She had always been the life of the party. Her smile lit up the room, and her laughter was infectious. Everyone who met her was immediately drawn to her warmth and charisma. They saw the girl who was so strong, so brave, so full of life.

They admired her beauty, her style, and her grace. She seemed to glide through life with such ease, so confident and sure of herself. Her flawless smile never faltered, and she moved through the world with such effortless grace.

But what they didn't know was the darkness that threatened to consume her. She carried a pain and a fear that she could never quite shake. She felt broken, ashamed, and tainted, and she wore her mask to hide it all.

She no longer felt safe within her own skin, no longer whole or pure. Her body felt like a shell, a prison that she could never escape. The darkness inside her seemed to grow stronger with each passing day, and she didn't know how much longer she could keep pretending to survive.

She longed to break free, to escape from the prison that held her captive. She wanted to feel like she belonged, to find a place where she could be herself without fear of judgement. But she knew that it was just a dream, a distant hope that would never come to fruition.

And so, she continued to wear her mask, to hide her pain and her shame from the world. She smiled and laughed, danced and sang, but deep down, she knew that she was just a visiting stranger in a world that would never truly accept her.
© Peta-Gay Powell