The Mask Collector
The Mask Collector A short story by Marwa Ayad (Content warning: manipulation, emotional abuse, mild body horror) People say monsters hide in forests. Or crawl from graves. They don’t. They live in plain sight: in mirrors, in messages, in promises whispered like prayers, in those soft-spoken “I miss you”s... in the quiet that follows after you’ve apologised for something you didn’t do. I never hid. I only learned how to look like what you needed. The trick is simple: listen first. Watch the muscles in the face: who smiles too fast, who talks to fill silence. Every person is a keyhole if you learn what shape to be. The first mask I ever wore was kindness. You can’t imagine how easy it is. Ask questions. Fake empathy. Tilt your head just so. Let them see their own reflection in your eyes... People love mirrors. They fall right in. Underneath, there’s nothing . Not really. I tried once to find something. Stood in front of a mirror for hours. My reflection blinked when I did. I thought tha...
