The appearance of one should not deem who one truly is. Sparkly eyes to a pretty smile, everything is false. A demon's true identity is always hidden behind a mask. But for the events that are about to unfold, identity is truly nowhere to be found. In this town, everything happens for a reason.
~ Behind A Mask ~
Season I, Salem:
Remains
The sun shines bright through the thin curtains and Mario gently opens his sulking eyelids.
"Mayor Mario, I need to speak with you!" a voice quietly bounces in the distance. Mario sits himself up on the edge of the bed and listens to the voice more.
"Mario! Are you there? We have a problem!"
His drooping eyelids shoot open and he immediately dresses into his black suit, puts his top hat onto his head and dashes down the stairs. Upon opening the door, he is left face to face with the entire town glaring at him in horror.
"It's Falcon and Zelda," says Peach.
"What's wrong with them?" Mario asks.
"They're dead."
Light shines through the open doorway of Falcon's house as eyes stare at the puddles of blood seeping through the floorboards. Mario steps inside with Bowser at his side and they slowly make their way through the house.
Mario looks down in horror, trying to make sense of the torn flesh spread across the floor. "Who could have done this?!"
He cups his trembling hand across his open mouth and tip-toes through dry patches of the floorboards towards an open door off to the right.
"She's in there," mutters Bowser. "You don't have to go in if you don't want to."
"You're right. I'm not going to," Mario replies.
They both pass back outside into the cold air onto the steps leading up to the house.
"I don't believe this," Mario says, shaking his head, Bowser blocking the open doorway behind him to prevent the townsfolk from seeing the grisly sight. "They were both murdered."
Link lets out a wild gasp and tears begin to stream down his face, Peach hugging and rubbing his back gently.
"But I'm going to get to the bottom of this, no matter what it takes!"
Wild thoughts begin to swirl in his mind as he stares at all the weeping faces.
Pacman? He couldn't have done it,, at least in Mario's thoughts. Pacman is too good of a soul to do something like this. Little Mac? Sure, he's confident and a bit of a trickster, but he wouldn't commit murder... Doctor Mario? A jerk to Mario, but he wouldn't kill anyone... Would he?
"Sir," Toon Link begins to chirp. "My mother has been crazy since yesterday morning so they probably just killed each other."
Everyone spins around in shock, gasping at the words that just came from the little child's mouth.
"Possibly," says Mario. "I can't have a final answer set in stone just yet. I recommend you stay indoors for the rest of the day. Make sure you're all safe.."
"Guys, listen. Some murdered them both. I can just feel it.." says Pacman as him, Toon Link and him begin to stroll down the cobbled pathway.
"I gotta agree with Pac, bro. There's no way that your mom and Falcon could have possibly killed each other," pipes Little Mac. "I caught a glimpse of Falcon's body totally ripped in half in there! His insides were even hanging from the roof!"
"Dude!" Pacman snaps, kicking Little Mac in the knee.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
Pacman coughs. "Toon Link, don't worry. We'll both be here for you."
"Oh, uh... yeah. I'll be here for you, bro," Little Mac stutters.
Toon Link simply nods his head, staring off into the distance with his head turned away from both of them. All three march up the steps to Little Mac's house where he unlocks the door and they flood inside.
"How about a few rounds of sandbag punching?" Pacman asks. "I'd be up for it."
"It's pretty obvious Mac is going to win and I am going to lose, just like always," says Toon Link.
"Come on.. Just give it a chance. Maybe you could finally break a record and pass a foot!" exclaims Pacman. After a few moments of silence, Toon Link finally responds. "Okay..."
"Woman, I am taking Link back home. You better not be home later than ten minutes. Make your walk quick!" Doctor Mario bites.
"She has a name, you know."
The doctor glances over her shoulder and stares into Mario's eyes.
"You better settle Link down. He is distraught, you know."
"And what would you know?" Doctor Mario spits back.
"Well I know that his wife has turned into some sort of psychotic being and is now dead." The silence is unbearable for the doctor and he walks away with Link follow beside him.
"Thank you for that.." Peach whispers.
"No problem. Is he causing you any harm?" asks Mario. Peach shakes her head quickly and looks down at her pink shoes. "Not at all."
"Where did you get that bruise on your cheek?" Mario asks, pointing at the unmissable purple spot glowing on her skin.
"I tripped and smack my face off the corner of my kitchen table..."
Mario huffs. "If you need any help, you know where to get me." He looks up at the large oak tree and at the large noose dangling from a branch, swaying back and forth in the gentle breeze.
"I don't ever want to go back there again, but we may have to."
"What do you mean?" asks Peach.
"I'm not even sure myself. There's no way that they could have..."
"...killed each other," Peach interrupts. Mario nods. "Yes. There's just no way."
"Bowser told us her body is in the cell and that Falcon's..." mutters Peach.
"He doesn't really have a body anymore," continues Mario. "But I understand what you're trying to say. He was found behind a closed door while she was found behind that closed door behind a set of bars and a brick wall. They couldn't have killed each other."
"So they were definitely murdered.." Peach whispers.
Mario stares into her shiny blue eyes as she crosses her arms behind her back.
Zelda's best friend... Could have killed her to end her suffering, and she could have killed Falcon to get rid of any witnesses... runs through Mario's mind.
But I just couldn't picture her taking another person's life...
"I better go home now," says Peach, "before he.."
"Before he what?" Mario asks.
"Forget it," she continues. "I'll speak with you soon."
"I can't believe she's gone.. Everything was perfect and calm just a few days ago.. Now everything is falling to pieces!"
"It's okay," Doctor Mario whispers, gently trying to calm Link down. "Take a deep breath."
"I remember asking her what was go- going thro- through her mind in that cell a- and..." stumbles Link, "...she said the next one would be able to control themself but.."
"But what?"
"But it didn't sound like her.." Link whispers. "It was deep and.. it was almost like a monster's voice.. It was evil..."
"What did she mean by 'the next one'?" Doctor Mario asks.
"I don't know," Link replies. "But it didn't sound good at all. It was like she was planning something.."
"You should have told Peach and I this last night!" exclaims Doctor Mario.
"But I thought it was just rubbish coming from her mouth.. It still could be, but we can't be certain at all until we find out what happened last night."
A beam of light shoots across the floorboards and a gust of wind ripples through the air. They both look up and watch as a figure steps inside the doorway. "I'm back," a voice calls out. She steps forward and they both let out of a sigh of relief when they recognize her. "Woman, get two cups of tea boiling now," the doctor orders.
"Okay.." she whimpers, shutting the door behind her and scurrying off to the right into the kitchen.
Doctor Mario spins his head back towards Link. "You better get some rest after your tea. You have not been awake for more than an hour and you're already in a panic. Everyone needs to settle down and be a bit more peaceful."
"Bowser, I'll be back in just a moment," Mario calls out to the creature looming in the doorway to Falcon's home. He walks down the cobbled pathway and through the grass towards Little Mac's house. "Lads, this isn't the time for fun and games. Everyone needs to stay inside while we sort things out," he says.
"But we were just going to do one round of sandbag punching!" pipes Little Mac. "Fine, one round only. Then you need to go home, the lot of you," replies Mario.
"Sir," Pacman says, tapping on the mayor's knee. "Would you like to watch?"
"I don't have any time to. I must-"
"Please!" Little Mac and Pacman both squeal while Toon Link stands in silence a few feet behind.
"Alright, but hurry! I have better things to tend to!" Mario exclaims.
Pacman pushes past Little Mac and stands behind the sandbag. He raises his arm high into the air behind him, squints his eyes and brings his arm back down, slamming into the bag which bounces it a few feet ahead.
"Woah, I'm improving! Toon Link, you're up next!" Pacman shrieks.
"No," Toon Link replies. "Let Mac go first."
"Fine. That way I don't have to wait much more time to impress the mayor," boasts Little Mac, winking at Mario who lets out a sly grin. He shoves Pacman away and steps about a foot behind the bag.
He chuckles. "Watch and learn, fools."
He straightens his arm out in front of his face, his green boxing glove almost tiping his forehead while his big, chunky muscles bulge. He sways his arm backwards behind his head, high into the air and swoops down, letting out some sort of groan. He shoots his fist forward and he smashes it into the bag, letting out a terrifying scream.
All heads look up into the sky to watch the sandbag shoot ahead like always, but nothing happens. Sitting still like a statue, the bag remains in the same position and Little Mac's wrist bends backwards towards his face. He collapses into the grass on his back, holding his arm up while his hand remains curved like a hook pointing towards him.
Smiles fade and mouths drop open wide. Screams fill the air and his glove is being yanked off by the others, revealing his swollen hand barely attached to his wrist by layers of his hanging skin. Blood runs down his arm and drips out from his glove while everyone begins to yell.
Mario looks back at the sandbag still in the same position, except now with a large tear in the fabric showing grey inside. He quickly pulls the fabric back further and places his hand against the cold, hard, metal solid sitting inside.
His mind blanks, and all he feels is the grass brushing against his legs. He's running, at least he thinks he is. It's like a beautiful picture has been torn from a wall, revealing the ugly dark space behind it. Like silence turns to screams. Like angst turns to straight-out fear. He's barely even able to hear his own blood-curdling roars for help off in the distance.
He drops to his knees, head tilted high and he continues to yell, knowing that this is not a coincidence. Knowing that Falcon and Zelda didn't kill each other. Now knowing that there's something suspicious still swirling in the air.
Author's Note:
Talk about crazy endings!
Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the fourth chapter of Behind A Mask, Salem: Remains!
So as you can tell by that ending and the ending to chapter three, someone evil is still lurking in the town.. But who is it?! I want you all to leave your guesses in a review if you have time because I'd love to see how wrong/right you are! Oh yes, I already know who it is ;)
If you want to find out more about this mystery, stay tuned for chapter five! Already we only have three more chapters left for Season One! Wow, Season Two is going to come quicker than I suspected! Already I'm loving these quick, seven chapter story ideas all bundled into one big story!
So who did Zelda pass her evil spirits onto? Who killed her and Falcon? Who changed the sand in the sandbag to metal?! Well it's all one person, so leave me your guesses for fun! :D
Thank you all so much for reading, byeeeee! :)