The Cinderella Punk

Demon Mask [Edited]

I woke up to a burning sensation at the side of my head and my shoulder. I gritted my teeth as I struggled to sit up, my back muscles cramping slightly. I groaned in pain as I tried to scoot back and lean against the wall of the room. I gingerly held my arm to me and bit my lip as I wriggled back. Beads of perspiration ran down the sides of my face as I forced myself to bear the pain.

Finally,after what seemed like an eternity, I was able to lean against the wall. I slumped down when I reached it, panting slightly, the beads of perspiration that rolled down the side of my face seemed to be beads of blood. 

I used my good arm to lift my hand to wipe the sweat away from I eyes and winced as I accidentally touched the tender wound at the side of my face.

A groan escaped my lips as the pain seared through me. Sucking in a breath, I breathed through the wave of pain. How was I suppose to fend off Fiona with a broken arm? 

I touched my forehead and ran my finger down my face, tracing my nose and my mouth. The jagged edges of the broken skin made my heart sink with pain.

 Pushing aside the feeling of worthlessness that threatened to engulf me I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.  I licked my lips and found them to be a little cracked. My hands clenched into fists. 

"Angel."

I looked up to see Gary who was standing at the threshold of the room,holding a tray of soup. My stomach churned at the sight and my mind instantly rebelled. I shuddered and turned my head from the nauseating smell.

"Angel? What wrong?" Gary asked, placing the tray aside and reaching out to place a hand on my forehead.

I just shook my head smiling slightly.

"I don't like soup," I said. "I...I..."

I gulped, remembering all the horrible pain Fiona put me through.

"The glass," I managed to choke out. I shuddered and turned my face away from Gary, detesting the moment of weakness. 

I never wanted to feel like this again, helpless, powerless. But Fiona had managed to whip everything back at me in one single night. Maybe I wasn't as strong as I thought myself to be. I buried my face in my hands and took in a deep breath. My shoulder ached and the side of my face pounded slightly.

"Angel,it's going to be alright," Gary said, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

I looked down at my hands that were scared from the little cuts the glass had given me. I could feel the burn of each and every cut, the shards cutting though my skin and into my meat. The burn was slow but it seared deep. I shuddered as Fiona's cackle echoed through my head, the sound a reminder of my weakness. 

Clutching the uninjured side of my head, I squeezed my eyes shut and reached instinctively for my demon. It came to me, wrapping its body around me in a gesture of comfort. It hissed and spit in anger and retreated further into the darkness, dragging me along with it.

The darkness settled over me like a second skin. The all consuming rage an eternal fuel that power my demon. It growled and wrapped itself tighter around me.

We cannot let her win. She will not take you from us.

The words of my demon instantly snapped me into attention. Right then and there, something inside me changed. I felt the demon raise its head in attention, sheathing and unsheathing its claws. Coldness spread through me, encasing my heart and mind in ice. I watched as my fingers curled into a fists, covering the scars that brought the fire in me.

I could not loose myself in rage yet I could use it to my advantage.This cauldron of overflowing dynamic energy that rushed through me, I would bend it to my will.

"Gary,"I said, raising my head to look him in the eye. I saw him flinch. I knew what he saw. He saw the demon in me. "I think it's time I made a new mask don't you think?"

***

The door to the room was locked. Only the light from the small candle illuminated the room. And there, in that cold room, I sat, painting the pastel green swirls on my mask. I narrowed my eyes and concentrated, filling the brush that I was holding with all my anger and hatred. I filled it with my pain. All the intense feelings that coursed through me.

But as I dipped the brush into the cup filled with water, I let out a shaky breath to calm myself. I let go of all my negative feelings and cleared my mind, calming the demon inside of me. I reached out to the memory of my father and mother, feeling myself smile at the memories that filled me as I dipped the brush into gold paint.

I recalled the times when we used to collect seashells at the beach and splash each other with sea water. I remembered the times when we used to listen to Daddy's jokes and laugh till our stomachs hurt. I relieved the feeling of the care and love they gave me. I then gathered all the love and beloved memories that they had given me and locked it behind the ice cage that was my heart

Finally I let those memories go, feeling the warmth go away with it. I opened my eyes, sighing as I did so. I looked forward at the wall in front of me and let out a slow breath. I emptied my mind, clearing it from all the emotions that chained me. Finally, I looked down the mask I had created.

A smile of satisfaction found its way to my lips.

My mask was black and this time, it looked even more impressive than it had before. The swirls of the pastel green contrasted beautifully with the gold that streaked boldly across my mask. It gave off an aura that was menacing, the black background made the colours on my mask stand out. The swirls that lined it softened the claw-like marks that I had painted across my mask. It looked like it had been through hell and come back better than before.

I stood up, picking the mask up with me. I gripped it sides, careful not to crush it. To hell and back huh?

I placed the mask on my face and felt it melting right into my skin,fitting me. I felt a surge of energy run through me, making the demon roar out with excitement. I smiled beneath the mask, a sinister smile, one that would make any fighter shake in his boots.

Fiona was considered dead and nothing was going to stand in my way until she was...