I'm not mad at mommy. She didn't know. She told me to be good. She still had to finish her work, and I was supposed to be quiet.

But all the other kids were getting cake. Mommy promised she'd bring me cake when she was done work. But I was seeing all those other kids get cake, and I wanted some, too. I wanted to play with the kids, even if I didn't know any of them.

So I started asking mommy, begging her. She was dressed in the bear suit, but I knew it was her. She had to put the cake down and bring me to the back. Mommy took off the bear head, kneeled in front of me, and started whispering, quickly, angry.

"I told you! You can't just come up to me in the middle of work!"

"But mommy-!"

"Shh!"

She looked behind her where her boss was waiting, pointing at his watch. Mommy nodded, stood up, and took my hand, pulling me to the door.

"Look, just play outside for now. I'll come get you in a few minutes." She handed me my backpack. "You have your Flash Gordon toys."

"Mommy!" I started to cry.

"Stop it! I have to work. I know you can't understand right now, but if I don't work, no food, no clothes, no toys, nothing. Stay out here."

She closed the door. I tried to open it, but it was the back door and it was locked.

I ran around the front, but mommy was already back in the suit, bringing cake to the other kids. I sat on the ground and just cried.

I didn't hear the car drive up. I didn't hear the man step out. I only knew when he had his hand around my head, and then my throat hurt, so much. It was worse than when I got my tonsils out. I wanted to scream, to cry, but I couldn't; there was no sound. There was only gurgling, and I felt hot, wet stuff falling down my front. When I fell backwards, I could see the man stepping into a car and driving away. He had a light purple shirt on. Why did he hurt me?

After a while, mommy came looking for me. I didn't feel the pain anymore, but I could see what he had done. I could see me, lying on the ground, red all over. Mommy screamed. She picked me up and begged for me to wake up. I had never heard mommy cry before. I wondered if she cried that bad when daddy left, but I was only a baby then.

I wanted to stop her from crying, to tell her I was okay and that it didn't hurt anymore, but she didn't hear me. She just kept crying.

I don't know how long it took. Sometimes it feels like a lot of time, sometimes no time at all. All I know is mommy's boss sold the diner to somebody else, and now they have their big day. Lots of kids get to come at once, and now there's a bear and a bunny. It looks like so much fun.

Except the bad man is there. I remember the shirt. I was scared at first, but I realised that, just like everyone else, he can't see me. So I followed him sometimes.

He watches the kids. I see the way he watches. He wants to hurt them, too. How can I stop him? I can't touch anything.

But what if I could?

There's a puppet that gives the kids toys. The kids love him because he gives them presents. But he's not really alive. I used to love my toys, too, even though I knew they weren't alive. Seems so silly, now.

That night, I try it. I go to the box where the puppet is kept. I slide in. It takes some practise, because the puppet can't feel; but, after a while, I can make it move however I want.

I have to watch the bad man. Stop him from hurting anybody.

The man with the purple shirt.