The first time someone walked into her, Michelle didn't think much of it. Rush hour. Crowded subway platform.
"Looking at his phone," she thought.
Then it happened again. And again. It became routine. First rush hour, then weekends, then off-peak hours. They'd apologize absentmindedly and look past her.
As her hair turned fully grey, people stopped apologizing. Michelle felt invisible.
One day, she sensed someone watching her. An elderly man stood nearby.
"You see me," she said, unsure if it was a question.
"I see you," he said, "But they no longer do. Welcome to the Grey World."
About the Creator
Liz Sinclair
Amateur historian who loves travel and lives in Asia. I write 'what-if' historical stories, speculative fiction, travel essays and haiku.
Twitter: @LizinBali. LinkedIn: sinclairliz
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Do You Remember?
”Do you remember?” “Remember, what?” “Do you remember how we met?” “Of course I remember when we met.” “But do you remember HOW we met?” “How? How. Well, yes.. what exactly are you goin’ on about, Vera?” “It’s been decades since I’ve thought about it” “Go on.” “Well, don’t you remember, Oscar? We were two very lost souls. So lost in the rubble we couldn’t find our own feet. “Ah, yes.” “Our hearts were shredded into the finest confetti, it’s a miracle they could even hold a beat!” “Mm, It’s coming back to me.” “Meddling on lonesome blues and cheap whiskey.” “Merely kids, we were.” “Down by that old river, some nights so misty!” “Oh, yes. That sure was a mighty beautiful river.” “and the bands would play until sunrise for all our lonesome souls to vanquish into spiritless nothingness.” “They knew we needed sleep at some point, just to wake up the next evening to do it all over again.” “A small light in the darkness.” “Hm, I am still not understanding why this faint memory has arised in you, Vera, are you okay?” “Do you remember when you looked at me? From across the dock?” “Well, yes. I saw a sad girl sitting on shore, digging her toes in the sand, curly dark locks drifting with the wind.” “Yes, and I looked up at that exact moment.” “A picturesque moment, a sight to be seen.” “That was the first time I smiled in months.” “Truly?” “Truly.” “Hm. Why is that?” “Well, I saw a handsome young man staring right back at me, with a hungered look in his eyes, a look I couldn’t quite read.” “and that made you smile?” “No one had ever looked at me like that in all my young years, if they ever even looked at me..” “You were… dauntingly beautiful, Vera. I couldn’t look away.” “I was not!” “You were! I saw a lost soul, like mine, toes so deep in the sand you couldn’t see them. An aching heart so shredded it was like fire works going off around you.” “and that made me beautiful?” “It made you real. It meant you could feel, deeply. And when you can feel, deeply - well, that’s the purest of beauty.” “and you saw all that just by looking at me?” “I felt you in my soul, and it made me feel.. not so lost anymore.” “Oh… Oscar.” “What is this all about, Vera?” “Well, to be honest, I was beginning to feel a little bit lost again.” “Oh, Vera..” “When you looked at me from that rickety ol’ dock, something in my soul ignited.” “You felt it too?” “Very much so.” “Hm, you never made a mention of that.” “Well, growing up crushed by the weight of endless trauma, you learn to hide such feelings.” “Fair.” “I just… I just needed that reminder, of what ignited my soul in the first place.” “You mean.. by giving you this look?” “Yes! Oh.. Yes, that look!” “You will always be the girl of my wildest imagination, Vera. Without you, there would only be darkness.”
By Kendra J. Anthony5 days ago in Fiction
Comments (2)
The age of technology renders people incapable of emotions. They don't see the not grey/gray either. Lost in their automated world. I guess it is worse for older folks in this selfish world. Insightful and eye opening story.
Liz, this was such a thought provoking and engaging story! I like the plot and concept you went with! The grey world sounds like such an eery place for a person to suddenly find herself. At first I thought it was a metaphor that she felt like they couldn't see her, but now it seems that she genuinely was fading away. Simply brilliant!