Lost In The Echo

July 20th 2017, 21:40. It was just a regular Thursday night. Was getting a bit sleepy, but I still wanted to watch an episode of something or some cartoons before actually going to bed. So I was just browsing around and since I couldn't make up my mind, I refreshed my Facebook news feed and I felt as if lightning stroke me. Someone was making a really bad joke. I begin to scroll down. Everybody was going nuts, the news was spreading, it began to be posted all over the most read media channels. Pulse rising. This can't be true. No. I've barely just made peace with the fact that Chris Cornell is not with us anymore and now this?! Denial. A feeling of immense emptiness. Scroll. Scroll. Shit. Shit!!! My teenage self was crushed. Shock. My generation is in total shock, I can see it from their posts and I can feel it, I swear. Google. Twitter. It's viral. Acceptance...? My head is spinning. The voice that set me, and millions of other teenagers on this musical path, is no more. I'll never get to experience the so energetic live show that I've had on my wish list for such a long time. I'll never get to sing their songs along with my friends at their show. I'll never gaze my eyes on the human being that I admired so much.

The Mask and the Mirror III

The Mask and the Mirror

The Mask and the Mirror II

Gently touches the Mask. Stares at it.

Yes, just like that... Closer, closer... The pain will end... It will all end...

Grabs the Mask and holds it just in front of his face. Remains like that, pondering, while tears begin to flow.

You know you want to, child.
I am already You.

"What are you, and why today,

all that's tragic, feels the same

There's no feeling, there's no pain,

cold, rain"

Suddenly, there was no anger, no fear, no nothing. His tears stopped pouring. He just stood there with his eyes fixed on the Mask, so close to his face, then took a peek at the Mirror. He never felt this tired before, it was so consuming, this inner battle that he was fighting for so long was simply too much. 

"From the darkness, into the light

Face the demons, left and right

If there's no wrong, can there be right?

Only a thin, fading line"

The Mask and the Mirror II

If the first part of The Mask and the Mirror the voice was given to the Mirror, that tried to encourage the main character to face his/her fears and to let go of the Mask, this time it is the Mask's turn to pledge its beliefs. To whom will you listen?

Do you really believe in success without me by your side?

Do you really think you can manage to face another day without me protecting you?

Do you truly believe that people will like you if you give me up?

My child, you are such a fool if you only dare to dream that you could possibly manage without me...

I am the one that grants you strength and courage to face every little obstacle that you encounter.

I am the one that keeps your so-called friends close. Let's be honest... It is already hard enough for me to make you seem a pleasant person, so try, just try, to imagine how would this become if it wasn't for me. You are lonely even with them at your side, or what is left of them... because you dared listen just for a little while to that good for nothing Mirror and you instantly committed grave mistakes. When will you learn that honesty and kindness are NEVER answered with sincere goodness? People always forget those who help them, those who listen to their pathetic constant whining and feeling sorry for themselves, ah, even I sometimes feel like cracking from hearing all those complaints and stupid problems! You sank in this complicated devotion of trying to help them fix most of their troubles, forgetting that nobody will stand with you when hard times will follow your steps. Only after feeling the terrible sting of disappointment, you dare turn to me. 

Yes... Disappointment... It consumes you. And I can only enjoy this torment of yours, because it always leads you back, right in my caressing, patient arms.

The Mask and the Mirror

Between you and the Mirror there is still one little thing. A both fragile and powerful object blocking a lot of feelings that you would like to let go of. It's a rather difficult situation, because you'd love to throw it away, although the idea of being without it, without the only thing that makes you feel a bit more protected, scares you. Decisions... Choices? Courage?! Maybe. Maybe not.

Your pretty Mask is there for you, but is this a good thing? Is this helpful? Sometimes it seems like the only right thing to do: put on the Mask, together with a smile. You know you can, you had time to learn to fake it so well. "Make me proud and act like you were taught to..." gently whispers the Mask. And you do as you are told to, thinking that nothing could go wrong. My dear, everything went wrong... You lost yourself when you chose this easy way. You did not realize the Mask had embraced you. Completely. On a second thought... you wanted this, didn't you? 

I believe you also got tired of making it right, of pleasing everyone and being the nice person, so you decided to put some space between you and the ones that you believed to be there only to take advantage of you being kind, probably too kind. It seems this made you feel quite relieved, but it also left you with some unanswered questions. And some wounds. You can manage to hide the wounds, but what are we going to do with the questions? Some might say that ignorance is bliss; a foolish thing to say. Ignorance is truly bliss when the action involved ceases to have an impact on you, when you feel nothing for someone, when they never cross your mind and you don't wake up thinking suddenly about them. So I guess that sooner or later you will have to ask some questions and also answer to some of them. Only then you might find your peace of mind. Of course, you might not like some of the answers, they might hurt you, but at least you'd know the truth, you'd learn from mistakes and you'd carry on. In order to succeed in this matter, you must do something very hard: lose the Mask!!! Believe in yourself.