Mara doesn’t like the mask at first.

It smells wrong.
Feels tight.
Makes the room look farther away than it should.

She takes it off.

Chibi keeps his on. Crooked. One eyehole bigger than the other.

Mara:
I can’t see right.

Chibi:
That’s because you’re trying to look through it.

She turns the mask in her hands.

Mara:
Isn’t that what it’s for?

Chibi shakes his head.

Chibi:
No.
It’s for when you don’t want people to see your face.

That makes her quiet.

Outside, kids are laughing.
Running.
Trying on voices that aren’t theirs yet.

Mara:
My mom says masks are just for fun.

Chibi:
That’s true.

A pause.

Chibi:
And also not true.

Mara puts the mask back on.
Looser this time.

The room changes.
Not scary.
Just distant.

Mara:
I feel like I’m pretending.

Chibi:
Pretending is practice.

She looks at him.

Mara:
Practice for what?

He thinks.

Chibi:
For being yourself when it’s not safe yet.

Mara takes the mask off again.
Her face feels cold.

Mara:
Is it bad if you forget to take it off?

Chibi nods.

Chibi:
Yeah.
Then you start thinking the mask is you.

Mara puts the mask on the shelf.

Not throwing it away.

Just not wearing it right now.

---

MASKS & MIRRORS — Month 2 · Week 1 is live

A story about pretending.
And how children know the difference
between hiding and surviving.

🜍 One theme. One month. First descent
🜍 Tales from the Loop · Stranger Things · Retro 80s
🜍 Written as lived experience — not explanation

👉 Read the full longform chapter on Ko-fi or Patreon
👉 New chapter every week — going deeper

Some masks are games.

Some are shelters.

🎲 Play epic.
📖 Feel the story.
💛 Join the family — Mythveil awaits.