Chapter 2 – Lies

“uhh” I let out a moan as I regain consciences. I slowly open my eyes but it hurts. Everything is blurry and out of focus, there is a pain in the back of my eyes. As my vision clears up I can make out someone standing over me. Jade, why does she have to make it look so awkward? When someone passes out shouldn’t you help them and not just stare at them?

I’m still in the library but laying on the floor with something under my head. I slowly lean forward and turn around to see what I was resting my head on. It was a book that looked suspiciously like the book Jade had moments ago. So she did help, not that helpful but she tried in her own way. I guess. I couldn’t have been out long then if we are still in here though.

“What happened?” I ask, looking back at Jade. I gasped seeing that her eyes are violet still and not green. So I wasn’t imagining that. She studied me for a moment then said.

“Well you called me names and then without asking me, unloaded all you problems onto me.” I wince at that. She continued. “Then you started talking about some imaginary girl you said was you sister, when I told you she didn’t exist you had a fit and fell over. That was ten minutes ago”

“Sister?” I ask in a shaky voice. It’s coming back now. I remember her still, Lora. But it’s like her image is overlaying on another. When I think about her I remember two people. One of my sister Lore who I grow up with, played games with, and told all my problems too. The other is of a women that looks similar to Lora only older. She is around 25. Younger Lora is still there but fuzzy like a dream. I think back and yah it’s like two sets of memories. The one set that is more solid and real is the one with Older Lora though. Even today, when I try to remember what happen this morning, it was that other women that woke me up and drove me to school. Like she does every day.

I’m starting to freak out and hyper ventilate. Who is that women? I don’t know. Where is my sister? Is she real? Is she the only one? I think back. Oh god. There are two other people I know who I have double memories of, my parents. But this time its backwards, instead of them being older they got younger. They both were in there fifty’s and dad was starting to show some gray hair. I even started calling him old man and he would just smile at me like he know something I didn’t. Now though, I get what it was. Now when I think of him, he is not a fifty year old man with graying hair. No, he is a young man in his twenty’s. It is the same for my mom, she got younger as well. Still a little older than the other women, L-Lora. Why are they lying to me? Lora is too old to be there child and so am I for that matter. They are still my family right? I’m starting to lose it now.

Just as I was about to go into despair, I was slapped. Hard.

-5 Health

“Dammit that stings! What the hell was that for!?!?” I glared at Jade. Holding the side of my face. With tears in my eyes. I meet her eyes and pause for a moment. That is another thing that changed. Jade is different too. But only her eyes. Does she know what’s going on? Is she a part of this?

“You looked like you were starting to lose It.” she said passively. I just stare at her, waiting for more of an explanation, but it looks like that’s all I get. Did she really have to slap me in the face? No, that makes sense that sounds just like her. Should I tell her what’s going on? Would she know what’s happing to me? When I look at her I still feel that weird connection, only stronger now. I… I think I can trust her. It’s not like she is going to make fun of me. That’s not the kind of person she is.

“Jade” I say quietly and look into her eyes. They are a little intimidating now. I think they even glow a little. She just waits for me to continue. “I think my family is lying to me.” Then I told her. I just let it all out. About my sister, my family, and her eyes. She listen to me but I don’t think she believed me. That is until I mentioned her eyes. Then she really started to pay attention and started to look worried. When I was done, there was a moment of silence and we just stood there, staring at each other. I must have got up while I was talking, I didn’t even notice.

“Mask…” she whispered. Mask? What Mask?

“What are you talking about?” I asked. She jerked a little at that. I don’t think she realized she said that out loud. She just looks at me trying to make a decision. After a minute she nodded and made a determined face.

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“You just broke through the mask.” She said looking serious.

You have left the Mask’s protection and influence.

You can no longer be effected by the Mask.

Getting a little tired of that. Yes I know your there, but I’m having an important conversation right now. Yes, I know what the blue screens that keep popping are. They are my notification. But I don’t have time for that now I need to listen to Jade.

Oblivions to my inner turmoil of blue screens, Jade continued to explain.

“The Mask is a type of mass illusion. It is a divider from the natural world and the supernatural world. It protects normal people from the monster that lurk around.” She didn’t say monster right? …Right? Before I can ask her what she meant, she grabbed my arm and starts pulling me out of the library.

Jade has placed you under her protection.

“h-hey! What are you doing?” I ask. While I try to keep up with her. Damn these short lags. Without turning back to look at me, she starts explaining.

“I need you to stay with me and don’t let go. We have to get back to my place to get something that can protect you.” I stare at her. “Why would I need protection?” I ask timidly.

“You broke through the mask. Which means that you’re out in the open now. The Mask only works if you don’t know about it.” She said. So is it something like if I can’t see it, it can’t see me type of thing? That sound kind of stupid. We are out of school now and are heading for the parking lot. We stop at the Black Beast.

The Black Beast is the name I gave to the black ford Charger that is always in the school parking lot. It has to be the best car around. I was wounding what we were going to do with it. Jade isn’t thinking about stealing it right? I know this is a despite situation but this is going too far. I don’t know what teacher the car belongs to but I don’t what any one of them mad at me. As I was starting to panic, well panic more, the car unlocks with a solid click. Wait! What?!?! The black beast is hers?

“Get in.” she told me simply. “Oh. OK.” I say a little numbly, and start walking around to the passenger side. Only to be yanked back by my arm. Oh right. She is still holding onto me. I give her my best ‘are you serious’ face.

“You’re going to need to let me go for that.” I say. “No, the only think keeping you hidden is by me holding onto you. So just crawl over the seat.” she says with a little urgency now. She opens the door and shoves me into the passenger seat. She gets in and we take off. I want to ask her more about the mask but it doesn’t look like she wants to talk until we get to her place. It’s a little awkward.  She is driving with one hand and her other hand is now on my shoulder. I guess I have a little time to think now.

Ok so the blue screens, they have always been around me, I just could not see them. I think it’s the mask thing that Jade was talking about. If the mask is what I think it is then it hides things that are not normal from the general public. She said monster so maybe like ghosts and zombies, stuff like that. Oh No. please. Tell me there isn’t land sharks. I don’t think I can handle that. Anyway I already know about the screens. Once I ‘broke’ the mask I learned all about it. That is one of the reasons I passed out, well that and gaining back my real memories. I just doubled the amount of memory’s I had, so yah, I had a little headache.

The reason I’m not freaking out about the screens is because I know what it is and what it does. It is always with me keeping track of what I do and records my progress. It works like a game. I have stats and a health bar. But I’m the only one that can see it. I also get skills as well. I do have levels but it’s not what you would think. When I level up I don’t get anything. No stats increase or rewords, nope. The only thing level tells me is the amount of threat something is. But I can at least see other people’s levels as well.

I look above Jades head. Flouting above her head are word that say her name and what level she is, well it should but all that is above her is ?????? I think she is too high of a level for me to see.

I can get skills too. You would think that I would have a bunch of skills by now, seeing as I have had this power my whole life, but no. the only way I can get new skills are if I try to get them. Let’s say that I spend all my time reading, my reading skill should be really high by now, but nope. Because I didn’t think about gaining the skill it did not unlock.

 It’s kind of frustrating. I should have been awesome by now with a lot of skill but because of the Mask it took what was special about me and made me forget about it. I don’t even feel like me anymore.

Although it does not make me powerful right away, given time to grow,I could be incredible. Even though it looks like a game, I don’t get any experience from killing thing. Err that’s not right. If I had a skill that was for fighting then I would get experience. So the only way to raise my stats are by working for them and train. Skills also play a big part of it. What is good about my skills is that my skills only ever increase. Normally people have to work out to stay in shape, but if they stop for a while then they get worse, not able to run as fast or lift as much. Not me though, I could stop working out for years and jump right back into it like I only stopped for a few minutes. That is, if I have the skill for it.

It was actually my only skill that I had that broke the Mask’s hold on me.

Mental Defense: lvl 25 X1

The ability to resist outside influences on your mind.

+25% resistance

+2 INT

Mental defense has been slowly raising since the moment I got it. Because I was under the effect of the mask it increased the skill until it was strong enough to combat the Mask’s influence on me, and thus braking it. Now that I’m no longer under the influence of the Mask, I’ll will have to find other ways to raise it. It is a scare thing for someone to be able to control your thoughts and I am absolutely terrified that I am not immune. Something already blinded me from my true self. The fact that I will be able to brake any illusion given enough time, is the only comfort I have. It is weird that I have that skill. I wonder how I got it.

Now is the time I have a look at what my power thinks of me. Something that I could have seen since I was a kid but the choice was taken away from me. That’s right it’s time to look at my stats!