By: Alicia Chen

Her mind clouded with thoughts,

Eyes empty, pupils shiny and glossed.

Her thoughts and instinct constantly fought,

Troubling her, like an evil plot.

But she could only stand and smile,

Occasionally strutting around with style.

What they couldn’t see was her mouth filling with bile,

Her emotions crashing like waves in the Nile.

She bottled it up, shoved it away,

Because who cared if she was in dismay?

Who was she if not perfect and happy,

Who was she if not creative and savvy?

The world refused to accept her,

Complaining and fretting, a compelling spur.

So she changed her face, changed her style,

And eventually even her heart.

But, she found that she was still lazy, still stubborn, and unwilling to go the extra mile.

She wept in her room, pulled out her hair,

And hid it the next day with her intricate costume,

Concealing all her gloom.

She did this every single day,

And soon the edges of reality began to fray.

The face of the clock began to warp,

But she continues to beam, now only an empty corpse.