Barrel was bored. With Shock and the Other Lock gone the only ones left were the cat, who had fallen asleep, and the real Lock, who was trapped in the mirror. It was times like this Barrel wished he could read. Lock and Barrel tried playing tic-tac-toe but that game gets boring very quickly. What Barrel really wanted to do was leave the room, but Shock had said to keep Lock company. ‘Shock didn’t think this through’ thought Barrel. Shock…she had told him to get out of there if…something happened. But he wouldn’t. If something happened to them then there was really no point in going back for Barrel. ‘But this is Shock’, thought Barrel, ‘She could do anything, she’ll come back and we’ll be free.’
Barrel glanced towards Lock in the mirror. He looked just as bored as Barrel felt. He noticed Barrel looking and made a face. Barrel made one back. This started a contest of sorts, each trying to make the best face. It didn’t last long and soon they were back to their boredom.
Barrel wondered how long this was going to take. He wondered vaguely if he should get his stuff (not the stuff the Beldam gave him but the stuff he brought with him, like his pajamas). He figured it didn’t matter. ‘Wait!’ Thought Barrel, ‘did I leave my mask up in the room?’ No he didn’t. He and Shock had left their masks at home. But wait, Lock’s mask was still here! Barrel knew Lock would definitely want that.
Barrel rose off the floor, then hesitated a moment. Shock had said not to leave…but since when did he listen to Shock? Besides, he would be right back. Barrel walked to the door. Lock didn’t notice this. In his boredom he had begun to stare out into the mirror’s fog. Barrel opened the door and check to see if the hallway was empty.
Cat: And where do you think you’re going?
Barrel jumped and turned to look at the cat he had thought was asleep.
Barrel: I…Lock’s mask is still here.
Cat: And?
Barrel: No ‘and’ I just need to get Lock’s mask that’s all.
Cat: Ummhmmm
Barrel, ignoring the cat walked out into the hallway. The cat followed. Back in the room, the real Lock, much to his annoyance, turned to look out into the room to find everyone missing.
Cat: May I ask why these masks are so important to you three?
Barrel: Well…we’ve always had them, our…our parents gave them to us…our real parents.
The cat looked up at Barrel curiously then nodded solemnly. A silence filled the space between them as they made their way towards Lock’s room. As Barrel began to open the door it occurred to him that Lock’s mask may not be in there, still, he had to look.
The room had changed since he’d last seen it. The bright reds had faded, the lights flickered, and many of the arcade games lied quiet and broken. The toy soldiers were spread over the floor as if killed in a miniature war. The cat, making no attempt to help, watched as Barrel began his search through the room. He looked through everything: in the closet, in the drawers, under the bed, without success. Then finally on a whim he looked in the space between the edge of the mattress and the headboard and found it there.
Barrel: (to himself) I wonder why it was there…
Cat: Probably to hide it from her.
Barrel: Why? It’s just a mask.
The cat shrugged with his cat-shoulders.
Cat: You never know…
Barrel tilted his head sideways as if thinking then looked down at Lock’s mask. He noted nothing particularly special about it, just a simple paper mache, molded and painted. Still, the cat had caught his interest so with out further thought he tried it on.
The first thing he noted was that it didn’t fit his face at all. The second thing he noticed was how small the eye slits were. ‘How does Lock see out of this thing?’ thought Barrel. Then finally he looked around to find the world had changed.
Barrel: Whoa…
He quickly took the mask off and the world went back to the way he had found it. He put it back on again. He just couldn’t believe the difference. Through the eyes of the mask the world lost all its color, the world seemed flatter too, as if it were just a drawing of a room.
Barrel was usually not one to question things, but now many questions filled his mind. The cat followed Barrel as he left the room, closing the door behind them.
It was not long before they were back in the room with the black door. Lock, as could be expected, was still in his mirror, looking very agitated at having been left alone. However his anger faded when he saw Barrel holding his mask. He pressed his palms against the glass and leaned in to see it better. Lock almost starting writing a question on the glass then remembered Barrel couldn’t read.
Barrel had tried to tell Lock about what had happened through a series of gestures, however, Lock understood nothing, tilting his head in confusion.
Barrel: *face palming* Okay this is going nowhere. *sigh* I wish I could write…
Barrel made a promise to himself that if he ever got out of here he was going to learn to read and write. ‘If only I could get Lock out of that mirror’ though Barrel. Then Barrel had an idea. He put Lock’s mask over his face. Like it had Lock’s room, this room changed and lost its color too. Then Barrel looked at the mirror.
Except…it wasn’t a mirror any more. Through the eyes of the mask the mirror was…a door.
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Okay...this chapter is a lot shorter than the others. This is actually inspired by something that happens in the book Coraline. There's actually a long thought process behind this chapter, but I won't bore you with details. Also I apologize because I know all of you were hoping to read about Shock, but hey, I love Barrel, I had to let him do something.
Wow, I have a lot to say about this chapter...I better shut up now.
OH! And would any of you be interested in reading "deleted scenes" from this story? If enough people want to read I'll be glad to post them (as a new fic of course). I may even let you ask questions to the cast, since interveiws seem to be so popular. Mabey I'll call it "L,S,&B meet the Other Mother:Bonus Features" What do you think?
