Albert Roth At Age Six

It was Albert's birthday, but his parents weren't paying attention to him. They were busy fussing over little Zeke.

Albert understood. Zeke was the newborn and he deserved all the attention he received. It wasn't his fault that he was born so close to Albert's own birthday.

There was another reason that Albert didn't mind, however. He had found a new friend. A secret friend. The man from the hospital, the man with no face, was Albert's secret friend. Albert would see him outside their house at night and wave to him. The man with no face would wave back.

Albert sometimes wondered if the man with no face was here for Zeke. He had told Albert that all the babies (Zeke included) belonged to him, so perhaps he was upset when Albert's parents took Zeke home. But the man with no face never looked upset. He always looked calm.

And today was Albert's birthday. His parents had bought him a cake and wrapped up presents for him and tried to give him attention, even if they were distracted by little Zeke. Zeke was always crying, after all.

But he wasn't crying now. In fact, Albert hadn't heard him cry all day. So why were his parents not here?

He walked to the nursery where Zeke slept. He wasn't in his crib. Albert wondered if perhaps Zeke had escaped or if the man with no face had taken him.

He walked back to the living room, where he found his parents crying. They were trying to keep it a secret, trying to make their sobs silent, but it wasn't working.

"Albert," his father said. "There's...there's something we have to tell you. Something happened...something happened with Zeke. Sometimes it happens to babies. We don't know why."

He tried to explain it to Albert, stopping and starting, his pauses containing more emotion than his explanations.

Albert didn't cry. He understood what happened.

The man with no face had taken Zeke. He had made his parents believe Zeke was dead, but he had taken him.

Albert knew this because he could see the man with no face outside the window. The man with no face raised one finger to his nonexistent mouth, as if to tell Albert to stay silent. Stay silent or your next.

Albert didn't say a word.