yeah...I'm back po.

---

THE MASK

"Papa, why do you want us to have our vacation there, in that creepy ancient house? It's not like I don't want there but it really gives me creeps!"

He smiled at me as he caressed my face. "You don't need to worry, Janine. It's my choice."

"Yeah, of course. Your choice always." I nodded my head as I whispered those words. Everyday, my father kept his choices as the right things for us. He never ask me, neither my little sister, nor my mother. It sucks, actually.

"C'mon, fix yourself. The car is ready now." He said, carrying my bag.

I just nodded my head for the second time. "I'll go when I finish this, papa." I told him as I showed him my phone. "I am texting my boyfriend."

He chuckled lightly. "Really, Janine? As far as I know, was that I still now allowed you to have a boyfriend." Then he laughed.

My face crumpled. "Yeah, papa, very funny. You just met him!"

"Uh-huh."

"Just go. I am about to say goodbye now."

"Just be quick, Janine. Your mom and your sister are now in the car."

I nodded my head as a response. Then, my father went outside of my room while he was carrying my bag. I texted my boyfriend 'goodbye' and 'I love you' before shutting down my phone. I need its full time battery until we get there.

We traveled almost nine hours as we arrived infront of the ancient house or what papa called it is, his house. I have no freaking idea why papa chose this almost likely-mansion! It really gives me the chills, like whenever I play Five Nights at Freddy's.

We went out of the car while carrying our things. It's very eerie and very...disturbingly quiet. We silently walked inside the big house as I studied my surroundings. Yeah, very ancient.

"Choose your rooms and check it." Papa said as he placed the bags in the sofa.

I didn't answered but I grabbed Joenelle arms then I brought her with me as we went upstairs.

"Ate! Why are you bringing me with you? I need to take a bath!"

(Ate= big sister)

My forehead creased then I stopped. I looked at her while having my sharp gazes. "You want to take bath? For how long, Joenelle? One hour?!"

Her face crumpled. "Of course! Give way, I'll now take a bath!"

I just mentally rolled my eyes as I let go of her. I chose a room then I went inside.

I sighed. "Very tiring. Argh!"

I was about to lie at my bed when suddenly, the door opened as Jonelle appeared with a big grin on her face. "Wait what? Done already?"

"Hmm-mm." She answered with a nod as she went inside my room. "Dad said that your room has a secret basement! So I decided, why not go for an adventure?" She said, super excited.

I laughed as I shook my head. "Adventure my ass. Just leave, Joenelle. I want to rest."

"But! Ate! C'mon! This will be fun, I promise!"

"No." I firmly said. "Tell me where it is first."

She rolled her eyes as she quickly ran into a corner. She then opened a shaped box like a trapdoor in Minecraft. My eyes widen as I walked towards near it.

"It's true. But how papa got to know about this? Was he been here?"

"Uh-huh. Maybe yes. But he told me about this. So, what do you think?"

I just sighed as I nodded my head. Joenelle shrieked in pure excitement as she crawled inside first. My forehead creased while watching her. I mean, why did she chose to go here for just a basement? I know the reason why she's taking a bath for almost one hour because she have special ointments and other duties inside the bathroom for her skin allergies but...I mean why?

I just shook my head as I crawled inside to follow her. As we got inside of the basement, I was shocked to see that it turned out to be a big empty room.

"What is this all?" I asked her, shocked and confused.

"I don't know. But isn't amazing?"

"Amazing? It sucks, actually. This is just an empty room and...yeah, creepy."

She chuckled as she turned around to look at me. "Ate, you don't say bad compliments to this kind of room. It's really amazing...beautiful and even fun when we're trapped here, right?"

I wasn't able to talk for a moment. I was shocked. What does she mean by that? "A-are we trapped?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah, we certainly are. Look over there." She pointed her finger towards behind me.

I slowly turned around as I looked at the door of the basement. Then not, long after, the door suddenly slammed closed! I almost jump because of shockness but I managed to turned around again to look at Joenelle.

Suprisingly, she's not smiling anymore. "Hi, sis." She teasingly said as she caressed her face. "This body is really beautifil but I'm more beautiful. Wanna take a look?"

My eyes widen, my mouth formed into an 'O' as I watched her peeled off her own face like it was just a..mask. Then...then...I saw her pure red eyes, as a devil smirk slowly formed in her bloody lips.

I fell on my knees as I screamed in horror. I ran as fast as I could towards the door and opened it.

---

JOENELLE'S P.O.V

"Welp, that's weird. Heard a scream, mom?" I weirdly asked mom as I'm combing my wet hair. "I think it came from that room." I added, staring at a door of the room.

"Honey, you go check there. But where's your father?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I never seen him. Just find him, mom. I gonna check ate."

Mom nodded her head as a response. I walked upstairs towards that room then I slowly opened the door. I was shocked to see ate to be so horrifying, her eyes widening, she's also crying while her lips was trembling. She's like holding a door, a shaped box door and she's like guarding it for who knows reason.

"She can't get out...never...never... she can never get out ever again..." She whispered like a person with a mental disability.

"A-ate...are you okay" I asked her, scared.

She looked at me, with still the same expression. "She almost escaped...she almost...got me...she almost...killed me! But thank goodness, she didn't."

"What are you saying?!"

As on cue, mom appeared beside me, with a confuse expression on her face. "Are you okay, girls? I can still hear some shouting over---and why are you crying, Janine? What happened?"

Ate seems to be awaken from her nightmare as she quickly wiped off her tears and tried a smile. "I'm okay, mom. I'm just...overwhelm with this room. It's c-creepy."

"O-okay, sweetheart. Take a rest." Mom hesistantly answered. "Joenelle, did you put ointment on your skin? It's looks like you didn't."

I just shook my head. "I did put ointment, mom."

"Okay. I will go downstairs. I'm making cookies, girls. So suit yourself, okay?" Mom said as she walked away and left.

I sighed as I held the doorknob. "Take a rest, ate. I'll leave now." I said as I slowly closed the door.

But as I was near of closing it, a space between the door was enough for me to see ate. My eyes widen when she went infront of a mirror.

"A-ate..."

An unknown girl with pure blood eyes and red lips was I'm seeing in the mirror and not Janine,

She looked at me in the mirror and say, "This is my new mask. Like it?"