When rush hour finally finished, I went to wipe down tables quickly.  It was actually Ivan’s job during lulls, but he was busy cleaning the bathrooms and I wasn’t busy, so I might as well help him out rather than just standing there doing nothing.  Plus he was new, so he was still struggling to figure everything out and time manage his tasks appropriately.  He could use some help to make his day less stressful.

     Honey stopped me before I got out from behind the counter.  “Riven, is it okay if I go make some calls real quick?  There’s some family stuff going on….”  Her voice trailed off, but I could feel the worry almost oozing out of her.  Honey was really concerned about whatever this was.  She never looked like this, so whatever it was must be something big.  I probably would have just told her to go home for the day if we weren’t already short a person.  So instead I just nodded quickly.

     “Thank you, thank you!”  She rushed off towards the back of the café almost before I’d even finished nodding.

     I quickly wiped down the tables, grabbed the trash, and went to take it out to the dumpster out back.  As I got outside into the chilly air and struggled to toss the trash into the overflowing dumpster, a few of Honey’s words wafted over to me.

     “I don’t know, we’ve been looking, he’s just missing.  I don’t know what to do anymore.  Mom’s furious and wants to know why they’re not doing anything more.  We can’t find any traces of him.  I’m so scared.”  Her voice broke.

     I didn’t want to hear that, didn’t think she wanted me to hear that, either.  I swiftly slid back inside the café, taking care to not let the heavy door make a sound.  Whatever was going on with Honey’s family sounded rough, and I hoped she’d find whoever it was she was looking for, but I couldn’t get involved.  It wasn’t my job and it certainly wouldn’t end well.

     The rest of my shift went fairly smoothly.  I mean, I did manage to piss off a customer because I was “too quiet and should speak up and couldn’t I just say hello properly?” but otherwise, things were pretty good.  Right up until 10 minutes before I was ready to leave and he walked in.

     I didn’t recognize him, but he looked a couple years younger than me – although probably about four inches taller – had rich wavy auburn hair that kind of matched Honey’s ringlets, although not long enough to be ringlets on him and hers were a little more golden.  He had one of those faces that would make both guys and girls just sort of stare at him.  I wasn’t sure if he was handsome, cute, or both, but he was hot.  The fact that I even thought that surprised me because while I was gay, I didn’t actually usually give much attention to whether I found people attractive.  I was too busy being scared of them.

     Oh yeah, and he had wings like Honey’s.  Yep, definitely not someone I should stare at, no matter what he looked like.

     And then he basically demanded my attention because he started jumping up and down in front of Honey’s register, yelling at her.

     “Honey, Honey!  At least I finally found the right place, but come on, please see me!  Please!  You gotta figure it out!”

     I’d realized the moment I spotted him that he was invisible, but most invisible people I’d seen so far tried to be quiet, like they could still be heard even if they couldn’t be seen.  This guy, not so much.  He shouted, waved, tried to knock things over, in general did everything he could and not a single other person in the room seemed to notice – Honey included.

     I wished I could wince as he yelled at her, trying desperately to get her attention, but that would give away that I could see and hear him.  I tried not to show any emotions, tried not to look up, tried not to give any clue that I saw him or heard him.  I tried to ignore while he attempted to do anything he could to be seen or heard.  He tried yelling, he tried waving his hands, he tried grabbing her, he tried grabbing objects – but his hand seemed to just go right through anything he touched.  Even if he stood right in front of someone, they just walked through him like he wasn’t there.

     That was different.  I thought in the past when I’d seen invisible people, they could still interact with stuff.  In fact, I distinctly remembered someone in the café forgetting for a moment and starting to drink her coffee before realizing people could see a floating cup.  So maybe there were different kinds of invisibility?

    Or maybe I was going crazy.  A new version of crazy, where I could see some hot young guy running around screaming while no one else could.  I mean, that made more sense, right?  Than that this was really happening?  That all these years I’d been crazy and had just hit a new level of it?  Maybe I should see a therapist.  I mean, I couldn’t afford one, not now.  But maybe after I got my degree and was able to get a programming job.  If I could find one that was virtual.  Yeah.  Maybe then.  Maybe someone would be able to help me.

     Meanwhile, my shift officially finished but I had to wait for the replacement assistant manager, Doug, to arrive.  The invisible guy had finally gotten tired of screaming and walked dejectedly towards the back of the café and out the door – where I assumed he was going to wait until Honey got off to try some more.  I wondered if this was the person she’d said was missing before I remembered that I couldn’t get involved.  Too dangerous.  Nope, nope, keep my head out of it.  Don’t get caught, don’t get killed over something that’s none of your business.

     Doug arrived, finally, making some excuse about traffic which we all knew was a lie.  Doug was never on time but always came up with colorful excuses for his tardiness.  Despite that, he was efficient and did his job well once he was there – it was just a shame he couldn’t manage to arrive on time.  Ever.

     Rina, who’d replaced Jenny an hour before, rolled her eyes at me as Doug chattered, while Honey, who normally might have engaged Doug, was still standing there chewing on her lip, looking worried.  Completely unaware that for the last 15 minutes I’d had to listen to someone yelling at her without giving a clue that I’d heard it.

     I sighed, clocked out, and went to gather my stuff.  Which basically was just my coat.  I didn’t have classes tonight so it was straight back to my apartment.  As I got outside, it was colder, so I went to put my coat on and as I did, in that moment I was struggling to adjust it and wasn’t looking up, I stumbled into someone.

     “Sorry,” I murmured.  People tended to get upset if you bumped into them.  Always best to apologize.  Usually it was okay if I didn’t look at them, but unfortunately, this time I made the mistake of quickly glancing at whoever I had run into.

     Only to realize it was the invisible guy, who was staring at me in shock, his mouth dropped open.

     Oh no.  Oh no.  No no no no no no no.  I had just given away that I could see and apparently touch him, something he’d been trying to get Honey to do without success.  I wondered for a brief second if I could just pretend that hadn’t happened.  Well, probably not, but safest to try, right?  There was almost no chance it would work – I had run into him, for crying out loud – but what other option did I have that didn’t end up with me bringing home new broken bones or bruises?

     I swiftly put my head down and started walking off as fast as I could.  I’m kind of on the small side for a guy, kind of slender build and between 5’6” and 5’7”, maybe because of the malnutrition growing up, but I’m used to running for my life when I need to.  So I’m surprisingly quick even when just walking.

     “Wait!  No, wait!  Please!”  He shouted after me, apparently getting over his shock and starting to run to catch up.  “You can see me, right?  Hear me, I hope?  Please, I need you to talk to my sister!”

     I kept my head down, pretending he wasn’t there.  Nope, no one yelling at me now, following me, desperately trying to get me to stop.

     He succeeded when he reached out and grabbed my arm, almost as surprised as I was when he was able to jerk me to a stop.  I mean, I wasn’t surprised that he could, I’m not that strong and he looked – sporty?  Not buff, exactly, but pretty muscular.  At least it looked like he was able to do some pushups without passing out, unlike me.  No, I was just surprised that he actually grabbed me.  I shouldn’t have been.  That’s normal for them when they realize something’s wrong with me.  Only he wasn’t hitting me yet, so that was good.

     “I can touch you!  It wasn’t my imagination!”  He looked down where his hand was holding my upper arm, weirdly thrilled about it.  “Look, please, I need your help.  You’re the only one so far who can see and hear me.  I mean, I’m assuming about the hearing me.  Err, you can hear me, right?”

     What was I supposed to do about this?  Was I strong enough to yank my arm out of his grasp?  If I started running, would he follow me?  But…he knew where I worked now.  He could find me again, keep pestering me instead of Honey.  Should I just admit I could interact with him, see if I did what he wanted, would he leave me alone?

     No.  They didn’t do that.  I couldn’t get involved.  It wasn’t safe.

     I interrupted whatever tirade he was on now by pulling my arm as hard as I could away from his grip.  He immediately let me go, which meant I nearly lost my balance and fell over.  But the moment I was free and had both feet properly under me, I did what I should have done in the first place.

     Run.  Don’t stop till you get home.  Keep running.  Don’t listen to whatever he’s yelling.  Don’t look back.  Just keep going.  Keep going.  Down the streets until I reached my rundown apartment building.  Up four flights of stairs, hardly pausing to catch my breath, down the hall until I reached my door.

     I slammed my apartment door shut behind me and locked it, sliding the chain in place with shaking hands.  I wasn’t sure why he hadn’t caught me and beaten me up for my failure to do what he wanted, but I was thankful for even a moment’s respite.

     And then I heard heavy breathing outside my door, like someone had just been running and was now trying to catch his breath.  I hoped.  I hoped it wasn’t the type of heavy breathing that was angry, but it probably would be soon.  And I wasn’t so stupid as to think he couldn’t break down my door if he really wanted.  I just hoped he’d give up and leave me alone before he tried that.

     “Wait,” he gasped from the other side of the door.  “Please, I need your help.  Please.”

     My heart twinged a little at the desperation I could hear in his voice.  Maybe…maybe he really did just need help?  And it would be okay?

     No, I reminded myself, almost angry I was even thinking of falling for that trap.  Again.  I ran my fingers over my upper right arm, where he’d grabbed me – and where, under my sleeve, were three sharp scars starting near my armpit and circling around the entire way to my inner elbow.  I’d nearly lost my good arm that time.  All because I’d tried to help one of them.  I’d learned the hard way – never try to help them.  It’s always a trap.

     “I don’t need you to do much,” he begged from the other side of the door, “just tell Honey what’s going on.  She – well, they – can fix this, if they know.  But I can’t tell her and I can’t do anything.  It’s been five, err, six? days already, I can’t eat so I’m getting weaker and I don’t know how to tell her or Sorrel and I can’t get near the house in case the witches catch me so I can’t get Mom or Dad’s help so please.”  I could hear the panic in his voice.  “Please help me,” he whispered.

     He didn’t seem at the moment like he was going to try to break down my door, but I wasn’t sure if that would come later.  Then I paused, his words sinking in.  He sounded desperate, and – and well, he sounded scared.  Fear I could understand.  I lived with that every day.  I hated hearing it in someone else’s voice, though.  Even if it was one of them.

     I thought for a few long moments.  Honey was nice.  If she wasn’t one of them, I’d be happy to help her and her – family member?  Brother, it sounded like? – with whatever.  But she was one of them, and so was the young man outside my door.  Was trying to help him worth more pain, more scars that would inevitably follow?  But…what if he genuinely did need help and I didn’t help him?  Could I live with that on my conscience?

     Unfortunately no.  There might be only a small chance this would end well for me, or at least end neutrally, but damn it, my stupid conscience insisted that I should try to help even if I knew it was probably a trap.  I hated that I couldn’t just keep out of it.  I knew I should and yet for some reason I couldn’t help myself.

     I reached for the chain and wondered as I did what new set of scars would come from this.  Hopefully it was just scars or broken bones and not something more – permanent.