Floating on Daydreams

Random mini-story (Set Me Free) [Part 2]

Flaws. That was all Skylar saw as she stood in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom, twisting her body to view it from different angles. She pulled open a drawer in her cabinet and removed clippings of advertisements for weight loss programs and swimsuits, flipping through them and feeling her heart sink as she realized that she was nowhere near having the body she desired. 

She glanced back up to the mirror and looked closely, forcing herself to see herself as she was for the first time in a long while. Her skin had taken on an unhealthy pallor, she had dark circles under her eyes and strange yellow bruises on her stomach. Her hair was thinner than she had ever seen it and her eyes looked tired. She looked ill, and much older than she actually was. Losing all control, she began to sob. Tears slipped down her gaunt face as she glared at her reflection. She caught a flicker of movement from the corner of her blurry field of vision and blinked. Suddenly, her reflection wasn't her anymore. Well, it was her, just a skinnier version, if that was even possible anymore. She found herself wanting to be that person, even though she loathed her with all her heart. 

She shook her head gently, then stood up and grabbed her running shoes. She wouldn't be convinced  that Walter genuinely wanted to associate himself with her until she had the perfect body.

As she laced up her shoes, only one thought echoed through her mind, 'Mirror, mirror on the wall, when will I be the skinniest of them all?'

                                                            ~~♥~~

Walter ran his hand through his hair in exasperation as he jogged towards the park. He'd asked atleast twelve people if they knew where Skylar lived, and none of them knew. A raindrop splashed on his nose, interrupting his steady stream of thoughts. He looked up at the sky and groaned, then decided to turn into a relatively sheltered looking street that he hadn't been to before.  

As he strained his eyes trying to find a place where he could avoid the rain, he noticed a bundle of clothes on the sidewalk. He approached it hesitantly, his pace speeding up when he realized the the bundle of clothes was actually a person. He ran towards it--no, her, and knelt down to check her pulse. It was strong enough, so he decided that the girl was in no immediate danger. 

Thunder sounded, and the impending storm made him quickly decide that he was going to have to carry her home. He picked her up, and as he did so, her curly blonde bangs shifted from her face, and his eyes widened in recognition. Skylar Rivers. He was so used to seeing her in baggy, worn out clothes that he froze for a couple of seconds, taking in the fact that he could see her ribs and hipbones jutting out from under her tank top and sweatpants. He whispered, "I'll help you," before running home with her in his arms.

                                                          ~~♥~~

Skylar woke up to find herself in a room she didn't recognize. The last thing she remembered was seeing bright purple spots blocking out her vision when she had been out for a run. Her palms became clammy and her breathing sped up as she wondered if she had been kidnapped. It was possible, in fact, it was likely, because her parents had no shortage of money.

"But they won't even realize I'm gone," she muttered bitterly to herself.

A boy walked into the room and Skylar's eyes widened when she recognized him. Walter. He was holding a tray with a cookie and a cup of what looked like hot chocolate and smiling at her. She smiled weakly back, her stomach feeling like someone had poured acid down her throat. 

He placed the tray on the bed next to her and said, "Here. It'll do you good. You look exhausted."

Why was he talking to her? She was fat.

She glanced at the cookie. 488 calories. Her gaze turned to the cup of hot chocolate. She wanted it so badly. 200 calories if it was made with milk. 200 calories of pure, unadulterated bliss. 

No. What was she thinking? She couldn't do this. She had been strong for so long.

"Are you okay?" Walter asked her, reaching out and grabbing her hand. Her stomach felt something other than pain and emptiness for once. Little butterflies fluttered around in it, making Skylar smile.

Semi-reluctantly, she picked up the cup of steaming hot chocolate and put it to her lips. He smiled widely when he saw her do that, and as the warm liquid rushed down her throat to pacify the monsters clawing inside her stomach, so did she. 

And this is where I stop writing this story. The message I wanted to convey through this is that Anorexia is not something to be taken lightly. Skylar was lucky that someone found her, or she could have died. I'm leaving you with no conclusion, so that you can decide for yourselves what happens next. Perhaps she falls in love with Walter and slowly recovers, but the more realistic outcome is that she feels horribly guilty for having that many calories and falls back into the pattern of drinking obscene amounts of water, having an insane exercise routine and not eating even though she desperately needs to. In most cases, Anorexia doesn't lead to a happy ending unless it's treated correctly with professional help.