Aragon Masks. Inga Soborova

lightly, she greeted imaginary guests. Maintaining a straight posture, she walked back and forth across the room, squinting at the mirror from under the veil.

      Passing her reflection once more, waving her umbrella and honing her graceful gait, Helen glanced out the window. In the house across the street, against the backdrop of the lighted window, the dark figure of a man clung to the glass. Clearly he had been keeping an eye on the girl for a long time. The heavy curtain and the fallen ledge covered the girl. Helen rapidly moved to the window and forcefully pulled back the curtain. The heavy curtain and the fallen ledge covered the girl. Escaped, she lost her hat, and stepping over the open umbrella, Helen rushed to the lightswitch. In total darkness, away from the window, her eyes were now on the window across the street.

      «This is awkward. Stupid. I guess he saw the whole thing. And how the ledge had fallen, too,» thought Helen. The man stepped away from the window and switched off the light.

      – 3-

      A month has passed. Helen always kept the curtains closed in the evenings, glancing toward the window. But since that night the light had never come on again.

      One day, when it was quite dark, pulling back the curtain, Helen noticed two white lights, close together. Glinted in the dark window across the street. They flashed and disappeared at once. Then again. «I thought…»

      The next morning was clear. The sun was shining through the open window, and a fresh breeze was blowing.

      Helen was exercising and enjoying the morning. She approached the open window with a cup of coffee and began to explore, now clearly visible, «that window». The frame was for a long time unpainted. The glass was dark in the daylight. At the underside of the glass you could see some kind of picture. Was a picture of this window. Just like in that first evening. It was the dark silhouette of the man leaning against the lighted window. A chill ran down. Helen’s spine. «A maniac? Maybe a jester? Though, there was nothing to hold on to. After all, it is not illegal to show pictures in one’s window. I won’t look in that window again.»

      After class in the evening, Helen came home without turning on the light and pulled back the curtain. Just trying to keep the window across the street in sight.

      Her favorite dinner seemed tasteless. Having analyzed the situation, Helen realized that she had lost her peace completely.

      Choice No. 1:

      Spit it out, forget it and never look at that window again. (Doesn’t work).

      Choice No. 2: Let myself look at that window. (This does not solve anything, no

      peace anyway).

      Choice No. 3:

      Set up a camcorder. (Doesn’t solve the situation, but maybe it will clarify something). Now, when she came back home in the evening, Helen firstly watched the video tape. And just then, she dressed and ate dinner. The picture was still in the lower right window corner. Helen was mad she couldn’t stand by the open window and have her coffee in the morning. «After all, I’m at home. And I can stand at my window whenever I want and as long as I want.»

      Helen made coffee. Walked over to the open window. While drinking coffee in small sips, she kept her gaze on anything except that window. «Don’t think about the white monkey.» Finishing her last sip, the girl gazed straight at that window. There were no curtains behind this window.

      Down the road, two drivers were quarreling, not letting each other pass. Assessing which one was right, Helen was taken away from her attention to the window. When she looked up to the window again, the picture was gone against the glass.

      «But, I just saw it!»

      Helen ran to replay the video. The disappeared picture in the tape looked as if it was blown away by wind, and, having fallen on the window sill, was no longer visible. There was nobody in sight at the window.

      – 4-

      The early doorbell rang woke Helen up. The courier was standing on the doorstep.

      «But I didn’t order anything. Perhaps it’s a mistake,» Helen said.

      The courier looked at the beautifully decorated gift box. Named the recipient’s last name. Address. Said their private delivery service office is obligated to keep the sender’s name secret if he wants to remain incognito. The contents of the package were checked and are safe.

      «Please sign under» recipient», the courier handed over the receipt.

      «Before signing, I will ask you to unpack this parcel by yourself outside my apartment.»

      The courier smiled slightly embarrassed, unpacked the box, quickly let the girl sign the receipt form and left.

      What Helen saw in the box confused her completely. A dildo was inside the box. The pink, glossy silicone shone through the clear plastic packaging. «Helper Pitter,» it was written with large letters.

      «Idiots. Stupid jokes.» The girl didn’t touch the box. Just slammed the door in. After standing at the door, she thought everyone would know what that box and its contents, as it stood outside the door, directly related to her. Opened the door. Took the box. Started pushing it into the trash can. It didn’t fit. Ripped the trash bag off. Helen took out the dildo package. Flattened the box with her feet. Pushed it into the trash. Threw the dildo on top.

      «No. I can’t do that. I have to wrap it up. So nobody can see it.»

      There was no paper, no newspaper, not even an old packet on hand. Wrapped in plastic, the brand-new dildo laid on the kitchen floor near the trash can.

      The doorbell rang.

      Helen grabbed the dildo, wrapped it in her jacket, and hid it in the closet. A neighbor came in to borrow a box of matches.

      «Dildo. I’ve only seen it in a picture. But here… There’s a pink dildo in my closet. That’s funny. And a bit cheesy. And scary. It must be from a maniac who’s watching me from his window.» Helen went to the window. Pulled back the drape.