Invisible

Chapter 2

The pain was gone, along with any feeling at all. My mind felt calm and clear and cool in the most strangely delightful way. I opened my eyes, and my vision was clear and bright. Though the world appeared to move in slow motion for some time, yet I stood there perfectly calm.

I realized then that I was, in fact, dead. The thought came clearly and blatantly, as though it was a message. I knew it as a fact, yet I could not bring myself to react in any way. As a matter of fact, I felt like the calmest person in the world. I could hear perfectly. I could feel the presence of the world and the ground beneath me, though I could not feel the presence of myself.

I looked down to see what I had become. I saw nothing. I was nothing. I was invisible. I could not breathe, yet I felt so full of the clean fresh air of the outdoors. I realize now that this is what it must feel like to be nothing but a mere spirit. I looked down again, and finally began to take in what was going on. My body layed still beneath me, not uttering a single hint at any sign of life. Olivia was sobbing with her fingers pressed firmly against my neck, obviously checking for a pulse. At first, it made no sense to me. Why would she want to mourn me, the girl she hardly knew? Of course, I realized, she must be in shock. After all, I just dropped dead in front of her eyes! I must have had a heart attack! Or maybe a stroke?!

Staying calm, I collected myself and looked around. All this commotion must be having some sort of effect on the other runners, right? I took one last glance at my lifeless body, taking in what had happened, before walking away. At least, it felt like I was walking. There was no feeling of muscle or movement to tell me what I was doing. Yet I still was in complete control of everything I did. A wave of curiousity washed over me, or rather, my spirit. Why was I handling the event of my own death so well? Why did I even die?! I'll probably never know.

What I did find was, to my surprise, the sudden event of my death had an effect on the other runners. Some people rushed into the school to get help. One kid called 911. People were either shocked, confused, or just mournful. Another girl was trying to comfort Olivia, still shaking in her state of shock.

Before I could take in anything else, the sound of sirens blared behind me. I turned around to see an ambulance pull up next to the school and rush down to the track. I closed my eyes. Or rather, shut my vision. That's another weird thing I can do without a body, simply by willing myself not to see. I walked towards the school as the medics rushed past and even through me. I stared at the ground as I passed, even though I saw no feet. The door of the school opened and closed as kids rushed in and out. I was just able to slip through behind a small group of them.

Inside the school, a murmur stirred throughout a confused group of after-school athletes. "What the hell is going on?", one kid asked and another replied, "Some freshman girl dropped dead on the track. Can you believe it?" I eavesdropped on all thier confused conversations. "They think I'm dead." I thought, "But I'm standing right next to them." The irony of it all was mind-bending. I sat down in the hall and watched them silently for the rest of the afternoon.

And then, for the first time, I mourned myself. I wished desperately to be alive again. I missed my friends and family already. Yet, without my body, I had no ability to cry or sob or even feel pain. So I just sat there, hopelessly depressed yet unable to express it.