Title: "Dani's Island Adventure – Day Two"
As next day arrived with another brilliant sunrise, Dani stood at the edge of the set, nerves twisting her stomach. Yesterday had been rough, but today might be worse. She had hoped that maybe the shoot would be less physically demanding. Maybe shoots of her lounging by the water or sipping cocktails.
Tough luck.
“Alright, ladies, today we’re focusing on action shots,” the director announced , clapping his hands cheerily. “We’re pairing you up for some beach activities—paddleboarding, diving, maybe some surfing, and finishing with a round of beach volleyball. Should be fun!”
Dani’s heart sank. Fun? Sure, if you were fit and coordinated, like Elsa. Just the mention of paddleboarding made her muscles ache in anticipation. And then she heard the dreaded words:
“Dani, Elsa, you two will be paired up today.”
Dani forced a smile. Out of all the models, it had to be Elsa—the same Elsa who had mocked her mercilessly the day before, the same one who poked fun at Dani’s struggles. She saw the athletic blonde already smirking, as if the universe had aligned perfectly for her entertainment.
“Ready to have some fun, Dani?” Elsa asked, with not so subtle sarcasm in her voice.
“Thrilled,” Dani replied flatly.
The first task was paddleboarding. Again. The board wobbled beneath Dani’s weight, and she cursed silently under her breath. The crew set up their cameras as Dani attempted to balance herself, already hoping to do better than last time.
Elsa, of course, was born for this. She stood on her board effortlessly, her athletic body poised with-in Dani’s eyes- infuriating ease. She flashed a dazzling smile at the camera, looking- Dani grudgingly admitted to herself – like some sort of beach goddess.
Meanwhile, Dani forced to stay upright, as her board wobbled precariously, and with every movement, her thighs jiggled, and her arms flailed. She tried to focus, but she heard the sound of Elsa’s voice :
“Poor Dani ! You look like you’re one wave away from going under again.”
Dani gritted her teeth. She didn’t want to give Elsa the satisfaction of seeing her fail, but within minutes, a small wave rolled in, and she went tumbling into the water with a loud splash.
The crew gasped, Elsa’s laughter ringing out over the beach. A laugh that quickly communicated itself to the rest of the crew, some trying to hold it, some others not.
“Nice dive!” Elsa called, her grin wide and mocking. “Maybe we should just do some swimming?”
Dani surfaced, gasping for air, her swimsuit clinging uncomfortably to her body as she wiped saltwater from her face. She heard some laughs in the crew and the cameras kept rolling, capturing every humiliating second.
It’s just a job, Dani tried to tell herself. She was here to work, to do her best—even if today, her best was obviously not enough.
Next, they were tasked with some shallow-water diving. Simple enough, or so Dani thought. But Elsa turned it into another competition, effortlessly swimming like a mermaid while Dani was out of breath after only a few strokes. Each time she surfaced to breathe, she could hear Elsa’s snide comments.
“Maybe you should stick to floating, Dani. It’s more along your line.”
Dani tried to ignore her, but each taunt hit harder than the last. By the time they moved on to the next shoot, surfing, she was emotionally and physically exhausted. And surfing—Dani knew from the start—was not going to be any easier.
Elsa hopped on her board with ease, riding the waves like she’d been doing it her whole life, which was not far from the case. Dani, on the other hand, never could get past kneeling on the board without wobbling. She gave it her best shot, her arms trembling as she tried to stand, but her legs gave way and she tumbled headfirst into the water, again.
The cameras caught everything. The crew, holding their urge to laugh, tried to be supportive, clapping and calling out encouragement, but Dani could hear Elsa laughing behind her.
“Maybe just stick to modeling, Dani. Leave the sports to fit people.”
Dani swallowed the words stinging like salt in an open wound. It felt like being picked apart piece by piece, every failure becoming a joke at her expense. By the time they reached the final activity—beach volleyball—she was barely holding herself together.
The crew set up a net as Dani prayed for mercy, for at least some small victory to salvage the day. But with Elsa on the other side of the net, she knew it was a losing battle from the start. The ball sailed through the air, and Dani scrambled to hit it, but she missed more times than she could count. Each failed attempt was met with sarcasm from Elsa.
“Oops, missed again! Maybe next time?”
When Dani finally did finally manage to make contact with the ball, it hit the net and dropped limply to the sand. Elsa smirked with her hands on her hips.
“Don’t worry, Dani. Not everyone’s cut out for this stuff.”
That was it. The dam broke. Dani felt the familiar sting of tears welling up behind her eyes, but she would never let them fall. Not in front of Elsa, ever. She forced a smile, her humor shield feeling brittle and about to shatter into pieces.
“Yeah,” Dani replied with a tight voice. “You can have the sport and leave the fun to me.”
Elsa raised an eyebrow, as if she hadn’t expected Dani to push back at all. “Whatever you say, Dani.”
The rest of the day passed in a blur of awkwardness, embarrassment and humiliation. Dani’s growing sense of isolation growing by the minute. The crew laughed at her quips but she could see they were also amused by her clumsiness and Elsa’s taunts She felt every stumble, every fall had was chipping away at her confidence, and Elsa’s taunts undermining her strength. By the time the shoot was over, Dani felt raw and exhausted.
As the crew packed up, Dani quietly made her way back to her room, avoiding everyone’s gaze. She wanted nothing more than pretend the day hadn’t happened. For the first time in a long time, she felt defeated—like she didn’t belong in a placeshe had fought so hard to reach.
Once she was alone, Dani sat on the edge of her bed. The jokes she’d made throughout felt hollow now. Her usual humor, that usually was her armor, had cracked.
She sighed deeply, thinking about how easy it had been for Elsa to mock her, how effortless her cruelty had seemed. And for a moment, Dani wondered if maybe Elsa was right.
But then she remembered why she’d started this journey in the first place. She had never been here to fit in. She was here to show people that beauty came in all shapes and sizes—that there was strength in vulnerability, power in imperfection.
Dani wiped her eyes, stood up, and looked in the mirror. Tomorrow, she would show up again. Not because it would be easy. Not because she was perfect. But because she was Dani, and she didn’t quit.
But the fear kept eating her guts.
The evening sun began to sink below the horizon, casting a warm, orange glow over the beach. The crew had wrapped for the day, and a relaxed atmosphere settled in as everyone gathered for the beach party. Tiki torches lined the shore, soft music floated through the air, and drinks flowed freely. Despite her exhaustion and embarrassment from the day, Dani decided to join the gathering. She was not going to hide in her room, though she had been tempted to.
Dani nursed a cocktail, trying to find solace in the sound of the waves. The cool breeze felt good against her skin after all she’d endured in the day. She could still feel the sting of Elsa’s sarcasm that had worn her down like sandpaper. She wasn’t in the mood for more confrontation, but she also wasn’t in the mood to hide and give Elsa the joy of victory.
As she stood off to the side, watching the others laugh and dance, Dani caught sight of Elsa across the firepit. The athletic blonde was laughing with a group of people, looking as perfect as ever. Dani tried to avoid her gaze, but Elsa noticed her almost immediately, and a familiar smirk crept onto her beautiful face.
Within moments, Elsa, drink in hand, was walking toward Dani, eyes gleaming with her usual predatory amusement. The one Dani had come to dread. She stood just a little too close, speaking on tone too sweat to be honest.
“Hey, Dani,” Elsa purred, “Enjoying the party? Or are you still too out of breath ?”
Dani forced herself to stay calm. She didn’t want to act out —not here, in front of everyone. But Elsa was pushing all the buttons she knew, and Dani could feel her patience melting like snow in a campfire.
“I’m fine, Elsa,” Dani said, trying to keep her voice light. “Just enjoying the evening.”
Elsa took a sip of her drink, then leaned even closer. “You know, Dani, I’ve been thinking… maybe you are just not cut out for this. I mean, today was too rough for you, wasn’t it?”
Dani’s fists tightened at her sides. She took a deep breath, barely holding her composure. “ I’m doing just fine.”
But Elsa just laughed, a low, mocking sound. “Come on, Dani. Seeing you flopping all over today was embarrassing. For you, and frankly : for all of us. A real shame. Time for a reality check”
Dani’s temper flared. She had dealt with Elsa’s sarcasm and cruelty all day. She had swallowed every drop of it and pretended not to care. But now, she couldn’t take it anymore. She’d had enough.
“You’re the one who needs a reality check,” Dani snapped, stepping closer, her voice rising. “You act like you’re better than everyone else but the truth is : you’re the most miserable person here. You’ve spent the entire day tearing me down, trying to make me feel like I don’t belong. Why ? Because you’re so insecure that you can’t stand the idea of someone like me being confident in my own skin?”
Elsa’s smirk faltered, her eyes narrowing. “Watch it, fatty ! ”
Dani ignored the insult and continued, her voice shaking with anger. “You can mock me all you want, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re just a bitter, insecure bully. You hate yourself so much that the only way you feel good is by making someone else feel like crap. Well, guess what, Elsa? As far as I am concerned, it’s over !”
For a split second, Elsa’s expression was unreadable. Then, suddenly, her face twisted with fury, and before Dani could react, Elsa shoved with all her strength, sending her stumbling back into the sand. The people around them gasped, but froze, not knowing what to do.
“You think you can talk to me like that?” Elsa spat, her voice seething with rage. “You ! Miserable mountain of lard ?”
Dani barely had time to brace herself. In one swift motion, Elsa shoved her hard, her hands slamming into Dani’s shoulders. Dani staggered backward, her bare feet slipping in the sand. Somehow she managed to stay on her feet, but the impact had knocked the wind out of her.
Dani, her heart racing, tried to straighten up but before she could say anything, Elsa lunged.
The first punch landed squarely in Dani’s gut, a brutal hook that sent a shockwave of pain through her body. Dani gasped, doubling over, her arms instinctively wrapping around her midsection, trying to protect herself. But Elsa the next blow came even faster. A fist connected with Dani’s shoulder, sending her stumbling sideways.
“Get up!” Elsa spat. “Come on, aren’t you going to fight back?”
Dani tried. Really, in spite of the fact that the last time she physically fought, she must have been 8 years old. She swung an arm toward Elsa, aiming for her torso, but her movements were sluggish and uncoordinated. Her fist barely grazed Elsa’s side, and Elsa did not even flinched.
“Pathetic,” Elsa sneered, her lips curling into a cruel smile.
With the ease of someone who had clearly fought before, Elsa grabbed Dani by the hair, yanking her forward. Dani cried out in pain, her scalp burning as Elsa pulled her down toward the sand. And then, with terrifying speed, Elsa’s knee shot up, slamming into Dani’s ribs. Dani’s body crumpled at the impact, a thud sounding as her knees hit the ground.
The crowd of partygoers finally noticed something was happening. Some just watched in, some shouting for the women to stop, others rushing to intervene. But no one got there fast enough.
Elsa shoved Dani onto her back, and Dani hit the sand hard, whatever air was left in her lungs brutally expelled. Pain flared in her side where Elsa’s knee had connected, and she barely had time to catch her breath before Elsa was on top of her, pinning her down.
“Is this all you’ve got?” Elsa hissed, her eyes wild with rage.
Dani tried to push Elsa off, , but Elsa was too strong for her flabby arms. She straddled Dani’s waist, using her knees to pin Dani’s arms to the ground. Dani was trapped. Panic surged through her as Elsa’s fist drew back again, and then came crashing down into her face.
The punch landed squarely on Dani’s cheek, the pain immediate and blinding. A burst of white flashed in her vision as her head snapped to the side, her cheekbone throbbing under the impact. She could taste the metallic tang of blood in her mouth as it trickled from her split lip.
Another punch followed, this time to the other side of Dani’s face. Her head lolled to the side, her vision blurring from the force of the blows. She could hear people shouting—her name, Elsa’s name—but it all seemed distant, muffled by the ringing in her ears.
Elsa wasn’t done. Her fists came down again, this time in quick succession. One punch landed on Dani’s ribs, the next on her stomach, each hit knocking the breath out of her in sharp, painful bursts. Dani tried to curl into herself, but Elsa wouldn’t let her. She had her pinned, helpless, unable to defend herself.
And still, Elsa kept hitting.
Dani’s body felt like it was on fire, every inch of her aching, bruised, broken. She could feel her own hot tears mixing with the sand under her face, but she didn’t care anymore. The pain was overwhelming.
Just as Dani thought she couldn’t take any more, suddenly, the weight of Elsa’s body was lifted off her. She blinked as two crew members hauled Elsa away, still kicking and thrashing in their grip.
“You’re nothing!” Elsa shouted as they dragged her back. “You’re a joke!”
Dani lay in the sand, her chest heaving, her entire body trembling with the aftershocks of the attack. Her cheek throbbed with every heartbeat, her ribs screamed with pain, and her face was hot with the blood from her split lip. Every inch of her felt like it had been beaten into submission.
Slowly, gingerly, Dani rolled onto her side, clutching her bruised ribs with shaky hands. Her body feached everywhere but worse than the physical pain was the shame. She had stood up for herself, but with what result ? Pain and humiliation.
The partygoers stood in stunned silence. Some looked at her with pity, other whispered between themselves. But, to Dani, the only thing that mattered now was getting up, proving she could still stand.
With a shaky breath, Dani pushed herself onto her hands and knees, her body protesting every movement. She could feel the cool sand sticking to her wet face as she wiped her cheek, her lip still bleeding.
Slowly, painfully, Dani rose to her feet, wobbling as she stood. The crowd parted as she staggered through, not looking anyone in the eye.
Bruised, battered, and broken, Dani made her way toward the edge of the party, disappearing into the shadows. She wasn’t sure where she was going or what she was going to do next, but one thing was certain—she had lost this battle, but she wasn’t done fighting. Not yet.
To be continued
