Have you seen the kind of photos they show you when you try to pickup your wedding gown? Well, I am one of those models, so you might’ve seen me before.
I was on set when it showed up.
There was a unique new brand planned to have a series of photographs for their wedding dresses. I used the word ‘unique’ ‘cause they asked me to put on a violet mermaid dress with a red Chinese quilted jacket.
I know nothing about designing, but it’s feeling a bit out of place.
And they didn’t set the scene in a lovely garden or in front of a gorgeous water fountain like other photos. It was in the dark, narrow and gloomy alley which is rather odd considering the dress I wore.
There were a small group of people standing around us during the shooting, and the couple beside the photographer (the designer told me they’re potential buyers) judging me while he gave the instructions.
You might think that as a model I already used to the staring and judgements, but I am always stressed and frustrated when we have company. It feels like they’re expecting me to make mistakes or trying to find a flaw in me. And I’ll never good enough for them.
But it’s job, I have to be professional and bury all my insecurities or doubts.
Also, I still need to pay my rent.
I wasn’t sure how I noticed it in the first place. It looks like a handsome gentleman who wore a black two-piece suit with a blue bowtie, casually walked through the opposite side of the street. It was a beautiful sight line for me to take a break from my work, until it hummed.
At first it’s merely whispering, the rhythm was familiar but I couldn’t recognize it. Then it became louder after each time it repeated, like the slowly building orchestral crescendo of the Bolero, and became deafening.
That’s when I realized why I couldn’t recognize it, because every single note it hummed was stretched, cracked and broken. Even though the noise sustained, it seemed like I was the only one noticing it.
When I was frozen due to the sound, there was a stunning lady approached it and asked for its number. It gave her the most disturbing smile I’ve ever seen, and suddenly shape-shifted as some kind of black veil wrapped that poor lady. I saw her smart phone dropping off, before the phone touch the ground, it transformed into the stunning lady.
And the humming stopped.
I was terrifying and couldn’t feel my breath, like my brain was shutting down all of the sudden. My job was not my top priority at that moment, the only thing I wanna do is run away.
“I quit. “ I took off the red jacket, it’s never my type anyway.
“What are you talking about? You can’t quit. “
“But I am quitting now. “
I stripped down the dress and the photographer turned to stop me.
“Hey! Don’t stop her, we wanna see those boobies and buttocks! Go on sweetie!” Some dude shouted to the photographer. I could hear the whistles and phone clicks in the crowd, normally I would feel embarrassed, but now I didn’t care anymore.
I picked up my stuff and prepared to leave. Some disappointing murmurs came from the crowd behind me. The same dude who encouraged me to take off my clothes yelled something like stay a little longer. I took a glance at that man, and my heart dropped.
It was staring straight at me.
And the humming began.