The mask

Page 1 chapter 1

We leave the altar joining our lives till death, but it happens sooner than we think.

They arrive home rejoicing over the ceremony. They finally are married, Rick and Sofie hill, they have been talking about it for 3 years, and now they are the definition of love.

Soon after the ceremony, they make way for their honeymoon.“ Paris the city of love” remarked Sofie “only the best for you” says rick. They check in at the hotel but on their way there Rick’s mind starts to melt. He sees something, He is holding a mask in one hand, it has a mean glow in its eyes as if it was staring him down. “Dear is everything alright” said sofie “yes, just distracted” says rick. They spend the whole week together wine and cheese at the eiffel tower and then visiting art galleries. As the days wrap up Paris has a glow to it, a sad one, as if it is crying at the sight of the earth.  

As they arrive home their house is a wreck someone broke in leaving a riddle for him, it says “i'm always watching, but i have no eyes. I am always with you but you never know where I am, what am I ?” Rick scared and confused he runs upstairs with sofie trying to hide, “what are you doing are you crazy’ yelled sofie ‘what do you mean you didn't see the note’ stated rick “ what note, get your hands off of me” insisted sofie. He looks confused. What did he see?. He looks and sees sofie with her bag leaving the house, “ why are you leaving” says rick “im leaving, i don't know what has happened to you but you need help, you have never done this before and im sacred for you and me” said sofie in a calm but concerned face “fine leave i don't want you here anyway” shouted rick she leaves looking back quickly and looking through the window like there was a person. Making Rick nervous he looks behind only to see a fragment of a face, it was cracked as if it was a plate.

After going inside the front door he looks for more notes or the shadow, but all he finds is emptiness just like his heart and mind. As he looked throughout the house only finding a mask it looked as if it came from the bottom of a lake it was soaked, but as he continues to look it is more like blood. A new vision skims his mind like a whirlwind of confusion, he sees the shadow this time it was in a cell luring him to the bed wanting him to give in, he begins to realize it is the same cell as his first vision, but this time it's withered the bars bent and air think in smoke. He starts to regain his train of thought and it ends. Wanting to forget he goes to bed mind filled with regret.

After taking a shower Rick feels weird, his mind blank, not remembering anything except for the notes and sofie. As he drives to work he sees no one was anywhere almost as if he was blind. He looks and realises he isn't even driving it is like some one has taken control of him, or something. He arrives at work with no feeling of movement or sight but he can hear everything cars, construction, and people. His co workers greet him with hellos but he cannot hear his own voice, just a rattling inside of his head. He reaches out trying to feel something but it is just empty until he snaps back, he regains everything sight, and smell. He runs away not saying a word he bolts to the parking garage and goes home.

He makes it home seeing his wife with a little plastic thing in her hands, it was a pregnancy test and it was positive. Rick is going to be a dad, but he freaks out and runs for the door not knowing what to say . He jumps in his car and leaves. He doesn't know where to go or what to do. He continues to drive with no thought, he doesn't want to hurt her or his own baby. He drives and doesnt stop until the world makes him, ‘‘CRASH’’.

As he regains consciousness he hears a faint beep, of a heart monitor, sofie sees his eyes opening “what were you thinking you could have killed yourself. Why did you run? I thought you loved me?’ “i do i just don't know what is happening to me” said rick “well i can't do this anymore” putting the ring on the table sofie walks away “ please i love you’ Said rick “well you shouldn't have ran ” 

    1 week later

Rick is released from the ER, He gets a cab to go home. As he peers over the streets all he sees is a disbanded society, crime consumes the city of its free will. He gets home to an empty house Sofie nowhere to be seen, he calls the police to report a missing person. As he hears sirens getting closer and closer he looks through the window but there is much more they are coming for him, but why he just leave the er? ‘Rick come out with your hands up” screamed the megaphone, he didn't want to but he didn't resist he walked out willingly. He gets taken into custody until his trial.

“Guilty” said by the judge, Rick stares at the desk thinking how they believed the tip he had just exited the er they would have seen him? He has another vision this time with the mask holding it to his face as if he was going to wear it. As he enters the prison bus they are taken away Rick looks outside to the sun until it stares back. He enters the narrow and dark hall as he continues the journey through the halls. He sees all the inmates feeling like they are looking directly at him, no noise or movement except for their eyes. He reaches the cell, he sits willingly. He rubs his eyes as they tear up wondering what has happened and is sofie ok? He finds a grate outside of his door trying to figure out if he can fit, he doesn't care as long as he finds a way to get to her.

He enters the lunch room trying to find the biggest guy, he approaches him “ what do you want bones? '' said the man, Rick winds his arm up and throws a punch right at his face. He starts to run from the man as other prisoners strike each other, he finds a guard and attempts to take his card and runs to the door with what looks like thousands of people behind him. He starts to stumble and falls to ground, people surrounding him, kicks and punches going at him. He arises again but not seeing anyone no more yelling he just starts to walk away making it to the prison gate, no harm either.

But it feels different like he is merged with something, something on his face like a mask, the mask he thought to himself was it helping him or using him, he doesn't care it made him be able to leave with no one knowing. He starts going through the woods to find home wondering where Sofie is, he runs faster then he ever has.

But as he arrives no one is there, just cars all around him swat, they insist he gets in and goes without any thought. But he starts to rise. He feels powerful. It is the mask he can finally see through his own eyes it is like he was reborn, everyone ran in fear. They feared him, nothing like this had happened. It is unrecognizable; it is something they cannot be comprehended to any extent. 

After months of wearing the mask he was inseparable like the mask has taken control of his life. People were afraid of the site, they were afraid to even leave their own homes, they felt watched , and some looked to him as if he was the savior but he just felt like an outcast. He had a wife, a kid and now it is all gone not knowing how to take it back. He tries everything to get rid of it, but it wants the power of the people. It was a god and no one could take it away. He decided it was time he gave up, his body is the mask. With his final thoughts he thinks what he has done he threw everything away he had a job, a loving wife and now it is gone, and now him, but he finally realizes he never wore the mask the mask wore him.

Epilogue 

With Rick gone the mask takes control of the city, people not knowing what to do even after years they hide and ran, afraid of what will happen if they don't. The government has placed cameras everywhere trying to track it but it was a figment when it came to technology, a complete shadow. The mask has started to send broadcasts of sound. It was morse code. It would beep in patterns, the message was decoded and it said “ I am the chosen one to guide you to immortal happiness” . People have started to evacuate the city but then they go missing before they have the chance.

Me and my son have tried to leave but everytime we just get pushed back home it is as if it is protecting us trying to help. After time i have noticed i've had better and better luck as the time comes. As me and Jacob are sitting on the couch watching the news, an emergency broadcast comes on. It was another message but this time it was weird “ i miss you i want you back” and then it cuts off, with us not knowing what it meant we left it alone.

As the time passes we attempt once more trying to leave this infected place of a town, as we approach the exit it let us leave it was all over the news the first to escape Sofie and jacob hill.