Lilly Of The Valley

Lilly is a gorgeous woman, a famous beauty queen in her day. She was so beautiful that men would follow her wherever she went. She was treated like royalty every day because of her knockout looks. She had her pick of any suitor in the world that she wanted. Had the finest clothes and also had plenty of money.

After awhile she got tired of all the attention and wild taunts that all the men would give her. All the whistles and stares became cumbersome after much time had passed. Since she grew tired of all the admiration she decided not to fix up anymore and to let herself go. She didn't wear any make-up or fix up her hair. She wore old shabby clothes too so nobody would recognize her. She hoped that this would be the disguise she needed.

But alas, she would go out in public and still somebody would recognize her. Her beauty was so captivating that even without her make-up she was still as beautiful as ever. Even in casual clothes that had tears and holes in them, she still looked good. There was no stopping the press or admirers from stalking her from day to day.

Lilly decided to be a shut-in for years and had servants get her all that she needed from the outside world. She would have doctors come to see her. She would have people bring her all the groceries or clothes she needed. Anything Lilly wanted she got from the aid of her helpers. The only place Lilly ventured out was her own back yard with a wickedly high fence to climb. Surely she was safe there.

As the years passed Lilly began to gain weight and lose her looks. She developed wrinkles, bags and dark circles under her eyes. Her skin also began to sag and she had layers of body fat covering her mid-section. Indeed she surely let herself go and after 10 years she looked like a whole other woman. Her friends, family and servants just couldn't believe how different she looked. Surely she can go out in public now and not even get so much as one look. Lilly felt it was time to venture out again and see the world.

“Francine, I must go out again. I must see if I still have it, you know? Still have that magnetic charm and graceful beauty that was once my own. But just how to do this I don’t know? Look at me, I’m an old aging woman. Nobody will ever look at me again.”

“Oh I wouldn’t say that madam, you could do wonders with a little fixing up. I’ll fix up your hair and put some glamorous make-up on you. You will be a changed woman,” Francine said with an encouraging smile.

“I sure hope so,” Lilly said with a sigh. “But I still would like to go out just how I am today and just see if I still get any looks just the way I am. I used to go out without my make-up all the time and I was drooled over”

“Just have confidence my dear and stand tall. And try to not be so down and hard on yourself.”

“You are right Francine. I will try and think positive.”

But just as Lilly suspected nobody even recognized her. Nobody followed her around or even whistled at her. They didn't even know she existed. She didn't get the royalty treatment either. There was nobody to open up doors for her wherever she went and nobody to take pictures of her or want her autograph. Nobody to even light her cigarettes for her. She had been deemed a has-been. And the sad irony is that she missed all the attention. She wanted the looks that she got from other men. She wanted all the whistles and people asking for her picture.

Not one soul paid any attention to her nor cared. She wanted her looks back so badly she could taste it. She went back home and sulked. She picked up her mirror and just stared at all those wrinkles and facial flaws.

“What happened Lilly? Didn’t anybody give you any looks?”

“No, darn it, it was very depressing. I wanted to ask someone if they even knew who I was and if they wanted my autograph, but who would want an autograph from an old bag like me?”

“Well it looks like you will have to get all dolled up and put it to the test again. I have a feeling everything will change then.”

Lilly grimaced a weak irritated smile and went straight to her vanity table to slather on the cold cream and put on her make-up. She put on her green dress and little white gloves and hat on.

She walked outside with a new stride in her step and with newfound confidence. The sun was gleaming on her face and it felt revitalizing. She got in her car and headed for downtown to do some shopping. She felt beautiful once again, but alas nobody looked at her or even cared.
To her dismay she got one look or perhaps two, but it just wasn't enough for her vanity. She tried every beauty cream on the market, she tried chin straps and she did facial masks. She tried exercising and a good diet, but she still didn't lose any weight. She tried all sorts of cosmetics too and finally she decided to go to the best cosmetics counter in a famous department store.

The sales woman gave her a magic potion to restore her beauty once again and said to her, "Give it a try, I guarantee you'll like it...try it...try it," she smiled like a fortune teller pulling the wool over her eyes.

“Are you sure I’ll like it?" Lilly asked suspiciously.

“Why yes my dear, I guarantee it. I’d stake my life on it. I use this little gem myself and it works beautifully. It’s the best product on the market, better yet the best product in the world!”

Even though it was the most expensive potion in the store, she went home and immediately she drank some of the potion.

Lilly held the mirror up to her face and looked at her reflection. "Oh what am I doing? I'm not going to tell a difference this soon. I should just wait."

But she couldn't wait much longer and just stared in the mirror. All of a sudden something had happened as quick as a flash. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Wow, it's amazing. It does work. There is a difference already and in only one treatment! My skin is so much softer and I'm getting younger! I can't believe this!" she shouted with joy.

Each time she drank from the potion she became more and more beautiful again. Her skin was smooth, no more wrinkles or bags under her eyes. Her body was youthful again as well. She was so excited. Finally she could be beautiful again. That alone was worth the price of a million potions.

She stared at her gorgeous face in the mirror day and night and would talk to the maids about how differently she looked.

“I just can’t get over the difference. Everyone is going to be surprised by my new transformation eh Rose?

Rose nodded and replied, “Oh yes, they are going to be stunned.” Rose rolled her eyes and just played along with Lilly. Unfortunately Rose thought she looked the same as she always had and never changed one bit. She thought it was purely psychological on Lilly's behalf.

“Which dress should I wear Rose, the green velvet emerald dress or the gold satin one?”

“Well you know I’ve always liked the gold dress on you best, I choose that one.”

“Okay darling, the gold one it is!” Lilly shouted enthusiastically while putting on her make-up.

On that very night she planned for a party and invited all her close friends, relatives and past beauty contestant friends that she once competed with.

Everyone arrived accordingly that night. She told them all that she wanted to reveal the "New Lilly" and everybody was awaiting her entrance from the bedroom into the grand foyer.

“Oh this is going to be so exciting Rose! To see all my close friends again and to have them see how I used to look. I could really turn the heads in my day couldn’t I Rose?”

“Oh yes Lilly you could turn any head on any street, anywhere, anytime. I always used to say if you couldn’t turn their heads, they might as well be dead,” Rose said while chuckling.

“I’m so nervous Rose, thank you for making me laugh and lightening up the mood.”

“You’re welcome madam, it’s my pleasure.”

“Francine,” the maid asked,” would you mind helping me get Lilly ready for the party?”

Francine raced over to the vanity table to help put Lillie’s hair in an upsweep hair-do. She did the last minute touches on her hair, made sure everything was in place and the moment to reveal was here! Lilly stood tall in her gold satin gown and started to head for the double-sided doors. She took a deep breath and then a little grimace of conceit swept over her face. She could hardly wait to get the party’s reaction. She opened the double-sided doors and came out...everybody just stared in shock.

"Look at me aren't I beautiful again?" she said like an excited child. Still everybody just stared at her and gave her strange looks.

"What's the matter? She asked. Don't you like my transformation?"

One of her friends gathered up the courage and said, "But you’re the same Lilly that is an old woman with white hair. You look the same to all of us."

"No! Lilly shouted. Can't you see me? Look!" And she ran and got a mirror and held it up to her face. She looked in the mirror and saw her beautiful self again. "Can’t you see me, I'm not old, I'm young. I'm not wrinkled, I'm beautiful!" Everyone was bewildered. Nobody could see this beautiful woman she was describing. To them she was just an old, aging woman in a gold dress.

"Now dear, calm down. Why don't you just sit down and relax a bit," Marge said with empathy.

"Marge, you are one of my best friends and you have always been honest with me. I ask you this question--do I look the same to you now as I've always have?" Lilly asked.

Marge stood there frozen, not wanting to say anything to dishearten Lilly.

"Well?" Lilly said impatiently while tapping her fingers on the glass table.

"I don't want to upset you so I'm afraid to say anything, but you do look the same to all of us. We are telling you the truth."

"I don't believe this. Is this a trick or something?" Lilly asked.

Everyone nodded their heads that it wasn't a trick. They were verifying that what they were seeing was real.

Lilly circled the room frantic with dismay and said, "You all can't see me, can you? Only I can see myself,” She said stunned.

She grabbed her mirror and smashed it on the ground and then turned to smash it up on the elegant gold table in the foyer. She did this repeatedly until it broke into many shards of glass.

"It just can't be. Why can’t you all see me?” She shouted with a wild-eyed look.

Her friends and family were scared of her and after an hour of Lilly wailing and saying things that weren't true they called for the police. Lilly was taken out of her home and constrained by four men in white lab coats...coming to take her far away into a place of psychiatric care and treatment in...The Twilight Zone.

Closing statement--The price of beauty, how much is it worth to you? The beautiful Lilly of the valley wasn't content with her looks when she should have considered herself lucky. You know the old saying "when they stop looking that's the time to worry". But this time nobody was looking. They were only staring at an archaic figure of wrinkled flesh...not seeing the beauty that Lilly saw. It's the sad irony of this tale..be careful what you wish for in.. The Twilight Zone...