The Annual Life or Death Beauty Pageant

Submitted into Contest #66 in response to: Write about a contest with life or death stakes.... view prompt

227 comments

Fantasy Suspense

Everyone tells me Iโ€™m beautiful. Iโ€™m serious, everyone. Strangers strolling down the street will drop their coffee on the sidewalk and gawk at me, then ask how my complexion is so clear. All of the girls at Wilmington Academy beg me to style their hair and apply their makeup. All of the boys practically drool whenever I pass them by in the halls. Everyone wants to be me. Which is why I decided to enter into the Life or Death Beauty Pageant.ย 

The Annual Life or Death Beauty Pageant - or ALDB Pageant for short - is a contest watched worldwide. It was created by some billionaire who wanted entertainment yet didnโ€™t know what to do with his money. 20 girls compete for a chanceย to win 5 million dollars. The girls are placed in a large dome, each given a weapon of their choice, and then they fight to the death. The contest will usually last a week or so and the winner is presented with the money and a golden trophy.ย 

But this is a beauty pageant, so they had to find a way to involve the girlsโ€™ looks. Before the contest, the girls are interviewed to show off their appearance and personality. 50 Supporters will be watching, and each Supporter gets to decide independently who they think is the most beautiful or whose personality they adore. While in the dome, they send that girl protective armor, food, more weapons, and supplies. The prettiest girl always gets the most Supporters, and regardless of her talent, usually wins the contest.ย 

If I entered, I wouldnโ€™t have any trouble winning. One, Iโ€™m knock-out gorgeous. My hair is the color of a teddy bear my mother made for me when I was a child. My skin is tanned perfectly and clear of freckles, and it naturally makes my jade eyes sparkle. I could undoubtedly win this.ย ย ย 

The frigid air in my bedroom tears me away from my thoughts. I roll myself up in the quilt that my mother stitched together for me, hoping to get some warmth, but I donโ€™t succeed. Instead, I pull a knitted wool sweater - another craft my mother made for me - over my head as another attempt to be heated. This works better, but Iโ€™m still freezing. I reapply my run-down maeve lipstick, a used hand-me-down from my mother and one of the only things I can afford, and place it in its exact spot on my tattered nightstand. Even though I donโ€™t have much, I try to be organized.ย 

I stumble down the staircase, searching blindly for the light switch as I go down. I feel a raised piece of plastic on the peeling wall. I push it, and it provides me with immediate lighting. My pace quickens as I hurry to my garage, hoping to make it out before my mother wakes. I plop myself into the ripped seat of our old truck, plunge the keys into their proper hole, and turn them to the right, praying it will turn on.

After a few failed attempts, the old engine roars to life, and I slowly back it out of the garage, the noise making me cringe. I see my mother opening the window to her room and letting the sunlight stream in like she does each morning. We share a few similarities, such as our long brown hair and tan skin. But Iโ€™m told that my green eyes come from my dad. I wouldnโ€™t know. He abandoned my family when I was just a baby.ย 

When Mother notices the car pulling out of the driveway, her expression fluctuates entirely. Her jaw drops. She knows Iโ€™m going to sign up for the pageant. I mentioned it to her a week ago and pleaded with her to let me take part in it. My family needs money. Our shack of a home could use an upgrade and our beat-up truck has to be replaced. She refused to let me do anything that could possibly injure me. I kept arguing with her but she wouldnโ€™t oblige to my request no matter how hard I tried to convince her. I got so mad I wouldnโ€™t talk to her for days.

Mother rushes out of her bedroom, and I can picture her sprinting down the stairs right as I pull the vehicle out of the garage. The door is flung open when the truck reaches the street. She mouths something multiple times, and it takes me a second to realize she is saying, โ€œPlease.โ€ For a second my heart sinks, but then I ignore the feeling. Iโ€™m going to win this. And when I come back with 5 million dollars sheโ€™ll understand why I did this. I think to myself. Those other girls donโ€™t stand a chance against me. A smug smile makes an appearance on my face at the thought of beating all of the other losers in the pageant.


* * *

I arrive at a sleek skyscraper with over twenty floors, the words โ€œALDBโ€ in massive letters at the very top of the building. I plant my feet on the concrete sidewalk next to the street and softly shut the door closed, fearing that if I slam it, it might fall off of its hinges. I walk up to the large door of the building, and it slides away at my appearance, as if I am a queen and it is merely somebody constructed to serve me. I step into the building and my jaw drops.ย 

The place probably created the phrase, โ€œMoney is no object.โ€ White luxury diamond-encrusted sofas are placed in the back, and glass tables with gold rims are in the center. Beautiful greenery is sitting in the corners, and massive lights are hanging from the ceiling, reflecting off of all of the bejeweled items in the room - which is nearly everything. Thereโ€™s a quartz table placed right in front of me, and placed on it is a professional sign reading, โ€œAnnual Life or Death Beauty Pageant Sign-Upsโ€ in large gold letters.ย 

A woman about as old as my mother is sitting on a chair behind the table, scrolling through a square device - Iโ€™m nearly positive itโ€™s called a phone - not paying any attention to my presence. A sign-up sheet rests in front of her, a black and gold pen resting on top of it, beckoning me to pick it up and swirl it in large letters. I notice approximately 20 signatures. After counting, I realize there are 19 other signatures. Iโ€™ll be the last one. I pick up the pen and make swirling motions to produce my name - Savannah Oaks.ย 

The woman - deemed Laura Berks from her nametag - looks up at me, then plasters a fake smile on her face. โ€œGood morning.โ€ she says to me in an accent that I canโ€™t quite place the origin of. โ€œOh, another sign-up! This will be the last one! Iโ€™ll direct you to your chambers.โ€

Chambers? I thought to myself. This is all going so fast. Doesnโ€™t matter. I know I will win, no matter when the contest is or how it goes. I smiled to myself, yearning for my moment of victory.





November 06, 2020 04:07

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227 comments

B. W.
20:40 Nov 12, 2020

Heya, how are ya amiga? ^^

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B. W.
21:14 Nov 12, 2020

thats good ^^ what have ya been doing?

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Salom :)
05:09 Nov 12, 2020

This is really really good! I really like how you took the stereotype of a rich pretty girls and instead chose to twist that. Also, I really didn't expect them to have to fight to the death! You did a really good job with this. I really love your writing and I hope you do a part 2!

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B. W.
04:29 Nov 11, 2020

I got another new story out ^^ could ya check out "Sweet revenge" and then leave some feedback for it?

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B. W.
04:32 Nov 11, 2020

alright thanks ^^

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. .
23:25 Nov 10, 2020

This is so cool! I love that idea, but it feels like there was a lot of hunger games in there. No matter, I love the hunger games. Also, it felt like you were going a little fast, maybe go into detail and develop the character. However, totally something that I would read, and I was wondering if you could give feedback on my two stories? One of them is a submission to this same contest. Thanks!

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Of course! I love all of the stories for these prompts! Thanks for the feedback and I'll check out your story right now!

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13:57 Nov 10, 2020

Hii, Kylie Sorry to intervene, in this brutal manner, I have a request for you would be kind to give a single glance over the vehicle which my team had been working over months. https://www.instagram.com/p/CHX5VUPBJOp/?igshid=5f72nb3cgg30 Sorry to take your time and If possible like the post.Because this would help team to win

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That's fine!! I'll totally check it out!

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B. W.
06:39 Nov 10, 2020

hey, how are ya?

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B. W.
19:05 Nov 09, 2020

heyyyy

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B. W.
01:27 Nov 08, 2020

could ya maybe check out "Otherworldly repairs" and then leave some feedback?

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B. W.
17:32 Nov 10, 2020

thanks ^^ im excited to see what ya think

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B. W.
10:23 Nov 07, 2020

Heya, do ya think you could maybe help me with something? It's kinda with a new story

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B. W.
17:12 Nov 07, 2020

so ya know that alien prompt?

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B. W.
17:17 Nov 07, 2020

i got an idea for it and I was kinda wanting to run it by ya

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Echo Sundar
22:32 Dec 07, 2020

I need to read the next part!! this was such an interesting plot!

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Beverly Riddle
20:44 Dec 06, 2020

This story makes me think of the Hunger Games. GREAT JOB! You should think of writing a book!

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Beauty stars fighting to the death... Original, creative, and I CAN' WAIT TO SEEE WHAT HAPPENS! Can you please write a continuation? (Just something I noticed about myself reading this: I'd rather fight to the death against a girl who as prettier than me than have her insult my weird fashion. And weird purple hair. And weird everything. I'd take duels over rude comments any day.)

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Haha, of course I will! And totally!

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Yes, Crystal! Thanks for the continuation! I can't wait.

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A. S.
21:54 Dec 03, 2020

This story was great. A beauty pageant is not something I would typically picture with life or death stakes, but it works really well with your story. I really enjoyed your descriptions. Your main characterโ€™s personality... her arrogance is hilarious (to me at least), and she walks that very fine line between arrogance and confidence. Would you be willing to read one of my new stories?

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B. W.
20:35 Nov 21, 2020

heyyy

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B. W.
05:46 Nov 22, 2020

how are ya?

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B. W.
23:22 Nov 22, 2020

nice ^^

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B. W.
18:41 Nov 19, 2020

heyyy

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B. W.
20:29 Jan 16, 2021

Hey?

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