I’ve never been anything but just. Not pretty, not skilled, not smart, not graceful, not athletic, not creative.

Just.

I existed. People knew me. They worked alongside me, but I was a fleeting notion. As soon as I was out of eyeshot I ceased to exist. Sometimes even when I was in eyeshot, it was a struggle to exist.

I told myself I wasn’t being rejected, not really. No one ever specifically told me to go away or anything like that. They simply never paid me any mind.

Like the time I got locked in the basement at work. It was an accident, I’m sure. Apparently someone saw the door was open and closed it. It only opens from the outside so I spent the weekend in the basement. Really, it was okay! I was finally able to alphabetize all our files. It was a huge help to everyone going forward. They even said so once they let me out.

I guess what triggered me was them offering to take me to lunch, but when the time came, they left without me.

If I’d maybe not have gone to the bathroom, they probably wouldn’t have forgotten me. But they did and I suddenly found myself furious.

Just!

I spent my lunch hour looking online for ways to help people to notice me. I was desperate but I was also too scared to do anything dramatic.

Everyone came back from lunch and still didn’t acknowledge me so I continued looking for something that would finally make them notice me.

Rabbit holes like that are hard to crawl out of, and the deeper you go, the darker what you uncover becomes.

The spell promised if I paid the price, I’d gain immortality. I didn’t want to be a vampire so I chose to live on through this, my message.

Believing a magic spell is the answer to my woes might be naïve but I don’t have anything to lose at this point.

On the bright side, if you’re reading this then that means the spell worked and you’ve noticed me! I’ll forever be a piece of you now, too, so yay for that!

I mean that quite literally, too. Wherever you go, I’ll always be right there with you. Even in your dreams! How cool is that?

Yup! That thing you think you’re seeing is real and it’s me. I’m sorry for how I look and it’s okay to be scared. Honestly, I’ll probably be hungry anyways. But don’t worry, I shouldn’t need to snack from you too often, especially not with all the friends I’m finally going to make.

But yeah! I know we’re going to become the best of friends. All of us.

Forever.