The Face Behind The Mask

27

Food truck day at school always drew crowds of students. They swarmed the lot, bumping and trying to cut lines like they were boarding the last train out of Tokyo before Godzilla showed up. Kelsey and Alexa were first drawn to the noodles truck but tacos stole their attention. They got in line, squinting at the menus over the shoulders of the kids in front of them.

"The marinated pork torta is amazing," said Alexa. "I know. I just ate lunch an hour ago. I have zero impulse control."

Kelsey reached into her shoulder bag for her wallet. "I think I'm doing the veggie taco." Her phone buzzed. She checked the message. "Beth." She sighed dramatically. " Why did I give her my number?"

"Who's Beth?"

"Some neighbor lady. She wants to "jog" with me." Kelsey used air quotes. "Jog? Who says 'jog?' She runs soooooooo slow."

"How old is she?"

"She's old. She has a kid and a baby." She noticed Brick and Jonas approaching. "You guys getting tacos?"

Brick lowered his head. "I don't have any money."

"I got you," she said with a bright smile.

"Really?"

"For sure. I owe you. If you hadn't told me about those pics..."

"Maybe that wasn't my best move."

Jonas said, "He's like getting death threats."

Alexa said, "You did the right thing. Those guys are pigs."

"Big pigs," said Brick. "Big, scary pigs."

An hour later, they got off the school bus in their neighborhood, their fingers still sticky from handheld Mexican food. "I shouldn't have had that Coke," said Kelsey.

"One drink of pop isn't gonna kill you," Brick replied.

While reaching into her shoulder bag for her house keys, Kelsey heard a quiet voice. Brick heard it, too, and they turned in unison to see their neighbor Ms. Washington standing on the sidewalk across the street.

Sadie was fenced in the Washington's sideyard, barking so loudly they couldn't make out what the woman was saying. Kelsey crossed the street wearing a neighborly smile while her brother observed from the driveway.

"Kelsey. I haven't seen your dad lately," said Ms. Washington.

"He's out of town. Again."

"I wanted to thank him for fixing our gate. That was so nice of him." 

"I'll tell him." Kelsey turned, stopping when Ms. Washington grabbed her arm. She produced a folded twenty-dollar bill and shoved it at Kelsey. "For the latch. He bought a new latch, said ours was broken."

"It's fine. Ms. Washington," Kelsey said. The neighbor pressed the money into Kelsey's hand. "No. Now you give this to your father. Take it. I insist."

Sadie barked louder, her tail wagging furiously.

"You're lucky to have such a kind father," said Ms. Washington, still holding Kesley's arm. "And he's so handsome."

It was clear that surrender was Kelsey's only option. Brick recognized his sister's predicament and retreated into the house. Kelsey said, "I'll give him this money and tell him you said thanks."

"Most people today are too busy to be neighborly," she said. "Everybody's in such a rush."

"I don't mean to be rude." Kelsey pulled out of the woman's grasp. "I really need to pee." She waved as she crossed the street to her house. "Bye, Ms. Washington."

........

Skyden took the exit from the interstate and almost missed the turn onto the road that bordered the golf course. She drove up the tree-lined, winding road with renewed focus, pushing aside the clutter of intruding thoughts. Throughout the day, she'd been a little foggy and irritable.

She steered into the driveway and opened the garage door with her remote. She parked her car and closed the garage door behind her.

It had been some time since Skyden felt fast and fluid but today she felt and moved like she was wearing the legs and lower back of a seventy-year-old. When she entered the house, she was encouraged when she smelled food. It was probably some iteration of a microwave dinner but someone was showing initiative and it brought a small smile.

Kelsey jogged down the stairs dressed in a sweatshirt and shorts.

"Hey, Kels. How was school?"

Kesley slipped past into the kitchen. "Fine." Skyden heard the water running in the kitchen sink.

"You going for a run?"

Kesley exited the kitchen and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "Running with Beth." She rolled her eyes. "Not actually running."

Skyden smiled in acknowledgment. "Where's your brother?"

Kelsey shrugged. "Probably in his room."

"Did you eat?"

"Me and Alexa got tacos." She got down on a knee, tightening her shoelaces. "Brick, too."

"Uh. Okay.

Kelsey had always found solace in running. Whether it was an argument with her parents, the disappointment of a low score on a test, or discovering her boyfriend was a deviant, pushing herself through a tough run took the edges off and settled something inside her. She got up and waved on her way out. "See ya."

Skyden gave a small wave. "Have a good run." She went into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator door, and scanned the contents. Nothing looked appealing. She considered making some pasta but she talked herself out of it. Too much work for a dinner for one. She grabbed the bottle of Chardonnay from the fridge, reached for a glass in the cabinet, and set it on the counter. She removed the cork and sniffed the contents. The wine didn't smell sour but she couldn't remember when she first opened the bottle. A few days ago? Maybe last week. She shrugged and then filled her glass.

She carried her drink to the dining room table and opened her laptop. With the house quiet, this was an ideal time to organize her workload. There were so many moving parts. Schedules had shifted, project status reports required detailed follow-up, and messages that had fallen through the cracks needed to be addressed.

She jumped at the sound of someone knocking on the door. It wasn't the casual knock of a neighbor or a delivery person. It was a thunderous, frantic pounding.

As she jogged to the door, Skyden heard a woman's voice calling, "Skyden! Skyden!" She yanked open the door.

Beth shook, her tear-streaked face nearly purple.

The moment Skyden saw the quivering, hysterical neighbor, one thought jumped to the front of her mind. Kelsey. Skyden's face and hands went numb. A voltage shot through her, sharp and raw, juicing her blood pressure an extra 20 pounds. The ability to communicate through spoken language was a foreign concept.

Beth blubbered, "Kelsey. Somebody took her. They shoved her in a car. Across the street." Her words spilled out in ribbons of saliva. "I don't even know where he came from." Beth watched the light go out in Skyden's eyes. "There was nothing I could do." She sobbed. "It happened so fast and it was so dark."

"No, no." The words found their way in a whisper through Skyden's trembling lips. "Please, God, no," she begged. She wavered and then tipped, her shoulder landing hard against the doorframe. "Please, please don't let this happen to my baby girl."

The cries and the devastated expression on Skyden's face hit Beth with such force that she fell to her knees and wept.