Author's note:
So I was asked to do a story about bullying and I gladly accepted it. Bullying is the one thing I hate. Me, I couldn't care less if people insult me; words brush off my skin like water. But I know it isn't that easy for others. The idiot that came up with the saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me," is completely wrong. Words do hurt. And I want to make that clear with this story. Anyways...enjoy!
This was no world like any other. The Makers had built it to show the pain of others, hoping to put an end to the endless tormenting, the evil in the world. They wanted to show that sticks and stones weren't the only thing that hurt. Words did too. Every time a person was insulted and took offense in it the word would sear itself on the person's skin; scarring them until healed. The Makers made this world for a reason. They made this world to stop bullying. They named it, PROJECTBEAUTIFUL.
Kimberly Beulah Crawford walks into the large building, the walls as white as snow. The sun shines through the large windows. As soon as she steps foot in the school all eyes are on her.
"Who's that kid? She looks so ugly!" a brunette girl retorts.
"Don't be mean Lindsay," an attractive brown haired boy says calmly. "She's new."
Kim starts to feels a slight burning sensation on her arm, the pain increases as the word ugly etches itself into her skin. She desperately yanks down her sleeve, trying to cover the word freshly imprinted on her skin. Embarrassed by the word, she rushes to her class long before the bell rings.
During her frantic rush to her class she bumps into the "ever so popular" quarterback.
"Look where you're going fatty!" He retorted frustrated as he adjusts his jersey. Finally, Kim makes it to class. The situation doesn't look as great as she had hoped. Her eyes scan the room only to be shaken by the searing sensation on her stomach. She looks down as the word fatty prominently proves itself on her stomach. The poor girl cringes as she takes a seat next to the window. As she looks out she feels the few rays of warmth from the partly cloudy skies.
Months pass, day after day she is tormented by her fellow peers. Jack, the only person who had bothered to ever listen to her, walks by her side. They had become best friends; he was the only person that made her feel better about herself. Her skin, imprinted with endless insults of hate andrage, is hastily covered by her over modest clothing as she walks into the school. The insults fly faster than bullets in a war zone. That's what it felt like….war and Kim was losing at a remarkable rate. Her beloved Jack shot back at the bullies, defending her. But it still hurt her to no end. It was Hell. The sun no longer shone through the large windows. Instead, a never ending storm was constantly over her head. As she walked through the halls it was obvious that she didn't look like the others. Some had clear creamy skin. Others had a smattering of faintly etched words as they continued to recover. But Kim was different. Her entire being was covered from head to toe with words in a thick black print revealing the hatred and pain she had inside. Not a single word had faded since the first day she walked through the doors. She watched the other student in envy.
Why did their words fade when hers didn't? Why did she seem so much more affected than them?
It was a mystery to her, some people managed to just brush off insults so easily. They didn't seem to BELIEVE that the reasoning behind the endless spew of pain was true. Could that be the key? Did she just have to believe that the words weren't true? These questions bounced around in her head throughout the coming days.
March 5th 2013, Kim began her normal routine of standing in front of the mirror and looking over the words. The questions were still swirling in her mind. Boldly, she decided to see if her hunch was true. "I'm not fat." She recited religiously as she looked at her scraggly; bony figure, a look of hatred and despair was affixed on her face. A type of desperation plunged into her heart.
"I'm not fat."
"I'm not fat."
"I'm not FAT!"
"I'm not FAT!"
"I'M NOT FAT!"
In her fit of desperation, her breathing harsh with a desire to believe that the words aren't true, she turned back towards the mirror. Her eyes grew wide in marvel as the word 'fat' began to fade away from her stomach and into her skin. She felt a warm fuzzy feeling inside, something she thought was long gone. The previously devastated girl finally came to realization. It didn't matter what anybody thought of her. Why would it matter that she wasn't the skinniest girl? Or the prettiest? She was herself. And for the first time in months, she was proud of being herself.
The next day at school was different. As Kim walked in all eyes were on her; but this time it wasn't out of mockery or wickedness. They stared at her in awe. Her skin was no longer prominently imprinted with insults. It was a clear creamy soft skin that confidently showed. No more excessive amounts of clothing to cover the pain. She had nothing to hide.
Author's note:
I really hope you liked that. For all those who get bullied, all those insults aren't true. They don't mean a thing and don't let them get to you. Ever. We are all amazing in our own ways. I see people get tormented in the hallways at school all the time and I hate it. Although sometimes it's scary, stand up for yourself. Don't take shit from anybody. Stay strong.