John's Wife

the long version

John had many things - money, high regard, friends, and power. He was a builder by trade, a master of the physical domain. The objects that fell before him only arose to become greater structures. But it was John's wife who both enchanted and haunted this small town. Floyd, manager of Main Street Hardware, coveted John's wife. Otis just plain loved her. And Daphne loved her too, but Daphne thought she'd love her even more if John's wife were dead. And Gordon was obsessed with capturing the very essence of her on film, though this was impossible since John's wife just didn't seem to be there. That was the strange thing about John's wife - she seemed to have a thereness that just was not quite there. She was always in the hearts and minds of the town, an endearing and ubiquitous presence, yet few people, if asked, could describe her, even when she passed right before their very eyes. To this small town John's wife was as much a mystery as a coveted object.