked here and the regulars that came by every morning. Colin waited for someone to exit or enter the café, he tried opening the door himself once but the reactions from people made him decide to never do that again. Automatic doors on the other hand, was his favorite. It still sensed him so he loved going passed the doors and freaking out the person who passed by or stood near the door. Finally, a person entered the café which allowed Colin to slip inside. His stomach was beginning to growl and he wanted to silence it as soon as possible.

He glided passed workers into the kitchen. With sleight of hand, he took two pastries and a bagel and proceeded to munch on the goods. He had much fun perfecting sleight of hand, a hand method often used for card cheating, magic tricks and stealing.

Colin went out through the back door of the kitchen and ventured out to the streets again. Someone screamed, "Why is a croissant floating in midair?!" Colin stopped in his tracks, shocked. he looked down at his hands. He could only see a bit of his fingertips, but the croissant was perfectly opaque. Usually, when he looked at himself, he seemed transparent, like a ghost. Colin dropped his food on the ground, turned and ran. This can't be, he thought, Why didn't it turn invisible too? He stopped to catch his breath, hands on knees. Something was very wrong and he needed to figure out what is was.

A bridge stood proudly over him, casting a cooling shade. He made a little home here, anybody would've suspected a homeless man was living here, and they weren't too far from the truth. Colin walked to the bed he made and picked up the blanket. It stayed opaque in his hands. He threw it down and picked up a mug that was nearby, it too didn't turn invisible. Colin dropped it in fear, he was losing his power.

In a matter of minutes, only the clothes he was wearing turned visible. The mismatched clothes stood out like a sore thumb. Neon green basketball shorts with a bright blue polo and loafers. This was Colin pajamas and he hadn't bothered to change. The loafers was just something he randomly picked up to put on, he otherwise would never had worn them.

A group of people jogged by, casting curious glances at the floating clothes. The joggers ignored it because strange things always happened in this area. Colin backed away from the group, terrified at what this meant. Why, after all these years, was he turning visible? Why now?

A girl riding her bicycle stopped, a concerned look on her face, "Are you ok?"

Colin looked and sounded horrified, "Y-you can see me?"