Scream

Scream

         I've been here for days. I don't know this man. He doesn't speak, just sits and watches me. He wears a mask. He painted it. He doesn't speak to me, like I said before, but he does sign to me. I haven't eaten anything in days. Wait. Who is this man? Did I put the man there?
         No. I couldn't have. He still moves.
         My mom doesn't. She sits by my closet, her head hanging down so she looks at her lap. Why won't she look at me anymore? Why doesn't she sign to me anymore? Why Mommy, why?
         Daddy tried running away when he saw Mommy. Now he sits silently in a chair beside Mommy staring at me with wide eyes. Daddy, stop staring at me. I'm not signing anything right now. You can look away. Please Daddy, stop watching me.
         Then the man. His mask is beautiful. It was very intricate. His hair fell over the part of the mask where his forehead would be. It had beautiful red lips, white face, small black eyes. Everything was perfect, flawless. What did he look like underneath? He sat on a tree branch outside of my window cross-legged. How did he balance so gracefully?
         Take off your mask. I signed to the man. He nodded simply and his hand grasped the mask. Empty pits where his eyes would be. Glistening white teeth that stretched through his entire face. He wasn't a man.
         The thing lunged.
         His face was distorted like I made my parents. But he still moved. How was that? Why was the window open? When did the window open?
         I think I screamed.