ماسک روح زده فصل 28

The Haunted Mask - Chapter 28

Too late for me.

The words repeated in Carly Beth’s mind.

Her idea had failed.

The heads swarmed around her, drooled over her, eyes bulging gleefully in triumph.

Their rumbling murmurs became a roar. She felt herself being swallowed up in their foul-smelling heat.

Without thinking, she lowered the sculpted head. And pulled it down hard over her hideous monster head.

To her surprise, it slid over her like a mask.

I’m wearing my own face like a mask, she thought bitterly.

As she pulled it over her, darkness descended.

There were no eyeholes. She couldn’t see out.

She couldn’t hear.

What will the gruesome heads do to me? she wondered, alone with her fear.

Will I become one of The Unloved now?

Will I end up on display on a shelf along with them?

Surrounded by the tight, silent darkness, Carly Beth waited.

And waited.

She could feel the blood pulsing at her temples. She could feel the throb of fear in her chest, the ache of her dry throat.

What are they going to do?

What are they doing?

She couldn’t bear being alone, shut in with her fear, surrounded by silence and the dark.

With a hard tug, she pulled off the sculpted head.

The gruesome heads were gone.

Vanished.

Carly Beth stared straight ahead in disbelief. Then her eyes darted around the shadowy lawn. She searched the trees and shrubs. She squinted into the dark spaces between the houses.

Gone.

They were gone.

For a long moment, Carly Beth sat in the cold, wet grass, the sculpted head in her lap, breathing hard, staring across the silent, empty front yards.

Soon her breathing returned to normal. She climbed to her feet.

The wind had gentled. The pale half-moon slipped out from behind the dark clouds that had covered it.

Carly Beth felt something flap against her throat.

Startled, she reached up and felt the bottom of the mask.

The bottom of the mask?

Yes!

There was a gap between the mask and her neck.

“Hey!” she cried aloud. Setting the sculpted head down gently at her feet, she raised both hands to the bottom of the mask and pulled up.

The mask came off easily.

Stunned, she lowered it and held it in front of her. She folded it up, then unfolded it.

The orange eyes that had glowed like fire had faded. The pointed animal fangs had become rubbery and limp.

“You’re just a mask!” she cried aloud. “Just a mask again!”

Laughing gleefully, she tossed it up in the air and caught it.

It can be removed only once, the store owner had told her.

Only once by a symbol of love.

Well, I’ve done it! Carly Beth told herself happily. I’ve removed it. And don’t worry—I’ll never put it on again!

Never!

She suddenly felt exhausted.

I’ve got to get home, she told herself. It’s probably close to midnight.

Most of the houses were dark. There were no cars moving on the streets. The trick or treaters had all gone home.

Carly Beth bent to pick up the sculpted head. Then, carrying the mask and the plaster head, she began walking quickly toward her house.

Halfway up the driveway, she stopped.

She reached up and examined her face with one hand.

Do I have my old face back? she wondered.

She rubbed her cheeks, then ran her fingers over her nose.

Is it my old face? Do I look like me?

She couldn’t tell just by touching.

“I’ve got to get to a mirror!” she exclaimed out loud.

Desperate to see if her face had returned to normal, she ran up to her front door and rang the bell.

After a few seconds the door swung open, and Noah appeared. He pushed open the storm door.

Then he raised his eyes to her face—and started to scream.

“Take off that mask! Take it off! You’re so ugly!!”