Chapter 3: True Sacrifice
The next moment he clapped in his hands once and I fainted. When I opened my eyes I found myself on a park bench in front of a hospital. Around me was a small garden where parents played with their children, most of them wearing one of my masks. It was a smiling face with cheerful eyes and a determined look. I knew a lot about masks, if you look closely it is all just painted on with a waterproof pencil over the original face. Suddenly an old lady spoke to me from the left and asked me where I came from and if I was new, she had been in treatment for 2 years. I started a long conversation with her, we got to know each other better and she even shared her snacks with me.
I explained that my profession was a magician and show master and that I was pretty bad at it, she just laughed and asked to get a private performance at some point. I enjoyed spending time with her, she reminded me of my grandmother who died young. It was evening and her guardian came to pick her up. I offered to accompany her to her room, which she gratefully accepted. While we were waiting for the elevator, I already knew that somehow she was my mission.
Two people were waiting in the room, who looked worried. It was her grandchildren who cared for her. In the next days, I visited her often and we spent a lot of time together, I was often mistaken for one of her grandchildren by other people.
So I got to know exactly her situation, her heart was in a bad condition, the doctors gave her another 1-2 years until it will completely fail her body.
So another year went by and her condition got worse. Over time, dust collected on my mask, it was worn out.
When I went to exchange it, I heard a voice.
"Won't you stop wearing those things? You can hardly breathe under them, can't you? "
Of all people, the woman who was soon to die had revealed my secret, once again my fate was ahead of me. But only thanks to my mistake did I finally know what to do.
"They're very popular and good-looking, why should I give them up when they're so comfortable?"
"Hmm, well maybe I should try one too. "
"That would only ruin your pure face, you're the last person I'd give one to. Do me a favor, and this is gonna sound weird, but don't give up. I'm gonna show you my trick soon. "
With a smile, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. The next morning she was put into a coma, completely helplessly lying at the machine. I took one last look into the room, the masks of her family broke and fell to the floor. When I looked closely, the colors had been washed away, under the cheerful face there were eyes filled with tears and an expression full of pain. The colors were waterproof but not tearproof. After seeing this I only put on a tired smile, after all I knew best about those masks...
It was time for my plan, my last performance. In the last year I got a donor card and informed myself about organ donation.
She had already given up her fate, and although her other organs could have supplied her body for some more years, her heart was in very bad condition. Her rare blood group did not help the whole situation. But for me, everything had been perfectly prepared.
If this really is my mission, then I am the key myself. The word "coincidence" is an understatement, I had the same blood group and a perfectly functioning heart.
On the Internet, I informed myself about drugs that would cause complete brain death in too high a dose and no more organ damage. So I lay down in an ice bath and took the whole range of pills. Before that I called the emergency and told them my location, next to me I put my last will. Without family and connections, everything was much easier. Without a trace of regret or fear I fell asleep.
If everything goes the way I planned, it should all be over. My death will be her salvation and I can finally rest. Then again I thought about how I hated humanity. Everyone had already written her off, no rescue was in sight. (" Since she is older anyway, why donate her a new heart instead of other people, she had a good life. . . ) With this thought, I got angry:
"Why shouldn't I give a bird new wings when its last ones are worn out. No one knows how much longer it can fly. "
As the boy's eyes fell, a person began to clap.
"Well, did I promise you too much or what? Contrary to their expectations, he has not yet taken off the mask. Fake until the very end, a very rare sight."
The faceless figures clapped and looked at each other, suddenly they looked to the end of the room. A black shadow stood there with folded arms.
The last act was just beginning, everyone was excited. Almost lifeless they sat in their seats, only popcorn and snacks were missing to make it perfect...
Everything went as planned, I closed my eyes and died the same day. According to my last will and donor card, my heart was successfully donated to the lady. When she woke up, she looked into her family's faces filled with tears of relief. She asked the doctor for the donor, but no ID card was found and the body got cremated. So I became a anonymous stranger, who had died unlucky in an accident
Then she asked about the young man who had visited her often. All she saw were confused faces and people explaining that no such man has ever passed by here. Only her family had visited her for the last year, and shortly afterward she was released from the hospital and allowed to go home.
A few days later she received a package with no sender, it seemed empty but when the lady looked closely she saw something that looked familiar. It was a happy looking mask, which was described from the inside:
("I hope everything went perfect and your gift arrived in time for your gift.
"By the way, this is my last and only trick, I told you I'm not a good show master. As you can see now, you are the last person I would give such a thing to, so I didn't lie to you."
"But don't worry, it doesn't fit you at all so don't even think about trying it.")
P. S. Happy Birthday, Christa
Her grandchildren looked at her confused. It's probably because of her pills that she's still hallucinating a little. . .
The next moment tears fell on the mask, the lady collapsed and remembered this boy who reminded her of her dead son, with whom she often talked and laughed.
"Where's the trick to disappearing for good. . .? "
She put the mask aside while her grandchildren calmed her down. The thing was real, no paint, no color marks that disappeared. . . no makeup, a real mask specially for her.
In the following years both of her grandchildren founded their own families, she became a great-grandmother to two daughters and a son. Her daughter also began to visit her often. That her stepmother almost died opened her eyes. Like one big family, they often celebrated their birthdays together. Every year she visited the grave of her son and her husband.
"Hey, Grandma, why don't you put a candle here like on the other graves? There's still much room upfront. "
The lady just looked at this thing only she could notice, the white color was still as new.
"Well, that's a secret your grandma will never tell. "
The mask remained next to the flowers for a few more years, it had its place."
The years went by and so the lady later found her peace in death, even today she is a living miracle for doctors.
There has never been an older lady who lived for 21 years after a heart transplant.
Today she is buried next to her son and her husband. Next to the graves were single white pieces of plastic, probably carried in by the wind. . .
Although I had done everything perfectly, I was not rewarded. Why did my eyes open again, why can I still see and hear, why is not everything black as I had imagined?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized what kind of game is going on here. I never really aimed for my redemption, it was only my debt that I had to pay back. But the guilt was far from over, it really was just the beginning of the search for death.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Yamikura
Yamikura Spending 2 years living as a lone soul...must be difficult, lots of time to reflect and think about the future...
Why adapt to this shitty world? Surely, change means improvement, doesn't it? It's exhausting thinking over such things. I won't be the puzzle piece that solves the mysteries of this world.
"Changing yourself doesn't always mean your life changes, and if it really does, you don't even know in which way it will...so why bother? "
P.S. Maybe, just maybe the MC can relate to these thoughts...you'll see soon.
And let's be real here, there isn't always a happy ending to every story... or are you satisfied?
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