MASKS

by

THOMAS J. MISURACA

 

Morning announced itself through the window. Cyndee's eyes peered out through her Sleeping Mask.

She sat up and removed the mask. Her naked face filled her with shame. It had to be covered immediately. She quickly threw on her Morning Mask.

After she had a piece of toast and a cup of coffee, Cyndee headed into the bathroom. She removed her Morning Mask and entered the shower. The warm water on her face filled her with guilty pleasure.

She dressed in one of her usual business suits, but had trouble deciding which mask to wear. It was Friday, so she decided upon a Happiness Mask.

Outside, the streets were crowded with people in Morning Masks and Commuting Masks. Some wore Grumpy Masks, probably due to a lack of sleep. A few young people in Student Masks listened to music on their headphones as they waited for the train. Cyndee spotted only a few other people wearing Happiness Masks.

On the train, Cyndee saw a woman she knew wearing a Sorrow Mask.

"Why do you wear a Sorrow Mask today?" Cyndee asked her.

"Because today my mother is wearing her Dying Mask," the woman replied.

Cyndee removed a Sympathy Mask from her pocket book and placed it over her Happiness Mask for a moment. The woman nodded in thanks.

When Cyndee arrived at work, she quickly changed into her Business Mask to match those of her coworkers. She worked busily all morning long.

Right before noon, her boss came to her desk wearing his Angry Mask.

"What's wrong?" Cyndee asked him.

"You were supposed to have the Lewis file finished this morning!" he shouted at her.

Cyndee threw on her Surprise Mask, "I thought it was due next week!"

"They changed the dates," her boss said, "Remember?"

Cyndee threw on her Apologetic Mask, "I forgot. I'll get right on it."

In her Frantic Mask, Cyndee scrambled to get the report together.

Twenty minutes later, wearing her Relief Mask, Cyndee handed the file to her boss. He replaced his Anger Mask with his Gratitude Mask.

At lunch, all her coworkers wore their Gossip Masks. Cyndee wanted no part of it so she wore her Introvert Mask and read the romance novel she kept in her desk.

After lunch, Cyndee returned to her Business Mask. But an hour later, she had to put on her Fatigue Mask. When they called the three o'clock production meeting, Cyndee threw her Business Mask over her Fatigue Mask.

Her supervisors wore their Superiority Masks. As usual, they were dull. Cyndee knew her coworkers were wearing Boredom Masks beneath their Business Masks.

The meeting ended and it was time for her to leave. Once again she threw on her Happiness Mask and headed for the train.

The train was packed with people. Some wore Exhaustion Masks, but most were excited about the weekend and wore Happiness Masks.

The train entered a tunnel and Cyndee saw her reflection in the window. Her face looked the same as all of those around her. It were as if she wasn't there at all.

She removed her mask.

The people around her threw on their Terror Masks.

"Are you insane?"

"Put it back on!"

"Somebody stop her!"

Cyndee looked again at her reflection. Her naked face smiled between a sea of false expressions.

They reached her stop and the passengers cleared a path for her to leave the train.

As people passed her, they threw on their Shock Masks. How dare she expose herself on a city street?

But Cyndee didn't care. She walked home without her mask. She knew she'd have to wear one again tomorrow, but for tonight, she wore her real Happiness Mask.

 

"Masks" first published in Outside Lining Death Batch #10, October 1995 and reprinted in Mobius, Winter 1997.

©1995

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