Hyperventilating, John tried to convince himself, “That wasn’t my fault. He.. if he hadn’t… I didn’t know. He’s a criminal. No one will miss someone like that. Yeah, he’s just a bad guy and the world will be better off without him.” John curled up in his bed and faded away.

John woke up and went to school as if the night before had never happened. While hiding in PE he daydreamed. What am I going to wear? It has to be something nice. Something that shows I’m mature. Mary is 18 now so I have to let her know that I’m not a kid. A suit then. But I don’t have a suit. I could steal some money but it might draw attention if I buy a suit. I’ll just have to steal a suit then.

Standing up John slipped into the locker room, changed, and left the school. He arrived at the mall and found his way to a men’s clothing store. With his bookbag emptied and invisible, he picked out the pieces of clothing he wanted, turning them invisible and stuffing them into his book bag. It wasn’t long before it was full.

Walking around the mall he finally found a store with flowers. The yellow ones were always her favorite. Grabbing a bushel they disappeared in his hand.

A voice came from behind, “Excuse me, do you need help finding anything?”

He quickly turned with a nervous laugh, “Oh no thank you. I was just looking.”

The voice belonged to a rather tall and scary older woman with dull green eyes. She seemed to be scrutinizing John while scanning the area around him. “I guess I’ll be going then.” John made his way out of the mall and to Mary’s house.

Standing outside he changed into his suit. Are suits supposed to be this loose? It doesn’t matter, a suit is a suit.

Standing around the side of the house John waited. Night came and he jumped the fence into the backyard. Standing on the back porch it was a couple of hours before Mary’s father came out for his nightly backyard drink. The man opened the door before going back and grabbing his glass with ice and the bottle of alcohol.

Perfect.

John slipped in, careful not to move too fast to stay quiet. This place is spotless, nothing is on the counters at all. Almost like they didn’t own anything or just moved in. Now which door is it?

He began putting his ear to each door. Not only is it spotless but noiseless. Is she not even here? Wait, what the hell is this?

John approached the door that had multiple locks, on the outside. This must be a storage room or something. Even so, might as well check it. John put his ear to the door and listened carefully. Water, that must be a shower. She’s got to be in here.

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Scanning all the locks John noticed that all were unlocked except for the two latch locks at the top and bottom of the door. Undoing them he cracked the door and peered inside. It was a plain, almost empty-looking bedroom that was illuminated by a low-level orange lamp. There was a door off to the side of the room that was slightly open, letting a much stronger light escape into the dim room.

John shut the door behind him as he entered the room and snuck over to the bathroom door. Opening it slightly his floating pair of eyes came around it. Instantly He saw a woman in the shower. He had expected as much but what caught him off guard was the fact that the shower was a completely clear, seemingly magnifying, glass shower.

He jerked his head back accidentally bumping it into the door frame.

A soft voice came from the bathroom as John backed away, “Father?”

John stood there, his heart racing but holding his breath. After a long awkward moment, he could hear her begin to move again, resuming her shower. John now paced back and forth. Was that her? That can’t be! She’s so much.. Bigger. Maybe her mother and father got back together? But that voice, it was almost certainly Mary’s.

John stood there thinking of what he was going to say to her. Before he knew it she was opening the door, dressed in a thin nightgown. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she stared at the bed. She then sat down on the edge of it and faced the bathroom door. Her face was blank but still held remarkable beauty to John.

John stood there hesitantly. I don’t know what to say. I can’t just suddenly appear in her bedroom. What other option is there? John’s mind continued to race as time passed. He noticed Mary’s shoulders jolt.

The door opened leaving her father standing in the doorway. “I can’t believe I left the latches unlocked. Oh, but of course, my little girl didn’t leave.”

John was in the corner before he knew it, his vision almost completely blank as he made his ghostly eyes nearly invisible. However, her father’s own eyes never left Mary. It didn’t take long for John to notice, making his eyes more visible so he could see what was happening.

What is he doing? Why is he taking off her?… he’s not.

Mary turned her head to the corner of the room John was standing in. John had never seen her eyes so empty, as if she wasn’t even alive.

He can’t!.. But she’s?... Is this why… How long has… John dropped to his knees, the man’s loud voice masked any sounds John made, including his sobs.

While tears ran down his face, and his body stiffened as if he had long been dead, not a single tear fell from Mary’s eyes.

After a time her father’s voice died down. He brushed the hair out of her face as Mary lay there, “That’s my girl.” After leaving the room the sound of numerous locks clicking played rhythmically.

John stared into Mary’s eyes and unknowingly she stared into his. It was a long time before she moved, making her way into the bathroom, the door shutting behind her. It was even longer before John moved. He hugged his legs tightly trying to stop the shaking.

Mary didn’t come back out of the bathroom and John didn’t move from his fetal position in the corner. At some point, sound came from the door in the same rhythmic pattern as when it was locked.

Moments later it opened. “Come on Mary, let’s eat some breakfast together.”

Shockingly Mary’s voice came from the bathroom, it was relaxed as if that hadn’t happened “Yes, Father.” She moved from form the bathroom out the door and into the hall, her father brushing her cheek as she did.

A faint voice came from her room though she nor her father heard it, “I didn’t know. I’m so sorry Mary. I didn’t know. I didn’t. I didn’t know. I didn’t. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me? How couldn’t I have known? How was I supposed to know? I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”