Facade

One

It was always easier for Cynthia to masquerade herself against the world instead of facing it head-on. Whether she was manipulating the shade of her irises, whittling away or accentuating the smooth yet slight curves of her figure, the sleek black of her hair blanched or curled with only a quick thought and a small flick of her wrist, it was with ease as Cynthia concealed her truest self from the universe.

Everybody has a morning routine. Some waking up bleary-eyed, alarm shrieking. Others brushing away the dusty remains of sleep around their eyes as the sunlight illuminates their faces in the morning through the gaps in the curtains. Some rushing out of the door, untied shoelaces tangling while keys jangle noisily as the front doors slam. Others patiently queuing for coffees in the bustle of large train stations. The different trains on the Tube lines rattle through the tunnels, wind rushing past the fitted suits and tight pencil skirts of the commuters. Outside and on the roads the suburban mothers pack their children into the cars, handing out jackets, tying up shoelaces, packing lunchboxes and school bags into their car boots. 

Each routine seems generic, ordinary, shared by millions elsewhere in the world.

But for Cynthia, hers was unique. Every morning was an opportunity to create a new illusion. Her appearance was a charade, a game to play. Every day of the week, a fresh new start. Turning over a new leaf, literally.

Monday; flushed cheeks sprinkled with freckles, strawberry-blonde flyaways tickling her forehead.

Tuesday; blue-eyes sparkling, fluttering eyelashes at the cute blue-eyed waiter serving her breakfast in the local French cafe.

Wednesday; slanted beads of brown staring across at the commuters, low ponytail dangerously close to brushing the grimy windows of the Tube train.

Thursday; jet black blunt bangs, long limbs in sheer fabric blouses and fishnet stockings, turning heads as she struts past the university students gathered haphazardly on the lawns outside the college.

Friday; beige trench, dark wash flared legs and patent ankle boots clacking down the cobbled pavement, curly ringlets of brown hair pulled back and secured with a satin ribbon.

Saturday; chocolate skin peppered with goosebumps in the breeze. Her petite frame in a gingham sundress with a denim jacket tied casually around the waist, swinging her legs while perched on the monkey bars, scrolling through social media in a children's park.

Sunday; silvery irises blinking slowly and platinum blonde strands a shade away from white, green-blue veins exposed in her pale wrists peeping from the silk sleeves of her cream shirt as she pushes the door open of the little antique shop on the corner.

Until she flicked her wrist one Monday morning, standing as always in front of her full length mirror, giving scarcely a second thought as she considered her options for the day. Except, unlike always before, nothing happened. The slight curves of her figure and her smooth, honey coloured skin remained unchanged. Another flick. Her original shade of hazel and specks of green blinked back, eyelashes fluttering in stunned surprise. She flicked her wrist again and again, blinking incredulously as each time she flicked her wrist, her reflection only portrayed an echo of the oldest portrait of herself gently taped to her vanity mirror.

The faint colour photograph of a young, thin and small girl dressed in a pale green princess dress, beaming up at the camera while clutching daisies.

And the reflection of a young woman, the slightest of curves embraced by a pale green slip with the daisy and chamomile embroidery at the hemline resting on her thighs.

Her instantaneous changing of her appearance at will, the facade she had grown so accustomed to living with, was gone.

+

Hello everyone, welcome to my first real venture into writing- Facade.

I've only ever tried to write a story and publish it online with my previously published Wattpad story Colour (it is a literal mess and I wrote only 3 chapters back in 2016 lol, but if you want you can check it out on my profile, I may update or rewrite but honestly idk). 

I was pretty unsuccessful at updating the story then, so I have no idea whether I'll be consistent with this new story. Hopefully I will have a pretty consistent update schedule soon, but since the ideas I have for this story are so fresh and new I'm not even entirely sure what my final ending will turn out to be (I felt it would be best to just write and publish straight away as if I leave it I may end up just losing all faith in myself/get writer's block😓).

I saw a writing prompt on an Instagram post recently which gave me the basic idea for Facade, and I hope you guys will enjoy reading my writing. I felt that this summer after I'd finished some of the most important exams of my life (yet) would be a great time to get into writing for leisure purposes instead of writing because I needed to practise for English Language/Literature GCSE lol 😂 

So hopefully you guys will enjoy the story, I'm literally the most amateur writer ever lol 🙊 

@lewsermelon on Wattpad