The Great War of 2054 taught the authorities one thing about the rebels – identities could become weapons. Masks were enforced to replace real identities with assigned ones.
Distant skyscrapers loomed on the horizon, their shadows unable to reach the outskirts where Eva and Daniel lived separate lives.
Eva’s days were spent with colourful brushstrokes and awkward eye contact, always rushing from one place to another to be the perfect girl she was expected to be. Daniel’s days dragged by, each one painted a dull shade of grey as the mask forced him to be someone he was not.
One morning, Eva was late again. She rushed down the oddly wide street, desperate to reach her destination. She stumbled suddenly, a loose stone catching her foot, sending her tumbling to the ground, her mask cracking slightly on impact. A gloved hand appeared beside her, followed by a calm, confidante voice: “You alright?”
The stars were scattered across the sky. Eva was in her favourite place in the world. A small four-story building tucked into the outskirts of the city’s limits where you could see the houses sprawled out like an elaborate maze. It was the only place where the chaotic world couldn’t touch Eva. “Hey, you okay, you seem… distant up here.” Daniel gently murmurs, sitting beside Eva, the golden paint on his mask glowing in the moonlight. Eva turns in surprise “How did you… never mind” She quietly clears her voice and whispers “I was just thinking about these stupid masks, I just want to be free of it!” She quietly scoots closer to Daniel.
Glancing down, Daniel notices his hand on Eva’s, he smiles into the darkness and gently squeezes her cold fingers.
A few days later, they are sat in a small moss-covered courtyard, hidden from the world.
Daniel’s hand reaches out towards Eva’s colourfully patterned mask, pausing briefly to ask, “Are you sure?”, Eva nods in reply and carefully mirroring him. The masks shift slightly to reveal Daniel’s strong cheekbone and one of Eva’s bright blue eyes. Quiet footsteps echo from far away, slowly approaching, but neither of them notices too focused with each other. Then suddenly a strong protective voice says “Eva, what are you doing?” Eva turns sharply towards the voice to see her brother Samuel, his mask completely white with only a few black highlights, Daniel’s mask slips from her fingers, fixing back onto his face.