Masquerade

Skye

I don't know what I look like. I only know what my mask looks like. It's satiny white with gold embellishments added on top. I can see my hair, blond and curly, my lips, soft and pink, and my cheeks, rosy apples that make my mask pop. But what do I really look like? I have always pondered that idea.

In the country of Erupit, it's a dreary existence. Everyone is forced to wear masks, and what the government thinks is good, just isn't. People only see your full face when you die, at your "unmasking ceremony." The government believes that you form the best relationships by knowing the person, not knowing how facially blessed they are.

I have a little sister named Zenia, a lively young girl who hasn't yet realized the cons of wearing masks. My little brother, Bryce, is a little troublemaker. He always has to get picked up early from school because he gets into a scuffle with someone. And then there's my mother. My mother is a middle-aged woman with a sad face. Her permanent frown is a battle scar of everything she's been through. She's endured so much. For instance, when I was nine, my papa disappeared. No one knows where he went. My mom had to stay strong and raise her three offspring by herself. In my fantasies, I dream that I'll see my papa again. Even though that probably will never happen.

Most of the time, I feel like the only one who understands me is my best friend Kai. He feels the same way about this whole masquerade craziness as I do. He lives three doors down from me and has known me since I was six. He was there when papa left, and for everything in between.

Now you know me. Or do you? Nope. Just kidding you know me now.