The Masquerade Episode 5: The Empty Chair

There was nobody there I know that much Nobody there The chair stayed empty All evening long I remember because It faced the room Nobody sat there Nobody moved it Nobody looked In my direction But somebody did First photograph Same chair Same corner A man I never saw Looking straight at me At me... Second photograph Different angle Same face Same suit Same hands folded In his lap Like he had been waiting Waiting But the chair Was empty Empty There was nobody sitting there Nobody there There was nobody looking back Looking back Same chair Same man Different picture Same eyes Same eyes I know what I saw Do you? Ah... Oh... That night The house went quiet Then something dragged Across the floor Slow enough To make me listen Long enough To make me wait Wait One chair Pulled from the table One photograph Left behind Turn it over I did There he was Same face Same age But the picture Was older than either of us Older... And on the back A name Not Julian Not Julian There was nobody sitting there Nobody there There was nobody looking back Looking back Same chair Same man Different year Same face Same face I turned the photograph over One more time He always comes back Looking the same Looking the same Same... Same... Same...