I Put On A Mask

• Kayla Hoile, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2011

Introduction
As I put on the mask of shame and walked out the door I saw every face in the crowd staring up at me. My sister Rose was crying and screaming for the people holding me to let go, that I had done nothing wrong. But she was wrong I had had communication with the outside world. I had tried to escape my district. I had gone against everything we are told. I wish I hadn’t tried to run away. I have ruined everything.

In the beginning
‘Mum, mum where are you? Please come back!’ I woke up from another horrifying nightmare about my parents being taken away. “Ann are you ok?” Rose my younger sister asked, she asked this nearly every morning. “Yeah, I’m fine. I will go make you your breakfast.” I walked into the kitchen being careful not to disturb Kym, my best friend. It is the year 2084 and four years ago our world had a technology break down. All technology in the world was just too much. Where we live there is no electricity what so ever. Our district now lives in huts only big enough for three small people. We are fenced in a large area, if we go out the boundary we have to either get our tongues cut off or solitary confinement.
We are not allowed to have communication with anyone or anything outside this fence, but I had been disobeying this for months. I had been climbing under the fence every Saturday night to meet with a whole group of other people who couldn’t stand to be in their district anymore. It was Saturday; tonight I would meet in the forest and hope we won’t get caught.
As I crept out my hut and under the fence I could have sworn someone was watching me. I made my way through the murky knee deep water as I did every Saturday and reached the middle which had an island with a tree covering up everyone behind it. I crawled up and took my place in the circle. “Guess what? Our district has just reduced our amount of bread per week, we now only get 2 loafs for each family. And we are no longer allowed to have meat because we are getting to fat! I don’t even way more than a small goat! How am fat ?!” I heard Mandy cry.
As we all went on and on about how our districts were becoming so much cruller. I hear a twig break outside. “Shh! Did you all hear that?” Everyone nodded. I went outside and could see nothing so I walked around a bit. And sure enough behind a small black shrub was Kym.
“Kym, what in the world are you doing here?” She looked at me and laughed, “I know what you are doing, you are going off bounds every Saturday night and I’m reporting you. This won’t go on any longer.” She was smiling with joy. Everyone ran out to chase after Kym, but she was gone. She just vanished into thin air.
We all said goodbye in a hurry and ran back to our own districts. I swam as fast as possible through the murky water and slid under the gate and ran back into my hut, not caring about how much noise I made . “Ann, I know what you’ve done.” Kym was staring at me. “Tomorrow I am reporting you for going off bounds.” She smirked. “But you just went off bounds yourself, I could report you!” She looked shocked at what I had said. She slowly realized it was true but she continued to say “I don’t care. I am reporting you tomorrow and then you can get your punishment, what will t be the tongue or solitary confinement.” She walked away into the darkest corner of the hut.
When I woke the next morning , panic was filing my stomach. Kym was going to tell everyone that I went off bounds. I would be in so much trouble. When I had to choose which punishment it would be the tongue. At least that way I could still look after Rose.
I found a note on the ground,
I have gone to the leader of the district. In about 1 hour they will come looking for you and you will be taken away. Hope you enjoy! Kym xx
She was actually going to tell them. I had to warn Rose, I had to explain why I had done this. She of all people would understand why I had done this. “Rose, I have to tell you something.” She looked at me with a puzzled expression. “What is it?” Now she sounded concerned. “I, I had communication with outsiders, I left the fenced area. Kym caught me and has gone to tell the district leaders. In about an hour or so I will be taken away, but don’t worry I will get my tongue cut off so at least I can still look after you.” I waited for a response but no words came, only tears load and loads of tears. “No! You can’t I won’t let you!” She grabbed me and was crying harder than ever. “Rose, it’s either that or I get put in solitary confinement.” She nodded her head and cried.
There was a bang on the hut, I opened the flap and saw the district leaders. “Do you Ann Mary Smith plead guilty or not guilty for committing the crime of escaping the fenced area and having communication with outsiders?” I answered with a shake in my voice. “I am guilty take me and give me my punishment; I would like punishment 2, the tongue getting cut off.” They let me hug my sister then they took me.
Rose ran outside and I could hear her yelling at everyone. As I put on the mask of shame and walked out the door I saw every face in the crowd staring up at me. My sister Rose was crying and screaming for the people holding me to let go, that I had done nothing wrong. But she was wrong I had had communication with the outside world. I had tried to escape my district. I had gone against everything we are told. They took me to the District Hall.
I would have 1 hour before my punishment and because there was only one witness they would not cut off my whole tongue, just half of it. I heard footsteps. “Ann, this way please.” I followed the guard into the medical room. “Now Ann, because of the crime you committed and only one witness, only half your tongue will be cut off.” He took the knife and sat me down. He counted to three and cut my tongue. I screamed louder than ever before as the sharp serrated blade sliced through my tongue almost instantly. I could already feel the blood oozing out of my tongue. After this they burnt the end of my now half tongue, this was to stop bleeding.
They let me go home instantly, I ran and ran, I was crying and trying to scream. It just didn’t sound the same. I ran into our hut and collapsed on Rose. She was crying too. We cried almost all night. This was my new life. I would probably never speak again. I would try to make my own for of communication with Rose. She would understand what I meant; she would never judge me because of what I had done.
As I walked out the door the next morning with tears still running down my face everyone stared. The booed and hissed at me. Some even made a rude hand gesture. This was my new life. No one would ever treat me the same again. I would probably lose all relationships I have, besides the one between my sister and I. I passed Kym, she just hissed and booed like everyone else, But deep down, deep deep down, I think she was feeling a bit guilty.
In the end…
I faced my fears by taking my punishment like a woman (or so I was told) by getting my tongue cut off. I still care for my sister Rose. Rose and I have developed our own sort of communication system which enables us to communicate just like you would talk.
As for Kym, she moved out and got given loads of bread and water enough to feed her for a whole year! But in the end she realized, even though she had been given lots of food, she had lost one thing everyone needs, friendship.