The Mask Knows me

The first time I saw the mask, I was completely alone. It was sitting on my bedroom floor. I stared at it from the doorway, wondering how it had gotten there. I hadn’t left it there. I didn’t own a mask. And I definitely hadn’t invited anyone into my room. For a moment, I couldn’t move. The mask was black, smooth, and almost expressionless. Only two narrow openings revealed where the eyes would be. I stepped closer. There was something unsettling about it. It felt like it was looking back at me. I swallowed. “Okay… that’s creepy.” I reached down and picked it up. Something fell from underneath it. A folded piece of paper. My name was written across the front. ARIA. My fingers went cold. I opened it. There were only six words. I know you better than you think. I read it again. And again. Then I laughed nervously. Someone was playing a joke on me. That had to be it. Except nobody knew I was home alone tonight. I dropped the note onto my bed and walked toward the window. The curtains were open. Outside, the street was empty. No cars. No people. Nothing. Then I noticed him. Across the street. A man standing beneath the streetlight. He wore a black coat. And the mask. My heart stopped. I blinked. He was still there. Watching me. I couldn’t see his face, but somehow I knew he was looking directly at me. I stepped away from the window. The man didn’t move. I grabbed my phone. My hands were shaking as I opened the camera and pointed it toward the window. When I looked through the screen… He was gone. I lowered my phone. Nothing. I looked outside again. Empty. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Then my phone vibrated. UNKNOWN NUMBER I stared at the screen. One message. You saw me. My heart began pounding. Another message appeared. But you don’t know me yet. I typed: Who are you? The reply came instantly. You really don’t remember me? I froze. Another message. That’s okay. Then: I remember you. I stared at those words until they blurred. A cold feeling crawled up my spine. I looked toward my bedroom floor. The mask was still there. Except now… There was something written across the inside. Three words. Words I hadn’t noticed before. LET THE GAME BEGIN. And underneath them was a number. 1. I didn’t know what the number meant. I didn’t know who the man was. And I didn’t know why he had chosen me. But I was about to learn something I wished I never had. The mask wasn’t there to hide his face. It was there to hide the truth. And somehow… he already knew mine.