The Invisible Life of Poor Alice Wells

They barely noticed her, if ever at all. Occasionally, if she showed up at a door at the same time as others, she could shuffle through as it was held by one friend for another. But immediately after they would all swirl around and past her.

Trigger Warning - although not in depth, this story is themed on loss by fire which could be difficult for those that have experienced such a loss.

No one ever spoke to her. Sometimes she was given a quick look but the eyes darted away quickly as if to avoid looking into hers. They wouldn't see much if they did. Their beautiful green color, once the talk of her lover, was now covered in filmy cataracts. Her sight was enough to function but hardly with the clarity she had at twenty-five.

That's when it happened. The great fire. It took the whole street. It also took her loving William. He made sure to get her free. No choice but to push her from the window with her hair aflame to the street two stories below. William turned back in to find her cat that had escaped her and clawed her face. Neither he nor the cat survived.

She lay on the street, fiery sparks raining around her. Someone dumped water on her head to put out the flames. Her hip was broken and an elbow fractured. In time the bones mended but not well. It left her with an oddness in her gait and a useless arm.

It was her head and face that brought her the most pain and shame. Patches of scarred flesh on her scalp that refused to grow hair. For a time she wore hats while they were fashionable. Later she relied on head scarves while they were in vogue. Eventually, she learned to be creative by taking her existing long locks and twisting them into fashions that covered the barren spots. But age took even that away from her as her hair thinned pitifully and barely covered her scalp at all.

The cat scratches became infected and caused gangrene in the left side of her face. She lost part of a nostril and her skin on her cheek was dimpled and coarse.

She spent her life trying to avoid notice. Eyes down, shuffling along. Ignoring the stares and comments. How cruel people were to speak of her as though she weren't there. It became her life to be invisible.

Eventually, the stares and whispers stopped. She was able to go about life and people stepped around her as though she were a pot hole full of sludge. She hadn't been personally greeted in decades nor had she uttered words to others. When shopping, what she could not find, she did without. She never asked for help and no one ever stepped forward to offer.

"I see you, you know," came a young voice. A girl child.

Alice braced herself for the taunts that were sure to come next.

A child of eleven stepped from behind a gate. A girl in trousers and a shirt. Alice's upbringing frowned on such things but fleetingly she wondered why she had never indulged herself with trousers.

"Do you need help carrying your bags? Your one arm looks a bit tired."

Alice wondered if she dared look at the child and reveal her garish features. She decided against it. The child's sweetness didn't deserve to be rewarded with horror. "I'm fine. Thanks."

"I don't mind. And your house isn't far."

Hesitating, Alice turned quickly to see the child. Blonde hair with luminous blue eyes. She expected the child to gasp but instead she beamed a beautiful smile.

"I'm Penny. Let me take those bags."

Wondering if this child was robbing her, Alice held firmly to the bags. She couldn't control her arm normally since the fused elbow didn't allow it to bend properly, but she had a firm grip.

"It's ok. I just want to help." The child smiled again.

Deciding to trust Penny, Alice released the bags.

"Isn't that better?"

Alice nodded and muttered, "Yes."

"I've watched you a long time. I wanted to say hi lots of times but you never looked at me. I thought maybe you didn't see me." Penny chatted matter of factly.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I just got used to sticking to myself and didn't notice." Alice's voice was clear though she hadn't used it in years.

"I thought maybe you didn't like kids. I'm glad that's not true." Penny smiled again.

As if by contagion, a smile swept across Alice's face. She hadn't felt like smiling since before the fire. "I like kids. William and I..." Alice's voice choked and trailed off.

Penny stopped and looked at Alice, "You miss him terrible bad don't you?"

A tear slid down Alice's cheek.

Wiping away the tear, Penny looked deeply into Alice's eyes. "You can be with him again you know."

Confusion crossed Alice's face.

"It's true. You just have to let go of being sad and lonely." Penny had such sweet innocence to her.

Alice patted the child on the shoulder and turned to go.

"Wait! Can I show you something?" Penny pointed towards the old part of town. The part that had burned down decades ago.

"No!" Alice felt angry. That night ruined her life. She never wanted to go back there. She had avoided it her whole life.

"It will be ok. You'll see. Please?" Penny urged Alice.

Having been without notice or care by others for years, Alice found herself reluctant to resist.

As they approached the street marked Old Main, Alice saw brick buildings stood now where the wooden ones had succumbed to the fiery inferno on that long ago night.

Penny watched as Alice took it all in. Alice's eyes traveled to mid-block where her home had once been. On the steps of that building sat a young man petting a white cat. Alice gasped, "William....Clover...."

As if hearing her, the young man stood and waved! "Alice!"

Penny watched as Alice looked incredulous from her to William.

Alice wavered between that day and now. Stepping forward, Alice began to move more quickly towards William. No sign of her shuffled gait as she ran and threw herself into William's arms. Turning to look back to Penny was a beautiful green eyed young woman, with flowing dark hair, smiling ear to ear. Alice waved then picked up Clover. William wrapped his arm around Alice and they turned and walked away.

******

"Penny! Good heavens! There you are! Whatever are you doing over here!" Mrs. Avery came rushing up to grab Penny's hand and drag her back towards home.

"I was helping my ghost friends William and Alice."

Mrs. Avery pulled Penny around and bent down into her daughter's face. "Penelope Marie Avery! You stop that nonsense right now. You're going straight to your room when we get home!"

Penny let her Mother propel her along. She didn't care if she was in trouble.

Once in her room, Penny picked up the open book from her bed.

The Restless Ghost of Alice Wells

Alice Wells, born 1870, lost her lover William Troxley and her beloved cat Clover in the great fire of 1895 when all of Old Main burned to the ground.

Mr. Troxley managed to propel his fiancé with hair aflame from the second story window of the burning building before disappearing back into the building to rescue his beloved's cat, Clover. Neither Mr. Troxley nor the cat survived the fire.

Disfigured with scars on her head from the flames in her hair and gangrene scars on her face caused by panic scratches done by her frightened cat, Ms. Wells lived a reclusive life up until her death in 1948, at the age of 78.

Ms. Well's ghost is often seen on Denver Street reliving one of her many excursions to the store for supplies. The restless ghost of Alice Wells has roamed the street for over seven decades.

"Not anymore Ms. Alice," whispered Penny.

"What?" asked Mrs. Avery.

"Nothing, Momma." Penny smiled.

"Well, you sit in here until dinner time and think about what you've done."

Penny closed the book as her mother closed her door. She knew exactly what she'd done and she couldn't be happier.

Alice Wells wasn't sad and alone anymore. She was finally with her lover William Troxley and beloved cat Clover. They were all together now where they belonged.

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