I was standing right next to the saleswoman when she opened the jewelry case—but she didn't see me.

 

It's a wonder she didn't hear me grinding my teeth as she struggled with the lock, trying one key after another, giggling and smiling at her customer like her ineptitude was the cutest thing ever. It wasn't. I'd hardly slept that night and was in no mood for nonsense. I wanted this to be an easy job, in and out, quick and quiet. Not exactly how it went.

 

I was still adjusting to my new life of crime and never slept well the night before a job. Making matters worse, my smoke alarm had started squawking at 3 a.m. After swapping out its dying battery, I had given up and spent the rest of the night in front of the boob tube.

 

As giggle-girl retrieved a diamond ring from the case, I yawned, drawing the attention of the groom-to-be across the counter. He took a hard look in my direction, sending my heart briefly into overdrive despite my invisibility.

 

While the two of them were talking carats and clarity, I picked ten more rings from the case and slipped them into my pocket. Then I began tip-toeing my way toward the door, where I'd have to wait for the next person to come or go so I could slip back out undetected. I was halfway there when the alien doohickey, which had remained silent since I'd found it at the crash site, chirped.

 

I froze as the conversation behind me died. Glancing back, I was relieved to find the two of them looking confused, but not alarmed. I was still invisible. But for how long? I flashed back to the smoke alarm that had kept me up all night. Did alien doohickeys have batteries? Who the hell knew?

 

My adrenaline surged when it chimed again a few seconds later. If I threw the door open with the two of them watching, the city's string of unsolved robberies would take on a whole new light in the evening news. However, if I stood there and suddenly became visible...

 

Yeah, easy choice.

 

I'd just started toward the door when it swung open. Through it stepped a uniformed police officer. And I was still too far away to try and hurry out behind him.

 

Shit.

 

"Everything alright?" the officer asked, catching the looks on the faces of the clerk and her customer.

 

"Um, yeah—I think so," the clerk stuttered. "Heard a weird noise, but I guess it's nothing. You just checking in again?"

 

"Yup," the officer confirmed. "With all these robberies, we're keeping a close eye on stores like this. It's only a matter of time until—"

 

Cheep, cheep.

 

I watched in terror as the cop's hand drifted slowly to his sidearm. He scanned the room back and forth, looking past me twice. Driven by panic, I dove behind a potted tree sitting along the near wall, jostling it hard in the process.

 

"Alright, step out from there," the cop said, leveling his gun in my direction. "Real slow."

 

Through the tree's sparse foliage, I watched the cop take one cautious step in my direction. Then another. The muzzle of his gun gaped like a bottomless black hole, staring me down.

 

"Come on, there's nowhere to hide."

 

I realized he was right and sprang into action, dashing across the room, swatting at the pistol on my way by. The cop's curses chased me out the door.

 

I kept running for as long as I could, finally collapsing to my hands and knees in a deserted alley several blocks away. As I struggled to catch my breath, an overwhelming sense of relief settled over me. Briefly.

 

I hurriedly retrieved the salvaged alien device from my pocket, ignoring the diamond rings nestled against it. I tried to remember if it had chirped again during my flight. I didn't think so.

 

With a growing sense of dread, I hit the device's only button. And then I hit it again. And again and again.

 

"No, no, no," I whispered as threw the device down against the pavement and then smashed it to pieces beneath the heel of my shoe. Very slowly, I passed my hand before my eyes—but I couldn't see it.

 

I was still invisible.

 

Shit.