Creep - Jennifer Hillier [40]
He already knew which one he would use tonight. With dexterous fingers, he peeled the chosen mask from its stand. Good-quality silicone masks—the kind used in movies and by hard-core costume lovers at Halloween—could be bought on the Internet for about $600, and they looked surprisingly real. In contrast, this mask had cost him $6,000.
It was a work of art, custom-made to fit his face, and constructed out of the thinnest silicone money could buy. He’d worked closely with the owner of Professional EF/X Masks in Hollywood to design one that looked so real that the owner’s wife herself couldn’t tell it was fake from six inches away. Even its surface felt like real skin. Unlike makeup, it wouldn’t melt under hot lights or from excessive sweating.
Facing another full-length mirror, he placed both arms inside the mask all the way up to the elbow. He stretched it gently, width-wise, as far as he dared go, careful not to stress the delicate facial features. Ducking his head, he slipped it over his skullcap, pulling it down over his nose and mouth. When it was properly positioned under his chin, he slid his arms out, allowing the mask to close snugly around his neck and shoulders.
Watching his reflection, he pressed the silicone into his cheeks with clean fingers, smoothing away every bump and crinkle. He took extra care around the openings of his nostrils, where the product was very thin. The mask fit him so well, the silicone actually wrapped around his nostrils, extending a few millimeters into his nose to brush up against the tiny hairs inside.
He did the same around his eyes, pressing the whisper-thin silicone into the skin below his eyebrows and underneath his lower eyelashes. His natural lids would remain exposed.
It was common for masks of this quality to include lips, which would wrap around the wearer’s own. But he couldn’t stand the way those masks felt. Or tasted, for that matter. This mask had been specially made without lips, with the silicone thinning to almost nothing as it neared his mouth.
Stepping back, he appraised himself. He looked incredible. The sight of a face that wasn’t his own never failed to thrill him.
But the face staring back at him wasn’t perfect yet. Peering at himself closely under the harsh lights of his workroom, he could detect a subtle color difference around each eye where the silicone rested next to his real skin. No problem. Selecting the correct shade of foundation from his makeup kit, he blended his real skin with his fake skin.
His lips posed a different problem. Because they were exposed, even the best-fitting silicone would separate a tiny bit if he smiled or spoke.
No worries, he had a solution for this as well. A small amount of skin adhesive, purchased at any store that sold wigs, worked well to keep the latex tight around the mouth. And, to be on the safe side, facial hair was always a good idea.
Picking through another box of supplies, he selected a thick, dark goatee made of real human hair that matched the coarse texture of the mask’s hair and eyebrows. He studied himself for a moment, then applied a small amount of lip stain to better match his lips to his new complexion.
Concentrating on his reflection, he started to make a variety of different facial expressions. This exercise was critical—one should never assume that everything was in place until one had tested it properly. He lifted his eyebrows, and the skin of his forehead wrinkled naturally. He grinned, and his cheeks moved with him. He opened his mouth wide, and the silicone around his lips stayed put.
The mask was perfect, right down to the last detail. His left earlobe even had a hole, in case he wanted to wear an earring. And just under his right eye was a small but discernible scar, which added a bit of edginess to his face.
From his collection of colored