Death

Things just didn't seem to make sense anymore. Wherever he turned his head, he saw so many people but rarely anyone with a different face. Everyone seemed to be wearing the mask designed by a popular company called "Humanity - we are one". And the masks manufactured were of same design and color. Whenever he felt like removing his, he was told that its not to be removed, for if he did, he wont be able to survive in this world. He wanted to scream "What's the point of survival, if every single moment I want see the world through my own eyes, and not through this mask? Is that what my life is meant for? Mere survival?". But he never screamed. This mask was always there to rescale the decibel level back to the range specified by the company.

He was tempted many times, to throw off the mask. In fact, he wanted to see what death was like. What was so scary about it. He had seen people die. He knew that once they died, they never lived again. His friend had cried when his grandma had died. He saw many crying faces. He saw the faces then. But at that time nobody said anything when the mask was removed. Not a thing.

The memory came back to him. He brought his hand to this mask and felt it. He almost removed it when he felt a strange kind of fear grip him. This mask had given him fair amount of joys, friends, love, care, and what not. What if "non - survival" was too painful? What if he wanted to wear it again, and it refused stick back? What if he also wanted to live like he lived before but just couldn't? What if he died? Are these things being spoken by him or the mask? He didn't care, for he was scared. He decided not to remove the mask.

He heard the mask whisper to him: "Wise choice".