Just to recap, Goldie wants to make a trade with Matthew that will ultimately change Matthew’s life. Goldie offers the green mask to Matthew, in exchange for Matthew’s red aviator sunglasses. Goldie explains the power the green mask holds to Matthew, and how it’s the key to his happiness. Then, Gold tells Matthew that all he has to do is face the mirror, lose himself in his reflection, see his soul and put the green mask on his soul. Then, Matthew questions why Goldie’s mask is not hidden. Also, why does he wear a yellow, tiger mask. Goldie responds that he has a reason that he cannot share, and it hides what it needs to hide. After that, Goldie faces the mirror and asks Matthew if he will give up his red sunglasses. Matthew is reluctant, but Goldie begs Matthew to give up the sunglasses to gain something better. The green mask will give Matthew hope, and it will give him something that was lost and forgotten.
What will Matthew decide? Will he keep the red sunglasses that have showed him a whole, new world? Or will he change the boy in the mirror?
Let’s find out in “The Green Mask: Part Four.”
Matthew starts to tear up and cries that he can’t give up his sunglasses. “They’re mine, and I don’t want to let them go,” Matthew says.
Matthew apologizes to Goldie and wishes that he could give them up. He does want to wear the green mask, but Matthew’s too scared to commit to it. He’s too scared of letting go. Goldie tilts his head to right and says, “Well, why don’t you want to let them go, bro?”
Matthew sniffs and replies, “I just don’t want to let them go. Can’t you understand that?”
“I wish I could, but you have to explain yourself,” Goldie pleads.
Matthew turns away from the mirror and just finds himself looking at all the masks in the treehouse. Matthew sighs and responds, “These glasses are mine and only mine to bear. I can’t just forget why I have these in the first place.”
Goldie tilts his head to the left and says, “Oh, I see. So you’re just punishing yourself with those glasses.”
Goldie chuckles and walks over to Matthew. Matthew takes off his glasses and tries to quickly wipe off his tears before Goldie gets close to him. He doesn’t want Goldie to see his tears. They have to be hidden. Once Goldie reaches him, Matthew puts on his sunglasses and explains that he’s not punishing himself. Goldie stands in front of Matthew, looks him straight in the eyes and says, “You are punishing yourself. Bryan was a monster to you, and you took it upon yourself to become a monster as well. You unknowingly condemned Bryan to a terrible fate by getting him suspended and abused by his father. Then, you found his sunglasses and thought to yourself that you were no better than Bryan. So, you wear them to remind yourself that you’re a monster.”
It’s silent as Goldie and Matthew just stare into each other’s eyes. Matthew can’t deny what Goldie was saying because it was the truth. He felt like he was a monster for what he did to Bryan, and he’s ashamed of himself. After a few minutes, Matthew says, “I don’t deserve the green mask, Goldie. I just don’t.”
“And you don’t deserve those red sunglasses, either. You’re a good kid, Matthew. You were bullied and exposed to a world that you never should have seen in the first place. Stop looking at this dark world and remember the beauty that exists in your world,” Goldie says.
Matthew shakes his head and cries, “I can’t. That good kid is gone, and I have to live with who I am now.”
“No, you don’t, bro. I believe that everyone deserves a second chance, and the green mask is your second chance. Please, wear it,” Goldie says.
Matthew sighs and explains that he’s made up his mind. He is keeping his red sunglasses. “There’s nothing you can say or do to change my mind,” Matthew says.
Goldie starts to clench his fists, looks down and starts muttering words under his breathe. Matthew tries to hear some his words, but they’re unclear. Then, he looks up at Matthew and whispers, “Let me just show you one last thing before I let you go.”
Matthew says okay, and he sees Goldie starts to slowly take off his mask and reveals his face. Matthew can’t believe who he’s looking at. It’s not possible, he says to himself. The boy he was facing was Bryan. Matthew asks how this is possible, Bryan chuckles and says that it’s a little complicated. Matthew laughs a little, and Bryan says, “Look, I’m sorry for bullying you the way I did, bro. You didn’t deserve that. Can you please forgive me?”
Matthew is still in shock that he’s facing Bryan, but he quickly gathers himself and responds, “Yeah, I forgive you. And I’m sorry for what I did to you, and got you in trouble with your dad. Can you forgive me for that?”
“Absolutely, but one last thing,” Bryan says.
Matthew asks what is it, and Bryan replies, “Can you please forgive yourself?”
Matthew starts to tear up, and he tells Bryan that he’ll try. Bryan smiles and says, “Well, I know how you can try.”
Bryan presents the green mask to him and points at the red sunglasses. Matthew can’t help but smile. He takes off the red sunglasses and hands them to Bryan with ease. Bryan takes them and hands Matthew the green mask. Matthew walks over to the mirror, faces it, loses himself in his reflection and puts on the green mask. After the mask is on, it fades away and is no longer visible to the eye. Matthew turns to Bryan and thanks Bryan for saving him. Bryan says you’re welcome, and Matthew proceeds out of the treehouse. Matthew walks back into his life. He is happy and fulfilled with the green mask.
After Matthew is gone, Bryan faces the mirror and transforms into a man in a red suit. He chuckles, puts on the red sunglasses, walks over to the white mask and picks it up. He looks at it and says, “Now that I have these precious red sunglasses, the fun can really begin now.”
This is the end of “The Green Mask: Part Four.”
In October, I will be posting the six-part, horror story “The White Mask” on the Warfield Zone.
This weekend, I will be posting and sharing poetry.
The Warfield Zone 