I was leaning back in the front seat of my 1987 Toyota Celica listening to the car stereo blare a variety of old school rock anthems.

The passenger seat held a girl I had been dating for about a month.

A long haired brunette beauty,  her dark personality contrasted sharply against her white skin and red lip stick.

We'd often come back from late night bowling,  or some other random pointless activity,  only to park in front of her house and talk about absolutely nothing.

It was a great excuse for me to spend more time with her,  and also we were able to kick back a few beers this way.

She still lived with her parents so we weren't supposed go into her house.

I didn't mind.

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_Image by: @deadgrlsuppastar_

I was still getting to know the young lady so I wasn't sure about all her ins and outs yet.

Sometimes it's nice to spend time being physically attracted to someone and then also get to spend time trying to understand their personality.

Hers was sarcastic and shadowy.  

 I could be a little bit on the dark side myself so I definitely understood.

Screw the world!  

I got it.

On this particular evening,  as we sat back listening to one of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs, I blew a puff of smoke out the driver's side window.  

With my right hand I tilted a Mexican beer to my throat, and then without warning I quickly shot a glance at Mary.

 I'm not sure what caused me to look at her in that instance.

After all,  turning your head to the right while you're in the middle of ashing a cigarette out the window and drinking a beer is sort of a strange thing to do.

Nevertheless, I did it... and what I saw wasn't exactly normal.

We had just been sitting there smoking cigarettes and drinking beers while talking about how lame everyone was.

My favorite Led Zeppelin song came on,  so I reached over to ash my cigarette and put my beer up to my lips.  For some reason I then quickly turned to the right and saw the face of someone else.  

Something else.

Suddenly the music was playing much slower.  It was as if a cassette was warping in the hot sun.  There was no cassette though.

I still held the bottle up to my lips but I could see her face clearly through the reflection in it.  It was white........pure white....... and grotesque.

Long white teeth with blood stained tips sprang from ruby red lips that curled up into oblivion itself.

Nothing made sense.

The music seemed to speak to me in a language I couldn't quite make out.

I quickly put the bottle down and continued to stare at Mary.

_"What is it?"_ she looked upset now.

_"Nothing."_ I muttered with a quiet intensity that wasn't helping my cause here.

_"I just... I think I want to go now."_ 

She put her hand on the side of my face rather affectionately.

_"We could take a walk back into my garage and see what happens from there...... if you want."_ she cooed shyly.

I wasn't interested.

 Mary never understood what upset me that night.   I never told her.

 I just lit up another cigarette,  watched her step out of the car,  and drove off into the moonlight.

I may not know many things....

I know when it's time to leave though.

Goodbye Mary.

She never even called me again and I certainly never called her.

Sometimes at night I think about driving by that house.

I never actually went into the house so I have no idea if it even belonged to her parents.

Was her name even Mary?

I'll never know.

I'm glad to not know too.

Some things are better off left on the curb.   

A lit cigarette,  an empty bottle of beer,  and the very idea of the girl named Mary........ I put them all outside my car window that night.

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