Vapidity.

The house ran empty. It was silent. As if a siren had just gone off then suddenly was dead. As if your ears are still ringing and you can't help but feel the wrenching pain in your chest... as if something is terribly wrong.

The shiny, red, freshly polished, antique telephone sat numbly on the wooden bed side table in the middle of the room. A white dead flower lay crumpled on the floor underneath.

"Johnny? Don't go away. Please don't go away."

The innocent Maggie sat there, holding onto the short rope. She held on as tightly as she could. She kept repeating that line. Over and over and over and over and over.

Her hair mushed and messy which had started forming the night before as she began her bed time.

"Johnny? Don't go away. Please don't go away."

Johnny Junior.

Short, blue overalls. Red, tightly tied, shoes. Bright, blue eyes. Brown, thick hair.

Johnny stood. Grabbed the other end of the rope and started walking backwards towards the large, open door.

Maggie's eyes were tightly shut by now. Her neck fell with the weight of her head and it hung there as she held onto the rope. With all her strength, she held onto the rope.

Her white dress blew with the wind. Her long blonde hair wiggled along. And her tears dripped onto the wooden floor.

"Johnny? Don't go away. Please don't go away."

As Johnny walked he smoothly wrapped the rope around his wrist and tied into into a stiff knot.

Maggie held on tightly.

Johnny kept on walking.

Maggie took a quick deep gasp as she sharply lifted her head and opened her eyes in anxiety. Quickly, she took the rope and wrapped it around her ankle and tied her end in a firm knot of her own.

"Johnny? Don't go away. Please don't go away."

It started getting louder and louder.

"Johnny? Don't go away! Please don't go away!"

Her sweet voice rang throughout the vapid house.

Johnny kept walking. He got to the blinding sunlit doorway, and slowly turned around. Maggie could see nothing but Johnny's silouette. His empty hand lifted and struck the air with a goodbye.

"Goodbye Johnny."

Maggie fell to her side. Her eyes open in disbelief.

Johnny turned and walked out. The door slammed. It slammed the rope in two.

Maggie licked her crusted lips. Sniffed in the dusty air. And kept her eyes open for as long as she could remember.

"Johnny? Don't go away. Please don't go away."

The red telephone rang.