21 July 2012
*WARNING: Spoilers to the film Mirror Mask*
I yelled at my mum because I was mad. I didn't mean what I said, it just made her sad.
Now she is ill in a hospital bed. Collapsed mid show, was it what I said?
I'm really am sorry, I didn't mean a word! I'll visit everyday until you're no longer hurt.
They're operating tonight? Why'd no-one say?! "Didn't want to worry me"?! You made it worse, okay?!
I find solace in my artwork, until the end of day. Then I curl up in my bedroom, and wish the ill away.
I wake up from a nightmare, very late at night. Something feels different. Something's not quite right.
I leave my bedroom empty, I even leave the flat. But everything feels different. Where on earths my dad?
I hear some music playing, somewhere in the street. I go and find the source. Is it someone I know I'll meet?
They're rehearsing for a show, and all wear funny masks. But shadows overwhelm them, destroying all but one last.
He seemed to be the ringleader, and we two got away. We find ourselves trapped in a room, out of which there is one way.
A single door over a sheer drop, how on earth do we get out? We throw down some books, offend them too, with a nasty kind of shout.
We ride the books as far as we need, 'til we reach city of light. When we do he tells me his name, he is Valentine.
He tells me I look strange, without a mask to cover my face. Apparently everyone has one in this strange and mixed up place.
The police force suddenly apprehend me, believe I'm a princess. The princes of the dark lands, from where the shadows came.
They take me to the castle, where the Queen of light's lost in dreams. Fallen in a deep sleep, and I'm to blame it seems.
The Prime Minister believes, though, I'm not the the princess they seek! And so I end up on a quest to find a charm which will make the Queen rewake!
You look just like my mother, Queen! Lying ill upon your bed. I'll do my best to help you. It's what I promised, what I said!
And so we set off on our quest, Valentine and me. And to help us learn what to do, we head to the library.
And that is where we find a useful book, using our huge nets. And 'A Complete History of Everything' helps us figure out what to do next.
"Remember what your mother said," is what the useful book told. "Why don't you look out the window," was the next advice it showed.
Looking for the sign of the Queen, as the history book had writ, We saw the sun out the window, symbol of the light!
We headed that direction, and I realised as I went. The buildings were my creations! My drawings around my bed.
I looked through another window, base Valentine look too. And through I saw my bedroom, but he saw a junk room.
We continued on our travels, 'til we were stopped by a sphinx. We fed him a riddle or two, confused the little minx.
And so we climbed the tower, to talk to the giants up top, They told us very briefly, to find the Mirror Mask high up.
The shadows then took over them, those poor and helpless souls. Me and Valentine escaped quickly, with the box that they had owned.
There was a funny little key inside this pretty, silver box. We went on our way to find the high up place, and where the key unlocked.
We went to find an expert to tell about the mask. An ancient woman with a little shop that specialised with the task.
She invited us into her home, for tea and lots of cakes. She told us a brief tale about her husbands thoughts on the mask.
Looking through another window, I saw my room once more. But this time it was different, there was someone else I saw.
This someone, she looked just like me! Was yelling at my dad! She kicked him out, he looked upset - she was really mad!
The useful book then warned us, to not let them know we were afraid. We assumed it meant the sphinxes. The woman had them all over the place.
Suddenly sphinxes surrounded us, demanding we provided them food! At the little books suggestion, we feed it's pages to the group.
After making our escape, we found our high up place! And up the staircase we then went, wondering what we would face.
As we reached the very top, we stepped the rickety floor. But through the floorboards I did fall, you'll never guess what I saw!
Monkeybirds! Plenty of them! One called Malcolm, the rest Bob. But as I asked about the mask, shadows came on their job.
Controlling some of the Bobs, they tried to kidnap me! But Malcolm and two other Bobs made sure me and Valentine were free.
As we flew above the town, I saw where we should go. I saw it! At the borderlines! Between the light and dark, ya know?
I found another window, and saw the girl once more. Making out with that horrid boy?! In my room?! The last straw!!
We found some wanted posted - for a girl, she looked like me! But there was something dark about her, something you could see.
She must be the one I see, who seems to have stolen my life. The Princess of the dark palace? This just isn't right!
We fail to find the mask for quite a while it seems. But then I talk with my mother, as if in each others dreams.
With her help I don't give up, and we then find where to go. A room in the centre of the lake, an it even seems to glow!
As we step into the room, we see a pillar of locks! One of them must hold the mask, only which one is the box?
Suddenly the ground is shook, I rush to the window at the side. The girl is destroying my drawing world, even with me inside!
I fall and find I hurt myself, Valentine goes for help. He takes the key with him, so all I can I do is hope.
I look again through the window, at the girl who is not me. Arguing with my dad again, and burning my things with glee.
Alas, Valentine's not quick enough! The police force find me soon! They cover me in a black sack, like I'm some kind of baboon!
When I next see any light, I'm at the palace of the dark. Standing before the dark Queen while she makes her remarks.
She wants me to be her daughter (whether she knows or not that I'm not). She then rewards... Valentine? That betraying, coward should go rot!
The dark Queen gives me a makeover in a style to match her own. Dark and gothic and lots of lace, a gorgeous new black gown.
I sit and play with "mother", before we settle down for a meal. She tries to act like nothing's wrong, but we both know it's not real.
But Valentine comes back for me! He breaks me from the Queens spell! He failed in finding the Mirror Mask, but found something just as well.
A message from the dark Princess to her mother Queen. She had taken the Mirror Mask, and has hidden it somewhere unseen.
So we search her bedroom - where else do kids hide things? We don't take long to find it, and then we run as if on wings.
Valentine can't help himself, he stops to eat a fruit. It shows him a brief future of what could happen to him if suit.
We continue quickly on our way, to find a widow fast! That way I can switch again with the Princess, using the mask.
The dark Queen does pursue us, though, won't let me, her "daughter", leave. She won't even listen to my advice, and spews shadows like a disease.
But Valentine then saves us, with a flashy signal of power. He apologises and soon enough, we are rescued by his tower.
And then! Even better still! There's a window in to my room! But I see that girl in there, trying to destroy every drawing, seal my tomb.
And then she does succeed! My bedroom drawings are gone! And all of the windows with them! Now what shall be done?!
But then, of course, there is one more! Not drawn on paper at all! Drawn on the back of the door to the roof of my block of flats tall.
I force her to switch places, I take my old life back! I wake to find myself sleeping on the roof of the flats.
My dad doesn't seem to remember the horrible things SHE did. A phone call from the hospital confirms my mum, she lives!
And so the story's over, a happy end for us. We head back to our circus lives, with a new found sense of love.
Mirror Mask • Opuss № I