Vision Beyond The Invisible
Inspired by Ralph Ellison's novel: Invisible Man
The sun had set, and darkness blanketed the city. Harlem, once effervescent with energy, had become a dormant beast beneath the night sky. Our protagonist, the Invisible Man, found himself huddled in a cozy spot beneath a sidewalk, his home - a basement filled with 1,369 lights.
In this illumined sanctuary, he sought solace from the world that failed to see him. He was not a phantom or a spectral hallucination; he was a man, flesh and bone. Despite his physical reality, he was invisible to the society that looked through him as if he were a sheet of transparent glass, his individuality obscured by the color of his skin.
One day, he encountered a stray dog while venturing out for his necessities. It was a scruffy thing, its ribs etched a pitiful picture against its thin skin. For the first time, the Invisible Man felt seen. The dog didn't see his color, his clothes, or his socioeconomic status; it saw a human, a potential companion. A bond was formed, and the dog became his only friend, his beacon in the sea of invisibility.
As their bond grew, the Invisible Man started to see himself through the dog's eyes. He was not a nonentity. He was a living being, worthy of acknowledgement and kindness. His invisibility started to fade, replaced by a newfound sense of self-worth.
One evening, while wandering the shadow-laden streets, they came upon a raucous gathering. A man was speaking to the crowd, his words drowning in the cacophony. The Invisible Man heard him utter the words 'We are invisible'. The speaker was fighting for recognition, not just for himself but for every disregarded soul in Harlem.
The Invisible Man, inspired by the speaker's courage, decided to make himself heard. He stepped onto the makeshift stage, his heart throbbing, his voice shivering. He spoke of his experiences, his invisibility, and the dog that taught him to see his worth. His words echoed into the silent night, his truth resonating with the crowd. He was no longer invisible; he was seen, heard, and most importantly, felt.
From that day forward, the Invisible Man dedicated his life to fighting for those unseen by society. While he couldn't change the world overnight, he could, at the very least, inspire others to seek recognition and respect. His dog, his companion, remained by his side, a symbol of the vision beyond the invisible.
And so, they lived, a beacon in the darkness, a call to the unseen, an assertion of existence in a world that often forgets to see.