The Masked Girl

The Masked Girl

## Story

She was unconscious, reminiscing of rather unfamiliar memories stored deep within her mind. She couldn’t understand what they meant nor could she identify the individuals present. Were these figures attempting to convey a message to her? A warning, perhaps? Nonetheless, it was all for a short moment as she gradually opened her eyes, awakening from her presumably short sleep. As she sat up, her mind would be filled with confusion, as well as curiosity. She seemed to have ended up in a dump or landfill of sorts, a place she had no recollection of ever visiting. From what she could infer of those short fragmented memories, this place seemed far different from the locations she presumably actually visited. As such, she would attempt to stand up, eager to explore the area. Unfortunately, she found difficulty trying to get up, presumably due to her rather weak figure. She was only a mere child after all. Although, that only delayed her for a moment as she eventually got up on her feet, allowing for her to move around. There wasn’t too much to explore as it was only a mere landfill of junk that was filled with nothing but awful stenches. It was only a matter of time before the stenches got to her, forcing her out of the area.

Traversing a few more steps, she would be "welcomed" to a moderately sized town, populated by nothing but humans. It appeared quite flashy, being decorated by gleaming lights and such. She was completely motionless from only a few steps in due to being so overwhelmed. They were quite unfamiliar with this location, same goes for that landfill she had previously left from. Additionally, they felt rather nervous from the number of individuals present, making her feel small compared to the others. Not just in height. As she was quite young at the time, her mind was filled with questions, questions that she wasn’t sure how to answer nor ask anyone about. Through observation, none of these individuals represented the same species as herself. This only worsened the feeling in her chest as she was uncertain whether these individuals were friendly or not. However, she knew she had to take a risk in order to get some answers. She would slowly approach one of them, reaching out to tug their pants in order to grab their attention.

As she gained their attention, she would place her hand away as the individual slowly turned around, tilting their head down to face her. She felt rather intimidated by said individual due to how tall they were in her perspective. Nonetheless, she would attempt to ask them as to where she ended up, hopefully being able to get some questions answered. Right before she could peep a single word, the individual was almost immediately shook by her, taking a few steps back while conveying a rather distressed expression. She seemed rather confused by their reaction. Were they caught by surprise? Was she intimidating to them more than they were to her? A couple more questions would occupy her mind as she gradually stepped closer to the frightened individual, drifting further away from her with each step. It wasn’t long before she would stop moving as the other person didn’t seem in the mood for any questions. Just as she had the idea to spark up a conversation with another individual, she felt as if a dozen eyes were staring at her all at once. It appeared that her confrontation with this person caused a commotion, directing the attention of every resident in the area. Similar to the first person, the other residents also conveyed the same reaction for the most part, seeming rather distressed or angered to an extent. Some of the individuals would even attempt to scare her away. The more she looked around at everyone only made her feel worse. She felt un-welcomed or unnerved by the atmosphere which surrounded her, emphasized by the expressions conveyed by others.

She attempted to flee the area in a quick motion, occupying her mind with nothing but stressful feelings that strained throughout her body. Fortunately, none of the individuals would follow as most preferred to distant themselves in spite. She ended up fleeing back to the area near the dump. As she arrived, she just sat there, resting her back against the wall with her head facing downwards. Her mind was too conflicted to think properly about the whole situation as it was spiraling with emotions. It appeared her first confrontation was a little too overwhelming for her. She was still a child after all, and children do not share the same mental capacity as adults. Nonetheless, her face would shift to a frown, slowly developing tears from all six eyes. She remembered each and every look they gave upon gazing at her, increasing how many tears she produced. It was a mix of both fear and sadness, more so of fear. She was within unknown territory, after all. Despite being her one encounter with the townspeople, it was still a lot for her to consider. Does she even belong here? Will she ever be accepted? Will she have to hide for her whole life? These were questions that the others would surely be unable to answer for her.

A few moments had passed beyond that point as she was able to wipe her tears away, looking up into the sky, thinking. She knew that they were in an unknown territory, so of course the residents here would have unassured reactions towards a stranger. More specifically, a freak. If only she would have figured that out earlier. However, it’s not like she can return home, right? Even if she had the opportunity, chances are, she likely would not recognize it. Due to her fractured mind, it was difficult to identify the remaining fragments of her past, unable to pull the pieces together. It wasn’t certain if she even had a home to begin with. With the limited choices in mind, she somewhat knew what had to be done. If she cannot return home, she would have no choice but to make one for herself. Although this town felt rather unsafe in her perspective, it was the only liable option given to her at the time. She knew that if she decided to stay, she must learn to adapt. In other words, to endure the harsh environment, as well as the rather fearful and somewhat distrustful residents. She would slowly stand up, eager to at least try. Even if she was going to make this her new home, she still had that gut feeling from within, the feeling that perhaps she will find her real home. Someday.

It was mere minutes later where she would sneak back into town, remaining in the blind spots. More particularly, she would travel via alleyways, given most people here do not enter them often. However, it wasn’t long before shifting between these paths would become a burden. Due to the population size, it proved to be rather difficult to avoid everyone. As she entered another alleyway, she would lean against the wall, contemplating. There had to be a more efficient way to get around without attracting too much attention, right? As she turned her head, she noticed a large billboard that depicted an individual wearing some sort of face covering. Suddenly, an idea popped in her head. If she wanted to hide from everyone while at the same time getting around more efficiently, why not hide in plain sight? If she created some sort of face covering for herself, maybe others would pay less attention to her. Without hesitation, she would hop between alleyways, grabbing all the materials that she could muster. She grabbed the final piece before assembling a mask. The mask appeared to have four large jagged eyes, each with red smudged beneath them. From her perspective, the mask appeared a little large for her head. It looked to be shaped for an adult rather than a mere child. Nonetheless, she would attempt to equip it anyways, placing the strap around her head in order to keep it on. The mask was somewhat tight, but tolerable. Of course, there were no mirrors or reflections she could gaze at, unsure how the mask looked on her. Not that it mattered, she would then make her way out of the alleyway, clenching her fists as she nervously embraced herself to the likes of many.

As she turned the corner of the building, they would glance ahead, spotting an intimidating number of individuals. She took a deep breath before traversing forward, nearing the more populated area. At first, it seemed alright. Not many paid attention to her nor cared as their eyes were set far above from hers. Unfortunately, it was evident before more and more began to notice her, keeping their distance as usual. The girl started to get that same feeling from before, that feeling like her life was at risk. It was that nervous feeling she'd been carrying on her back ever since the initial encounter. The further she stepped, the faster her heart raced. She started breathing faster as well. Her slow movements would soon escalate as she began to run, avoiding every person she could. No matter how far she ran, she could feel more and more people approaching her, giving off a rather unpleasant feeling. As she was attempting her escape, a large individual moved in front of her, stopping her dead in her tracks. Before she could even look up at the man, he would his fists, punching her directly in the face, cracking her mask in the process. The man's prolonged as he began spewing harshly at her, calling her a freak of nature before walking off. The punch caused her frail body to fall over as she started tearing up once again as their tears were incremented through both physical and mental injuries. Curling up in sorrow, the feeling of almost giving up struck her mind for just a mere moment. The injury she sustained felt significant due to the fact that she was still just a child, proving to be quite frail and weak. You could even see blood dripping out from the bottom of her mask, some of it seeping through the cracks due to being pushed into her face a little.

Every individual had since left the area, sharing no remorse nor pity towards her. Not a single one bat an eye. It came to no surprise. Nothing but the night sky now accompanied her as the girl remained put, resting her back onto the nearest wall. All she did during this moment was staring up at the moon, lost in thought once again. The girl would be reciting those few questions she brought upon herself, feeling as if she had finally gotten the answers she had sought out for. Obviously, she doesn't belong here. That was evident from the start. She was certain that her chances of being accepted into this society was at the bare minimum. This place was way too dangerous for a mere child to inhabit in her eyes, so what other options are left? She would rethink these questions once more before an abrupt crack echoed from her mask, presenting her with a reality check. Without a second to lose, she would carefully take off the mask, revealing to her of various cracks and scratches decorating the entire thing. The mask had a more reddish tone to it, presumably from the blood that seeped through, smearing the once pure white mask. This mask reflected the sole depiction of this societies’ truest nature, filled with nothing but hypocrisy and corruption. It was finally clear to her that she had to leave sooner than later as her life was most prominently at stake. Before she would leave, however, she glanced over at her mask once again, desperately needing repairs. The mask held some form of value to her, wanting to fix it up before hitting the road.

Without a second to lose, she would traverse her way towards the nearest alleyway, scavenging for any patches or bandages she could use. Anything helps. After an hour of searching, she was able to muster a few small bandages, as well as two medium sized patches. One by one, she would carefully place each bandage, hopefully withholding the cracks from spreading. Along the top and bottom were the brown patches, covering up most of the larger cracks and/or chipped pieces. She was pretty inexperienced with patchwork. However, she was able to teach herself through a rather lengthy trial and error. It took a few bruises and pokes, but the mask would be restored. Good as new. One may ponder the question, why didn’t she just throw away the mask? Surely, disposing of it would prove significantly less effort than wasting limited resources on a mere accessory. Although that is true, she felt somewhat connected to the mask, feeling protected by it whenever worn. More specifically, she thought of it as an essential part of herself, even being marked with her own blood. The mask practically shared the same scent as her. With all that in mind, she would carefully place the mask on, completing herself.

The girl would take a deep breath as she traversed her way back into the dump. Due to the later hours, typically no one would be outside, proving little to no obstacles in her path. It's odd why she would return, given the awful stench and rubble. Perhaps the mask concealed any stenches from seeping through, replacing the scent with blood from the numerous stains it had worn. This allowed her to adapt through an extent. As the moon would shine high into the sky, she would remain still as the girl rested her body for the time being as the wounds would settle themselves. However, she remained restless as her mind was once again contemplating. The girl couldn’t help but wonder what the future holds. On one hand, she could stay here, but risk getting killed. On the other hand, she may have an opportunity to leave the place, finding a more suitable home, one that may accept her as one of their own, a place that she may feel safe to inhabit. This idea felt like nothing but a mere dream to her. What even are the chances? She is in an environment that proves unforeseen outcomes from her experience. Although her chances seemed rather vague, there was a small spark from within that kept her hopes ignited. Like a hopeful child awaiting for Santa to come down the chimney. For now, she must rest in order to prepare for the uncertainties that will ensue.

The sun had risen as another day would emerge, illuminating the town that was once blanketed by the night sky. The shining rays of light would brush onto her face, awakening from her short noticed slumber. Setting herself up, she did a few short stretches, followed by a lengthy but quiet yawn. Glancing down at her mask, she was reminded about the tasks at hand. Said tasks felt like an additional weight was placed onto her already frail back, intimidated from its mere presence. Such a task wasn't anything grand, but it certainly felt that way for her. Children tend to have big ambitions, even ones that seem so out of reach, it's practically impossible. She was aware of what had to be done. If a decision is not considered sooner, who knows what will ensue. As she thought of prior, she has the opportunity to leave this town at any given moment. But where to next? She couldn’t help but allow her mind to be shrouded with conflicting choices, each incorporating unforeseen outcomes. All these ideas that she’s been mustering began to take a toll on her mind, aching herself. The more she thought about it, the more complicated and confusing it would get as she started to curl up again with her head grasped firmly. Why must it be this difficult in making a decision? After all, it’s not like this is a life or death situation, right?

//A few moments had passed as her mind started to clear, stowing away her pain once again. With little to no hesitation, she grabbed her mask and carefully placed it onto her face, feeling more….comfortable. It seemed the scent of herself allowed them to feel more whole; to feel one with herself. As it can be inferred, she felt a strong connection with this mask. After all, it did save her, sort of. It was still rather creepy to be wearing a bloody mask. Nonetheless, she would traverse forward, leaving the dump as she nervously returns into town. They didn’t even have to take a couple steps in to already sense the dread and despair being conveyed from each and every individual present. The more she stepped forward, the more she could feel the eyes of many staring down at her, seeming far stronger than before. It wouldn’t be long before she started to breathe at a higher rate. However, there was no turning back as today was the day where she will finally decide her fate. Before leaving this place, she had to be sure if it would be the most logical solution. More specifically, she wanted to ensure she spent most of her time here wisely, attaining all she could muster for a higher chance of survival. Of course, all that she could muster were a variety of scraps and waste she discovered on the streets as she was not permitted to enter any building. It could be inferred that her meals were not so pleasant. She did seem rather frail, almost to the point of shaking for each step she took. It was rather peculiar how her body hadn’t given up yet. One may presume the mysterious necklace she came with holds some form of a vitality spell, potentially nourishing them by a limited extent.

As she would enter the main sector of the town, they would run into a large group of individuals, occupying themselves as she was presumably left unnoticed. As a matter of fact, most if not all of the residents were looking away. Even the residents from earlier began to turn their backs away from her. It was uncertain as to why they were acting in such strange ways. Were they perhaps too afraid to look at her now? It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if the blood stained mask repelled them, especially the stench, smelling rather rustic. Suddenly, the residents would soon break into conversation amongst themselves, filling the air with inaudible sounds due to dozens upon dozens of people speaking at once. This only raised her suspicion. Normally, a child like her would think nothing of it, passing it off as usual human activity. However, she was clearly different from the rest. Other than being a different species, she appeared to have a higher intellect, feeling more aware of her surroundings. In her mind, she felt that maybe this odd activity was a good thing. After all, it’s pretty convenient not having to worry about any severe obstacles. As such, she would lower her guard, feeling free to progress.

It was only a few steps later would her necklace suddenly start to glow, conveying a bright red light from within. Not only that, but it started to float, emitting rather strange sounds. She had never seen her necklace act like this. More specifically, she wasn’t aware it had magical capabilities. What really caught her attention was the fact that it started to move around, shifting past her head as it pointed in one direction. It’s almost like it was trying to direct her attention somewhere else. The longer she stood there, the more it started to shake and pull. Out of curiosity, she would slowly turn around to see what it was attempting to convey to her, that’s when her heart sank to the lowest point imaginable. Directly behind her was around three or so humans, one being equipped with a baseball bat. It was at this brief moment would she finally realize the meaning behind the residents’ strange actions. They weren’t turning away out of fear from her, they turned away because they couldn’t bear to watch a child get brutally injured by a couple adults. It was with another sudden realization that this whole scenario must have been planned. She was right all along, they truly wanted her gone.

Due to her guard being down, she wasn’t able to react in time. Unfortunately, that would nearly cost her life. In a quick and vicious swing, one of the individuals directly slammed the side of her head, creating a small cracking sound. As the bat made contact, she would scream in agony as she was knocked over, falling onto the hard cement below. She would soon burst out into tears as the pain she had sustained was almost too much for a mere child to bear. All those thoughts, ideas, even objectives were all but fog as her mind was now occupied with the most pain she had ever received. The three individuals would slowly approach the now curled up child, bleeding from their head. Oddly enough, they dropped their weapons onto the ground below. Was it over? Have they finished their business? Unfortunately, it wouldn’t stop there. In an abrupt moment, all three individuals would start mercilessly kicking her, watching as the defenseless child would plead for mercy. However, mercy didn’t seem like an option to them. The swerving ambience of chatter would soon be overshadowed by the loud and immense cries of the child. The more they injured her, the more she would cry out for help. But, to no avail, nobody came.

The brutality from these three would continue as more blood started to spew out of her body, nearly staining her entire outfit with nothing but red. They wanted her dead. Gradually, however, the kicking felt less and less painful as her body began to feel numb. As she started to pass out, a few quick thoughts rushed into her head. Is this the end? Have I...failed to survive? All those hopes, all those beliefs, flushed down the drain. Her eyes would soon begin to close as her body wouldn’t hold up for much longer, being too weak and frail to sustain any more injuries. It seems this is where her story ends. It was a rather tragic end, but one must realize that fate can be cruel. Just before her eyes would finally shut, she would hear a loud crack, originating from her mask. The crack would cause her eyes to shoot wide open as the necklace would suddenly glow even brighter, shifting around more than before. The brighter it shined, the more energy she could feel from within. Perhaps it was a vitality necklace after all. However, she didn’t feel like she was healing. Instead, she could feel something from within, spreading from head to toe.

In a short and abrupt moment, dozens of large spikes would shoot out of her body, piercing through her skin as more blood would spew. Despite this, she would remain silent, not letting out another cry or scream. The spikes appeared sharp enough to knock away the three humans, leaving a few cuts on their legs. It appeared the necklace responded like a defense mechanism, activating whenever the one who wears it is in dire need of assistance, especially if it’s a life or death situation such as this one. Out of fear, the three would swiftly move away from her, running the other direction as the remaining residents in the area would follow. The spikes would slowly submerge back into the body as the glow emanating from the necklace soon faded into nothingness. As every other individual left the area, nothing but silence filled the air, surrounding the near unconscious child, covered in nothing but blood and bruises. They appeared silent as well. It was uncertain if she was even breathing still, given any breathes would be muffled behind that mask. Was it perhaps too late?

A few hours had passed as her body remained, seemingly injured beyond repair. No one else was in sight other than the bruised up body of a child. It could be inferred that she was finally knocked unconscious, given she hasn’t moved an inch. Suddenly, her body would start to twitch, indicating she may be still alive. The real question is, how did she survive? There was no way for a mere child such as herself to be able to sustain that many injuries while still breathing afterwards. Beneath her mask, you could hear a few faint coughs, sounding almost as if she was coughing up blood. It was only a few seconds later would she gradually get up from her curled position. Little by little, she would stretch upwards, attempting to stand on her feet. As she stood straight, she would almost immediately lean forward slightly, using her left leg to prevent the fall. It was clear she was in no condition to move anywhere anytime soon, but she was afraid. She was afraid that they would return to finish her off if found alive. She knew she couldn’t let that happen. Turning away from town, she would attempt to once again make her way back into the dump, limping while leaving a trail of blood from behind. She would be holding onto her arm, still bruised up from before. Of course, she would still be in tears, but she did not have any need to scream nor plead any more. The tears would only be noticeable through the bottom of her mask as it seeped through. In addition, the tears would somewhat blur her vision, proving more difficulty in traversing forward.

The further she stepped, the more pain they could feel from their legs, shaking with each step she took. It was hard to decipher whether she was even close to her destination due to their handicapped vision. One couldn’t be certain of how long she would last, especially considering the severity of said injuries. Despite this, however, she knew she had to go back. It was finally clear to her of what had to be done, so she had no time to waste. Eventually, she would scurry over to what looked to be a couple large piles, blurred to her eyes. Was this the place? It was difficult to see it at first, so she decided to lift off her mask, wiping away their tears. It was indeed the dump. Although, it was easily deciphered as the dump anyways as the scent was most profoundly recognizable to them. Her nose wasn’t blind. With all that settled, she would limp her way towards one of the piles, carefully climbing it as she would rest her body atop. Logically, the first thing she should do is to tend to their wounds. She was in very bad shape. As she lied there, she would gently pick up her mask, looking at what appeared to be a larger crack than normal. Without hesitation, she would grab any nearby bandages to apply onto the cracks in order to keep it together. It was done in a rather quick motion. It was quite peculiar how an injured child such as herself would be able to tend to a mask at such a pace, not to mention bearing the pain through the process. However, a more logical question arose, why did she prioritize the mask over herself? She knew she was in far worse shape than a simple mask, so why go through the effort of repairing it first? When considering her prior self, she seemed rather close to this mask, considering it to be an essential part of herself. However, she worried more about herself than a mere face covering at the time. So what changed? I guess a bat to the head must've taken a real toll to their mind.

Fortunately, her mind was still sane enough to tend to the wounds, using more leftover bandages she stocked up on. Carefully tending to each wound, she would eventually cover up everything, remaining still while the wounds naturally heal over time. She still felt quite light headed. It appeared she must’ve lost a lot more blood than what was initially thought. Nonetheless, she would use this recovery time to think. After experiencing the absolute worst from these god forsaken people, their decision was as clear as the sky. There was no doubt in her mind that this place didn’t suit their kind, not to mention welcoming it. Still, she had nowhere else to go, despite how eager they would be to leave. Not only that, she only had so many resources to live off of, given the scarcity of her situation. Her chances only became more grim. Of course, she could forcefully attain more resources from the residents. They don’t deserve SHIT. Her necklace does provide strength, does it not? Surely, she could take out the entire town if she was motivated enough. Although the idea was floating in her head somewhere, she had her morals. Revenge isn’t something she’d care about. Her best bet is to choose flight over fight. After all, it wasn’t certain how long a mere child would survive fending off against an army of adults. Death was the one thing she feared the most.

As the sun began to set, her body would remain atop. She lied there briefly just until her bandages would fully cease the bleeding. They felt only a little better as she remained restless. She couldn’t help but stress herself once again with all these decisions. It almost seemed like no matter what route she chose, death would be inevitable. Whether it be from others or herself, there was always an evident obstacle blocking her path. Her mind would constantly switch between the two choices. Leave. Stay. Leave. Stay. It was almost too much for her to bear. Her mind couldn’t handle any more of this, she had to act fast. As it was currently approaching midnight, most of the residents should be asleep, proving little to no obstacles in her way. This was the perfect opportunity to finally leave this horrid place. Unfortunately, their body was still quite sore from her injuries, but she had to take her chances. It’s uncertain if she would even be around prior to the next night. Through enduring the sore feelings throughout her body, she would wander around the dump, attaining any resources that may prove useful to her. She would start by picking out some clothing. Through a bit of searching, she would stumble upon a large worn turtleneck sweater, as well as a pair of shorts. These seemed far too big for a mere child to wear. However, she knew her current outfit wouldn’t fit forever. If she actually manages to survive for a few years, a change in attire will be necessary. Additionally, she found a pair of high socks. At the current moment, they were long enough to cover beyond her short legs, so it’s best to hold onto them for now. Lastly, she would be aware she was missing footwear. She has been barefoot for quite a while. It would be nice to give her feet a break for once. It took a few more moments, but she was able to successfully find a matching pair of shoes, somewhat worn out. Just like her other clothing, unfortunately, it was too big. Nonetheless, she held onto it for later as well.

After gathering clothing, she would stop to think what else would be necessary for later. As she was in thought, her stomach would suddenly create a large growl. Placing her arm on her stomach, she remembered that she barely ate since she got here. Due to not being permitted to enter any buildings, she was forced to rely on random scraps or thrown out food that one would find in an alleyway or on the streets. One would assume they had little to no nutrition nor were they filling. Becoming more desperate, she would glance around the dump once more, searching for any edible food. The dump is certainly the last place one would search for food, but there were no other options to her knowledge. As she scavenged through a couple piles, she was able to find…a sandwich? At least, it was presumed to be. Who knew sandwiches came in green? Despite how unappealing it looked, she let temptation get the best of her, immediately stuffing her face with the moldy sandwich. They would try their best not to smell nor pay attention to its qualities. However, she knew she had to eat something. Anything. The taste was rather excruciating, but she would forcefully swallow it with a rather scrunched look on her face. Consequently, her stomach would immediately be struck with an unbearable feeling. This feeling was unlike any other. Her body would soon be spread with said pain as she held onto her stomach, kneeling down while facing the ground. Tears would soon drop from her face as the situation only worsened for her. She felt nothing but regret as they would aggressively vomit, spewing out the remains of the moldy sandwich. The process was excruciating enough for even blood to spew out as well. This process resumed for a few minutes before the last drop would finally leave her mouth.

She would then fall onto the ground, lying on her back with a face full of tears. Why would she eat that? What was she thinking? They had very little self control, and desperation only worsened it. Then again, what other options were there? She could starve herself. However, as mentioned before, death is the one thing she fears above all. Like hell the townspeople would care what happens to her. They would rather beat up a defenseless child than to aid one. It was a harsh lesson to be learned, one that she will never forget. As her stomach would still be feeling rather sore, she gradually stood up, resuming her search for resources. She won't be searching for food anymore. Eat any more of it, and she is likely to die. Instead, they would search for more clothing, perhaps some materials as well. Like more bandages or patches. Her search would come to a halt as their stomach started acting up again, indicating she should likely rest rather than forcing through the pain. They likely had all they needed anyways. There wasn’t much left that provided any use for their future needs. Sure, there was a plethora of more clothing to be found, but most of it was stained profoundly more than what she already had. One set of clothing was more than enough for her standards. With all that in mind, the necessary items were collected. Most of them, at least.

In a few moments, she would carefully fold and place each clothing item in a neat pile, adding the shoes on top. She then carefully slid her arms beneath said pile, attempting to lift it up. Despite her frail body, she managed to lift it successfully. It was just a mere pile of clothes after all. Without any hesitation, she stood up straight and started running in a single direction. The only thing that filled her mind at the current moment was getting out of this place, there was no more time for making decisions. The path she dared to tread had an uncertain outcome. Who’s to say it would lead anywhere? A more crucial uncertainty is how long she could run for, given that her body is still in rough shape. Nonetheless, she persevered as they strayed further and further away from town. The town would soon be little to nowhere in sight as her view was covered in nothing but trees. The moment she left town, she felt like a weight had just been taken off of her back. She finally felt free. There’s no time for hesitation, however. Her top priority was to find and locate another town or city to reside in. Hopefully, a place where she can feel accepted.

The further she traversed, the harder it became to see. As it was currently midnight, everywhere was shrouded in nothing but darkness. Her only source of light now was the moon. As one can infer, it wasn’t much. Even with the moonlight aiding her, most of it was covered by large, wilted trees. Additionally, her surroundings became more and more foggy by the minute. The path ahead would soon become blinded. Just the sight of the place gave her an unnerving feeling, becoming a little hesitant to move forward. As the path became unclear, she wasn’t certain whether to be near another location or not. No lights. No voices. Nothing. Nothing hinted at anything. It seems she underestimated the cons of the situation, overshadowing it with the pros. Of course, she had no time to think it through properly, so what else could she do? She could have waited until morning, that way there would actually be light. However, that brings a higher risk of someone spotting her. This was the best choice of action. Well, to her, at least.

She continued moving forward for a few more minutes before slowing down. All you could hear beneath the mask was heavy panting, hinting at high levels of exhaustion. As mentioned before, her body was not yet recovered fully, so it comes to no surprise how she would be so worn out this early. Not to mention she is still just a child. The weight of the clothing may have also contributed to this sudden exhaustion. Despite this, her eagerness shrouded her mind as they would continue to push themselves, attempting to escape this seemingly endless fog. Suddenly, she would start hearing voices. Was she close? Were any individuals from earlier pursuing them? None of that mattered. They would suddenly be filled with both excitement and nervousness as she started picking up her pace, following the direction of the sound. The route she followed only became more dangerous. The further she went, the more trees that were unveiled from the fog. Of course, she wasn’t paying attention to that. Her only focus was to reach the voices up ahead, presuming a nearby town and such. Suddenly, the voices would disperse, surrounding the child in all directions. This would confuse her as she stopped in her tracks, turning around. The sudden dispersing would open her eyes to their surroundings. They now realized they were lost. All that surrounded her now were large wilted trees, accompanied by heavy levels of fog. There was no longer backwards nor forwards. This situation only caused her stress as they would attempt to follow the voices still, continuing to swarm around her. The more she circled around, the louder the voices would become. It was impossible for her to think straight at the moment. Her situation only became more stressful as they would hear a few cracks of a tree branch in front of her, silencing the voices. Her body began to shake as the cracks suddenly became closer and closer. She would gradually step backwards, barely able to hold onto her clothes.

They would eventually find themselves backed up against a tree. At least, they thought it was. Upon slowly turning around, she stood there in shock. In front of her was a large silhouette of an entity, scaling triple her size or so. It was difficult to identify any facial features or anything. She wasn’t sure whether it was human or not, but it was evident they weren’t friendly. As the entity slowly traversed forward, she was once again forced to step back, not paying attention to her surroundings. Each step closer only brought more fear into their eyes. Suddenly, the area would become foggy. More specifically, it was too thick to the point where she was unable to see anything but the large entity that stood in front of her. It almost felt like a dream, possibly a nightmare. If only that were the case. As they kept moving back, they began to wonder how they hadn't impacted a tree or a rock yet. The area was covered with nothing but trees last she could recall. Suddenly, she would start to lose balance. It was likely that she must have reached a cliff or a hill of sorts. But how can this be? There were no cliffs in sight, not to mention the fog wasn’t thick enough to veil such. Nonetheless, she struggled to retain her ground, slowly falling backwards.

As she was losing balance, the entity just stood there, watching. It did not peep a word nor convey any more actions. The girl watched in horror as she finally gave in, evidently falling. In a quick blur, the entity was covered in nothing but fog, as well as her entire surroundings. As she fell, they would lose grip on their clothes, falling from above. There was a plethora of emotions spiraling through her mind that prevented her from thinking straight. They were in shock. It came to no surprise, given how easily overwhelmed a child can be in any given situation. In a short moment, they would gradually fall unconscious, completely separating themselves from reality. Was this it? Has she reached her end? This was their second fateful moment. However, this one seemed far more likely to be certain. The last she could hear in their last few moments of consciousness was a loud crack before blacking out entirely.

## Profile

### Appearance

She is a frail individual with long grayish hair that fades to red on its lower parts. On top of her head are two dark red horns. She wears a mask with four of what could be presumed as eyes. The mask also features various cracks and patches to signify the damage it sustained throughout the years. As for the coloring, the once white mask is now stained with blood, giving it a more reddish tone to it.   Around her neck is a necklace with a red eye, encased in a round container of sorts. She wears a dark gray sweater with brown patches. Beneath her sweater is a bra made of bandages. She wears a lighter gray pair of shorts with red lining on the leg holes, having patches as well. She also wears half-legged white socks with a red brim. For footwear, she wears dark gray shoes with red laces, as well as a red symbol on the sides. She essentially found all of her clothing in a dump somewhere. However, she made her own pair of underwear, as well as a bra since she finds it disgusting to just wear them when they came from a dump, despite the rest of her outfit originating from such. Minus the mask and necklace though. Although, the clothes she did find were rather worn out, not to mention becoming smaller and smaller as the years went by. As such, she would have to modify the clothes by placing patches to fix it up.

Her face is black with red freckles, lining from both sides of the eye to the brim of the nose. There are also freckles on various other parts of her body. She has 6 reddish orange eyes with dark red pupils. Her head depicts a rather frail structure, showing visible cheekbones from a prolonged starvation.

### Personality

In terms of interacting with others, she struggles to maintain proper conversations. Due to unfortunate past experiences with others, she typically remains silent, keeping her thoughts and ideas to herself. As such, she tends to avoid people as a whole, not wanting to cause any further or recurring issues. If someone were to attempt a conversation with her, however, she would most likely ignore them. She may also quietly say something subtle, hopefully signaling to the individual that she does not wish to speak. This nature or habit of hers dates back as early as their childhood due to various events that occurred during this timeframe.

Another reason regarding her avoidance with others is due to her mask. More specifically, her face. As mentioned regarding her childhood, she would be often disregarded. She was perceived as nothing but a horrifying or dangerous creature. In result, she had the idea to create a mask, one that would cover her entire face in hopes she could actually communicate with others without the worry of being pushed aside or avoided as a whole. While she did prefer not communicating with others, this is during her childhood, feeling just a little eager. Unfortunately, most individuals still found her to be abysmal. Although the mask did conceal her face, most people were already well aware of her in general, proving the mask to be pretty useless at the time. Despite this, she finds comfort wearing the mask as she believes hiding her face in public makes her feel less insecure with herself, regardless of how efficient the mask truly is. She may also find the mask useful for any future encounters.

Her mask is not the only thing she cherishes. Around her neck is a strange necklace, one that contains an ominous and bright red eye. She had the necklace ever since she had woken up in the town. She was not quite sure what the necklace truly was nor could she figure out if it has any magical capabilities or curses. Nonetheless, she continued to wear it due to a fragment of her memory that dates back, one miniscule moment where she could vaguely see her parents. At least, that's what it was presumed to be. It was this small moment that gave her the assumption that their unidentified parents were the ones who gave her the necklace. It is still uncertain as to why she was given this necklace, as well as to what truly happened to her parents.

In terms of physicality, she is a rather frail individual. Due to taking on a life in the deep forest, she had to adapt to the harsh environment. The harsh environment has only a small selection of food sources. Due to harsh weather conditions, it was difficult for most plants to grow, providing only small batches of berries and such. Additionally, most animals found the forest to be insufficient for them to adapt to, primarily due to their select foods being unavailable. As a result, she began to starve. Returning to town would prove to be impossible, primarily due to the heavy levels of fog. Nonetheless, she would refuse to return, even if given the opportunity to do so. She refuses to return to town as she still felt an untrustworthy and uncomfortable feeling when even just looking at the place from afar. She would be well aware of what she is doing to herself, but would rather take a risk that provides a more soothing fate than whatever her previous life could have given.

Mentally, she isn't too smart. More specifically, there is a lot she is yet to understand. As she spent most of her life living within a forest, she wasn't able to get a proper education. The last time she was truly educated was at the age of 8 or so, so one would assume how she handles everything. This creates issues such as struggling to read, write, even speak. Whenever she does speak, it's typically a few words in a slow, stuttered manner. As for reading, she can only recognize the basics. Anything else would leave her both confused and brain hurty. Returning back to her earlier years at her home village, she was taught quite a bit. The teachings did include reading and writing. However, those were but the mere basics, one that a child would know. You could assume how she acts because of this.

She gets easily flustered whenever someone compliments them. As she almost never received any kindness, she struggles to respond to it properly. You can easily catch her off guard by giving a compliment as simple as her apparel or so. However, she can usually tell whenever someone is just trying to toy with them. Due to being very self conscious about her appearance, she still struggles to find trust in others, assuming most compliments to be either an overstatement, or a straight up lie. It’s usually hard to notice whenever she's in this state, primarily due to the fact that her face is always hidden beneath their mask, hiding her facial expressions. Although, you can usually figure out her expressions by the sudden shifts in body language. She may also hide herself atop of a tree if she truly cannot respond properly in these scenarios.

## Abilities

### Shadow Arms

She can summon up to six shadowy arms from her back. She typically uses this to get around quicker, climbing far easier and quicker, useful for safely getting away from a threat she cannot deal with. Additionally, she can wield more than two objects at a time. The objects would include weapons such as swords, axes, or anything that can be used to scare off the opponent. She isn’t much of a fighter. As a result, she would most likely use this to get away from others, as mentioned before. Unfortunately, she is normally far too weak to summon these with enough time to use them properly. This ability is typically used with the aid of her necklace as it gives her enough strength to flee.

### Vantablack Spikes

By focusing her energy, she can summon pitch black spikes from almost anywhere around her body. Typically used as a self defense mechanism, she can summon these spikes to get out of entanglements or from the grasp of others. Additionally, she can place spikes along her hands as an attack mechanism when needed. She normally uses these spikes to take out whatever creatures roam in the forest as food. However, utilizing the spikes too much can result in an extent of pain, directing towards the specific spots on her body from which they were summoned. As the spikes come from within, they have to pierce through her skin in order to surface. Unfortunately, this can result in extensive bleeding due to her rather weak skin.

### Heartbeat Amplification

Used whenever necessary, her chest opens up, revealing her internal organs. More specifically, her heart. As the heart beats, it creates powerful soundwaves, knocking away crowds of enemies. Over time, each beat will become stronger than the last, scaling only so far, however. The longer the ability is active the more damage it will cause. If prolonged enough, the sound waves can be strong enough to level entire cities, wiping out most individuals in her path. Typically, she would use this ability whenever she is afraid, given that hearts beat much faster whenever in distress or fairly active. A major downside to this ability is the fact that she leaves her insides exposed. Despite already being so frail, exposing her heart will only make her situation worse, forcing this ability to be used with caution, quite similar to her spikes. What differentiates from the spikes, however, is that she won’t bleed as much. More specifically, the chances of bleeding to be significantly lower than the spikes. The reason behind this is due to a decently strong barrier that appears whenever she opens up her chest, preventing anything from coming out. If the barrier were to be destroyed, however, I think you’ll be able to figure out what happens next.

### Hypersomnia

Especially for those who she considers prey, she can emit a gas or smoke from the gaps in her horns. Those who inhale said gas will be knocked out for a prolonged amount of time. The more effort put into the smoke, the longer the effects. Especially for larger targets, she would have to emit a larger quantity of this gas for its effects to fully adapt. On rare occasions she uses this gas to knock out a large group of individuals. More specifically, ones who dare tread within the forest. They are then dragged or tossed out rather than to be eaten or killed. Due to her strength, she is capable of knocking out an entire town if deemed necessary. However, this would leave her worn out for a while, given her body can only exert so much, even with the aid of her necklace.

## Trivia

* Her real name is currently unknown. It isn’t because she doesn’t share it with anyone, but rather she doesn’t remember her name in general. It could be assumed that she was given a name from her parents, but those memories are either vague or forgotten. As such, she currently has no name.
* Although her body is shaped to be human-like, that does not necessarily mean she is some sort of subspecies or variant of one. Instead, she is rather an entirely different creature, sharing similar features, but also sharing significantly different ones. Most of these distinct features are typically hidden beneath her clothing and mask.
* Her favorite holiday is Halloween since she can enter town dressed as herself, easily getting candy as she blends in with the crowd. Unfortunately, this only happens once a year, but she still appreciates it nonetheless. Food is food.
* While she does not have a particular favorite food, she prefers anything meat related. This is due to what was available to her during her life from within the forest. However, there is only so much she could find. Any other food related items she could muster like berries tasted rather disgusting for her. This is likely due to the poor environment which cannot sustain much life properly, which would include plants such as berry bushes or trees. It could be assumed her species is strictly carnivorous, but her sweet tooth for candy says otherwise.
* Due to her obscure metabolism, it is recommended she consumes a large quantity of food. This allows for her body to go to a certain duration without having to consume more food, as well as emanate a strong heat aura around her body, lasting for weeks depending how much she consumed. After a certain period, her body would fully absorb the nutrients, causing the aura to fade into nothingness. However, she only does this during long and cold periods such as winter or any chilling environment. Doing so in warmer temperatures would only create more sweat and such, being both impractical and uncomfortable.
* Her necklace possesses unknown properties, one that none are able to decipher, even herself.
* Her species is more sensitive to the cold than most, finding warmth whenever she can. However, the forest she resides in isn't typically the warmest of places, so it can be difficult to resist. This is also one of the reasons she wears a sweater, finding it both warm and comfortable.
* She enjoys bathing in the rain, finding it both comforting and relaxing. She typically bathes in the rain unclothed to feel the droplets flowing down her skin.
* She tends to fall asleep whenever finding comfort or warmth, whether it be someone or someplace.

## Gallery

Commission done by RevolviusTMG and ExploitFearA rainy night