Click the pic for the original challenge. Written for Ermilia’s Picture It & Write.
His voice drones in a hollow tunnel, resounding in the back of my mind somewhere… something about just a few more I think. Or maybe it only seems like he said that because I’ve heard it so many frikkin times before. He never means it anyway. Guy uses “just a few more” the way some people sprinkle a speech with “um”.
I just want to go home. Robots are marching, clicking and whirring to the command of his voice. I wish this was a real bath and I know by the time I get home I’ll be sick of the thought. The little servos are so frikkin annoying.
Guy’s been such a little bitch today, I just want to cry. It’s good for the pictures I guess. I thought he was going to squirt when I hugged myself to stop a cry. “Gabrielle babe! Your fab!” snap-zzzz “That’s perfect and…” snap-zzzz “Hold it..” snap-zzzz, snap-zzzz, snap-zzzz Just a few more, I’m sure. I just want to go home.
The first time Guy asked me to do a nude shoot, I came this close to slapping him. I’m sure he’s a pervert, but that’s not why. He couldn’t be any more of a flamer. Somehow being gay makes it worse. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve sat there for three hours totally naked in front of a guy who couldn’t care less. And unless you’re me. I never felt so unattractive. The perfect way to feel in front of a camera I guess. But that wasn’t it either.
It was that tone in his voice that told me I didn’t have a choice. Damn him! “Sweetie. This isn’t working. We need to put some skin in this. Do you know how to take your clothes off?” What the hell kind of question is that? And then, “…um, all the way off?”
Good Lord, who’s he kidding? His real name isn’t even Guy! It’s Brad. Like sounding French makes him somebody. But his condescending tone was right. I have beautiful skin and really not much else except that not-so-classic every-girl look that made him give me his card in the first place. Why do I have to frikkin need money?
This stool is killing my ass. I just want to scream at him. “A wooden one? A cushion? Shit I’m taking a bath here, Guy! Shouldn’t I be a little bit comfortable? A little soap? Some bubbles? A drop of water or two in the cloth, for Christ’s sake?” I love baths. I’m supposed to anyway. I used to.
In the depths of my imagination, Guy hands me some soap. The washcloth is suddenly full of warm water. It feels so good I want to touch myself. I ignore his squeals of excitement and the clicking and whirring of his little army of robots. They’re killing my mood.
Just a few more shots. Right, Guy?
© 2012 Anne Schilde
Excellent piece! I love the use of the shutter sound to call up the image of armies of robots. I thought you had lapsed back into sci-fi for a second.
Ha, that’s funny. I thought about that when I mentioned the robots. Thanks, Joe!
I could definitely feel her frustration. Throw the camera into the water! A photographer should make a model feel comfortable, Guy clearly isn’t very good. 😛 Thanks for contributing this week at Picture it & write, Annie! 🙂
– Ermisenda
Haha, I think if she didn’t need the money, she would throw it in the water!
When I saw the picture challenge I couldn’t wait to see what you came up with. You didn’t disappoint!
Would it be any surprise if I thought of you immediately when I saw this one? I’d really love to see what you’d write! I would so hate to disappoint you!
I’m working on one… but it’s not singing to me yet.
You always capture emotion so well in what you write. I like this one. It’s like a blink into a life and then {blink} it’s gone.
Thanks, Adam. I act when I write, so a lot of the time it’s emotions I really feel and I’m just dumping them. I threw a subtle joke in this one, but I didn’t really expect anyone to catch it. After I read it, I changed my name to Gabrielle, as if sounding French made me somebody. 🙂
Been having body image issues lately and this paints a pretty good picture of my thoughts.
You look beautiful to me! I recommend a real bath, with bubbles. 🙂 Thanks, Thu! I love to hear that I painted pictures!
I freaking love this. It’s like a thrilling snapshot inside the mind of your character. Totally engaging, and ‘I never felt so unattractive. The perfect way to feel in front of a camera I guess.’ really resonated with me. I’m definitely not body-confident and have recently had my hair cut in an unusual way because I use the comfort of my unusual appearance as a safety blanket. I’m not one for being normal- if I didn’t feel slightly unattractive, slightly different, I know I wouldn’t feel myself.
It was weird how just imagining myself in front of the camera that way made me feel so insecure. Your abnormalness is totally beautiful, of course!
Haha…. baths are supposed to be fun; aren’t they…….? Great story as usual Anne….!
Thank you, Carolyn! Yes they are! Especially bubble baths!
Couldn’t agree more…! haha.. 🙂
Annie, I think she needs your gun!! lol. Great story, as usual, and I could feel her emotions as though I was there with her. Loved it!
Hehe! I’ve actually written about Annie Oakley before, but only a small mention here. Thanks for stopping by, Terri!