5.55am…  Somewhere on campus.

I drifted in and out of the fog. Burning, excruciating pain! A double-horned, pitchfork-wielding image of the devil would have completed this horror scene from the nightmare I seemed to be having.

But I was not dreaming. I knew this for a fact because as soon as I opened my eyes, the intensity of my pain increased in geometric proportions. My right eye was literally on fire and the tears were flowing freely. I struggled to remember where I was and why I was encumbered by so many articles of clothing. Then it all came rushing back- the flashing cameras, the red carpet poses and fanfare that accompany the crowning of a new beauty queen.

Yesterday, another belle officially took my place as the most beautiful girl on campus. It had been an awesome year and the last few days had been super hectic with the preparations and all. The last thing I remembered was crashing into bed as soon as I got home a few hours ago, too tired to go through my nighttime routine of decluttering both my costumes and make-up.

I had only been asleep for about 4 hours. I dragged myself to the mirror to take a closer look. Blue, red-rimmed eyes stared back at me behind the disheveled mop that was my hair. Then it suddenly dawned on me - I had forgotten to take off my contact lenses again. They were purely cosmetic but I loved them because they gave me a mysterious air. I usually matched them up with my outfit on special occasions like yesterday's show.

I quickly took them off.  I tried rinsing out my eyes several times with water from the bathroom sink but the pain persisted. At this point I was past desperate. I had to get to the hospital fast. I called up my best friend...

7:05am… Emergency room

I told my story as my eyes were being examined. The contacts lenses were the culprits. Thanks to them, I had a small wound in my right eye. I was told I was lucky because it could have been worse. I will not be going back to them in a hurry...

P.S. While there are many reasons why you may want or have to wear contact lenses (medical or cosmetic), a whole lot could go wrong if care is not taken. Find out more on how you can safely use contact lenses, and the warning signs that something may be wrong...