Masks

Chapter 1

"Hey, thanks for helping us out with our project- I know you're usually busy." I looked up as Landon walked over while pulling his camera bag over his shoulder.

I shrugged and handed him back some of his masks I'd worn during filming. "No problem... So what's this about anyway? Monsters? Horror?"

"Urban legends. That's why we needed someone who didn't mind changing so much and standing for hours in front of my green screen." A small chuckle escaped from whatever humor he was finding in that statement. He put the masks into his bag and glanced back to where Mallory was waiting. "You sure you don't want us to wait on you?"

"I'll be fine. Just gotta change out of my outfit and get my stuff." I half turned towards my bag.

"Well, hope we'll see you again soon?"

"Yeah... maybe." I shrugged and looked at the ground. "Depends on my work schedule."

I heard him walk away followed soon after by the door to the theater building opening and Mallory shouting back at me. "Bye Ash!"

I gave a small smile and waved back. "See ya."

The door closed behind them and I gave a loud sigh that only served to heat up the inside of the cheap, plain white mask I currently wore from the last shot we'd been doing. I walked over to my backpack and dug out my normal clothes so I could go change out of the black suit in the bathroom.

"...Did I seem too distant? I don't want them to think I hate spending time with them... I just... shouldn't. It's safer for them..." I stared back at the exit for a moment, contemplating how reluctant I'd been to agree to help with their project and how they always commented on how I was busy all the time. "...Nothing has happened yet... not recently... maybe I should try to see them more often?"

I turned my back to the exit and began making my way to the bathroom. Halfway across the room I froze, a chill running through me as dread began settling in on me; I wasn't alone. The feeling of being watched made me pick up the pace while the whitenoise quietly began humming in my mind; I didn't dare turn around in fear I'd see him.

"There has to be another exit..." I could hear the sound getting louder causing me to feel nauseous as I tried to keep my breathing calm.

I stumbled as the disorientation increased and made the mistake of glancing back at it over my shoulder. Slenderman was closer than before and I shuddered before trying to run faster, recalling the theater room had several exits I could use if I could get to the stage. I tried to keep boxes and racks between me and that thing but within the blink of an eye I found my exit cut off and the tall figure looming over me. I scrambled to a halt, dropping the clothes I'd been carrying in my panic, and ducked to the side through a rack of costumes. Once more I looked up to see Slenderman standing over me.

"It's toying with me...!" I was shaking as I stared up at the blank white 'face'. "Why... What doesn't it want!?"

My breath was ragged as I once more backed away, glancing desperately back in the direction of the stage. "I... I won't make it... He's too fast."

By now I should've been used to these situations, however... the fear that coursed through me each time never went away completely. This sudden appearance wasn't helping. I flinched away as a tentacle tightly gripped my arm to keep me from escaping. The static seemed to envelope my thoughts, eating away at my hopes of escaping and dulling down my free will like a heavy dosage of a sleeping drug. I fought to stay in control and escape but felt myself growing weaker as more tentacles grabbed me, one wrapping tightly around my throat and raising me into the air so I was face to face with the monster.

"N...no..." I grimaced under the cheap mask as my air was almost completely cut off.

Rage seemed to emit into my mind from the creature as it stared at me and didn't react as I clawed at the appendage at my neck, though to be fair I could barely reach to scratch at it. I could feel control being taken from me once more. I tried to focus my blurry gaze enough on the abomination inches from my face only to feel my heavy eyelids slowly closing. Air hit my face as a tentacle slid under my mask and ripped it away. My arms fell limply to my side as my vision darkened. The pain swarming my skull felt numb as I began losing consciousness. He'd either kill me or use me as a puppet at this point.

Seconds later I was dropped to the hard floor. I coughed as I finally managed to gasp for breath. The room seemed to tilt as I continued getting my breath back and the noise going through my skull seemed to distort as if two different ringing signals were clashing in my head. I fell forward, barely catching myself on my hands, before glancing to the side as a glimpse of yellow caught my eye as a man in a yellow hoodie darted past the open door to the stage.

"Someone's... here...?" I stared, wondering if the figure would reappear. "...or... did I... imagine it?"

The dischord of noise increased for a second, causing me to collapse onto my side with a shout of pain. For a moment I felt like my skull would split in half before everything went dead silent. I slowly got back to my feet, finding myself alone in the building once more, and limped over to recollect my clothes and bag- I'd change when I got home after that incident.

The walk home seemed longer than normal and I couldn't help but continue sending looks over my shoulder as I fought to remain conscious. My thoughts still felt scrambled after earlier and my steps were unsure. I gave a sigh of relief once I made it back to my apartment without further incident and made sure to lock the door behind me with a loud click.

"I knew something would happen! They aren't safe with me around... and that person- if they were even there... they could be in danger because of me now too if they saw it." I went around my small apartment, checking the windows and making sure nothing was in the house aside from me and my cat.

Even that didn't entirely make me relax. I slumped down on the couch and felt the cushion next to me sink down as my cat leaped up and joined me, her fat body pressing close against my thigh as she curled up and looked at me through half-closed eyes. I gave a faint smile and began petting her, glad she was around so I wasn't totally alone.

She shifted and climbed onto my lap as she started purring. I gave a small huff of laughter. "Thanks... guess I'm stuck here."

Of course Angel didn't do anything other than continue purring and absorbing the attention I was giving her. I sighed, feeling calmer now, and used my free hand to message my friends back after finding several missed calls and messages building up on my phone. I'd forgotten to tell them I'd gotten back okay.

"Forget one time and suddenly Mallory thinks I've dropped dead somewhere." I rolled my eyes at her overreactions and gave my friends the excuse that my phone had died. "...Well... I guess I could've- dying suddenly does run in the family. Shouldn't worry them though. They're safer not knowing."

I stayed up an hour longer to take a shower and eat before heading to bed... not that I could sleep. While that in itself wasn't unusual, tonight I couldn't help but replay what happened earlier in my mind- questioning if I could have escaped, who that person was, if they'd been real, ...what to do next...

"Something bad is going to happen..."