Page 107 of Unravel Me

Okay, now I could actually pass for some masked elf who wandered out of a fantasy realm… where he was either off recovering some magical artifact from an elven goddess’s temple or casting druidic spells to help himself in battle. I chuckle faintly and nod.

"Okay. Not bad."

Emilio laughs too. "Definitely. With your hair, it’s the perfect finishing touch for the whole elven look! My mask is much more boring."

He shows me the one he’s holding. It’s dark green, with cutout eyes and large, bushy eyebrows like some kind of kobold. I don't comment on that because, honestly, it is a little plain. Emilio sighs in mock despair, then waves a hand toward the stairs.

"Well, I’m glad you decided to come. So. Everyone’s downstairs and already wearing their masks. Do you think you can join us now?"

"Yeah."

I pull on my jacket and add another pair of pants over the ones I’m already wearing because I expect there might even be a frost at this hour, then grab my gloves and follow Emilio downstairs to the living room.

Sure enough, four people are waiting for me in the living room, all wearing masks, and what I see is… well, to put it mildly, rather unusual.

Of course, I recognize Renato immediately.

He’s wearing a mask that covers his entire face. It looks like it’s made of dark bark or densely intertwined, small wooden branches. However, the most impressive part is on top of his head.

Renato sports a headdress made of… deer antlers! Massive and heavy, it looks like a gigantic crown. It’s almost hard to believe he can move around with something that cumbersome on his head.

He’s also wearing a thick green cloak that falls all the way to the ground, making him look incredibly majestic, and he’s holding something resembling a wooden scepter topped with a large green gemstone.

Wow. And I thought I looked like a druid! He absolutely steals the show with that outfit!

Mauro’s mask is in a similar style, except it’s a little lighter in color, more of a golden brown mixed with fresh green accents. The horns on his head are smaller and point outward to either side. He’s dressed all in dark green, wearing a forester-style jacket rather than a cloak.

Sylvio’s mask is the darkest of the three. It resembles the other two, but the horns on his head curve backward toward his shoulders, as though they’ve bent under their own weight. He’s wearing a long brown cloak.

In the very corner of the living room stands Gianni, slightly hunched over. His mask covers only his eyes and extends partially over his head. It depicts the stylized head of some kind of gray bird, with a fairly long protruding beak and ruffled, ragged feathers.

All four of them silently look at me as I come down the stairs in my green elven mask. Emilio follows quietly behind me, he’s already put his on, too.

"I’m glad you decided to join us," Renato says solemnly, making a small gesture with his other hand, covered by a brown glove. "We’ll take my minivan. The festivities have probably already started."

I’m not quite sure what to say, so I simply mumble, "Thank you for inviting me. I’ve liked this town ever since I arrived, and I’d be happy to see how you celebrate here."

Renato doesn't answer. He only makes a meaningful gesture toward the door, but Mauro walks over to me and extends his elbow, very clearly inviting me to take his arm. I do so without protest.

Together, we step out into the freezing evening. The moon hangs high in the sky, the stars are twinkling, and the wind is cold but surprisingly refreshing.

We walk as a group toward Renato’s minivan, which is already waiting for us. I naturally sit beside Mauro, but even after I let go of his elbow, he reaches for my hand and takes it as we pull away.

It’s interesting… almost as if we’re already boyfriends, and this gesture would be completely natural between us. Mauro’s finger gently strokes the edge of my hand in a soft, tender motion.

I stare at it, feeling warmth slowly spread through me, along with the realization that… maybe, with Mauro, I could have a relationship with someone who cares about me, who loves being close to me, and knows how to show affection. Knowing that something like this could actually be within my reach makes my heart flutter. Almost shyly, I glance at him, and his eyes meet mine from behind the mask.

I know, I just know, that he wants to give me all of it. Closeness, intimacy… love.

We drive through the dark forest toward town. We have to travel a good mile and a half before we reach it, and I’d almost forgotten how deeply Renato’s property is buried in the woods.

The town is lit up almost magically.

Strings of lights hang from the trees, and the shop windows are decorated for winter. In the central square, various figures associated with forest folklore have been constructed from strands of lights: dwarves, gnomes, kobolds, animals, and even thick, chunky porcini mushrooms. Of course, it’s the holiday season, so there are plenty of Santas, sleighs, reindeer, and elves too.

But I have to admit that the colors of nature dominate. Everything is in shades of greenish gold, yellow, orange, brown, and teal.

The actual celebration isn't taking place in the square, but in the area adjoining the central market, a large plaza in front of the town hall.