France
Belle emptied her stomach into the toilet gagging as the final dregs hit the water below. She hadn't eaten much today but it still felt too much.
The beautiful are skinny, so to be beautiful you must be skinny, if you are not beautiful you are worthless.
She knew the thoughts were wrong but she couldn't help them. So once again she purged herself in the pursuit of beauty.
Outside the bathroom the giggles of a dozen other pretty girls could be heard as they prepared to compete to see which was the most beautiful.
Belle stood and cleaned herself off; leaving no trace of what she had been doing, before leaving to join the others. Soon she was swept up in a flurry of preparations as she was made up like the doll she felt she was at times.
Eventually her maman grabbed her by the arm and led her to the stage.
"Listen Belle..." She hissed, "this one has a good prize so be sure to win, these girls are good so you need to be perfect." She pushed Belle towards the stage hand.
"Mademoiselle are you ready?" He asked glancing at his list, Belle nodded and stepped forward into the stage light.
Stood next to her were the other girls waiting as the announcer began the pageant. Belle waited as the other girls were called forward until eventually she heard her name and she stepped up to where the judges could see her best.
Smiling her greatest false smile (she couldn't remember what a real one felt like) she slowly turned to return to her spot.
Before she could take a single step she felt a stabbing pain in her head and could feel herself falling to the floor. The last thing she could hear before losing consciousness was the call for an ambulance.