The Almost Goodbye

Elliot woke up to the sound of morning traffic, the distant hum of cars and the occasional honk filling the air. He stretched and sat up, rubbing his eyes as he prepared to start the day. But something was off. The bed beneath him didn’t feel familiar. The air smelled different. And when he turned his head, he wasn’t in his apartment.

He was in the middle of a busy sidewalk.

Panic shot through him as he scrambled to his feet. People walked past, engaged in their own worlds—checking their phones, sipping coffee, chatting. None of them noticed him. Not a single glance. He stepped in front of a woman in a red coat. She walked right through him.

Elliot stumbled back. His breath came in sharp gasps. He turned, searching for something—anything—to explain what was happening. He reached out to grab the shoulder of a passing man, but his fingers passed through him like mist.

"What the hell?" he whispered.

He ran into a café, hoping for answers. The scent of fresh coffee filled the air, and customers laughed and spoke over their drinks. Elliot slammed his fist on a table. The coffee cups didn’t even tremble. He grabbed a chair and tried to lift it. His hands slipped through like it wasn’t even there.

He was invisible. Or worse—he didn’t exist.

Elliot staggered outside, his mind spinning. He tried talking to people, shouting even. No one reacted. He was alone in a world that had moved on without him.

Then, he saw her.

A woman stood across the street, looking directly at him. Her dark eyes locked onto his, and Elliot froze. She tilted her head, curiosity flickering across her face. Then she crossed the street and stopped a few feet away from him.

"You can see me?" Elliot asked, his voice cracking.

She nodded slowly. "I can see you."

Relief flooded him. He wasn’t completely lost.

"Who are you? What’s happening to me?" he demanded.

The woman studied him for a long moment before answering. "I think you’re stuck."

"Stuck?"

She nodded. "Between here and... somewhere else."

Elliot swallowed hard. "Am I dead?"

"Not exactly," she said. "But you’re not fully here, either."

He shook his head, trying to process the impossible. "How do you know this?"

"Because," she said, "I was once like you."

His chest tightened. "And what happened?"

She sighed. "I found what was keeping me here. And I let go."

Elliot's mind raced. "I don’t remember dying. I don’t even remember anything unusual happening before I woke up like this."

The woman, whose name he learned was Mara, offered to help. Together, they retraced his steps. They went to places he remembered—his apartment, his workplace, his favorite bar. Everything was unchanged. His belongings were still in his apartment, untouched. His coworkers carried on as usual. No one mourned him. No one even spoke his name.

Days passed. Or maybe weeks. Time felt different. The only constant was Mara.

"Maybe there's someone you're supposed to say goodbye to," Mara suggested one evening as they sat on a park bench. "Someone who still needs you."

Elliot thought hard. His parents had passed years ago. He wasn’t married. No siblings. But then, an image surfaced in his mind. A girl with a dimpled smile. A voice calling his name in laughter.

Sophie.

He had met her months ago. They had spent late nights talking about everything and nothing. He had felt something with her, something real. But he had been too afraid. Too hesitant to let himself fall.

"I never told her how I felt," he admitted. "And now... I never will."

Mara smiled softly. "Maybe that’s what’s holding you here. Maybe you still can."

Elliot hesitated. But hope stirred within him.

They found Sophie at the café they used to visit together. She sat by the window, stirring her coffee absentmindedly. Her face was tired. Eyes distant.

"She looks sad," Elliot whispered.

Mara nodded. "Maybe she feels your absence."

Elliot stepped forward, heart pounding. He didn’t know if this would work, but he had to try.

"Sophie," he said, his voice soft.

Her fingers stopped moving. She looked up, her brows furrowing as if she had just heard something faintly familiar.

Elliot took a deep breath. "I should’ve told you. That night we sat on the rooftop, looking at the city lights. I should’ve told you that I—"

A tear slipped down Sophie’s cheek. She wiped it away, shaking her head. "I miss you, Elliot," she whispered to herself. "I wish I knew what happened to you."

Warmth spread through Elliot's chest. A weight lifted. He turned to Mara, realization dawning.

"This is it, isn’t it?" he said.

She smiled. "I think so."

A soft glow surrounded him. Sophie let out a small gasp, as if sensing something shift in the air. Elliot felt lighter, as though the world was releasing him, or maybe he was releasing it.

His vision blurred, and just before everything faded, he whispered one last time: "Goodbye, Sophie."

And then, he was gone.