"This Weird Face Fox" by Razia Sultana ('20)

I can't believe it! What happened to me! How did I become a white fox that has golden eyes, two upright ears, a weird nose, and beard-like hairs hanging over my face! No, it wasn't me last night when I came home, ate dinner, used Facebook. How did my beautiful hair and face disappear just overnight? No, no, I don’t believe this! But at the same time I can’t disbelieve my own familiar mirror that I see every day. What should I do now? It seems like I should become a rememberer like Annie and remind myself of my past life to hold onto who I was.

Okay, my name was Jeanne before I became this weird face fox. I live by myself since there is no one to live with me. As far as I remember my parents never lived with me since I was an orphan from my toddlerhood. I was completely left alone and used to walk around to collect things like bottles and plastic to sell for earning my meals. That’s how my days, months and years were going by, living in a pipe of a slum until my teenage years came and covered me with a new body shape. Almost everyone in the slum loved me because I used to smile to everyone and help people whenever I could.

My life started to change right after my body shape started to change. I started working in a bar to sing and entertain people. That is when things became difficult for me because of my stunning face and beautiful eyes. Many of the people that saw me in the bar wanted me as their bed partner, even some wanted to marry me. But I was so used to my life and wanted to be me that I didn’t want to add anyone to my lonely life. I wanted to see and do everything on my own.

Last night, I clearly remember, when I was coming back home from the bar, one guy was following me and caught up with me to go with him. When I said no, he pulled my hand and forced me, but I pushed back and escaped. Since this wasn’t the only incident in my life where I was entrapped because of my beauty, I got really annoyed about my body and started crying and prayed for my body to somehow change like Daphne prayed in the face of the jaws of Apollo.