The Invisibility Cloak

A noisy marketplace.

Keep your feet close or you’ll step on them

And start a brawl,

Or they’ll step on you and hurt you more.

Don’t react! Hush!

Stay calm! Stay cool! Apologize to them!

Limp slowly away.

Don’t look back. Edge sideways now! Careful!

Don’t let them touch you!

They did? Head down! Keep moving forward.

Remember the rules.

You’re invisible so be invisible.

Obey, respect, salute!

Don’t sit! Don’t slouch! Don’t run! Don’t shout!

Behave, you fool!

Can’t you take it? Fine. Wear the cloak.

And vanish!

You tripped and fell? They can’t see you.

Don’t create a scene!

Just keep walking. Stay invisible!

Are you hurt?

Bear with it soldier. Keep walking!

But I can’t!

I’m hurt! I need help! Please help me!

Don’t ignore me!

Please? I’m screaming now! At the top of my lungs!

They can’t hear me!

I’m a ghost. I’m still invisible.

Attract attention fast!

There only one way. I hope they see me.

Hear me! Look!

I unbutton the invisibility cloak

And let it fall.

Stop! Everyone freezes. A million glares.

My voice barely audible:

“I’m hurt. Please, will you help me?”

They’re staring.

Every eye on me. Roving up and down. Piercing.

I look down.

I’m naked. I’m exposed. I’m bleeding.

The whispers:

“Shameless creature!” “Put some clothes on it!”

“Bitch!”

“Want to spend some time in bed, dear?”

Yes, I want a bed.

I want shelter. I want protection.

He wants my body.

They all want my body. No! Run! Run!

Where is my cloak?

It’s lost! Gone forever! No time! Run!

I need help!

There is no help. There is no prince.

There’s no fairy-tale.

Only blood. Only violence. Only darkness.

Darkness is inviting.

I slip into the shadows. Death welcomes me.

I stop. No!

I don’t want to die! I don’t! No!

I want to live!

I want to love! I want to smile!

I hear it,

The sound of raging testosterone behind me,

The Grim Reaper

In front and chaos all around!

To my left

A brick wall. A dead end.

To my right

An endless road to nothingness.

I turn right.

I leave death and the predator behind.

And I walk.

And I’m still walking, on and on.

I don’t know.

I don’t know where to go, what to do.

But I’m not invisible.

I’m alone. I’m uncovered. I’m walking.

And I smile.

I see a heap of clothes. I put them on.

I enter the market.

I smile at them. They smile at me.

I can read eyes.

They see me stark naked, a target, a shame,

Despite the clothes.

Yet, they don’t see me. Even without the cloak!

They don’t see

The tiresome endless struggle, the still bleeding wound.

It hurts.

There is no help.

Yet, I live.

Yet, I smile. A toxic smile,

In which, I hope, they burn

And die.

By- Manny D

23/03/14