[One week after the grand success of the 2017 Medes award]
A clatter sounds as an invisible figure trips over the sleeping bodies of the Medes attendees, tired out after a week’s solid partying. The cloak slips and a furry leg is seen. Quickly the cloak snaps shut.
[Gutbloom enters with a drink in hand]
Invisible woman stays silent, closes her eyes, meditating hard, hoping that no one sees her. Gutbloom walks confidently on the stage and bumps into invisible woman. He swears and says, “Woah! Ghosts?”
Invisible woman shrugs and removes the invisibility cloak. Just my luck, she thinks. Gutbloom says, “Chewbacca? It’s not Halloween yet. Who are you?”
“Shh. I’m trying to give my acceptance speech.”
“In Chewbacca costume and a week from the awards?”
“I don’t like parties and I knew you all would be partying for days, especially that philosophers’ club you brought,” she shudders and continues, “I got caught in a bar with them once. They barricaded the door and sat drinking for 14 hours. Never. Never again.”
“Who the hell are you? I can’t see through the Chewbacca costume.”
[She removes Chewbacca’s head]
“Hey Indira. Nice outfit. But why are you sweating?”
“Because full body fur outfits are gross and hot and damn…that sounds different from what I intended.”
[She removes the outfit. She’s dressed in an old t-shirt and even older jeans. You can practically smell the history on it.]
“That’s better. Now, give the speech,” says Gutbloom, sweeping his hand out to indicate the empty stage.
“Thank you. mumble mumble mumble.”
“What? Louder. There’s no one here.”
“Thank you for the award.”
“Is that it?”
She nods, looks for her invisibility cloak.
“Where’s the speech? The emotion, the crying, the mess that people make at award ceremonies?” asks Gutbloom.
“I’m not good with speeches. And hey! I took off the costume. That counts, right? No? Fine. Thank you my friends — who I’ve never met but I talk to everyday — for inspiring me to write. Thank you Princet for providing me with the ammo to write that stuff.”
“Who’s Princet?”
“My muse.”
She gathers up the invisibility cloak and disappears. Gutbloom takes another swig of the drink, shrugs his shoulders, and takes another swig.
— The End —
