Falling Into Shadows

“It took me years to build the confidence that seemed to brush off me as I walked, but I felt as if my fragile bones had shattered any self-esteem that I had once established. I felt self-conscious and vulnerable again as my insecurities overshadowed my mind and compelled me to see only the undeniable flaws of my body. I knew that I would have to starve myself for another four days so I could be beautiful, but I would have to neglect any unwanted calories for weeks so I could be perfect.”

Annabelle Emerson appears to live an enviable, normal life. All of her peers are jealous of her confidence and rail-thin body, but there’s just one problem: no one knows that something is wrong. After all, if Annabelle herself doesn’t know, then how can anyone else realize that not everything is perfect?

No one knows that she secretly envies the faces in a magazine and yearns to look as lovely as the models do in photographs, while she is oblivious to the editing done to each picture. No one realizes that Annabelle scrutinizes her body with disgust and can only see the flaws of it without conceiving the beauty of imperfection. No one realizes any of this except for Alex, a childhood best friend who perceives that not everything is what it seems.

Will Alex help Annabelle realize that she is living in a shattered dream? Or will her peregrination into the depths of the shadows lead to her downfall?

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