Beauty is in the Eye
Author's Note
Word count before authors note: 5770
Alyssa Marie Jones
While writing this, I had many ideas about Marie I couldn't find a way to explain in the story and stay within my word limit. The concept for her was that she was adopted from Japan as a young girl. Her dreams of the garden and old house have to do with memories of her childhood and her old grandmother. Her name was originally Mari, which would explain her attachment to her middle name.
Her self image issues, of course, have to do with the fact that she never felt as if she could fit in to her predominately upper class, white social group.
If it wasn't obvious, Marie was struggling with a person who wasn't there controlling her life, who she called Alyssa. Alyssa is an idealized version of herself, the person she would be if she were truly the child of her adoptive parents.
I based this off of my very limited knowledge of schizophrenia. Below are a few notes I've found about the mental illness.
Schizophrenia
Late adolescence and early adulthood are peak periods for the onset of schizophrenia, critical years in a young adult's social and vocational development.
Schizophrenia and Violence
People with schizophrenia are far more likely to harm themselves than be violent toward the public. Violence is not a symptom of schizophrenia.
This story was inspired, of course by the photos provided to me as part of the Horror Story Smack Down Contest.
It was also, inspired by many mornings spent jogging and listening to Sheryl Crow. I have no idea why Sheryl Crow seemed to inspire a twisted, psychological kind of thriller/ horror piece, but she did. Specifically her songs: "Oh, Marie" and "A change would do you good."
When working on this story, I have to admit I was also influence by the book and movie, "Fight Club" as well as the movie, "Black Swan." I'm rather fond of psychological thriller kind of themes in stories.
Special thanks to seeMISARCHIST who read this before I posted it and helped me polish it up a bit... as well as tolerating my whining and grumblings while working on it.
I've included the lyrics of "Oh, Marie" below. This song, is of course, copyrighted to Sheryl Crow.
Studio album by Sheryl CrowReleased September 24, 1996 Recorded 1996
Written by Sheryl Crow and Jeff Trott
Oh Marie
Here she comes she's all dressed up in daisies
Half the time you'd swear that she is crazy
Flowered drinks and a low cut dress
That's the way I know her best
She says she's lonely how could she be?
Every night she's got company
Oh Marie
I sure hope you're happy
Oh Marie
What about me Marie
She likes the way she looks in her Camaro
She likes lingerie but he prefers the sombrero
She's so famous on the block
She stumbles home around four o'clock
She claims the guys are hard to please
She wears teen perfume behind her knees
Oh Marie,
I sure hope you're happy
Oh Marie,
What about me, Marie
All day long she fills me up with dogma
She's all magazines and benzedrine and vodka
There was one man she truly loved
He took everything but her bear-skin rug
And now and then it's clear to me
That need is love and love is need
Oh Marie,
I sure hope you're happy
Oh Marie,
What about me, Marie
Oh Marie,
What are you looking for
Oh Marie,
Always an open door
What are you looking for
YOU ARE READING
bittersweets
Short Storybit·ter·sweet: being at once bitter and sweet; especially: pleasant but including or marked by elements of suffering or regret. A collection of short stories I've written since joining Wattpad for various contests, challenges, and publications. Thes...
