Missymodel.com Gallery — 038

The photo was dated April 12, 2003.

The backdrop was gone. She sat on the edge of a rumpled bed in a room with floral wallpaper. No teacup this time. Her eyes were red-rimmed, fixed on something just outside the frame. Her hands were clenched in her lap. The timestamp read: April 13, 2003. 2:17 a.m.

He looked back at photo five. The girl on the bed. The red eyes.

Elias hesitated. Then clicked the sixth. MissyModel.com Gallery 038

I’m not in them anymore. But the teacup is.

These weren't the polished, airbrushed glamour shots the site’s name suggested. They felt stolen. Honest. The work of someone who loved her, not her image.

Elias deleted the folder. Then he wiped the drive. Then he smashed it with a hammer in his backyard, because some data shouldn't be recovered. The photo was dated April 12, 2003

Empty chair. Teacup shattered on the floor. A single word written in marker on the back of her hand, visible as she reached toward the camera: Sorry.

He went inside. He didn't turn on the computer again for a very long time.

Inside: 037 empty subfolders, and one that worked. 038. No teacup this time

And then delete it. Please. Some ghosts don't need a gallery. Elias stared at the screen. The hard drive’s label—PROPERTY OF M. VANCE—suddenly felt heavier than plastic and metal.

The fifth image was different.