Chromatober's Writing

7: Mask

I decided that instead of taking a literal approach the prompt 'mask' I'd go for a non-physical one. Aka, masking your emotions, because our boi is highly traumatized.

— — —

Everything is completely, one hundred percent, absolutely fine!

Everything is fine!

Sabre sighed to himself. He just had to continue pushing through, and things will be okay! So what if he wakes up most nights with his throat sore and tears pricking his eyes? Everyone gets nightmares! It doesn't matter that Sabre can't stand thunderstorms now, with their lightning and rumbling thunder. So what if whenever there's a thunderstorm adrenaline floods his body and makes him look for threats that aren't there?

Sabre was fine. He was completely, one hundred percent, absolutely a-okay!

Now only if he could believe that.

Sabre leaned against the sink, hands gripping the cold...what even was this sink made of? Ceramic? Marble? He shook his head, it didn't matter.

His blindfold was rough where it was pinned underneath one of his hands, a warm strip breaking up the coldness of the sink and counter.

A dull thunder rolled over the house, making him tense. He took a breath, relaxing his muscles.

Faintly, he could hear a festival going on. Apparently the Green Steves hold a rain festival every few years, and this year was the year they held it. Of course, by some whim of fate, one of the strongest storms to date had to happen today. A lucky sign to the Green Steves, but not a good one to Sabre.

Sabre knew he disappointed several of his friends when he declined going, but the sheer idea of standing outside, where he could see the lightning and hear the thunder sent his nerves aflame. Just imagining it had him tense.

He was too tired to keep his mask up to not worry the others to be standing out and about in a storm. Without the blindfold it was clear to see. Dark marks laid underneath his eyes, telling the stories of countless sleepless nights.

Another rumble, this one crashing over the house. Sabre took a deep breath, letting it out shakily. He was fine, this was fine, he is okay.

H̶e̶ ̶i̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶o̶k̶a̶y̶.

Over the rain slamming into the roof and the quiet sounds created from his mmm by just existing, Sabre heard a muffled knock on his door. Sabre looked towards the direction, even though he was in the bathroom where he couldn't see the front door.

Who was it? Why was someone knocking on his door now? Shouldn't they be enjoying the festival?

Sabre was curious. However, the thought of opening the front door to see who it was, where it would let in all of the noise, killed the curiosity.

Another knock.

Sabre would deny the distraught whine that came out of him. It's not like he could leave the Steve at his doorstep!

But the lightning and thunder.

Another knock.

Sabre took a large breath, before slipping out of the bathroom, only to tense when thunder rolled over the house.

He was okay.

H̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶n̶e̶e̶d̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶t̶o̶p̶ ̶l̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶s̶e̶l̶f̶.̶

Sabre walked through his house, forcing himself to take steady breaths. When he opened the door, Light was there. An umbrella, white with multicolored dots, covered himself from the rain.