Every morning Cat would wake in a panic and rush to the bathroom where her make up was gathered around her sink like a jury. She’d work through the routine, layer by layer she would remake her face into something acceptable. Concealer, foundation, foundation powder, blush, neutral eyeliner, defining eyeshadow, eyeliner. She saw her face as a collection of flaws to be patched up and buried. Each year the slap had grown thicker and thicker as new wrinkles and blemishes popped to the surface and her true face was lost.
Some days she’d try to imagine how it would be to be loved for all her flaws, to show herself to the world, could she really be so disgusting to look at? She’d make a deal with herself that tomorrow she’d walk down the street with her face naked, just to see what would happen. Would people shout? Laugh? Would strangers video this hideous creature to stick up on Youtube? She knew she’d never do it. Sometimes she’d dare herself to just step outside her flat and take the lift to the ground floor, say hello to Mrs Robey who liked to stand in the hall smoking a fag, maybe pop her head out the door to where Salman would be playing with his kids on the grass. The dare would quickly evaporate as she imagined their horrified reactions.
And then the fire happened. At three in the morning, the fire alarm rattled through the block with such a raucous demand for attention, she found herself standing on the grass outside before she remembered her face was empty of disguise. As the street filled up with scared occupants in dressing gowns and duvets, she tried to keep under trees in the shadows. She saw Mrs Robey, already lighting up a fag to calm her nerves, even in the panic she had thought to bring them with her. She saw Salman huddling his children to him, trying to keep them warm. As people from neighbouring blocks joined them, it became increasingly difficult to hide, all spaces were filled with people, both dazed and bustling, slowly filling up the spaces and edging her out into the light. And then she was in the middle of the noise and fuss, being offered cups of tea and wrapped up in blankets. And no one was recoiling from her ugliness, it was as if they didn’t notice any difference, as if they didn’t care. She slurped her tea and chuckled with her neighbours about how silly they all looked, about how scared they’d all been; and for once she didn’t need to think about her make up slipping or lipstick on her teeth. And it was quite nice.
Beautifully written. Hiding behind any mask is a type of prison. Now she is free.
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Thank you, I hope so, at east she’s taking the first step. 🙂
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I just attempted to “unspam” you. If it didn’t work, I don’t know what to do. I can see when you “like” my page however, and I continue to appreciate that! Thanks AC!
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She should be brave enough now to walk out without her disguise the next day.
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Great stuff, I use polyfilla myself, put it on with a trowel! Haha, seriously, I love the ‘make up around the sink like a jury’ bit. Have you written something like this before? Or maybe it’s your style I am recognising?
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What is pollyfilla? I’m intrigued.
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It’s for plastering over cracks in walls, not faces. I was just having a little joke at myself!
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Ohhhh hahahahahaha sorry. Thanks
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Intervention from above forcing her to drop the makeup worries. Nice! I like this Little snapshot piece. Enjoying your writing lately. 🙂
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Thank you! I aim to please 😉
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Any plans to continue this? Want to know what happens next!
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I’ve sadly known people like this. I had a roommate who would put on makeup to answer the door for pizza delivery. I thought it was bizarre. Insecurity is a real thing, though, and some people are tormented mercilessly for their faces either due to blemishes or just because people are asses.
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Sometimes make up seems like a trap, if you start wearing it, then you come to depend on it, and think you look wrong without it. But, yes, there’s a lot of cruelty too, especially when we’re young and still learning how to think of ourselves.
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