Invisible

It was the same old normal routine. Kate’s alarm blares from her phone. She turns over, annoyed, and slams her pillow into her nightstand, knocking everything off. Today was a day Kate had been dreading for awhile now. She was going to take her exams. Kate was not the best in college. Instead of studying, Kate was off partying and being social. “If I don’t pass these exams, I’m losing my scholarship…Mom is going to KILL ME.” She whispers to herself. She throws her backpack over her shoulder and grabs her coffee. She ran out the door, almost forgetting to shut the door. “Shit! I missed the bus! There’s no way I can walk to campus without being late for exams, and I can’t afford a taxi.” Kate tries to call someone for a ride. “Hello?” The voice on the other line says, panicked. “Hey mom I need a ride. I missed the….” Kate trails off as the voice on the other line replies, “Hello? Is anyone there?” *Click* “Damn it. She hung up! Stupid cell phone service…” Kate mumbles to herself. “I guess I’ll be walking today. Just my luck.” Kate begins her journey to campus. She has headphones plugged in and her phone was BLASTING loud. Suddenly, Kate finds herself on the ground. “HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU’RE GOING!” Kate screams loudly to the man whom she had accidentally bumped into. The man has a horrified look on his face. He looks around cluelessly, as Kate hollers at him from the ground. “AREN’T YOU EVEN GOING TO HELP A LADY UP??” Kate yells. The man runs away, and for some reason he seemed scared. Kate gets up and looks around. People were walking down the street, but no one was even taking a second glance at a pretty girl on the ground needing help up. “That’s so weird…” Kate says. She brushes herself off and continues walking. She walks past a man who is sitting on the ground holding a cup and a piece of cardboard, wanting change. She feels for the man and puts twenty-five cents into his cup. The man screams and throws the cup. He looks around frightened. “Are you okay sir?” Kate says. “Your cup, you threw it.” She walks over to the cup and picks it up. She hands over the cup and the man grabs his blankets and runs off. “What in the hell is going on??” “Why is everyone acting afraid of me??” Kate runs into the next store and runs off to the bathroom. She looks in the mirror at her reflection and begins to cry.” Suddenly, she hears a voice behind her, and sees a figure in the shadows. “Kate. Welcome to your own personal hell.” Kate looks at the figure with concern. “Who are you? What do you want?” She cries. “I’m your guardian angel.” He replies. “Or in your case…. DEVIL.” He comes out of the shadows and Kate stares at him in horror. “Oh my God… You’re… You’re… Death…? What do you want from me?? I’m not dead!” Kate screams. “Oh, but you are dear. You have been dead for the past 6 months. Haven’t you felt something was off?” Death replies. Kate thinks back to the past 6 months. No phone calls from mom, no phone calls from friends, doctors, anyone. “How could I not have known??” Kate cries out. “Isn’t there any way you could give me a second chance at life?” Death looks at her despairingly. “No Kate. Your time on this earth is complete. You’ve been in limbo. Do you remember anything from the night of your death?” “No.” Kate replies. “Everything has seemed so normal.” “Let’s venture back to that day, shall we? Grab my hand.” Death says to Kate. She grabs his hand they appear outside of a sleezy motel room. “Oh my God.” Kate says. “This was the night that Dylan and I… We…” “Yes.” Death replies. Kate peers into the window and witnesses a horror that she would never forget. There she was, lying on the bed. Covered in blood, with only her undergarments on. Dylan was sitting on the other bed, holding a knife, rocking back and forth. He wraps the body up in the blankets from the bed and opens the door. He looks around outside to make sure the coast is clear, and drags the blankets carrying Kate’s young and innocent body to his truck. He throws it in the back and drives off, leaving tire marks on the road. Kate sits down on the ground outside and begins to cry. “That’s not what I remember… What I remember was beautiful…” Kate says. “How could he do this to me? What happens to him…? What happens to me…?” She exclaims. “You can continue your life here, as a spirit, forever to remain in limbo if you choose. You will never be able to speak to anyone again or have anyone even acknowledge your existence. The only way you will be able to regain your life is if another were to sacrifice themselves in your place.” Kate begins to cry. Suddenly, Kate finds herself back in her apartment. She lays on the couch and continues to cry. “There has to be something I can do…” She says to herself. “There has to be a way I can let someone know what has to happen…” She paces the floor back and forth for almost an hour. Then she had an idea. Kate walks to her best friend’s house. Anya had been friends with Kate for almost 10 years. Kate slips in through Anya’s back door. She picks up a pen and begins to write on a piece of paper. “Anya, it’s Kate. I need your help. I’m still alive… half-way. I need someone to sacrifice themselves for my soul, so I can become mortal again. Please. I need you to FIND DYLAN. He needs to PAY for what he did to me. I love you Anya.” She brings the paper in to the living room, where she finds Anya asleep on the couch. She brushes her hand across her forehead, moving her hair behind her ear. Anya awakens, and sees the note. She gasps and looks around. “Kate? Are you here??” Anya says. Kate then knocks a vase off Anya’s piano. “Kate! It is you! I’ll do whatever I can to help you!” Anya runs out the front door in a flash. Kate sits on the couch and awaits Anya’s swift return. A few hours later, she does return, WITH Dylan. She throws him on the couch. “You scumbag! You killed my best friend!! You’re going to pay…” Anya shouts. “What do you want me to do, Anya? I’m sorry okay! I had a serious mental breakdown I regret it every single day!” Dylan cries to Anya. “Oh yeah? Then why didn’t you admit it. Why did you dump her body and leave her instead of telling right away? Because you aren’t sorry, Dylan. You’re a killer. Now you are going to sacrifice your life, for the life of my best friend.” “Okay, what do I need to do? Repent? Tell God I’m sorry?” Dylan snorts. “You know, you’re the one starting to sound crazy, psycho bitch.” “Say you are sacrificing your life for Kate’s life…” Anya replies. “SAY IT!” “Okay, okay, okay.” Dylan replies. “I am willing to sacrifice my life for Kate’s life oh mighty one!” He starts laughing maniacally. Just then, Anya pulls out her tiny pocket pistol, and shoots Dylan right between the eyes. She begins to cry. “Kate? KATE?” Anya cries out. She throws the gun on the floor and sobs. Suddenly, Kate appears. She puts her hand on Anya’s shoulder. Anya turns around. “Kate! You’re back! You’re alive!” Anya exclaims. The girls hug and both sob into one another’s’ arms. Dylan's body disappears, and everything finally goes back to normal.