A Hollow Mask

A blank plastic mask lay discarded among tangled hangers on a low shelf. I reached out, my stiff fingers closing around the brittle white curve. Lifting it toward my face, I tested the empty eye sockets against the dull glare of the hallway bulb. When I pressed the hollow shell flat against my chest plate, the plastic cracked down the center with a sudden, dry snap. I tilted my head, listening to the small fracture settle into the room's deep, unchanging hum.