Symbol of Love

Sickly yellow eyes glowed dimly up at her. Blood and saliva dripped from two-inch fangs that were twisted up into a horrific and demonic smile. The bright green skin of the face was still warm to the touch. She continued to stare down at it as it rested in her hands. She wasn't really sure what she felt right now. It was a strange combination of anger, fear, disgust, repulsion, attraction, kinship, sadness, pity, and... love? She shook her head, unable to understand her feelings for this evil Mask or why was even trying to figure it out at all.

"Carly Beth?" a gentle voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned around. An air of sadness surrounded her like a mourner's shroud.

"Hey, Sabrina," Carly Beth greeted the other girl. Her voice was so soft and delicate.

"Are you ok?" Sabrina took a step closer to Carly Beth. The two were standing outside of the Halloween shop where Carly Beth had first found this horrible Haunted Mask about three years ago now.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Carly Beth replied. It was a blatant lie, and even the Mask seemed to know it, its yellow eyes flashing once as though to laugh at the power it still held over Carly Beth after all this time.

"Are you really sure this guy is gonna take the mask back?" Sabrina asked, cocking her head towards the store door. She tried not to call Carly Beth out on her lie. The poor girl was suffering enough without Sabrina trying to pry more information out of her.

"I don't know," Carly Beth replied, but she had begun walking again, moving towards the door, and Sabrina followed obediently after her.

Because it was nowhere near Halloween time, the store was closed, but Carly Beth still had a way in. She knew this place's secrets. She knew that it was no ordinary costume shop. It also doubled as a lab and a containment area for other masks just like the one she had with her now. Because an entire hoard of these masks lived within the shop, the owner was still forced to visit the place every single day, even when it was closed. He had to make sure that the other masks were still safely locked away inside. Carly Beth had been spying on him for a while now and she had his daily schedule memorized. She knew that, according to her watch, he should be arriving at any moment now...

Just like clockwork, a mere two minutes after Carly Beth and Sabrina had arrived at this little shop on the edge of town, a small black car pulled up around the back of the store.

"There he is!" Carly Beth spoke softly, but her voice was full of determination. With the Haunted Mask clutched tightly in her hands, she jogged towards the car and Sabrina had no choice but to run after her, not even bothering to ask why Carly Beth knew what this man's car looked like.

"Hey! You!" Carly Beth snapped boldly the moment the shopkeeper had exited his car. He jumped in surprise, whipping around with wild eyes, but Carly Beth was no longer afraid of him. She only held the Haunted Mask out at arm's length, holding it out to him.

"You!" the shopkeeper's eyes widened in horrified understanding. "No, no, no. NO! Not you! You know you cannot return that wretched thing! So get out of here! Now! Go!" he went from horrified to angry and he tried to draw himself up to full height in order to scare the girls off, but Carly Beth remained undeterred. She only drew closer and closer, Haunted Mask still held out towards him. He backed up and began to mutter and moan fearfully, seeing that simple words would not stop Carly Beth this time. Carly Beth smiled grimly. She was winning this round.

At last, the two were mere inches apart.

"What do you want, little girl?" the shopkeeper tried to speak in a calm, low and even tone, but Carly Beth wasn't fooled. She knew he was scared.

"You see this Mask?!" she demanded. The man nodded, trying to keep a straight face as she waved it at him. "Well. I want to buy all of the other ones too," she insisted. The mad had tried to keep a straight face, but it didn't work. Not after a statement like that. Behind Carly Beth, Sabrina gave a cry of disbelief. Carly Beth ignored her, however, and continued to hold the shopkeeper's gaze evenly.