Thursday photo prompt – Mask #writephoto
This is this week’s prompt from Sue Vincent from Daily Echo is the photo below and it’s title is The Mask.
A special vote of thanks to Sue who is soldiering on with no computer after it blew up!😱
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For as long as Claire could remember it had hung in hall of their home. It was the first thing she saw as she entered the house and the last before she left. During her childhood it had scared her, seemingly watching her everytime she went upstairs to her bedroom and following when she returned back downstairs.
As she grew older she tried to convince herself that it was all in her imagination and that the damn Mask was not malevalant. Unfortunately things kept happening, grandma had fallen down the stairs and broken her hip. She had blamed the Mask. The workmen who had fitted the new kitchen had all had accidents, including severed fingers, eltricution, concussion and even a nervous breakdown.
Claire just knew it was the Mask hanging on the wall that was to blame for all the “mishaps” as her parents referred to them.
One evening Claire came home from work to find both her parents dead! The police were called and a few weeks later Claire found herself in the cornornor’s court listening to a verdict of death by miss adventure. Apparently they had died from a freak escape of an obscure gas.
As Claire walked home she knew what had caused their deaths. It was the Mask.
Entering the back garden Claire built a bonfire, lit it and then entered the house quietly. She rushed into the hall and grabbed the Mask from the wall and pulled, it was so much harder to remove the Mask than she thought.
The lights flickered , the doors opened and slammed, the TV clicked on and changed channels randomly. Sweat and fear engulfed Claire she felt as if she was drowning. Her throat was closing and she could not breath. She began to loose consciousness just as she began to fall a small voice inside her screamed at her not to give in !
With all the strength she could muster she wrenched the Mask from the wall and stumbled out into the garden carrying the Mask which was so heavy.
The bonfire had almost gone out and it had become dark, how long had she been struggling with the Mask? In despartion she threw the Mask into the dying embers of the fire.
She fell to the ground in a faint. For a minute or two nothing happened! Then the Mask and the dying bonfire became an conflagration. Neighbours reported hearing screams all night.
In the morning Claire awoke covered in dew, every bone in her body ached but she felt, safe and free. Sadly too late for her family but at last the Mask was gone!
Thank Goodness she thought as she went into the kitchen and closed the door. As the door shut a gust of wind whipped up some ashes from the fire and they blue across the neighbourhood.
