In and out. In and out. I watched her breathing. She slept so peacefully and looked so harmless. All nestled in her princess comforter. My little angel. She was not aware of my presence, now that was obvious. My vision was clouded, and the room seemed to convince and coax me to her.

Sally James was a five-year-old girl. I lived across the hall from her. I had watched her grow up from a baby to a toddler, to now a little girl. I befriended her. She was so cute. Every morning when I heard the creak, I knew her door was opening and her mom was going to wake her up. After her mom woke her up, she would get dressed, eat some breakfast with her little brother, and then go to school. At 5pm, she would come home from dance class in her little pink tutu. She loved dance and I loved her. I had been in their apartment on multiple occasions. It was a basic set up. Three doors, three rooms, three chairs. Simple and easy. All I wanted was her. Sally and her little curls that jumped when she skipped down the hallway. She was everything you could’ve wanted in a daughter. That is why I wanted her to be my daughter. From the moment she came home from the hospital, I knew I wanted her.

My name is Chester, Chester Shanks. I live across the hall form Sally. I have forgotten my age, and don’t they say age is but a number? Frankly, I am very irrelevant. Sally is all that is important in life. Love is all we need and I can only get the love I want from Sally.

Sally’s mother, Rebecca was a single mother. I had never inquired why because from the moment I saw Sally I know I was the father she needed. Rebecca struggled being a single mother and having two children, so I helped her as much as I could. You could say I was very good friends with Sally and her mom. Every time her mother thanked me for helping her out I knew I was one step closer to having Sally as my own.

The night it happened, the room was spinning and spinning, I took a swig from my whiskey, or maybe more. I can’t remember. I couldn’t believe the night had finally come. I grabbed my supplies to head out. I had to wait until it was the middle of the night to be sure the deed could be completed. If I left early there would be a chance Rebecca would still be awake and that would ruin my plan. I just wanted unconditional love from Sally. I would be a better parent than her mother would ever be to her. I walked outside my apartment ever so slightly. I knew they kept their extra house key under their welcome mat, so I let myself in as quietly as I could. My vision was very hazy, but I knew their apartment better than I knew my own. Three rooms. Very very simple. I went into Sally’s room and watched. I knew all her toys. There is dollhouse on the right when you walked in and how she always slept with her stuffed animals lined up next to her. She had tons of dress clothes, a whole trunk full. On her walls she had all the princesses. She loved princesses.


“No, no, no, I am not mad. The way you are looking at me right now you think I am a crazy man!! You don’t know anything about me!”

“Sir, please.”

“Sally is my daughter, I am the father she never had.”

“Sir Sally is no longer with us, can you please get dressed for breakfast?”

“Don’t tell me what to do and you know nothing! I love Sally!”


I stayed and watched her sleep. I had done this many times before. As soon as the clock hit three, it was time. Years of waiting, and it was here. I woke her up gently. Oh so gently and the walls told me I was doing it just like her mother did every morning. I would be a wonderful father to her. I knew I would. I told her that her mom had gone out and wanted me to take her to my apartment to sleep for the rest of the night. She was very groggy, but agreed to my request with no question. So I scurried her along ever so quietly. We were almost out the door! My little daughter and I finally together forever!


“Sir, could you please stop yelling out the window, it is time to get dressed and go for the twelve o’clock stroll.”
“Sally was mine all mine. The most beautiful little girl. Sally is mine and nurse she is coming to visit me today. Did you know that? She is visiting her daddy.”
“Sally is not yours. She is not going to visit you. That is why you are here. Now, please come over here and change your clothes.”

Chester suffers from being mentally ill. As Chester was about to take Sally, Rebecca woke up. She was mortified and grabbed Sally. Luckily Sally never understood what was happening. Rebecca called the police and Chester was never seen again. Sally did not get killed, however the doctors tell Chester she is no longer around.