Invisible! Read Online Free

else, Rosie.’
    â€˜I didn’t know
you
were. Who’s this?’
    â€˜My friend Charlotte. Charlotte, meet Rosie.’
    â€˜Hi, Rosie. Hope you don’t mind me coming?’
    â€˜â€™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?’
    â€˜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?’
    â€˜What do we do?’
    â€˜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.’
    â€˜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?’
    â€˜Y … yeah. I didn’t believe, you know?’
    â€˜Jesus, Mary and Joseph, nor did
I.
I don’t know whether to stand or run away.’
    â€˜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.’
    â€˜What hole?’ The voice of Conrad.
    â€˜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 standingstone. 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 …
    â€˜Rosie?’ This from Peter.
    â€˜Still here.’
    â€˜Me too.’ Carrie’s voice.
    â€˜And me.’ Conrad.
    â€˜Come on.’ Rosie. ‘Your turn. Doesn’t hurt a bit.’
    Boy and girl looked at each other. ‘Shall we?’ Peter sounded hoarse.
    â€˜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 to 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.’
    â€˜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.’
    â€˜Huh?’ Away to the west, the sun’s rim was touching the horizon. Shadows of standing stones lay long across the grass, but wherePeter’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?’
    â€˜I … suppose so, but it’s