The Porcelain Mask

Porcelain Mask

I took the weekend off to spend with a group of hikers I met at the gym. We planned to go hiking in a very forestry area, nothing but trees for miles. It was exhilarating to think about, a chance to escape society for a bit. My only concern is I don’t really know anyone in the group. There are a good twenty of us. But I’ve always been an antisocial person and living off the grid has always been a dream of mine, so I figured it would be a chance to experience it a bit. 

When we arrived at the outskirts of the forest preserve, we parked the bus and grabbed everything we needed. We all had backpacks which carried individual tents, flashlights, some food and water, and other items. Setting off on our path, our guide led the way with a map and compass in hand. Our destination was a good six miles of steep hills and cliffs. I took in all the sights around me, all the different shades of green and species of insects. The breeze gently blew and I got a whiff of the evergreen that surrounded us. I felt like I was finally at home. 
After an hour of hiking, we took a break. I was more exhausted then I thought I would be, so I grabbed my water bottle and began to guzzle it down. My throat felt parched but the water going down helped. I watched from a distance as everyone chatted with each other. They all knew each other pretty well, but I was new to the gym so I was still getting used to them all. 
After a bit of sitting, I could feel the water going right through me. I got up, letting the person a few feet from me that I was going to go to the bathroom. He just kinda grunted and continued talking to everyone. Not wanting anyone to see me, I went a bit of a distance away. Once finished, I began walking back. All of a sudden though, I lost my footing, sending me tumbling down a steep hill. My head hit a branch on the way down, knocking me out cold. 
A searing pain eventually woke me up. Immediately I put my hand on my head as I gained consciousness. As my eyes cracked open, I could see the faint glow of the sun gleaming through the trees. “Help”, I called out. No response. “Someone help”, I yelled out louder. “Please”, I said raspily. My throat was sore again. Slowly I got up, using my hand to support my weight. My body was still weak from the fall. Looking down, I had cuts and bruises all over. I scanned the area to find a way back up. I saw an area that was less steep and began my march back up. Reaching the top, I looked around but nothing felt familiar with the sun setting. In the end, I headed off in a direction that seemed like the right way. “Hello”, I called out again, “Is anyone there?” Still no response. 
I got back to where everyone was, except no one was there. They left me behind. “How could they?!” I thought to myself, but subconsciously I knew that they forgot all about me. Suddenly I felt cold and everything grew silent. I felt a knot forming in my stomach with the sense of something was behind me. Slowly I turned around, facing the being. It was only three feet away from me, studying me. The creature had a black cloak draping over it, with only a cracked porcelain mask showing for a face. A dark liquid poured from the crack. It looked almost like blood, yet it was too dark to be. It was similar to a dark purple, almost black in color. The breeze began to pick up and I heard whispering all around me. Something told me to walk closer to him and even though I was paralized with fear, I yearned to touch his mask. My legs stiffly moved with my feet dragging in the moist grass behind me. I reached my hand out, stroking the cheek of the mask. It was freezing to the touch, like sticking your hand in a bucket of ice water. All of a sudden a wave of warmth washed over me. My veins felt like they were on fire. I began to drop to the ground, but the being quickly caught me. Holding me close in his arms, I began to reach up and touch his mask again. I saw my finger, where I had first made contact with it, had begun to crack similar to glass. The crack grew further and further down my arm, my finger shattering in the process. As the crack grew, more and more of me shattered. Looking inward, my hand looked like a porcelain doll, hollow inside. I know I should have been scared, but for some reason I felt at ease, like a child being held in their mother’s arms. The cracks grew down my arm and up the side of my face, but all I could do was smile. Warm tears streamed down my face. I was at complete peace. In my last moments, I saw the beings mask beginning to mend itself, the cracks disappearing. For some reason, the creature seemed sad. In the end, all that was left of me was a pile of dust.