Invisible!

by Robert Swindells

  Conrad did what he’d seen the girls do, and duly vanished. They told him when he’d done it.

  ‘But I can see myself, same as always,’ he croaked.

  ‘Rosie told you,’ snapped Carrie. ‘You’re not invisible to yourself.’

  ‘Oh, yeah. OK. I’m coming out.’

  ‘Whoa!’ Rosie shook her head. ‘Not so fast, Conrad. You’ll break the circle and stay like that for ever. Can’t you just see your mum’s face when your uniform walks in?’

  ‘Don’t say that!’ He slowed down though. Right down. The girls were quite bored by the time he reappeared.

  ‘So.’ Rosie grinned. ‘What d’you think?’

  ‘It’s OK.’ Conrad nodded. ‘Doesn’t hurt or anything, but like … what’s it good for?’

  ‘Aw come on!’ Rosie looked at him. ‘Think about it. You’re invisible. You can go anywhere. Dodge anyone. Get in places free. Listen in to people’s conversations. It’s terrific fun. I’ve done it millions of times.’

  ‘Yeah, but …’ Carrie frowned. ‘What about your clothes? They don’t become invisible. You’d have to …’

  ‘Take ’em off, yes.’ Rosie nodded. ‘Why not – nobody’s going to see you. You just don’t pick a freezing day, that’s all.’

  Conrad looked at her. ‘You said we’d be able to see each other, though.’

  Rosie nodded. ‘So what? Have you never seen anybody without clothes?’

  ‘’Course I have. It’s just …’

  ‘You get used to it in no time, believe me.’

  Carrie frowned. ‘What would we do with our stuff though? I mean, we can’t just leave it here, can we? Someone’d find it. Pinch it, probably.’

  Rosie shook her head. ‘We won’t do it here. We’ll go up to Inchlake Ring. There’s a place we can hide our stuff.’

  ‘How d’you know that, Rosie? You only just got here.’

  Rosie smiled. ‘Inchlake Ring’s famous with us travellers, Carrie. We know all the ancient places.’

  ‘Ah. So when do we do it?’

  Rosie shrugged. ‘Saturday?’

  Carrie nodded, smiling. ‘Yes, all right. Saturday. What time?’

  ‘Evening’s best, when there’s less chance of meeting people. Half six?’

  ‘Great. I can’t wait.’

  Rosie looked at Conrad. ‘And you – will you come?’

  ‘I guess.’ He looked unhappy.

  Rosie grinned. ‘We’re a gang, then. A gang of three. We should have a name.’

  Conrad scowled. ‘Why?’

  ‘’Cause gangs always have names. How about The Inchlake Invisibles?’

  ‘The Inchlake Invisibles.’ Carrie tried it on her tongue. ‘Yeah, that’s cool. The Inchlake Invisibles. Let’s call ourselves that, eh, Con?’

  ‘If you like.’

  ‘Well.’ Rosie picked up her bag. ‘I’m off home. See you tomorrow.’ She turned and strolled off, a faint smile on her lips. Her secret was more than just fun. Much more. Yesterday she’d been the new girl, suspect and lonely. Today she was part of a gang. Better still, she was leader of the gang. She was going to be all right at Inchlake School.

  ‘Gimme that apple, gipsy.’ Lee Kippax stuck out a blunt paw.

  Rosie shook her head. ‘No. And I’m not a gipsy.’

  ‘My dad says you are. He says you steal and leave muck everywhere.’

  ‘Me?’

  ‘People who live in caravans. Gimme the apple.’

  ‘Get lost.’

  ‘Hand it over, or I’ll …’

  ‘What’s the trouble?’ A boy who was passing paused and eyeballed Lee Kippax.

  ‘Shove off, Bunny,’ growled the bully. ‘It’s none of your business.’

  The boy looked at Rosie. ‘Is he bugging you?’

  ‘He’s after my apple.’

  ‘Is he?’ The boy tutted, shaking his head. ‘Don’t you know that’s stealing, Kippax?’

  ‘I told you to shove off.’

  The boy patted his pocket. ‘I’ve got an apple you’re welcome to, Kippax.’ He smiled. ‘If you can take it from me.’

  ‘I don’t want yours, I want the gipsy’s.’

  ‘You’re chicken, Kippax. Go peck some corn.’

  ‘I told you to …’

  ‘Make me.’ The boy raised his fists. ‘Come on, chicken. Show us how hard you are.’

  ‘Ah!’ The bully shook his head and turned away. ‘You’re not worth it, Bunny. Trust you to stick up for a gipsy.’ He glanced at Rosie. ‘I’ll see you later, kid.’ He strolled away.

  ‘What a nasty boy,’ murmured Rosie, gazing after him.

  The other boy nodded. ‘I can’t stand him. Made my life a misery when I started here.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Oh, it was my name. He was forever making fun of my name. Wouldn’t leave it alone.’

  ‘Why – what is your name?’

  The boy smiled sadly. ‘You won’t believe me if I tell you.’

  ‘Try me.’

  ‘It’s Peter Rabbit.’

  Rosie giggled. ‘It isn’t.’

  ‘Told you you wouldn’t believe me, but it is.’ He pulled a face. ‘Mum’s sense of humour. Marries a guy called Rabbit, calls her kid Peter. I’ll have my revenge someday.’ He looked at Rosie. ‘Are you a gipsy?’

  She smiled. ‘Not exactly. Mum and Dad are what’s called New Age travellers.’

  ‘Ah.’ Peter nodded. ‘I’ve heard of them. Whose class are you in?’

  ‘Miss Blackwell’s.’

  ‘Hey – me too.’

  ‘Haven’t seen you.’

  ‘No, I’ve been off all week. Flu. You must’ve started Monday.’

  ‘Yes, I did.’

  ‘Where were you before?’

  ‘Place called Pilgrim. It’s near Glastonbury.’

  The boy whistled. ‘That’s a long way off. So you lost all your friends?’

  ‘Yes, but I’m used to that. I’ve got friends here now.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘The twins, Carrie and Conrad Waugh.’

  ‘Oh, right. They’re OK.’ He grinned. ‘And now you’ve got me.’

  Rosie nodded. ‘Yes. Thanks for rescuing me, Peter. D’you want to join my gang?’

  ‘You have a gang?’

  ‘Well, it’s just the twins and me at the moment. The Inchlake Invisibles, we call ourselves.’

  ‘Why Invisibles?’

  Rosie chuckled. ‘You’ll find out, if you’re not doing much tomorrow night.’

  Peter was about to pursue the matter when the nine o’clock buzzer went. He shrugged and followed the thin brown girl into school.

  Teatime Friday. The phone rang in the Waugh home. Mrs Waugh picked up, listened, then cupped the mouthpiece. ‘Carrie!’

  ‘Yes, Mum?’ Carrie was upstairs, swapping her uniform for jeans and a T-shirt.

  ‘Telephone. It’s Charlotte.’

  ‘Coming.’

  ‘Hi, Charlotte.’ Charlotte Webb was Carrie’s best friend. They were both ten, but Charlotte was a Catholic and attended a different school.

  ‘Hi, Carrie. Are you doing anything special tomorrow?’

  Carrie chuckled. ‘Funny you should say that.’

  ‘What d’you mean?’

  ‘Oh … nothing. D’you want to meet?’

  ‘I thought we might check out Sizzlers. See who turns up.’ Sizzlers was Inchlake’s only burger joint. A lot of kids went there Saturdays.

  ‘Fine. I’ve nothing on till evening.’ A stray thought entered her head, making her giggle. I’ll have even less on then.

  ‘What’s funny?’

  ‘Nothing. I’m in a daft mood, that’s all. Take no notice.’

  ‘So what time?’

  ‘Oh … half ten?’

  ‘Great. I’ll see you then.’

  ‘Sure will. ‘Bye Charlotte.’

  ‘’Bye, Carrie.’

  Carrie went upstairs and knocked on Conrad’s door. He was on the computer as usual.

  ‘Wh
at?’

  ‘Can I come in?’

  ‘I suppose.’

  She sat on the bed. ‘Charlotte just phoned.’

  ‘So?’

  ‘We’re meeting in the morning. Sizzlers. I wondered if I should tell her about … you know?’

  Her twin shook his head. ‘No. It’s Rosie’s thing, isn’t it? She might not be too pleased if we blab to a complete stranger.’

  ‘Charlotte’s not a stranger.’

  ‘She is to Rosie, you clown.’

  ‘Yes, but…’

  Conrad sighed. ‘What’s the use of asking me, then arguing? Tell her if you want. She won’t believe you anyway. She’ll think you’re out of your tree.’

  ‘I think I will. I might even ask her to meet us up at the Ring.’

  ‘Suit yourself. I might not be there anyway.’

  ‘You’ve got to come, Con. You promised.’

  ‘No I didn’t. The word promise was never spoken. Anyway I’m still thinking about it.’

  ‘If you don’t come, I’ll never speak to you again.’

  Her brother smiled. ‘That settles it then … I won’t come.’

  ‘Pig!’

  After tea Carrie lay on her own bed, thinking. It’s funny. When Rosie’s there, invisibility sounds perfectly reasonable but afterwards – now, for instance – it somehow doesn’t seem real. Did it actually happen or was it an illusion, like the Indian rope-trick? After all, thousands of people have watched a man climb the rope – a rope attached to nothing – then vanish into thin air, but we know it doesn’t actually happen. It’s a shared illusion.

  She thought about it till twilight thickened into darkness and she heard Conrad go down for his bedtime drink, but she reached no conclusion. All she knew was that whatever happened, she’d be at Inchlake Ring this time tomorrow. If invisibility was an illusion it was a good one, well worth seeing again.

  It was raining on Saturday morning and Sizzlers was busy. Carrie paused in the doorway, flipped back the hood of her jacket and peered around. Every table was taken. She was about to leave when she noticed somebody waving. It was Charlotte, who must have arrived early and bagged a corner table. Carrie waved back and made her way across, mopping her face with a tissue. Charlotte had spread her stuff on the three vacant seats to discourage others. She cleared one and Carrie sat down. ‘Thanks. Rotten morning.’ She balled up the sodden tissue and dropped it in the ashtray.

  ‘Yes. I thought we’d check out the park later but it’s not fit.’

  ‘Never mind, there’s always the mall.’

  ‘True. I want to see if Our Price has the new Split le Beau poster.’

  ‘Oooh, don’t.’ Carrie rolled her eyes. ‘You’d think they would have, wouldn’t you, seeing he was born here?’

  ‘Hmmm. Wish he lived here now, next door to us.’

  ‘Fat chance – about as much chance as winning the lottery.’

  ‘I know. Who’d live in Inchlake if they had a choice? Nothing ever happens.’

  Carrie giggled. ‘Something might.’

  ‘How d’you mean?’

  ‘I’m into something, Charlotte. Something amazing.’

  ‘What sort of something?’

  Carrie pulled a face. ‘You’re going to think I’m crazy when I tell you.’

  ‘No I’m not. Go on.’

  ‘OK, listen.’ Carrie told her friend about Rosie, and about what she and Conrad had witnessed on the school playing field on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. ‘So,’ she concluded, ‘we’re meeting up at Inchlake Ring at half six tonight to see what it’s like when we take our clothes off and become completely invisible. What d’you think?’

  Charlotte toyed with her straw. ‘Do you … do you believe it, Carrie? D’you think you really did vanish, or did this Rosie character play some sort of trick?’

  Carrie shrugged. ‘I don’t know, Charlotte. I keep telling myself it’s impossible, but I saw it. I saw Rosie’s empty uniform, and Con’s. I don’t know how anyone could fool me about that.’

  ‘Hmmm. And you’re inviting me along?’

  ‘Yes, will you come?’

  ‘I suppose so.’ Charlotte chuckled. ‘I’m always moaning on about boredom, and this doesn’t sound boring, even if it turns out to be nothing but a great big wind-up.’

  ‘It’s no wind-up,’ said Carrie, tilting her empty can. ‘Shall we have another?’

  The stones of Inchlake Ring bit into an orange sky as Charlotte and the twins climbed the grassy hill. They’d left their watches at home, but it was probably about six fifteen. Below and behind them, the village lay submerged already in shadow though the sun still shone up here. For two hundred years the footpath they trod had conducted sightseers to the ancient hilltop monument, and for centuries before that, local people had climbed the hill to enjoy the view, to picnic or to be alone with their lovers. This evening though, the children had it all to themselves.

  Rosie was there when they reached the top, sitting with her back against one of the great stones. Peter Rabbit was standing on the so-called altar stone which lay at the centre of the circle, watching the sun go down. Carrie was surprised to find him here.

  ‘I didn’t know you were bringing somebody else, Rosie.’

  ‘I didn’t know you were. Who’s this?’

  ‘My friend Charlotte. Charlotte, meet Rosie.’

  ‘Hi, Rosie. Hope you don’t mind me coming?’

  ‘’Course not.’ Rosie looked at Carrie. ‘Peter rescued me from Lee Kippax. I owed him one, so I invited him. Do you have a problem with that?’

  ‘No-o.’ Carrie pulled a face. ‘It’s just … you know. Getting undressed and that. Feels awkward.’

  Rosie stood up, grinning. ‘I told you – you’ll get used to that in no time. Shall we make a start?’

  ‘What do we do?’

  ‘Same as the fairy ring. Stand inside the circle and walk backwards all the way round. It’s a lot easier because there’s so much room. You’re not going to break the circle unless you’re a total wuss, and we can all do it at the same time.’

  ‘Do we take our stuff off first?’

  Rosie shrugged. ‘Makes no odds but I do it after, just in case someone’s watching. Come on.’

  Rosie and the twins got in line. Charlotte and Peter hung back. Rosie looked at them. ‘What’s up?’

  Peter shook his head. ‘You’ve all seen this done. I haven’t. Mind if I watch first?’

  Charlotte nodded. ‘Same here. I’d like to see you do it before I have a go.’

  Rosie nodded. ‘Fine. Here we go then.’

  Gasps of astonishment rose from the two watchers as the trio completed the circle and vanished.

  Charlotte glanced at Peter. ‘I see clothes. Just clothes. Do you?’

  ‘Y … yeah. I didn’t believe, you know?’

  ‘Jesus, Mary and Joseph, nor did I. I don’t know whether to stand or run away.’

  ‘Don’t run.’ Rosie’s voice, with a laugh in it. ‘There’s nothing to be scared of. We’re still here. We’ll take our stuff off now, put it in the hole.’

  ‘What hole?’ The voice of Conrad.

  ‘This one over here.’ The two children watched as three sets of T-shirts, jeans and trainers walked in line to where a large rectangular recess gaped at the base of a standing stone. Here, the outfits stood in a semicircle and were stripped from invisible bodies, crumpling to shapeless bundles which unseen hands thrust into the recess. Now Charlotte and Peter would have thought themselves alone, if …

  ‘Rosie?’ This from Peter.

  ‘Still here.’

  ‘Me too.’ Carrie’s voice.

  ‘And me.’ Conrad.

  ‘Come on.’ Rosie. ‘Your turn. Doesn’t hurt a bit.’

  Boy and girl looked at each other. ‘Shall we?’ Peter sounded hoarse.

  ‘I suppose so.’ They positioned themselves beside a stone and moved backwards, slowly. Both were afraid, and their fear stretched out time so that it seemed to take forever t
o go right round. Presently though there came a cheer from the other three, and looking towards the sound they beheld Rosie and the twins wearing exultant grins and absolutely nothing else.

  ‘Have we done it?’ Peter held up his hands and examined them. ‘Don’t look any different.’

  Rosie chuckled. ‘If you can see the rest of us, you’re invisible. Visible people can’t see us at all.’

  ‘Yeah, well, I can see you all right.’ Peter felt his cheeks go hot. ‘In fact I don’t know where to look.’

  Rosie laughed. ‘Well there you are, then. You can see us so you’re invisible. And if you’re still not convinced, look at your shadow.’

  ‘Huh?’ Away to the west, the sun’s rim was touching the horizon. Shadows of standing stones lay long across the grass, but where Peter’s shadow ought to be there was nothing. Rosie giggled at the expression on his face. ‘See? The sun’s shining through you as if you weren’t there. Now do you believe?’

  ‘I … suppose so, but it’s pretty embarrassing. I mean, I don’t have a sister. I’ve never seen …’

  ‘Oh come on, Pete. I told you – you’ll soon get used to it, and we can do anything we like now we’re invisible. Follow me, only watch where you put your feet.’ She grinned. ‘Thistles and broken glass can be disastrous to bare feet.’

  She led them downhill. On the bottom stretch of the footpath, just outside the village, they saw an old man walking his Jack Russell terrier.

  ‘Ssssh!’ Rosie pressed a finger to her lips. ‘No use being invisible unless you’re inaudible too. The dog’ll come.’

  Carrie looked at her. ‘Can it see us?’

  ‘No, but it’ll know we’re here. Dogs go more by scent than sight.’

  Sure enough, as the five children drew near the terrier gave a little yip, bounded towards them and began scampering about their feet, jumping up and whining. Its stumpy tail quivered with pleasure as first one child then another bent to ruffle its ears. The old man peered towards the scene of activity, and for an awful moment Carrie felt sure he must see them. It was only when he yelled at the dog that she knew he couldn’t. ‘Matty! Come ’ere, you barmy mutt – what the heck’s up with you?’ To him, the animal was fussing round absolutely nothing. The children clamped hands over their mouths to stifle laughter as he came stumping towards them, muttering swear words he’d never dream of using in front of children. The terrier ignored him, and Conrad had to jump back when the man made a lunge, grabbed Matty’s collar and clipped on the lead. As he began dragging the dog towards the village the children capered round him, goading the unfortunate Matty into a frenzy of barking and tugging. Where the footpath gave way to a cobbled lane, Rosie made them stop. They weren’t quiet enough. Only Matty’s barking had prevented the old man from hearing their giggles. They’d need more practice before she’d trust them in the village.