The Hand Mask

The Head Mask

     For the past twenty-six years Klairon had been giving a themed cruise. He tried to have a normal cruise but he couldn’t make it. Klairon had to do something. If he didn’t he would lose his reason for living.

     Klairon needed time to think about what he was going to do. He also wanted to know why his cruises wasn’t as popular as they used to be. So he took a couple of competitors cruises. One of the cruises didn’t help him much. It was pretty much the same as his. ‘Maybe it was where he was going on his cruises. Could that be the he problem?’ thought Klairon.

     The other cruise was a themed one. Its theme was a Murder Mystery. He didn’t want to do anything like that. It wasn’t what he was. But it did give him an idea of what he could do. And for the past twenty-six years all of his cruises had been Horror Cruises.

     “Are we ready for the next cruise? I think this is going to be my best cruise yet,” said Klairon.

     “Everything is ready,” said Hellia. Hellia was the Cruise Entertainment Director. It was her job to keep the Cruisers entertained. “All we need are the Cruisers. And they should be here at any time.”

     “I have looked over the list of Cruisers,” said Sorin. Sorin was an Assistant Director. It was his job to help the Cruiser any way that he could. “And I agree. This is going to be the best cruise we have ever had.”

     “Did you tell our guest about our theme? I wanted them all to be in costume as their favorite Horror.” Klairon was looking at the list of Cruisers.

     “Yes, I did. And they all agreed to do it,” said Sorin.

     “I’m not surprised,” said Hellia. “They wouldn’t have taken the cruise if they didn’t want a little Horror in their lives.”

     “That’s true.” Klairon smiled. “I can’t wait for this cruise to begin.”

     “You aren’t going to have to wait long,” said Hellia. “Her comes some of the Cruisers now.”

<<*<<*>>*>>

     Some of the Cruisers were already dressed up as their favorite Horror. But most waited until they got there before they changed. Klairon and Hellia greeted each Cruiser as they came on board. Once everyone was checked off the list, and on board, they left.

     Klairon spent most of his days in his Quarters. He left the ship’s daily operations to his crew. At night he did mingle among the Cruisers. Making sure everyone was having fun. So far there had been any major problems. There had been a few minor problems. But nothing that couldn’t be solved by the crew. Klairon also spent his evening meal with some of the Cruisers too.

     It was about a week after the cruise began that Klairon met her. When he first saw her from across the room he almost passed out. She looked so much like his late wife he thought it was her – or she was a ghost. And he didn’t think she was a ghost. Whoever she was she didn’t look exactly like his exactly like his wife. But she did look like her younger self though.

     “Hello, and welcome to my table. My name is Klairon.” Klairon was shocked again when she walked over to his table after asking one of the crew for help.

     “My name is Marilli. And I’m very glad to me you too.” Marilli looked at him as though she recognized him. “Have we meet before?”

     “I don’t think we have.” Klairon didn’t exactly lie to her. He just didn’t tell who she looked like.

     Over the next couple of weeks Klairon and Marilli got to know each other pretty good. Klairon never did mention who she looked like. But he thought about it several times. And almost did a couple of times. Each time he tried something came up.

     Klairon spent every meal with Marilli. And the more time he spent with her the more he got to know her. Marilli also got to know him too – including what happened to his wife. He didn’t really want to talk about it. But Marilli looked so much like her he couldn’t help himself.

     “It happened almost forty years ago,” said Klairon. “We were on a cruise together, our first one, and a fire broke out in her Quarters. I tried to put in out, to save her, but I couldn’t.”

     “You were hurt by that weren’t you? And I’m not talking about you losing your wife,” said Marilli.

     “I know what you are trying not to ask,” said Klairon. “I’ve noticed you staring at my mask. You want to know, but are afraid to ask, about my mask.”

     “You aren’t the only one who noticed something,” said Marilli. “I have noticed you staring at me too.”

     Klairon had been staring at Marilli. But he didn’t realize he was even doing it. He also didn’t know he had been noticed. “I had a lot of burn damage to why whole body – especially my face and head. That’s why I wear a head mask. And why I haven’t taken it off since then.”

     “Maybe it’s about time you did,” said Marilli. “I’m a medic - a medic-in-training. I might be able to help you.”

     “No one can help me. I’ve been to the best.” Klairon wanted to tell Marilli the truth. But he couldn’t.

<<*<<*>>*>>

     Klairon and Marilli had been seeing a lot of each other. They were spending most of the day together. And all the time at night. Klairon and Marilli weren’t involved. It wasn’t that kind of relationship. After all, Klairon is old enough to be Marilli’s father. But he wasn’t a father figure either. They liked to talk to each other. Both were good listeners.

     During the day they would walk around the ship talking to each other. If nothing else, it got Klairon out of his Quarters. That didn’t happen very much. The last time that happened that anyone could remember was about thirty years ago. That’s when his cruise line started going down. He only started the business because he and Sarinne met on a cruise. For the first ten years after they were wed the cruises were a big success. Then came the fire that killed Sarinne.

     At night after their evening meal together they would continue their walk around the ship. Klairon still had his meals with other Cruisers too. But most of those meals included Marilli. During the days they just walked around the ship – but at night Klairon showed Marilli the ship. He showed her everything. That included his quarters. Klairon was reluctant to show her his quarters. But eventually he did.

     One look at the images in his quarters – and Marilli knew why he was so reluctant to show her his place. “Is that your wife, Sarinne – isn’t that her name, in the images? She looks just me.” said Marilli. “So that’s why you have been staring at me. Is she the reason why you have been spending so much time with me?”

     “Yes, you look like her. And Sarinne was her name. But no I having been spending time with you because of her,” said Klairon. “At first I thought you might be her daughter. But if that were true then I would be your father. And I can’t be your father.

     Marilli didn’t say a word. All she did was stare at either Klairon or the image of Sarinne. Finally, she did. “I don’t know what to say.”

     “Maybe Sarinne had a lookalike sister? There was a lot I didn’t know about her – until after we were wed,” said Klairon. “Did you mother ever mention a sister – especially a lookalike sister.”

     “I never knew my mother,” said Marilli. “I’m not even sure when, or where, I was born.”

     “What’s the last thing you do remember? Maybe it was a lookalike sister,” said Klairon.

     “The truth is I don’t remember anything,” said Marilli. “I was born at a Medical Center. And I was raised by a nice couple who worked there. All my childhood I thought they were my real parents. But when I turned twenty they told me the truth.”

     Klairon got himself something to drink. He asked Marilli if she wanted one. But she declined. “They never told you who your mother was – or what she looked like?”

     “They never knew who she was,” said Marilli. “All they said was that a badly burned female came in, had me, and before they could find out who she was she disappeared.”

     “Did you say badly burned? Were you burned too?” Klairon thought about that for a second. Then he said to Marilli, “Maybe Sarinne was you mother. If she was she never told me about it.”

     “I have several small permanent burn on me,” said Marilli. Then she added, “Whether she told you or not – you are my father.”

     “Physically, I could be your father. But I can’t be,” said Klairon. “My Race haven’t been able to produce children in centuries.”

     “Did you say My Race? I thought you were Human too,” said Marilli. “What Race are you?”

     Klairon was afraid she was going to ask him that. That’s one of the reasons why he didn’t want to show her his Quarters.

<<*<<*>>*>>

     That cruise was almost over. And they found out a lot about each other the last few weeks. Marilli still hadn’t found out what Race he was. But it didn’t stop her from finding out. He just changed the subject every time.

     The more time they spent together, and they spent a whole lot more time together, the more Marilli was sure Klairon was her father. She didn’t know how that could have happened. Marilli had known several Humans who couldn’t father a child. But they did. So anything was possible.

     Marilli had two regrets that about the cruise ending. One was that it was ending. The second one, and the main one, was because he never saw what was hiding behind his mask. And she really wanted to know. Marilli kept on asking him to remove his mask – and she wasn’t going to stop until he did. She would do it long distance if she had to.

     Klairon staled her as long as he could. But he finally gave in. She just looked too much like Sarinne. Klairon slowly removed his mask.

     ”Just when I thought I would see his face when he removed his mask, I saw.... nothing but fire. His skull was there. But within that skull was all fire. What really shocked Marilli wasn’t the fire – it was how it stayed within the skull. She also found out his whole internal body was pure fire. On the outside, except for his faceless skull, he looked Human. But on the inside it was pure fire.

<<*<<*>>*>>

     After the cruise ended Klairon and his crew had a month before the next one began. His crew spent that time with family, friends, shopping etc. but Klairon stayed behind on the Cruiser. He spent most of that time in his Quarters – looking at himself. Klairon didn’t like to remember.

     His Race were a violent people. The fire within stayed within – unless they got mad. Then the fire shot out. That was what happened to Sarinne. Klairon and Sarinne got into a big fight. Up until then he appeared to be Human most of the time. But once a month for three days he had to let his true form out. Sarinne saw him the last time he did it.

     During the fight he found out she was with child. But he thought that child died because of the fire. Sarinne was taken to a Medical Center after the cruise. Klairon also thought Sarinne was already dead. Apparently she survived long enough to have Marilla. Marilla could never know her father killed her mother in anger.

{The End?