The Unseen-Part One

Day 105

The Unseen

by

Kenneth A. Stephenson

"Not bad," said Mr Chimp. "For a first try that is." Except it wasn't a first try. Nor was a second or third try. In fact it was the twelfth try. Cal just hung his head and looked defeated his dark greasy hair covering his eyes, tears ran down his cheeks. He didn't understand why the spell wasn't working. 

It was simple enough; turn three times, stomp the right foot twice, spit four times and recite three times "Let the unseen, be seen." Had he gotten the sequence wrong? Maybe it was stomp the right foot (or was it left foot) three times, spit twice, recite the incantation twice and turn four times? His head hurt from trying to remember all the different ways he had already failed.

*****

Cal had been one of the plain people who go through life believing they are invisible. No one sees them, no one talks to them, no one picks them for their team (even if the teams are uneven). In school he was an average student with average grades and did nothing to cause his teachers to take notice. His parents weren't much better preferring to watch television or go out for a nice dinner without him. After all they knew teenagers loved their solitude, and hated interference, especially from parents. Besides he could take care of himself and he never got into trouble. So he was ignored. He was unseen, by anyone. That is until one day, while looking in a grimy antique shop window, he saw an imp. The imp crooked a finger at Cal inviting him inside.

"You can see me?" asked Cal. He nodded and waved Cal inside.

The front door was worn and the paint was peeling along one side. As Cal reached for the door there was a quick electric shock. Suddenly he felt uneasy and his stomach became queasy. He looked over at the little man wearing the large inviting grin waving him on through the door. As he stepped inside he was greeted with much enthusiastic hand pumping.

"Of course I can see you. You're standing right there, aren't you?" He looked Cal up and down then  walked slowly all the way around. "Yes, yes. That's you standing there. Not always easy to tell." Giving Cal one last critical exam.

"Hello. My name is Mister Chewacha." It sounded to Cal like a sneeze and judging by the amount of dust in the room he wasn't surprised.

"Excuse me. But did you say, 'Mister Chimp'?'

"That's close enough. After all, what's in a name?"

It just so happened that Mr Chimp was a magical imp. He stood just above Cals knees with a short pointed beard and a well worn jester's hat of alternating purple and orange silk ending in eight sharp points. The hat, he explained, was his pride and joy which is why he could never part with it. He also wore brown pointed shoes that curled up at the ends, bent over from the heft of two silver bells that jingled when he walked. After a few minutes Cal felt at ease and decided Mr Chimp looked quite comical and harmless. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Tomorrow part 2.

Until tomorrow,

Ken