the Mask

On the outside she was just like everyone else; pretty and slender, with perfectly chiselled features. She was young and popular. To many, she was the desired best friend. Her academic results were always pleasing. To others, it seemed she was perfection in every way, shape and form. Her smile was pearly white; always smiling, always shining, A sparkle always in her eyes.

            On the inside, she was different. She wasn’t in control of her life. She lived in the shadows of who they wanted her to be, not daring to come out. Her emotions were raw, and real. Inside she was tiny and frail, and full of fear. She felt like no one understood her, and she thought no one ever would. Underneath her stunning smile were a thousand lies. Each sparkle in her eyes reflecting a thousand tears she’d cried.

            She wanted to fly, she wanted to be free. She wanted them to know she could do it. She didn’t want limitations. She hated the boundaries they set. She was waiting to learn, and wishing to emerge. She just wanted to fly, and prove that she can fly without them holding her hand each step of the way.

            People use to tell her, home was a sanctuary, a safe place. Yet each day she returned home to a confronting war-zone. No matter how hard she tried to escape World-War-Three beyond her bedroom walls, she knew she was no longer safe.

Each morning she woke and put on her face, a screen between her and the world, protecting herself from the truth; burying the lies deep inside. She kept World War Three her own little secret. No one else could know. Her grades remained constant, and she attempted to keep up her outside image.

Her outside was her own protective case, ‘Handle with Care’ and ‘Fragile’ written all over the outside. She continued to hide in her protective case, underneath her mask, brewing in her own lies. She was always kind and courteous to those around her; sustaining her image, acting out the lies. It was the perfect mask.

            Slowly over time, they dragged her inside. She became a victim of the war-zone. She became withdrawn at home and with her friends. No longer smiling, no longer shinning. Her grades slowly slipped, along with her mood. She no longer chose to hide the truth. Her façade had begun to fade.

            The scars of her war-zone seemingly obvious as the days passed. Dark circles drawn clearly under her eyes, her mouth always frowning. They tried to talk to her, they tried to confront her, but she wouldn’t let them inside. Feeling isolated, and alone, she continued to push all feelings away from her, pulling nothing close, trusting no one.

            As the days become worse and worse, the nights turned into torture. Each night the same reality playing out in her mind. Her nights were sleepless as she lay there thrashing and turning; ripping off the sheets. She attempted to tune out from the unfortunate reality of bombs dropping outside her war-torn room. The words from outside, spinning around her head, clouding her thoughts and she wondered, is there any escape from this?

            After months of living a nightmare, she gave up. She called it quits. It had all become too much. She was so young, she had so much potential. She slipped right out from under their fingers, before they could realise she had fallen.

They realised what they had done to her, how they had pushed her to her limits, never allowing her to be free. World War Three came to a sudden end. They moved away; to different parts of the world, never to see each other again. If only they could have realised, before it was too late. If only they could have gotten inside, and seen behind her mask.

Reviews

[Starting Over]

This is deep and beautiful and I loved it! :)

[mmzx]

this is deep. (: