Write about a character who always wears a mask (physical or metaphorical).

Posted in Angst on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 48 stories

“Loose Ends” by Antonio Jimenez

Submitted to Contest #123

All is fair in love and war. Love and war. Two of the most ancient of human endeavors inexplicably linked because of their essentiality to moving the human race forward. “Hold on, my mask is fogging up.”The man dressed entirely in black clipped the walkie-talkie he had been speaking into to the front of his vest and quickly removed his mask, wiping the clear visor with the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m good. Let’s move.”The man moved nimbly through the trees, finally bursting through a dead bush and coming to the edge of a cl...

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“The Sandman Ball” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #123

The envelope sat at the edge of the large, wooden, dining room table. The seal depicting a crescent moon glistened gold in the warm kitchen light. Sarah returned from school to find her parents awaiting her. Her mother indicated the envelope and she took a seat. Sarah broke the seal by sliding one long, index finger along the front. Dear Ms. Shepard, We are so glad to invite you to the Sandman Ball. Please arrive at the estate by 5pm on Saturday, June 30th. We will be delighted to serve you a full supper before you dance. The Sandman would l...

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“My Masquerading Mercantilism” by Kevin Marlow

Submitted to Contest #123

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!A grating alarm signals it is wakey time. Ugh. Mornings stab my mind like a shovel in gravel. Noisy, achy, I stumble to the bathroom for my first break. The sun is trying to find its way into my house from a window and stick me in the eye. “Where's my water?” I realize I'm talking to the refrigerator. A jenga puzzle of recyclables decorates the counter. My water bottle is hiding among its bitter enemies, coke and tea. Traitor.Agua makes the dropsy little pills go down, a reminder of pickled organs and annoying shit like insu...

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“Party Clown” by Ivan Cardoso

Submitted to Contest #123

It had been about an hour since the last guest arrived when the bell rang. The party had been very pleasant up to that point, even though Aunt Bea and Uncle Guy were in the same room. Jenna had been especially nervous about the two meeting up, ever since she drove Aunt Bea home last Christmas and heard her drunkenly whisper to herself that if she ever saw him again, she would shoot him right then and there. It could’ve been seen as an empty threat had we not witnessed when she pulled the steak knife on him after Matheo’s christening, three y...

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“Stage Door” by Sharon Harris

Submitted to Contest #123

I like to watch from the wings as you settle into the stalls, your faces upturned and expectant, your hands fiddling with your programmes and your numbered seats. There are no opera glasses for you, not here, not this close. I can see your ties, scarves, bracelets - trinkets of the real world - until the house lights dim and the leaping of the trumpets begin, and those trinkets disappear into the gentle darkness.I’m not on stage until scene two, but I’m dressed, waiting for the knock on my dressing room door. I put my mask on – carefully, so...

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“Elements of a History Teacher” by Liz Hayes

Submitted to Contest #123

The wizened old woman had to sit in the front of the classroom nowadays, her bones were too sore to stand for the full day any longer. But she still loved teaching and would gladly do this for years to come, just to see the spark come into another student’s eye as they learned about Alexander the Great or Hannibal and his elephants. She patted her silver white hair, making sure every strand was secure in her bun, while her high school students strolled in, laughing and talking among themselves. They regarded her as a kind old eccentric, and ...

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“I am the Beast” by Alyissa M. Lore

Submitted to Contest #123

For twenty years I’ve played the beast and I would have played it for another hundred given the opportunity. I stubbed the smoldering cigarette into the ashtray and watched the lit orange embers turn cold while waiting in my dressing room.“Do you ever wish you could play the hero?” Reporters had asked me in the far and few interviews I had been selected to do. “Never in a million years.” I answered. I’ll admit, there was a certain level of anonymity in playing a role where I had to wear a mask. No one cheered for me like they cheer...

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“Behind His Mask” by Mae Siu-Wai Stroshane

Submitted to Contest #123

On a blustery day in December of 1888, Joseph Merrick, better known as “The Elephant Man,” sat reading beside the fire in his cozy room in the London Hospital. Unlike regular patients who were admitted, treated and released to home or death, Joseph was a permanent resident. His extreme disfigurement frightened people so much he had to wear a mask when he ventured into public. One of his managers in the circus had made it for him.His custom-designed mask consisted of an enormous yachting cap, large enough to fit his head that measured a ...

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“Maskulinity” by Dean Holmes

Submitted to Contest #123

Trigger/Content Warning:Suicidal Ideation, Implied Suicide, Referenced Abuse/Violence, Transphobia, Misogyny, Mental Health Issues.-----Drawing under her lid, Jasmine’s arm shook, interrupting the delicate stream of black. She attempted to steady her right hand with the left, drilling her elbows down and muttering, “C’mon. You can do this. It’s just eyeliner.” But a zigzag betrayed her fear and Jasmine tossed the pencil down with a heavy sigh. Damn it.Breathe. Just breathe. It’ll be okay. At this point, Jasmine knew whether she got the makeu...

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“Broken Wishes” by Ezra Bicknell

Submitted to Contest #123

Imagine waking up, and slapping your alarm clock. Just like any other kid, you finally get the blaring alarm to stop making devil noises and rise from your bed. Tired and sleepy thoughts cloud your mind like soup, the cold of your bedroom washing over you like a geyser. Thoughts drift through your mind like fog. Did you do your homework? Did you fold your laundry? Did you remember to clean your room? You finally stand, and clumsily stumble over to your dresser, where your mother has picked out your clothes: a loose t-shirt, and sweatpants. Y...

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“Madness & Melancholy” by Eric Falvey

Submitted to Contest #123

TW: Language, Substance abuse. Ben Stein said it best as "Dr. Arthur Newman" in the movie The Mask. "We all wear masks, metaphorically speaking.I suppose for me, it all began as a child. My father was not a particularly nice human being. He often showed his affection for his family with a flurry of fists, but it didn't stop there. He was master of gaslighting, and after a beating, he would whisper in our ears with a brand of brutal magic that made us believe that what had just happened was our fault. We did this to ourselves, because we were...

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“The Man With One Mask, But An Immortal Mask, Unless...” by Manolis Kokogiannakis

Submitted to Contest #123

Have you heard of the Man With One Mask? Here is his story.As I was scrolling through my class’s social media platform, we coded, called Classroom. Yes. Just Classroom. I was so annoyed when our teacher told us that we should call it Classroom, it is so trite. Anyways, today someone named the Man With One Mask, posted a comic, but it was a comic with no pictures, only words. Here is what it said.“Hi, I'm John.”“We know your name John!”“What did you say?”“WE SAID WE KNOW YOUR NAME IS JOHN!!”“What?!”COMMENTS:Harry: Who’s John???Robert: He used...

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“Will The Real Jarvis Please Stand Up?” by Words By Mary Isaboke

Submitted to Contest #123

They met quite by accident while standing in line at an ice ceam shopee. He was dressed in capris and a mid-drift top with his hair swinging freely behind him. She thought to herself, I think he always wears a mask. It is on now. Look at that eye shadow and lipstick. He is a concealer. Mia, a twenty year old African American female, was dressed in a mini skirt and tank top. He appeared to be around her age. She was immediately impressed with his style of dress. Three other individuals were in front of them. Mia said to him, Jarvis, "I like y...

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“The Mission” by John Atlas

Submitted to Contest #123

I’m beginning to forget what it feels like to be myself.For so long, I have pretended to be something other than my true self. The once clear lines of objective reality have been blurred. Where do the masks end and where do I begin? The real me. My true form. The concept of what once was me, seems so far away now- I fear I will never find it again.I worry I’ve become lost in the disguises. The lies. The deception. Necessary at first for the mission, I know, but it doesn’t make the concept easier to digest. Who would I be now, if not for the ...

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“The Courier” by Chris Churilla

Submitted to Contest #123

AUTHOR NOTE: This story contains adult language, sexual content, and violence. The courier stopped their motorcycle several hundred yards from the fortress and activated the binocular feature on their helmet. The heavy rucksack on their back dug into their shoulders, but they ignored it; they would soon be free of it. The guard towers were manned with heavy machine guns, easily capable of piercing the courier’s helmet and riding leathers. The ground surrounding the fortress was littered with ruined vehicles, preventing any sort of straig...

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Write about a character who always wears a mask (physical or metaphorical).

Submissions are closed

✍️ 48 stories

“Loose Ends” by Antonio Jimenez

“The Sandman Ball” by Amanda Lieser

“My Masquerading Mercantilism” by Kevin Marlow

“Party Clown” by Ivan Cardoso

“Stage Door” by Sharon Harris

“Elements of a History Teacher” by Liz Hayes

“I am the Beast” by Alyissa M. Lore

“Behind His Mask” by Mae Siu-Wai Stroshane

“Maskulinity” by Dean Holmes

“Broken Wishes” by Ezra Bicknell

“Madness & Melancholy” by Eric Falvey

“The Man With One Mask, But An Immortal Mask, Unless...” by Manolis Kokogiannakis

“Will The Real Jarvis Please Stand Up?” by Words By Mary Isaboke

“The Mission” by John Atlas

“The Courier” by Chris Churilla

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story looking down from a stage.

Begin or end your story with “Well, that was dramatic.”

Write a story about a character practising a speech in front of the mirror. What are they preparing for?

Set your story backstage at the theater.

Contest #123

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

212

Contest entries

134

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: