15 Minute Ficlets Challenge: Disguise

Cloak of Invisibility

by Red Wolf

The woman fronted up to the bar, squeezing between two patrons who were struggling to convey a large numbers of drinks through the press of people waiting for service. Admittedly there were a lot of people waiting to place their order, but even if it was a slow night, she was always ignored in pubs. The staff either overlooking her or assuming she was with someone else, and tonight was no different.

It wasn't like she was a mousy brown secretary decked out in office bland either. Working with a creative company that encouraged individuality made for a working environment that resembled a corporate suit's idea of a freak zoo.

She's recently tied for stupidest hair in the company, the staff still undecided over whether dreadlocks or shaving your hair into interesting shapes was the more imaginative choice. A face full of piercings added to her non-clone look. But even taking that into consideration, she practically had to jump the bar and crash tackle a bartender for service.

There'd been many theories tossed about over her pub invisibility problem. The simplest being that it was a pub thing. Pub thing, not being clarified, although the Twilight Zone theme was offered by way of an explanation. There were also suggestions that she try donning a clone suit to see if she still suffered the same problem. This, it was implied, would at least narrow it down to her being in possession of a cloak of invisibility that only activated in specific social situations. It was also a given that she worked with way too many geeks.

Finally catching the eye of a harried bartender she placed her order. Looking at her watch, she smiled, fifteen minutes, a new record. Collecting the drinks, she took part in the traditional feat of pub juggling and returned to enjoy another Friday night with her friends bitching about work.

The End