ماسک روح زده فصل 25

The Haunted Mask - Chapter 25

The light flickered overhead. The rows of bloated, distorted faces continued to stare at Carly Beth.

Monsters, she thought.

It’s a room full of monsters, waiting to come alive.

And now I’m one of them.

Now I’m a monster, too.

The floorboards creaked as the store owner moved away from the display shelves and came up close to Carly Beth.

“How do I get this off me?” she pleaded. “Tell me. Show me—now!”

“It can only be removed once,” he repeated softly. “And it can only be removed by a symbol of love.”

She stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

The silence filled the room. Heavy silence.

“I—I don’t understand,” Carly Beth stammered finally. “You’ve got to help me. I don’t understand you! Tell me something that makes sense! Help me!”

“I can say no more,” he said, lowering his head, shutting his eyes, and wearily rubbing his eyelids with his fingers.

“But—what do you mean by a symbol of love?” Carly Beth demanded. She grabbed the front of his shirt with both hands. “What do you mean? What do you mean?”

He made no attempt to remove her hands. “I can say no more,” he repeated in a whisper.

“No!” she shouted. “No! You have to help me! You have to!”

She could feel her rage explode, could feel herself burst out of control—but she couldn’t stop herself.

“I want my face back!” she shrieked, pounding on his chest with both fists. “I want my face back! I want myself back!”

She was screaming at the top of her lungs now, but she didn’t care.

The store owner backed away, motioning with both hands for her to be quiet. Then, suddenly, his eyes opened wide in fear.

Carly Beth followed his gaze to the display shelves.

“Ohh!” She uttered a startled cry of horror as she saw the rows of faces all begin to move.

Bulging eyes blinked. Swollen tongues licked at dry lips. Dark wounds began to pulsate.

The heads were all bobbing, blinking, breathing.

“What—what is happening?” Carly Beth cried in a trembling whisper.

“You’ve awakened them all!” he cried, his expression as frightened as hers.

“But—but—”

“Run!” he screamed, giving her a hard shove toward the doorway. “Run!”