The Mask that was delivered to me

The Box

My name is Red, the color red and even my Chinese name is Ah Hong, which directly translate to Red.

Why is my name the name of a color you ask? Well seems like my parents loves the idea of their first child's name being part of the same color as Chinese New Year.

This is my theory, the more your name relates to Chinese New Year, the richer you are supposed to be.

Well enough about the name, so who am I?

To be honest, really a simple student. I come from somewhere in the southeast asia where you can consider it as small as a dot and where they deem that dot, The Little 'Red' Dot. Ironically.

In the little red dot, I grew up normal, going through schools and graduating from said schools, finished my conscription and now?

Moving stuff to my new room so that I can attend university in a couple of weeks.

Well due to the school being too far from my home, decided to move to a dorm so that commute would be easier.

Sadly the amount of time it took for me to move my stuff was too long and after 4 hours under the hot sun, I managed to shift the last box in with no issue.

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

"Hey Gimme a moment, I'm almost done settling my stuff."

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

"Hold on dude, I'm almost there."

*Knock*

"God, will it kill you to ___"

The knocking stops. I stood up confused why did the knocking suddenly just stopped.

The person was rather persistent just now why did he suddenly stopped?

I went to the front of my room to check the peep hole, then realise It doesn't have one.

" Man 400 a month for a room and it doesn't even provide a peep hole. Kinda got scammed"

When I opened the door to check if anyone was there. There was no one there.

"Great, waste of my ti__"

Before I could close the door and return to tidying up my room, I noticed something on the floor.

A Box. Looked like a normal delivery box from anywhere. The size wasn't too big,
it looks like something that can hold the size of maybe basketball.

Confused that maybe it was just one of the other delivery box I may have left out and the guy knocking might be someone just reminding me that I left one out. I took it in and place it on the table.

However the box was too light to be filled with things that I brought over.

So unknowingly without hesitation, I took out a penknife and opened the content of the box.

"Woah, this is definitely not mine"

Inside the box was a flat wooden case.

I searched around the Box hoping to find a note or someone's address or something but nothing.

So I took the box up.

It looked old. Like really old, the wood looked like it had been through alot.

There were a bunch of engravings all over the box and scratches and dents around the box.

The engravings kinda looks weird but nonetheless it was a very nice looking box despite the damage.

Curiosity get a better hold of me as I wonder if the box already looks this good maybe the item inside might be a treasure or something.

I opened the case hoping to find something unexpected, and I did manage to find something weird.

There lies a Mask. A very Japanese Looking Mask. It looked like a Kitsune Mask I saw back when I visited Japan however something was different.

The Mask itself was made from wood, carved out very professionally where there is not a single mistake found on the mask.

The shape of the mask was similar to that of the kitsune mask, however the nose portion of the mask sorta extended out to mimic the look of the creature.

There were also different marking of red paint on the mask itself, and instead of having whiskers that of a fox. It has one strand of long whiskers instead.

The more peculiar portion of the Mask would be that this creature had horns. 4 to be exact.

In between the eyes two small horn that look like a one that is growing while the other 2 Larger horn lies next the what I can assume is the supposed ear of the creature.

There were several paint marks and detail of the creature under it's supposed eyes as well the detail of its mouth/ fur?

One major thing that was weird was that even though it was a mask, it didn't had any string attached to it so I wasn't able to try it on.

The more I look at it, instead of looking
like a Kitsune, a fox, it started to look more and more like a ___

" Dragon?"

As I tried to take a closer look, suddenly

*Ring* *Ring*

[Bro Calling]

Upon picking up the phone call, I left the Mask as Display Decoration on my desk and left to eat with my family.

Just before I left the room, something moved at the corner of my eyes.

"What the____"

Standing still while waiting for something to happen for a good 2-3 minute.

"Maybe it's just my imagination."

As I turn to leave, what I failed to realise was that the painting of the masks were moving as if it was breathing...

The eyes that were following me as I left..

Watching and observing the person that just left the room.