The Perfect Wife

Face to Face With No Face.

After countless dress fittings and decorating committee meetings with the girls, Margo's Birthday Ball was all ready. The Ball was a few hours away, all the girls were getting ready for the big night. Around seven o'clock that night Margo's door bell rang, on her door step were two small black boxes with her and Marks name on them.

"Honey, we have a package here?" She yelled out confused, out walked Mark from the bedroom wearing a black tuxedo, he had never been so dressed up in his life before.

Margo opened her black box and inside was a black and gold face mask for the Ball. "Did you know tonight's Ball was going to be a Masquerade Ball?" Margo handed Mark his box, his mask was all silver.

"Great, now I'm going to look even more like an idiot." Mark was tying his around his head, Margo already had hers on.

"I think you look handsome.. I wonder if all the other girls received masks.. I hate that tonight is so extravagant, people already have enough opinions about me.

"I really don't understand it either, I mean don't get me wrong I love you and I'm so happy tonight's for you but it doesn't add up.. Maybe its the towns way of saying thanks for all your hard work. "We should probably get going, the kids are asleep an the babysitter just pulled in." Mark was looking out there living room window, tonight to him was very confusing, but he wanted to enjoy his evening as much as he could.

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When Margo walked into the Ball she was astounded, the walls were draped in gold curtains. The entire room was lit up with a crystal chandelier, it all felt like a fairytale. Of course when she arrived, she noticed all her friends were waiting for her in there extravagant ball gowns and elegant face masks.

"Margo, you look absolutely beautiful." Margos dad had met her at the entrance, he to was dressed to the nines. "Save a dance for me later?"

"Of course dad." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, John and Mark exchanged casual greetings and parted there separate ways.

Margo pulled Mark onto the dance floor, she imagined tonight was her wedding and that this was there first dance as a married couple. Very slowly they waltz back and forth, entwined by the hands as Mark held her close to him. He couldn't imagine his life without her, he loved her so much. After two songs and one elaborate dinner later, the party was winding down. Few were taking off to relieve the nannies at home and some were too exhausted to stay for dessert. Just as Margo took a seat in one of the many sitting booths along the walls, a lady with a mask whom she realized was her mother came out alongside two gentlemen carrying a six tear birthday cake lit with candles and sparklers. Everyone began singing happy birthday as they gawked at the strange woman whom they've never seen before. John particularly was focused on No face's eyes, he had thought to himself they reminded him of his thought to be deceased wife, but thought he was crazy for thinking so. After everyone was done serenading Margo, No face hugged Margo tightly.

"Happy birthday darling." She whispered into her ear, everyone was beyond baffled to why Margo and this lady were hugging.

No face turned to walk away, but was instantly cut off by John. "Care to dance?" Without hesitation he grabbed her hands and whisked her away onto the dance floor before she could say no, the gentleman she came with had no time to stop him. "You look familiar, do I know?" He asked her, the music pace was speeding up and so were his feet.

"No...." She said shakily as she tried to keep up with his turns and twists. "Please, I must be going." She looked over her shoulder for her bodyguards, trying to get there attention.

"No, please stay.." He kept trying to look at her eyes but she constantly kept looking away, she knew as soon as they locked eyes that he would know her secret.

Finally the song was over, both there paces had slowed down and she let go of his hand. "Thank you I must be going now."

"Its really you." He said astounded, not letting go of her wrist. "How?"

"Let go of me, right now!" She pulled away from his grip and stepped away, her bodyguards were being distracted by Isabella and Delilah's million questions.

John once again stepped in front of her, he wasn't going to let her go. "What did you do Martha? God please tell I'm crazy and that it's really not you."

Every way she stepped he blocked her escape, the two of them were near the back of the dance hall where not many could see there odd encounter happening. "You don't know what your talking about, let me go!" She stepped to the side again and almost made away.

"I buried you. Picked out flowers and told our daughter you were never coming home." John knew she had heard him over the loud music, she stopped instantly in her footsteps facing away from him. "I picked a casket out and even held a memorial for you." He stepped one step closer to her before continuing his speech. "Why would you do that to us?"

Martha, turned to face him. "I don't know what your talking about." She affirmed him once more, the only thing off putting about her to John was her voice, it sounded unusual.

"How are you doing all of this?" He put his hands out to point all around him. "The kidnappings, the houses and jobs? Is this a government experiment?" He was now face to face with no face, he had her full attention. "Because for months now, I've sat in my home thinking of a million different ways this all could work. How a town this size could stay off the grid for so long and no matter how I write it out, the only thing now that doesn't make sense is why you would be linked to it?"

Martha had no words for him that would make him at all understand, she knew he wouldn't anyway if she were to tell him exactly the truth so she decided to neither confirm or deny his accusations. "Enjoy the rest of the party J."

Johns eyes widened, J was his nickname she had called him for years. He knew he wasn't crazy and now he was even more determined to finish what he started - exposing Millwood the the rest of the world.