Halfway Gone

The Beginning

My favourite part of the day is when the sun's just about to set, and everything is just bathed  in this golden light, glowing almost. For those few precious minutes, I am happy despite myself. And why wouldn't I be? Those few minutes are the only time I can be seen...

I've been invisible since I can remember, there was no sudden accident or paranormal event that made me this way. I just...am. I can remember being little and my parents hovering over my every step, or at least they thought they were. But as time drew on they begin to forget and I'd end up home alone a lot. The beginning of the end started when my mom had my little sister, Isabelle. It was hard enough keeping track of 2 young kids, let alone an invisible one

 I used to go on walks, wherever I pleased because well, no-one was watching. But one day I came home to find my parents in my room, crying. I immediately panicked and ran to them, forgetting they couldn't see. I remember my mom going white with fear and whimpering softly. "Lily?" "LILY!" my mom yelled, but it was no use, she couldn't hear me. That was the day I ran and never came back. I was gone.

Well, almost. I don't know why that day was special, but it was. That day two things changed for me  1) the fact that I could no longer be heard and 2) that was when the sunset minutes started. You see, for a few minutes every day, people can see me. Right when everything is bathed in that happy golden light, I become visible.  I don't know why. But I'm going to find out. 

Generally I use these 'sunset minutes' to 'accidentally' bump into my family. I'd pretend to be a door-to-door salesman or I'd pose as a busker, asking for money, anything just to see them and talk to them. So many years have past that my parents no longer recognise me. But Isabelle does, she waves and smiles, but I don't think she understands who I am, or why we don't share a room anymore. It's not enough, just to see them, but it's all I have now so it's what I'll take. 

I'd gotten used to my life, learned to accept it. Being invisible has it's benefits, so I stay in one of the fanciest hotels in town, and take food from the buffet downstairs. I was almost...happy with my life. No, not quite happy, but I was OK now. Better than those first few weeks of sleeping in the park and trying to find a way back into my old life, I'd run crying and bang on the door of my old home, but lets not get into that. 

But yeah, I thought I'd gotten everything almost under control in my far from controlled life. And then HE had to come along and ruin everything.