My Sweet Liana

3

The next day I went out walking again. After a while I came across the house, but I ignored it and continued walking. After a few miles I decided that I should turn back, when I saw the bushes rustle. I stopped and froze like a deer in headlights. I slowly took a step forward, inching my way closer. Once I was only a few feet away, I stopped and tried to peer through the thick leaves. I noticed a flash of white and froze. 

"Come on out!" I growled angrily. I waited a moment before the bush rustled again and out stepped a small boy, around my age. He wore a white mask with features that looked like they were drawn on with a sharpie. The eyebrows were arched upward and the lips painted black. The eyes were hidden behind a black veil behind the mask. He had on blue jeans and a yellow jacket, light brown hair peeped out from atop the mask. 

"H-hi I'm M-Masky." He stuttered and held out a shaking hand. I took it, happy that there was someone other than me and Jeff here. 

"I'm Liana!" I said cheerfully. He smiled under the mask and we shook. I hung out with Masky the rest of the day and when I got home, I found Jeff passed out on the couch. Smiling softly, I grabbed a blanket from my bed and spread it over him. I then went into my room and fell asleep in the clothes I was wearing, exhausted. Me and Masky became friends, Jeff still didn't know because I thought he would kill Masky. It's been a few weeks since then and I woke up to hear Jeff yell. Jumping up I rushed over into the kitchen where I saw Jeff holding his hand under a running faucet. I almost laughed out loud when I saw the gas stove on. Jeff must have been trying to do something, turned it on and then burned himself. I walked over to him and hugged him from behind, making him jump. Letting go I walked to the other side of the counter and leaned up against it, smirking. 

"You okay?" I said with a hint of laughter. 

"Yeah." He said, his voice shaky. I knew something was wrong with him so I stood up straight and gave him a look that said I knew he was hiding something. He ignored me making me scoff and roll my eyes. I went to my room and put on some clean clothes, a yellow dress with no design and I put on my big brown boots and headed out. The bright yellow sun hung over my head, and the grass was soft and green with leaves here and there. There was a slight chill to the air, showing that fall was on its way. I walked through the woods and listened to the morning calls of the birds. Smiling to myself, I walked on, the breeze making my hair pull back from my face and my dress billow out behind me. I looked behind myself and saw that the house was out of sight. I don't know what it was, but something made me laugh. Cupping a hand on my mouth immediately, but a giggle escaped, then another, and then another! Before I knew it, I was laughing and giggling as I ran further and further away from that house. And, without realizing it, I had run to the edge of the woods. I stopped immediately and looked at, the house I had once lived in before me. My legs felt weak and I fell to my knees, tears I had never known I had sprung to my eyes and a wound I had patched up so carefully opened. I sat there sobbing for a good five minutes when I felt arms wrap around me. My head perked up and I looked to my side to see Masky holding me, his pale mask was dangerously close to my face. The fact that his face had been so close to mine brought devious thoughts into my head, making me blush. He looked up in me, "you okay?" He asked in that sweet voice of his. 

"Y-yeah." I stuttered, then cleared my throat and stood up, taking a shaky breath I repeated, "yeah, I'm fine." 

Masky stood up and wiped my cheek with a small pink hand. I turned back to the house and thought of that terrible night I had seen my dad dead in a pool of his own blood. I could feel tears welling up at my eyes, but I pushed them back. I didn't want to cry in front of Masky again. 

I cleared my throat and pointed at the house. "That's, um, that's where I used to live." I said, my voice cracking. Masky nodded and looked over at the house, taking it in. He looked back at me and nodded, as if to show me that he understood.

 "Um, I've just got some bad memories in there..." I told him, my voice trailing off. He took a step closer to me and grabbed my hand, he pushed his mask up and smiled, he had soft pink lips and a gorgeous small fragile smile. It made me curious to know what the rest of him looked like. 

"It's okay, you don't need to be sad anymore. You've got..." His voice trailed off as he seemed to lose his confidence, before coming back with a new burst, and a wide grin. "You've got me!" He stated happily. I smiled sadly and nodded. I wanted to get away from the house so I started walking away, stopping and resting against a bush. Masky sat beside me and we just sat there for a while. 

He seemed to have suddenly gotten an idea because he immediately perked up, "wanna play a game? It's called secret!" He seemed pretty cheerful about it. "You have to tell me a secret, then I'll have to tell you one." He explained. I nodded and started the game. 

"I'm disgusted by who I live with." I stated, shuddering, but not telling who it was. 

"I don't wear this mask because I want to hide my face, but because I believe that looks aren't everything and the world is full of greedy people who believe other wise." 

"I was abused by my dad." 

"I hate what I do." 

"What do you do?" I asked tipping my head to one side. 

He looked at me for a while before putting his head down and muttering "nothing." 

I nodded, "ummm, I seriously want to see what's under your mask!" I laughed. 

"I don't think so." He said with a smile to his voice. 

"I think that's all." I tried to think of another one, but I couldn't. 

"Now we have to ask each other questions and they HAVE to answer" I nodded. 

"Who do you live with?" He asked, tipping his head slightly to one side and making his brown hair fall that way. I gulped and looked at the ground, "h-his name's Jeffery." That's all I answered. Masky nodded slightly. 

"My turn, where do you live?" 

"That old house in the middle of the woods. You?" 

"A small gray house south of here." I stretched and looked up, the sun was right above my head, looked to be around noon. 

"Wanna see something?" Masky asked me. I nodded, smiling. He got up and grabbed my hand, leading me deeper into the forest. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I continued walking anyway. I trusted him. We came to a large hill after a while, I looked around me, it was beautiful. The grass was up to my knees and purple, blue, and pink flowers dotted the hill. 

"Wow..." I breathed. The beauty was breathtaking, complete with a clear blue sky and a golden sun floating in the sky like a crown. I turned and looked at the beauty, my eyes settling on Masky who was standing shyly behind me. A giggle escaped my mouth, then another, and another. Before I knew it, I was giggling like a little girl. I hugged him, feeling the edge of his mask scrape my cheek. 

"I love it." I whispered into his ear. I felt his arms wrap around me in response. I nuzzled my head in the crook of his shoulder, breathing in his sweet smell along with the nauseating smell of blood. He stroked my hair gently and looked up at the sky. I could feel the tears pushing at my eyes today and wondered what was wrong with me. Why was I crying so much? 

"Hey Masky?" I whispered. 

"Yes Liana?" 

"I trust you." 

I could feel him stiffen and then hug me tighter, "thank you." I awkwardly let go and looked up at him, a blush coming to my face. Slowly, I reached up on my tippy toes and pushed his mask up a little bit, revealing his mouth. With out thinking, I clashed my mouth against his, his lips were soft and gentle. I pulled away quicker than I had thought possible and covered my mouth with a hand. 

"I'm so sorry." I apologized quickly. Masky pushed his mask back down and looked at his feet. I felt like crying again, I had only just met him and I was already kissing him? I knew it was a mistake, I knew I shouldn't have done that, I knew I shouldn't have hugged him, or let him lead me here in the first place! I ran off, brushing past him as I fled the hill.