The Mask

David and Tasha weren’t expecting to find a mask shop open so early before Halloween. They were exploring the downtown plaza and accidentally found the shop. No other customers were inside.

Tasha eagerly went inside. David followed without much enthusiasm. He wasn’t a huge fan of this type of thing, he was never one for the spooky stuff. Tasha was obsessed with Halloween.

She always found a way to scare the crap out of David, whenever he would least expect it. She would always have the scariest mask on, cackling like a witch behind the mask. It was awful, but also kind of sexy.

David met Tasha on the first day of college. Ever since that day, the couple had become inseparable. David didn’t believe in love at first sight, but he was happy to be with Tasha. That was good enough for him.

Tasha marched straight up to the wall of masks, taking several down to try on. David reluctantly walked over to Tasha, dreading to see what masks she was going to buy to torture him during the month of October.

“Please take your time. There is plenty of masks to go around.”

David jumped. Tasha laughed.

Embarrassed, David looked over his shoulder to find an older man standing behind him. He resembled a kind, friendly old man, the type that loved to spend time with his grandchildren. David relaxed.

“Hey. Sorry. I didn’t see you there, sir.”

The man gave David a kind smile.

“I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that.”

Tasha tried on a clown mask.

“Sorry about that. My boyfriend is scared of everything. He couldn’t even sit through the dumb corny horror movies with a lot of jump scares.”

David shot Tasha a look as the man laughed.

“It’s alright young man. Being scared is a wonderful feeling. It’s a joy to feel such emotions.”

“Uh, I guess so,” David said with an uncertain edge to his voice.

“Hey, guys. What do you think?”

Tasha did a mini twirl, raising a hand in the air. She wore a zombie mask of a ballerina. David even had to admit to himself that the mask looked pretty cool.

It appeared so lifelike. The dead flesh looked so awesome on the mask. The crown on top of the ballerina mask was covered in fake blood, David thought it was a nice touch.

It wasn’t exactly scary looking, so maybe David would be spared this Halloween of dying from a heart attack. The man clapped his hands together, startling David. He cursed himself for getting so worked up.

“Excellent choice. Would you like to buy it?”

Tasha took off the mask, brushing her hair back with one hand.

“Sure. I think it’s pretty neat! What do you think, David?”

David ignored the haughty expression on Tasha’s face. He knew this was a challenge, he could already see the clockwork wheels turning inside of his girlfriend’s brain.

“I think it’s cool,” David said nonchalantly.

Tasha smirked.

“I’ll take it!”

“Wonderful! Please follow me!”

The man led the couple to the register. Tasha purchased the mask. The man placed the mask in a plastic bag for the couple.

“Thank you so much! I can’t wait to try it out for Halloween!,” Tasha said with a grin.

The man took a bow.

“I hope you love your new face, my dear.”

Tasha threw back her head and laughed.

“Good one, sir. Good one.”

“I don’t kid, my dear,” the man said in a mocking gesture.

Tasha made an ugly face resembling a gargoyle and mimicked the man’s words back at him. The man and Tasha shared another laugh before David and Tasha left the store.

“You know, you get so weird whenever Halloween is getting closer.”

Tasha playfully shoved an elbow against David’s side.

“Duh! I’m getting into the Halloween spirit! I probably made that guy’s day!”

“Maybe.”

Tasha narrowed her eyes, and leaned over to place her head on David’s shoulder.

“You know…instead of scaring you this time around, we could do something else with my new mask. Perhaps in the bedroom, Sir David?”

“Uh…I mean…that would…be kind of cool.”

Tasha stuck out her tongue.

“Pervert.”

David and Tasha burst out laughing. After the couple calmed down, they stayed for a couple more hours in the plaza, until the sun was beginning to set. Exhausted from all the walking, the couple sat on a bench outside.

David was calling an Uber through the mobile app as Tasha was trying on the mask. She turned toward David with her arms outstretched, making growling noises.

She pretended to eat at David’s neck as he mimicked a man screaming in terror. Several people that were leaving the plaza gave the couple strange looks, but they were too busy laughing to notice.

“You know that mask really isn’t that scary, Tash. It honestly makes you look kind of hot.”

“I knew you would approve.”

Tasha reached up to pull off the mask. She yanked it some more, and then she released a small cry of pain.

“Very funny, babe,” David said sarcastically.

Tasha turned to look at David. He instantly noticed the fear in her eyes.

“I can’t take it off. It’s not…it doesn’t want to come off!”

Tasha yanked at the mask again, digging her nails into the mask. Then she let more moans of pain. David gasped. Tasha’s hands were littered with blood. Red was flowing down the mask. David grasped Tasha’s hands.

Her hands were trembling.

“What the fuck? What’s happening, David?”

“I’m not…sure. This…we’re going back to the shop. We’re going to confront that asshole. Come on.”

David had his arm around Tasha’s waist, leading her back to the shop. David had wrapped a couple of napkins around Tasha’s hands. Bloodstains were beginning to seep through the paper.

David and Tasha went back to the same location where they had found the store. It was gone. Only a wall remained where it once stood. David circled around several times, desperately searching for the store.

It was like it never existed. David looked back at Tasha. Tears were streaming down the mask from her eyes. The mask appeared to be perfectly connected to her eyes and mouth.

David’s heart dropped. He thought back to the words that the old man had shared with the couple after Tasha bought the mask.

“I hope you love your new face, my dear.”

Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn