There was something different about the thin eye mask I found in the attic. I felt drawn to it.

I held it in my hands and when I put it up against my eyes the mask fixed itself to my head.

Instantaneously I was transformed and transferred to a place I didn’t know.

I was standing in a dirty alleyway, around me were people going about their business buying and selling, yelling and shouting, mugging and being villainous.

I watched as an old lady struggled along the alley only to be pushed over by a man in a black hood. He leapt onto her and began digging around on her person before holding up a sack I assumed was money.

Suddenly I felt myself being propelled forward, I grabbed the villain, hurled him away from the old lady not realizing the strength I undoubtedly had. He hit the wall and then screamed at me: “Not you??? Get away devil this is no place for you.”

My response was to lift him from the ground and throw him very unceremoniously across the alley where he then lay motionless on the ground.

Around me were gasps of wonder and thanks. I was blown away by what I had done and felt I had to get out of there.

I pulled at the mask but it was refusing to budge. I could feel panic setting in as I thought what would I do if the thing was there permanently.

Then I prized it off and within the instant I was back in the attic, breathing heavily with the mask still in my hand.

This was an experience I wasn’t sure I wanted to repeat as I thought of myself as a person slow to anger and a pacifist at heart. The violence the mask generated in me was terrifying.

I placed the mask in a box and sealed it up. As the attic had belonged to a deceased uncle I returned it to its hiding place determined to find out all I could about this particular uncle.

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2020/08/20/tale-weaver-289-masks-20th-august/