Thirteen-year-old Edward Mason fidgeted with the bottom of his newly washed white shirt, obviously trying not to make a face. His mother laughed at her son's disgust with the fancy clothing but continued to pull him along behind her, down the streets of Biloxi, Mississippi.
Edward Sr., her husband, was off on yet another one of his meetings. What could be so important to break into church, she didn't understand, but Elizabeth wasn't willing to miss hearing words from the Lord just because of some big, corporate meeting.
The pair received several warm smiles - thank God that they were friendly here - as they slid into the back of the church, keeping out of the way of those around them. Their lives had become like this ever since Edward Sr. had taken up this new job - travel had become a part of life. Elizabeth couldn't remember the last time Edward had been home with his friends for more than two weeks at a time.
They were almost late to the sermon, which was embarrassing. It was embarrassing enough that they didn't belong to any church alone, instead being forced to intrude upon others' services.
However, the spotlight was taken off the visitors a few moments into the pastor's reading from the Bible when the back door of the church creaked open, revealing a family of four. A murmur ran around the room, but all Edward could make out was a soft, "Is that Mary Alice Brandon?"
A black-haired child clung to her mother's skirt, her green eyes wide with what seemed to be shock. A girl who could only be her elder sister trailed several feet behind, her blue eyes slightly unfocused. The parents murmured an apology and slid into the pew next to the Masons.
The sermon continued normally from there, right up until the final hymn.
The older child of the family that had come in late had been mumbling to herself for a fair amount of the service and had just fallen completely silent, staring at something that no one else could see.
Edward, who'd been given the unlucky task of sitting next to her, leaned away slightly, frightened by the strange girl, having never come into contact with such a person in his short life.
Halfway through the hymn, 'His Eye is on the Sparrow', Edward locked eyes with the girl. Her eyes immediately refocused and something that seemed almost like recognition dawned in them.
A split second later, any relatable emotions were gone from the girl and an awful, otherworldly screaming filled the room. It took him a moment to realize the sound was coming from the girl.
"It hurts me, it hurts!" she cried. "Please, Lord, take away the pain, take it away! It is not my burden to bear! It is eating me, consuming me, filling me with evil!" Her eyes wild, the girl swayed back in forth, clutching her head as though she were in some sort of terrible pain.
Edward flinched away, instinctively turning into his mother.
"It is his burden, his!" Her crazed shrieking continued. Edward peeked out from under his mother's arm, chancing a glance at the girl, but he immediately regretted it.
The girl had thrown her head back in despair and was pointing directly at him.
The girl's father grabbed her arm and jerked it down to her side, holding it there in a firm grasp.
"Mary, hush," he commanded her. Her wailing only grew louder.
"His burden! Take it away! The evil, it hurts me, it burns me!" Her body convulsed, and she collapsed, the only thing keeping her off of the ground being her father's arms.
Edward turned his wide green orbs to his mother. "Ma?"
Elizabeth closed her eyes, saying a silent prayer for the girl and clamping her hands over her son's ears.
The church had fallen completely silent, all eyes turned to the girl who, though seemingly subconsciously, had made a spectacle of herself.
"Come along, Mary," the father said through tight lips, pulling the now-silent child along behind him. Her head was bowed as though she were ashamed of herself, but, when she looked up, her vacant expression was back, though it was barely visible beneath her mat of black hair.
Once the pair had left, the minister cleared his throat, bringing the attention back to the front of the room. He gestured to the woman sitting at the organ, signaling that she resume the song.
After the service ended, Edward could still feel his legs shaking slightly. His footsteps were uneven as he followed his mother from the church, though he couldn't fathom why. The girl had obviously been mentally unstable, but something in her eyes had gotten to him...
The Masons were just a few feet out of the church when the mother of the girl and her younger daughter passed them. The mother looked at them for a moment and hesitated in her stride, looking as though she might want to say something to the mother whose son had just experienced one of her daughter's little 'episodes', but rather than stop she sped up her pace, pushing her other child along gently beside her.
Only a few days later Elizabeth and her son returned home, she having decided that Edward needed to be home. His head had been in the clouds since the incident with that girl, though she couldn't fathom why - she had to have been insane.
Little did she know that Edward had gone out alone that Sunday night, dressed in his rattiest clothing. He had wandered up and down the streets of Biloxi until he found the house of the family of the deranged girl.
She had been standing out on her porch, gazing into the night sky, her lips forming words he couldn't quite make out.
As he neared the house, he realized she was singing to herself.
Mary only sang after she'd had one of her nightmares. Papa had forbidden her from going onto her bedroom's balcony, but it was the only place she felt she could escape to. Her room was too filled with evils for her soul to be at rest.
Edward almost turned back when and ran the girl turned her hollow eyes on him. It was almost as though she could see right through him and into his innermost thoughts.
Yet, he found himself rooted to the spot. He couldn't move, not while she looked at him with those glassy eyes.
So startled was he when she spoke, Edward almost jumped.
"I'm not crazy, you know."
Her voice was level and surprisingly soft. The way her high-pitched voice wove her words together made them sound almost melodic.
"I..." Edward didn't know how to respond, fearful that anything he said might make this strange girl snap.
"I know that you think I am." Her gaze was piercing. He didn't dare deny the truth in her words. "Everyone does."
Suddenly, a blithe smile was lighting up the dainty features of her face.
"But you'll all see, someday," she sighed, her head faraway, filled with thoughts of things yet to come. "You'll see."
She turned her head slightly, fixing him with her icy blue gaze once more. Her expression was almost frightening, now that he could properly see it; her eyes emotionless but an almost wicked grin dancing across her face.
"But only when it's too late."
Edward hesitated only a moment before turning and running back to the hotel where his sleeping mother lie.
His face was streaked with sweat as he flew into the room and buried himself under his bed's covers. Only moments passed before he passed out, practically in a state of comatose until his mother shook him awake the next morning.
Elizabeth and Edward Mason went back to Chicago the next day. Life went on.
But never did Edward forget Mary Alice Brandon.