Once upon a time, there lived a human who wore three different masks. The first one they wore to the outside world. They wore it to school, they wore it at work, they wore it everywhere. The only time they ever took it off was around their loved ones.
The second one they wore around their loved ones. The reason was simple. They couldn't risk making anybody worried because, hey, people had enough problems already. Why add one when you could just shut up? The mask was pretty effective, or at least they thought so.
The third one they wore at all time, even when nobody's around. After all, they were too afraid to bare their soul to the world. This mask was initially made as a mean of protection. They had a delicate soul, so they needed something to shield it, even and especially from their own self.
With time, however, the soul grew attached to the third mask.
What they didn't expect was that the mask would turn into a double-edged sword. It protected, but it also prevented the soul from living its reality. The mask forced the soul to play pretend. It's a game you shouldn't play with your own self, but they did it anyway.
They pretended to be brave, they pretended to know stuff, they pretended to be fine. They knew it was wrong. They knew that they would end up living in a world made of lies. But at their worst, they couldn't even call for help. Especially not with the third mask on.
Sometimes, however, pieces of their soul would seep through the masks and show up. These kinds of moment were never easy. After all, it was excruciatingly painful to fight two battles at the same time. They wanted to take them off so badly, but without these masks, the soul would be hanging by a thread. It's a classic problem of survival.
That's why, in the loneliest nights, they would feel like crying but couldn't let a single tear out.
So, they sought solace in words. They poured their heart out in a way the masks wouldn't allow them. But then, words no longer gave them comfort. Only doubt. They no longer felt secure anywhere. The only thing that gave them peace of mind was now killing them.
They began to hope that they wouldn't have to wake another morning, and for the masks to die with them. But did you know what they ended up doing? They wore even more masks. Another one to conceal their emotions. Another one to contain the soul.
Perhaps, they should just stop trying.
