Page 19 - 2nd Issue_Newsletter_online

19

Mask

Phoebe Pun 5F

The air around you hums with the energy away, diving deep into a vibrant art
of a city alive with possibility. You see world that whispers sweet nothings of
people glide by, their laughter ringing colour and creativity, where you are a
li ke cr ysta l chimes, each wearing a swirling tempest of imagination, clutching
picture-perfect smile that sparkles. Their the dream of being an artist.
p o s t u re s a re f l aw le s s , t hei r word s
tumbling forth like melodies. In this Awareness jolts you as you meet the
city where elitism and perfectionism are teacher’s piercing gaze. Almost instantly,
taken for granted, you can’t shake the that insidious mask manifests, clamping
gnawing sensation of being a ghost – a down on your spirit. Your eyelids flutter,
lost soul adrift in a world that feels shutting out the vibrant world of art,
alien, even though this is home. as the cold and calculating mask forces
visions of future failures into your mind.
Your fingers graze your cheek, and an Each f lash is an alarm to abandon the
unsettling realization sweeps over you. reckless dreams of creativity, urging you
The skin beneath feels too delicate, as to pursue what is deemed “realistic.”
if it were painted on with care, an illusion
crafted with expert precision. In that A sinister whisper fills your mind as
quiet moment of self-ref lection, you the mask declares that people only wish
sense it: this face is not entirely yours. to see the f lawless image of a perfect
student. It presses down like a weight
As if compelled by an invisible puppeteer,
your lips betray you, curling into a smile on your chest, and with your head bowed
that feels both foreign and obligatory. in submission, a polished apology slips
With a sudden jolt, your cheekbones rise from your lips, rehearsed and devoid of
as the mask of compliance slips over your true voice. In that moment, the
your true self, tightening its grip. You mask reshapes you, molding you into a
haven’t merely donned a facade; you’ve version that fits their expectations: the
inv ited t his mask to dominate your ideal student, the girl who is obedient,
existence. k now le d g e a b le , a n d a d o r ne d w i t h
ever-ascending grades.
You step into the classroom, the air
feeling thick with expectation. At the The mask traps you, stitching you into
front, the teacher holds your test paper a new persona, one that feigns confidence
aloft, her voice sharp as she berates your and certainty. The dreams of vibrant
lackluster performance. You can hear canvases fade, your identity dissipating,
the disappointment, but it washes over overshadowed by the relentless pursuit
you like distant echoes. Your mind drifts of perfection that now defines you.