Mask

This is for the Vocal Word Hunt Challenge that you can read about below.

The Prompt

Write a story that incorporates three words from the provided word search puzzle.

The Mask

It was close to Halloween in 1969, and she had hung a lantern at the front door which had witches and cats on it. her kids loved things like that and were looking forward to dressing up and going out with her on Halloween with buckets for sweets and small presents when they went trick-or-treating.

She was a perfect American housewife and loved keeping her home perfect for her husband and children, but one thing she hated was taking a phone call as it distracted her from hoovering, washing, bed making and cooking for her family.

Her birthday was two days before Halloween and her children said they had bought her something special that she would love. It had cost them a fortune, but Dad had helped them out to get it. It was in a big flat box and was wrapped on the front room table with cards, ready for her to open on her birthday.

She told them she couldn't wait to find out what it was, and they told her they couldn't wait for her to open it, but there were a few days to go yet and lots for her to do to keep her home perfect. That's what good housewives did. She was just the same as all her friends, they all kept their homes perfect and could never contemplate being anything less than that.

Her raison d'être was to provide a perfect life for her husband and children, as far as she was concerned, she didn't really matter, and the only thing that made her happy was everything being perfect and her family always being happy. If any of this didn't happen it would be her fault, she would be the only one to blame, and that was how all her friends thought about themselves.

The Birthday

She prepared her birthday meal for her family with the cake she had baked and decorated herself. She know this would be an absolutely perfect birthday, because she had planned it and done everything herself.

Her husband came home on time and the family sat around the table, said grace to thank their god for providing their meal, and everyone enjoyed it and cleared their plates. Then it was time for cake.

They all had cake, including seconds and soon the cake plate was cleared. The meal had been perfect. Her family was happy and smiling and she joined them in their enjoyment.

Then everyone sat on the lounge chairs and her children brought her the present that they had bought her.

"Go on Mom, open it, we know you will love it"

"I'm so excited to see what you have bought me"

She opened the box to see a horrific plastic face staring at her. Inside she was horrified, but her children had bought her this so she played along and pretended excitement.

"It's a facephone, you can wear it and still do housework and talk on your phone, it has a long lead so you will only have to unplug it when you go upstairs, we know you will love it. Put in on Mom, put it on"

Apprehensively she put the facephone on her face and immediately felt something like needles piercing her skin. She felt blood but could see her children laughing and her husband smiling.

The needles were like tendrils worming into her face, eyes and brain.

She screamed and tried to pull the facephone off but it was now part of her making her look like a robot, as blood ran from her neck.

After a few more seconds everything went black, and she fell to the ground dead and bleeding. The facephone was nothing more than an intricate Iron Maiden mask and was now securely nailed to her skull.

Dad: "Thank god that didn't take long, now kids have we to look for a new Mommy, we had got bored with that one hadn't we?"

Children: "Oh yes Daddy, and she wasn't even that good at Calculus and Latin, and she wouldn't let us watch The Jetsons"

Dad: "Ok kids let's go out to the Mommy Market, and we will get Ice Cream on the way"

Children: "Yeaaaayyyyyyyyy!!!!"