Sophie stands in front of the mirror, her arms crossed, glaring at her own reflection. Her crop top and shorts expose every contour of her bony frame, but she can’t help but notice that next to her, Anna looks even taller and thinner. The envy gnaws at her, building quietly into determination. "Anna, let's have a weight loss competition. I want to see if I can finally be thinner than you."Anna raises an eyebrow, her long dark hair tumbling over her skeletal shoulders, and nods with a slight smirk.
"I accept your challenge, Sophie. Let's see who can lose the most. But you know, I’ve always been taller and thinner—are you sure you want this?""I'm tired of feeling fat next to you. I need to prove something, even if it’s just to myself." They make their pact, shaking hands with bony fingers, the competition officially underway.
Sophie grows paler, her ribs even more defined beneath her crop top. Anna becomes a silhouette—her thigh gap so vast, her dog darts between her legs without touching her. They push themselves harder, counting calories, skipping meals, and motivating each other with whispered promises and competitive glares.
Anna pulls her crop top tighter, marveling at how her bones press against her skin. Sophie hugs herself, shivering, her bony arms wrapped around an impossibly tiny waist. They look like skeletons—fragile, breakable, and haunted by the competition that pushed them too far.
"Anna you win ... and we look horrible. I thought I’d feel better if I caught up to you, but I just feel empty.""You were never fat, Sophie. I think we lost sight of what really matters. Maybe we should stop before we disappear completely." A heavy silence settles, and both girls nod, agreeing that the competition ends here.
"No more competitions. Let’s just be sisters again.""Agreed. We’ll never do this again." As darkness falls, they step away from the mirror, leaving behind reflections that no longer haunt them, and embrace the promise of healing together.
