Short Stories 2022

💄🏆A2E22 Beauty: The Influencer🏆💄

Once upon a time there were two people, the influencer and the child. The influencer had everything... beauty, fame and money. The child had... nothing, nothing but their carefree life and unreachable dreams.

The child dreams and dreams high, as they dream to reach the sky. But then, their sharp eyes fall on them, the influencer. And they can't help but be drawn in by the promise of fame and riches.

 The child's hawk-like eyes watch the influencer, observing, learning and waiting for their moment to strike. The influencer's life becomes the child's dream, their goal and obsession.

The child knew they have to recreate the magic, the magic of influencer's charm and beauty. So, they imitate influencer's every move, nuance and emotion. They imitate everything, like a chameleon trying to morph into something unnatural.

And when the hawk and the chameleon merge, they give birth to a new creature. This creature is not the child anymore, instead they are the new influencer.

The old influencer has aged by now. No longer the youth with beauty and charm, their fame starts to fall. They hold on to every scrap of their dying fame, attempting to rise like a phoenix. Not realising they have already toppled to the ground, forgotten by all, as they are feasted on by the vultures.

The new influencer is the influencer now and they soar to the sky like a falcon, fast and sharp as they touch the stars. High up in the sky, if the falcon notices a tiny old bird being feasted on by vultures, they pay it no mind and continue to fly high.

The influencer has everything now, bathed in riches, encompassed by fame and glowing with beauty. Yet they feel the strain, the strain of pretty smiles and perfect masks. Their inner chameleon struggles to morph into the perfect creature, their falcon. But they endure, not letting their success turn into ashes in the folly of blundering emotions.

Time passes and new becomes old. High up in the sky, the falcon flies solo.

In the bitterness of solitude, all the ambitious dreams of the forgotten child have long vanished. With twisted smiles and cracked masks for company, the influencer now only sees the distorted world of power plays.

And finally, they realise their true power. Not the fames, riches and beauty, they foolishly chased all their life. No, this is something they always had, long since the influencer had been a naive child. Their power was to influence, influence the youth, manipulate their dreams and orchestrate their own downfall. This was their vengeance on the society, for the role society played in their madness.

The frail old bird only feels sadistic satisfaction as they make false promises to the youth, leaving unending nightmares in their wake. In the lonely end there are no falcons, no hawks or chameleons, just a disfigured bird feasted on by the vultures.

The cycle starts again. There are always two people, the influencer and the child, and the story repeats.