An Invisible Woman

Description

Nina is a homeless ex-soldier ignored by passers-by. Seeing soldiers collecting for the Poppy Appeal she tries to get money without luck. Walking away, she notices a little girl staring at her. Hungry and exhausted, she finds herself outside a luxury restaurant. Two patrons mock her, flinging her £10. She spies a sumptuous dessert and tries to buy it but is blocked by the Maitre D’. Two waiters throw her out, and in the ensuing scuffle, she loses her money and ends up with a bloody nose. Examining her wounds in a shop window, we see her reflection as she used to be - her younger, hopeful self, proud and strong in uniform. Someone knocks her over and when she gets up her reflection has disappeared. She is invisible. Armed with this new power, she returns to the restaurant to wreak revenge in a gleeful bout of destruction- stealing food and causing havoc. Nina surveys the chaos, realising no-one has noticed. Heartbroken, she slumps in a chair. And then she notices someone looking. It’s the little girl from earlier. She smiles at Nina. Nina smiles back. She is seen and realises that there is hope.

Biblical Connection

We’re adapting a quote from Job, chapter 20. 8/9: He will fly away like a dream, and not be found; he will be chased away like a vision of the night. The eye that saw him will see him no more, nor will his place behold him anymore. I’ve been shocked by the rise of homelessness and how homeless/unhoused people are invisible in our society. Themes of homelessness, charity and poverty run throughout the Bible, but this quote spoke to me more profoundly than any other. I wanted to combine it with my love of genre (in this case sci-fi/fantasy) to create a story in which a homeless person literally becomes invisible after years of being ignored. In addition, I want the lead character to represent someone from one of the fastest growing and most vulnerable homeless communities: female veterans.