Creeptober 16 - Behind the Mask

Cover for the Sunset Archives chapter 22 - Identity Theft

Statement of Fleur de Lis, regarding an encounter with Vignette Valencia.

"In among the array of event notices and missing pet posters, there was one image that repeated over and over again. My face smiled out at me from a dozen or more posters. “Have you seen me?” they asked. “Fleur de Lis: Have you seen me? Now you have. I am found. I am found. I am found.”

Beneath all of that was a list of my social media links. I felt queasy. The thought of my face, my name, my identity being shared for everyone to see in the public park was horrifying. I yanked the posters down one by one, my own airbrushed face smiling down at me all the while. I scrunched them into a ball and hurried to the public bathroom, where I deposited them in the trash. I stumbled over to the sink to steady myself. I splashed myself with cold water to snap out of my strange turn.

Once I had composed myself, I straightened up and glanced at my reflection -- and nearly screamed. Behind me stood another me, smooth-faced and smiling at nothing, eyes empty. I spun around, but there was nobody there. I didn’t look back at the mirror. I just ran back out into the cold, face still dripping wet."