He usually kept to himself. Most days he would not be seen at all, except for the 45 seconds in the morning it took him to get from his front door into his blue sedan. None of the neighbors knew his name, and none of them really cared - although one or two would occassionally wonder where he went everyday. Did he work, this unfriendly man? Did obnoxious customers and insufferable coworkers drive him to seek such solitude? Or was it the passing of a beloved spouse that led him to avoid eye-contact with his neighbors? The most anyone seemed to know was he kept a quiet house. Pedestrians and joggers never heard so much as a television or radio within. But once in awhile, late at night when the town was asleep, a red glow could be seen emanating from the cellar window - a deep and ominous red, dark enough for an insomniac looking out the window to question whether it was really there. One late summer night, a drunken high school senior was staggering home after a long evening, and upon spotting the mysterious glow, moved in closer to investigate. He could not get a good view through the window and would have been spotted creeping around to the side of the house - if there was anyone else to see. Two days later, the search party was led by the stoic sheriff and the harried parents. It lasted seven days but did not turn up one piece of physical evidence. Seven months later, he was found in the snowy woods behind the house.

Photo by Steve Mah