Hideaway

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes descriptions of sexual violence, rape, mental illness, child abuse and child sexual abuse, suicidal ideation, self-harm, animal cruelty, addiction, sexual content, cursing, death, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.

Kai’s silver skull mask represents his desire to conceal his true identity and exert control over his environment. Because the mask gives him a measure of anonymity, it allows him to navigate the world without revealing his vulnerabilities, and its ominous style also suggests his liking for secrecy and manipulation. As he admits, “Six years ago, I liked lying. I liked having secrets. I preferred people not knowing the real me” (55). In this context, the mask allows him to maintain a specific façade, and although he no longer wears his mask as often in the present-day, he still pulls it out when he is trying to prove a point, conceal his identity, or scare someone. The mask also limits Kai’s vision, both literally and metaphorically, making it easier for him to act against his morals. Upon wearing the mask, he states, “The world around me shrank to a tunnel, and all I could see was what was right in front of me” (2).