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| Alarmingly Strange Stories |
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Fake Tan |
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| . Mary was an attractive girl of nineteen years of age, although she was single and jobless she was never lonely or penniless. Always, Mary had the latest fashionable clothes, no matter what the price. A girl going places or so one was led to believe. You could always find Mary at the weekends down at the local pub, her glass rarely empty. Invariably she would be surrounded by plenty of potential Romeos. Shrewd Mary would always keep a few hanging on until the end of the night. These creditable ones would ensure Mary's half filled glass never became half empty. Mary's girlfriends happily carried away the rejected ones. And so the harmonious balance continued week after week after week, until eventually reality caught up with our Mary. For through all that loveliness that Mary emitted there was a chink in her armor. The constantly abundant attention, Mary would have swapped it all in an instant. For down, deep down inside Mary's soul there lurked a black spot. It was a pinprick in size, but with every passing day it ate away a little more of Mary. It rooted itself onto Mary's thoughts, suckling away like a newborn on her dreams, hopes and anxieties. Boy, did it like anxious thoughts and unfortunately for Mary she had them in abundance. You see Mary's deep dark rooted secret was, quite simply, she hated herself. Not her looks or her personality or even her body geometry. No they were perfect-almost. It was her skin color or rather her colorless skin. For Mary was pale, not ill looking pale, more fairy tale princess looking pale: but she loathed her untainted complexion. She had tried many things: skin toners; skin dyes; creams, foreign holidays, all to no avail. Every attempt, every failed effort, every half-hearted idea only served to feed Mary's black spot. When Mary's best friend, Marisa was getting married she asked Mary to be her Maid of Honor. At first Mary was ecstatic, when told the news, grabbing hold of Marisa, jumping up and down and screaming with delight at one and other. However, it was the Sunday morning after the night before as Mary sat bodily at the kitchen table flicking through the Sunday papers that the sudden realization of the forthcoming scenario dawned on her. How could she have been so stupid as to accept Marisa's invitation! Marisa and her family were half Italian, all dark skin and shiny teeth. Why did I not see this coming? I'll look so out of place, People will be laughing at me! They'll be whispering behind my back, pointing at me! I'll be a laughing stock. How could Marisa do this to me? WHY? WHY? As her cancerous black spot grew in size, Mary's confidence sapped from her. No longer did she carry herself proudly. Gone was her elegant composure, replaced with a disheveled and unbalanced looking Mary as the Wedding day drew closer. Even at the pub it was obvious Mary had lost her perch. The once rejected Romeos seemed to grow in stature, now turning their backs on her, some even ignoring her that she no longer cared to go near her local. It was her Mum who eventually noticed the rapid depression that had consumed her so. "What's the matter dear?" asked Mum. "You wouldn't understand." Replied Mary. "Try me!" . |
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