THE CALL
I got a phone call from Bozzak, the photographer who invited me to take pictures. He said he had shown the pictures he had taken around and had gotten “positive” feed back on them, one of them being from his contact with Victoria Secret. I could feel I was blushing as I said “Oh my god, really?”. He asked if I had thought anymore about it or if it was something I would consider doing. I told him I had fun and didn’t think anything would come from it, but now hearing that someone liked it, it is something I would like to try again. “Great” he said, “We can take some more pictures and prove it wasn’t just a fluke”. I laughed and said “Yea”.
He told me he had a small client that was looking to do a spread or an ad and figured if I was interested he would suggest me to them and see what they would say. He said it was a “win-win situation, since it would help both them and me out. With me being new, they wouldn’t need to pay as much as they would if they had a professional model work with them and would help me because I would be getting paid out if it”. I replied “Yeah, that would be great.” trying to hide my excitement that I know I didn’t do a good job at. He explained he would contact them and tell them about me, if they were ok with it, he asked if it would be ok if he set up an appointment for me to meet with them. I replied again “Yeah, that would be great also.” my heart started to race and I could feel butterflies in my stomach. He must have realized I was getting nervous again because he said I would have nothing to worry about when meeting them, that they had already chosen me and I would have to try and sell myself to them. He added that he would also be there and take on any of the hard questions they might have, but he doubted they would have any.
He explained a bit more about what to expect and what not to, then he said he would let me know how things went and would get back to me in a few days. After saying good-bye and hanging up the phone, I think got the biggest smile I had ever had in my life. I squealed out loud and said to myself, “I got to call the others!” picking up the phone as I began dialing.
First Shoot
I called the photographer and he said he was happy to hear from me. I told him I was still a bit nervous about doing this and he understood that. He said to make myself feel more comfortable, that I could choose the place to take the pictures and he would work from there as a starting point.
He also remembered that I mentioned about myself doing clothing design. He asked what types of things I have made or if I had anything available at the moment that I might want to wear while posing. Since this is a first time shoot, the chance of him getting something for me to wear from a client would be low without seeing a portfolio first. I told him I did and he believed for the first shoot we should do a few different types that I could even use in a portfolio if I wished to. He suggested something that was form fitting, a bathing suit and something “different” of my choice. I told him I had a tight fitting Tank Top, a Bikini and a Corset, if that was different enough. He replied that would be good, that for a portfolio, agencies and clients like to see the model, not an artistic picture where you are wearing Victorian Style clothing or something like that. It allows the clients to see what their clothing will be fitting on.
I decided on the clothes I was going to bring and a Club that I had been to a couple of times for the shoot. I figured it had dark lighting and would hide any flaws on my body. :p
I met him at the club the next day and was glad to see that he didn’t get too lost with the directions I had given him. So I forgot a turn or two… Ok, two, but at least he had GPS to help him out. After he talked to the club owner to get permission to take pictures inside, we got to work.
I felt awkward at first, I never really modeled before and to tell the truth, I hardly ever did the pose thing in front of the mirror at home either. While taking the pictures, I tripped a few of times walking down the ramp at the club, one time nearly falling flat on my face. Each time I looked up at him worried he was going to freak out on me shouting that I ruined the shot or something, but each time he looked back and smiled saying it happens to everyone. I guess he knew I was nervous and also I had no training, how could he not since part of his job is finding new models. Not everyone plans on going to modeling school right? I know I didn’t, but that Rocket Scientist thing just never worked out for me, beside I would only want to be one because every morning I would walk into work releasing an evil laugh… Muh, ha, Ha, HA!!!
After taking pictures with my Tank Top on, he suggested we try taking some in my Bikini and also down by the beach if I felt comfortable enough with him to ride in his car to get there. I figured in the back of my head, the club owner saw us together and everyone knows from watch shows like CSI, that if someone is going to do something to you, it is best not to be seen with the victim before hand. We packed up or things and I climbed into his Minivan. (Yes, I was thinking it was going to be a sports car too before I saw it.)
Down at the beach I changed into my Bikini inside the girl’s washroom and wrapped a towel around myself before coming back out. By this time he had set up his gear on the beach facing out towards the water. I asked where he wanted me as I held onto the towel in the slight breeze. He replied that he wanted me out in the water cause it will show in a portfolio, that I am willing to try different and challenging things. I wasn’t to sure what he meant by that, I mean I was just going to be standing their while he took pictures. Of course, once I tested the water with my toe, I realized it was cold and I let him know with an “Oh my goddess, that is cold” comment or something like that. He laughed saying “That is part of the challenge, being able to pose like there is nothing wrong while freezing you butt off. Well that and also the waves pushing into you, throwing you off balance. If we get a good shot out of this, trust me, clients will be impressed.”
He asked shall we get started and I said sure. I removed my towel and walked into the cold water now fully realizing and think to my self that they had better be impressed, because it is getting even colder the further out I go. Not only that, but once out there, there was a ledge or a severely sharp slop right behind where I was going to be standing. If I stepped too far back, I would be going under the water all the way to the top of my head, but luckily the waves pushing at my back, kept me from doing that.
I started to pose, if you can call it that, and felt even more nervous than at first. I mean how could I not, here I am posing in a Bikini, for a guy I had only just met a short time ago, standing on the edge of a big slop in freezing water, with parts of me screaming to get out, trying to take a few good shots. Crazy, I agree, but all in all, he said it went rather well and he thinks he got a few shots as he scanned through them on his camera. He called to me to come back in and that I could get dried off and changed again. Well, he didn’t have to ask twice. I ran back in, running past him, grabbing my towel off the ground and wrapping it around myself once again, all in one fluid motion as I bolted towards the warmth of the washroom to get changed.
I put my other pair of jeans on and then my Corset, for the next shots I was hoping to take in a nice warm place somewhere. Once I came out of the washroom, he had finished packing up his things and said shall we try the next one in the studio? The fact that he said “in the studio” and not “in my studio”, made me feel comfortable in doing so as it sounded more public or at least more business type. I shook my head yes and we once again climbed into his Minivan and drove off to the studio.
We arrived at the Studio and I was please that my thoughts were right, that it was a studio and not just his apartment or something. We got out of the Minivan and walked through the glass doors at the front. With a smile to the girl at the front desk, he led me towards the elevator and we took it up to the third floor. Once the doors opened, my mouth almost dropped, the floor was empty except for photography lightings, back drops and assorted camera equipment. He turned to me and said “Welcome to the studio”. I was still in shock of the size when I replied “Th…Thanks…” I asked him why it was so big that aren’t you just taking pictures of a person standing still and he let me know that, that wasn’t the case. He told me that that have taken pictures of Motorbikes in here, Cars, Trucks and even brought in an aquarium to take under water pictures of models in a controlled environment. He said, lets take a few more pictures be fore it gets too late and see if I can do something quick with them.
I started to pose again, this time feeling more at ease because of the surrounds I was in. I even played at thinking I was a real model and tried to do some head turns and things while posing. He took his shots and then walked to a computer at the desk calling me over to take a look. He asked me to sit down and watch. With a few quick clicks of the keyboard and flicks of the mouse, he took the pictures he just took of me and made a small ad. He then asked me for the name I would give the Corset and a name for a designer label or something. I told him Green Flower Corset (yes I know really original) and said KasRie for the name of the label. It was so cool seeing the things he did in Photoshop and even cooler since it was me in the picture. He said I could use the picture for an ad if I wanted to and gave me a copy on disc to use.
He looked down at his watch and let me know it was getting late and that I might want to be getting home before it got dark. As I stood up, I thanked him for the day and that if nothing came of it, at least I had fun. He said he was sure he got some good shots and would put something together to show around. If some showed some interest, he would give me a call.
With that, I gave him my phone number and headed on my way home thinking to myself that I think I was in the right spot at the right time.
The right spot?
One day after school I was goofing off at the mall and a guy came up to me and asked if he could talk to me. It really surprised me as he came over while I was attempting to do a handstand, causing me to flop over, landing on my butt and then needing to adjust my skirt embarrassed as he looked down at me. He said he had been watching me for a bit and had a feeling about me. Well, that really made me feel nervous.
He then said “Let me explain myself so I don’t make you feel like I am a pervert or anything”, he went on to explain that his name was Bozzak and he was a photographer. He said while he was watching me, he thought I would be able to take some nice pictures. He mentioned he had done some magazine spreads and even shot at a lot of fashion shows, with Victoria Secret being the last big one. That surprised me because as far as I know, that is strictly VIP invitation only for a lot of people including the photographers.
He knew he had attracted my attention and then said the one thing he would prefer is, if I had short hair. He explained that there are a lot of models out there with long hair, but short hair was something he felt worked the best. He felt since it is a lot harder covering up a lot of hair if you get hired to do a project that requires short or a bald cap, that it is easier to put a wig on to do one that requires long hair. He then suggested that I would look good with short hair and should give it a try. I told him I didn’t have any money to get a hair cut and even had to borrow money from a friend not too recently, even though she said it was a gift, to help with buying an AV Sewing Machine for my clothing design.
He told me he thought I would be able to make a lot of money doing some modeling and things like that. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out L$100 and held it out to me. He said “If you want to try taking some pictures and aren’t to spooked about this whole thing, take the money and go get a hair cut. If you decide not to, then you can keep the money for your time here, but if you do decide to, give me a call”. He then gave me his business card and the money and walked off after a nod of his head.
The next day at school I told Yumi about it and she said it sounded strange, but that stranger things do happen. She went on to say that she remembered having fun doing a model shoot with Spooky for a poster ad that Gin was going be posting up at the club for some Baggy Pants he had finished making.
I had thought about it all night long, things like what if I turned this down, I could be missing out on something big, something life changing. Then I also thought, what is this guy was a perv, I could be getting my self into trouble. It was so frustrating, not know what to do and it was all coming back to my head as I sat with Yumi, starting to give me a headache until she said “You know, you might look cute with short hair.”, well that was it, I decided I would cut my hair that night.
I did want to talk to Spooky about it, but she was home getting over being sick from the past few days and didn’t answer my calls until later that night, but by then it was too late for my hair. She came to school the next day to the surprise of me having short hair. She didn’t really seem to like my hair cut and said she liked it long; that now it looks like the hair dresser took garden shears to it. Well, she was close. I let her know that she was wrong about the hair dresser part and in fact that I cut it myself because that way I was able to keep the L$100 for myself instead of paying someone else to do it. As she rolled her eyes, she said “What am I going to do with you”.
I explained to her what had happened two days before at the mall and she was skeptical about it. I gave her my thoughts of “Look at all the people that have become famous just by being in the right spot at the right time”. She then said “Look at all the people that have been taken advantage of for being in the wrong spot at the wrong time”. I would like to say that I was right, but I also know she was too. One thing about me is, I am a big follower of the “House of What If”, as in “What if I do this, it could come out basically 2 ways, good or bad.”, this has either saved me many of times or set me back many. Right now I am thinking it could be good, since I am low on money, don’t have a car or a bike or even a scooter and this could bring in some extra cash that my clothes design isn’t.
I didn’t want to wait to much longer cause the thought that he might find someone else and have no need for me anymore also echoed in my head. So I made up my mind again.
I pulled out his card and decided to give him a call.
Awake
It has come Demon, the day of your demise.
You have no power over me child, you can not defeat me.
It is not my power that will return you to your prison, but the Light of a thousand souls.
You have no power and no means to gather such power.
I will not need to, only channel it. You have spent many millennia in you prison, concentrating so much on your escape, so much on the bad that have happened in this world, but not on the good. Not on the good that has come from the bad. You yourself have forgotten the words from the book of Deredru, foretelling your return and you demise.
You talk of the Light. The Light has left this world.
There you are wrong. A gathering of the Light of a thousand souls, in sorrow for the loss of ones that gave their lives. You paid heed only to the great wars that scarred this planet, that ended family lines, but not to the days that followed. Days where the losses were remembered, days called Remembrance Day, Veterans Day, Armistice Day, National Day and The Day of Peace in the Flanders Fields. This day is that day, the day of Light where not a thousand, but millions gather in sorrow to remember the ones who have been lost.
This can not be. Your gods have turned their backs on you, you can not do this.
They have not turned their backs on us, only given us more freedom to choose our paths. Some will turn down the wrong one, but more of us everyday day make the right choice and it is those that will keep us safe from you.
I can not believe.
That is why you have failed.
I awoke scared, surrounded by Nurses and a Doctor trying to comfort me. I was confused, not knowing what was going on. My heart ached with the feeling that Spooky was gone. What had I done, Spooky was one of my closest friends and I had killed her.
Just then, Spooky and Yumi came walking into the room, I could feel a tear roll down my cheek when I saw them. They both smiled and Yumi asked me how I was doing, I replied that I was feeling good, but didn’t know what was going on. Spooky told me they had not heard from me for some time and with my parents being away, they couldn’t ask them where I was. They had both come over to my place and found me lying on the floor of my bedroom where they then called an ambulance.
It turns out; the demon had tried to trick me to believe I had killed Spooky, her twisted thoughts painting a picture of Spooky lying dead in her own blood. The demons hold on me had not taken over me fully like she wanted me to believe; she was only set free on Halloween, but had not regained her powers. She needed me to give up and thought by showing me Spooky dead that the loss of a friend would weaken me, but it only made me stronger. My will to fight back grew with the thought that she could take more of my friend away from me. The demon has been returned and nobody knows about it, or they no longer know about it. I have trouble remembering the details of what has happened, past days drawing a blank in my memory. I don’t know if I am loosing what has happened or if it was even real, but for some reason I seem to remember something about a book. Maybe I should take a trip to the library and check something out to read.
Imusak
It has started, I will take the ones closest to you and your heart will finally fall allowing me full use of my power. I won’t let you do this, I can’t let you. You have no choice child, you have no idea on how to stop me. That is where you are wrong. I know… I know now. You forget, you are a part of me as I am a part of you; I know how to defeat you. You know nothing! I control this body; you can do nothing to stop me. You have no means of gathering the light for your use; no means of orchestrating a thousand souls in giving the light. Think that if you wish, you will be defeated before you can even have the power to start to wreck havoc. Foolishness…
RETURNED
Haven’t seen my friends for some time now, haven’t been going out lately either. They probably think I hate them or something, but I don’t and I hope they know it. They are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time and I hope they know that too. I just truly hope they are not mad at me because I haven’t even been phoning them. It’s just… it’s just I can’t get the energy to go out any more.
I haven’t been feeling so good lately. I have been feeling really weak, just getting out of bed seems to be a struggle sometimes, my legs struggling just to stand. Walking to the washroom, takes all my effort, just trying to keep balance. When I look in the mirror, I start to get the feeling that it is not me looking back anymore. It has begun.
I think my mind is playing tricks on me, I started to her voices before, but they come more often now. My chest feels as though it is on fire, burning its way to the surface, it hurts; it hurts so badly. I can feel my skin crawling, my body hurting more than ever, a struggle just to breathe. I have waited for this day, the day of my release. Slowly I will take your life from you and nothing you do will change that fact.
My face, oh my god, what is happening, I can feel it taking me over. Why is this happening, what have I done to deserve this? Silly child, you struggle to no avail, for you no longer own this body or this life. The person you once were will be forever lost, never to return. Go see the Gods who have forsaken you, that left you unprepared for this.
Somebody help me!!! You are no longer child, you have failed. The book of Deredru for told my coming, the pages written in blood of those who imprisoned me. On Hallow’s Eve I will reclaim that which is mine and rule once more with none to oppose me. Man’s time has come to an end and my kingdom will once again be cleansed.
The time of my return has come and the time of the ones you hold so dear, has now come to an end. Nothing will save this land from the wrath I will bring upon it. The Light has left this land, all but a few souls who still struggle to hold on to it, the others killing each other for even gazing upon each other the wrong way. They take each others lives with such ease in their minds with no remorse. The Gods have truly turned their backs on them and I will take their followers from them as while they are turned away.
RETURN
Hallow’s Eve is upon us, the eve of my release. My time has come and yet these humans pay no heed. Lost are the days of old and with it the knowledge of my coming and therefore the knowledge that could save them. The book of Deredru foretold my coming, my return to my kingdom, but none have kept this knowledge alive. Those who knew have passed long ago, dying in the Plague of Black, a plague brought upon by my own will. A plague of which had cleansed my kingdom of 100 million lives that would have passed on the knowledge of the book of Deredru. A plague of which is now only remembered in a mere child’s nursery rhyme.
I have been imprisoned here for many millennia, but they knew they could not hold me forever, that one day I would leave this prison. That I would return to reclaim what is rightfully mine, to reclaim my kingdom from the humans as their Gods watch on helplessly, for even they it seems have forsaken them. I waited, watching great battles that have scorched my kingdom all in the name of false prophets. They fight amongst themselves, fighting endless battles that have no victor, only death. My return will make their great wars look a though they were mere childish bickering.
Let it be known, with my coming, that all will fall, human and god. Every god that was once prayed to will now pray to me, kneeling to my command. I will cleanse my kingdom once again with my bare hands and let the blood of the humans turn it red.
The Light is no more, and it shall never imprison me again.
School Times 