[ IN WHICH IT ALL BEGINS ]
“November.”I move my head at the call of my name. Cameras flash repeatedly in my direction. The photographers are desperate to get more pictures of the long, dark-green dress I have on. With the dress, I feel feminine and strong. It sits upon my olive skin, showing the best of me, and leaving little to imagination. Confidently, I angle my body, posing for the photographers whilst plastering on my best smile. As a reaction to the pose, more cameras flash in my face as murmurs fill the evening air.Other wealthy socialites pass by in beautiful suits and dresses, but as usual, I take up all the attention.I get carried away by the photographers' compliments, and soon, I forget my main task for the evening. But thankfully, the two bodyguards behind me gesture towards the doors; where I need to be at the moment.“Miss Starkey, this way please.”I wave one last time at the cameras before ascending the stairs with the ends of my dress in my hands.I have been invited to an extraordinary event, celebrating a get-together party with a one in a kind Gala dinner event. A photography studio has been set at the base of the stairs, leading inside the fancy restaurant, so as to take pictures of the invited guests in a red carpet setting before they walk through the doors.… [those doors. if i had known the mishap waiting behind those doors, i would’ve turned and fled, but how could i have known? it felt like every other day, an ordinary day, except it wasn't] …Once I get to the top of the stairs, the doors are pulled open, revealing the magnificent view. I leave the bodyguards behind, and proceed elegantly into the halls where the Gala event is to take place. My loose curls bounce on my bare back while I stomp in my black heels.Inside, round tables are set in the restaurant. A classical music concert has also been set with exclusive performers waiting to start on a stage ahead— two sopranos and a young band of violinists. And refreshments are on the side, mounted on long rectangular tables. Admiring the chandeliers and yellow lights decorating the massive four-walled room, I am oblivious to the eyes following me and every move I make.“Everyone.” Someone clinks their glass. “It’s November! The life of the party is here.”I chuckle when I see Marcus with a wine glass in hand. A few other people cheer and clap at the introduction, while others ignore it.“Marcus, you silly goose.” I lightly punch him on the arm.“What? The beautiful Nobi has stepped in, everyone needs to acknowledge your presence.” He places a kiss on my cheek before showing me to my table.… [everyone called me Nobi, short for November, no one knew that wasn’t my real name, i didn’t either] …The smile on my face quickly vanishes when I see who I’ve been paired with at the table. Angie and Grace—the two women I highly dislike. Before I can protest a change of table, Marcus leaves me to welcome the other guests.“Nobi, hi!” Angie waves me over, pointing at the empty sit between them. “Come join us.”Faking a smile, I walk over. “Hello, girls. You’re all looking spectacular tonight.”“Us?” Grace throws her head back, laughing hard like I’ve made the funniest joke in the world. “You’re the only one looking spectacular here, Nobi. We could never compete with you.”“And you know that, that’s why you’re always fashionably late to these events, so you can drag all the attention once you walk in.” Angie speaks with the loveliest smile that it becomes hard to see her words as an insult.“She must spend hours in front of the mirror to look this gorgeous that’s why she’s late.” Grace tells Angie, the woman seated opposite her. “Maybe we should do the same. We want to look like you, Nobi. I think we’ll start by getting our nose done like you did.”I stay quiet.Once again, I’m trapped into a corner, unsure if I’m truly loved by the people around me. They always make statements like this— giving compliments that somehow make me feel bad. It’s nothing new. It’s always been this way with them since the day I became recognized by the world as a super model. It doesn't help that I'm the youngest in this gathering either. Being influential and a V.I.P at the age of nineteen, it causes people to despise you, just because they feel attacked, and insecure. They all think I'm young and dumb, so they try to pull me down with their words, in hopes to crumble my spirit. But they don't know that their actions only push me to hold my head up and higher.Science proves that the world is round; a circle, but actually, it's a triangle— the social pyramid. People like me run the world; the people present at this gala event are the country's elites.I know how hard I’ve worked to climb up the social pyramid. Unlike these young women between the ages of 20 & 23 with billionaire parents who have never lacked anything, and have never worked a single day in their lives, I have felt the scorching sun and the extreme cruelty of man. I know what the real world feels like, these two are still living in the bubble created by their parents.I eye the girls beside me as they casually pop a couple of pills into their mouth, followed by tequila.I’m nothing like them. I never was, and I never will be. They can never be me either.But sadly, these are the only girls willing to sit beside me and talk to me. The others isolate themselves from me, consumed by intimidation and envy. So, in short, I have no friends. But the truth, I don’t mind. I don’t want to be friends with these people either— people whose lives circulate around fame, money, sex, and drugs; people with no depth.However, that’s the reality of the country’s elites.The public romaticises the idea of us, celebrities. They think everyone present in the Gala event are perfect beings. But if they were to see what goes on after the cameras are turned off, they'll see that we're all living worthless lives. So, we all fake our smiles in front of the public to keep our careers, and our reputation afloat.Speaking of those whose lives are absorbed in sex and drugs, my golden brown eyes drift from Grace to the man sat behind her, a little far away. His red hair is very hard to ignore, and I know that’s its purpose. After all, everyone in this room craves attention. But it’s not his hair that pulls my attention from Grace. It’s his eyes.He has been watching me.He’s still watching me.His eyes express the thoughts running through his mind; unholy thoughts.I don’t avert my gaze, I intend to intimidate him.I know him. His name is Luca Zhang. Millionaire at twenty-seven. He's a film producer and is known for his work in biographical and period films. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, which has made him the arrogant prick that he is. For as long as I can remember, Luca has been trying to get inbetween my legs. That's what he's known for; the womanizer.And he’s definitely one of the people I do not like.… [funny i said that, because we never know what happens in the future, we find comfort in the strangest of places, and Luca was that strange place of comfort. people can surprise you] …When Luca gives me a dirty smirk, I cringe and turn away. I suddenly don’t feel like being around these people anymore. Everyone around me seems to be having a good time, but for some reason, I feel sick. I can't shake off this feeling that something utterly disgusting and bad is about to happen.I need some space to clear my head.“Hey, girls. Would you excuse me for a second? I need to find the bathroom.” I get on my feet.“Why?” Angie asks, batting her eyelashes. “You want to touch up your makeup? You sure do put in a lot of effort to look better than us, Nobi.”I clench my fist. I swear once we’re alone, I’ll grab her blonde hair and swing her into a fucking wall. She just annoys me so much. Swallowing the curses, I smile at her. “I’ll be right back.”“You don’t need to go, Nobi, I have a mirror here you can use.” Grace stops me.Angrily, I bare my teeth at Grace. “I never said I wanted to touch up my makeup, now did I?”They both stare in shock at the outburst.Angie scoffs, her words slurring like a drunk person. “You should speak nicely next time, Nobi. You're not being a lady, and here I was, thinking you were a high value woman. You should take this advice from an older female, you wouldn't want your fans seeing the kind of person you are behind closed doors. You should work on yourself.”I glare at her. “Oh, fuck off and die, Angie.” I turn to Grace. “You too.”With that, I walk off. I push the doors open that serves as an escape from this hellish gathering. Taking another turn, I trace my way to the bathroom.… [at that moment, i tried to run away from my reality, but little did i know that Luca got up from his seat and followed me] …[ IN WHICH SHE WIELDS A KNIFE ]A breathy sigh leaves my lips once I push open the door to the bathroom. Inside, I let my shoulders drop. I lean over the sink, my head bent down as I breathe in and breathe out harshly. I tuck my brown curly hair out of my face, putting the strands behind my ear. Slowly, I raise my head back up. I stare into the mirror. The florescent white lights in the ceiling makes my caramel skin glow; a symbol that I'm living a healthy and wealthy life. I’ve come a long way. Now, I’m rich, and I’m at the top— where I’ve always wanted to be. A small smile breaks out on my lips. “For a nineteen year old orphan you sure made the world spin,” I say to my reflection. Suddenly, the door to the bathroom bursts open. I spin around to see the tall, young man with long red hair saunter in, a huge smile on his face. “Nobi—” Before he says anything, I interject. “Luca, leave.” He lifts his hands in surrender. “Oh, no, Nobi, there’s no need to be hostile.” He brushes a ha
[ IN WHICH SHE HAS QUESTIONS ]Being in the public eye has its benefits. But I can’t say those benefits outweigh the disadvantages. I’ve had my fair share of criticism and death threats from the public. Like every other celebrity. Most of the time, my fans —or rather— haters are dissatisfied with what I do, what I say and even with what I wear. They want me to act a certain way, to fulfil the perfect model-like perception they already have of me, but the thing is, no one’s perfect, and I assure you, I, November am far from perfection. So, when I don’t do the things they want, or when I gain just a little bit of weight, or when a scandalous article gets out, I am dragged all over the internet and shamed for it. Those years were characterized with feelings of hopelessness; however, it doesn’t compare to what I’ve gone through today. I witnessed mates of mine ripped apart and thrown to the floor like chickens. Images keep flashing in my mind. And I have so many questions. Why didn’t
[ IN WHICH SHE PLOTS HER ESCAPE ]I have heard stories of famous personalities being held at gunpoint. About how they’ve been robbed, and even how they’ve gotten kidnapped for ransom. While telling these traumatic stories, they associated the situations with feelings of fear and panic. However, I can’t describe what I’m feeling. I don’t know if I’m scared or if I’m panicked. Because I feel something else. I feel calm— I feel at home. This world isn't my world. It is different from the luxurious world I live in. While in the Gala dinner event, it was evening, and the day was only going to get darker, but right now, the sky's as bright as ever, like we had teleported through time into the next morning. And this lets me know that I have indeed crossed a barrier that separates worlds. In this world, there are no moving vehicles, no tarred roads or even streetlights anywhere. There is no electricity. Nothing modern about the place I have been brought into. It is like time has been revers
[ IN WHICH SHE MEETS AN UNKNOWN WORLD ]I land face first into a bush. Then my legs collide with something cold, and hard. The kind of pain that pulses through me the minute I touch the ground cannot be overemphasized. Jumping from a height of 7 meters should never be done. I end up not only bruising my ankle, but also with thorns pierced into my skin. I want to scream in agony, but I can't risk getting caught. Swallowing my cries, I pick up my dress, and begin running the opposite direction of the mansion. When I’ve gotten at least 50 feet away, I turn to look at the building getting smaller and smaller. I cackle at my success, then I flip them the middle finger. Uncontrollable giggles take over as I sprint off into the unknown world. … [at that moment, i was so sure i had escaped my fate. but i didn’t know Jacqueline and Atlas were by a window, watching me run off with bruised skin. they did nothing to stop me, because they knew i couldn’t outrun my fate.] … About an hour later
[ IN WHICH SHE THROWS UP ]I lift my head back up, wiping the remnants of my puke. Breathing heavily, I lean against a tree as I wait for the world to stop spinning. I can feel his burning stare in the silence, so I tuck my curls behind my ears to get a better view of the shirtless young man with wings. He still hasn’t said anything. He’s just standing there, observing me from head to toe like some museum artifact. And I do the same. The man in front of me appears as though he has been crafted out of a fairy tale. However, he’s not the hero in the fairy tale, but the devious villain. The villain that has everyone in chokehold with his mere presence. His sword that has black smoke swirling around it is no longer in sight. It's like it disappeared the moment he set foot on the ground. I scrutinize the man with white, flawless skin. His hair is dark as the sky above us; dark, wavy strands are sat on top of his head, giving the right proportions to his sharp and square jaw. Something ab
[ IN WHICH SHE IS A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS ] From the frying pan to the fire. I ran from the market, and fell right into the hands of three hungry men, who then spiralled me into the trap of the King. If I had stayed at the harmless market a little bit longer, I wouldn't be in the fire right now. My eyes are glued to the man in front of me. I shift on my feet, uncomfortably, unsure of what to do at a moment like this. I didn't expect to cross paths with the King this way. And now that I have, what do I do?“Are you really the King?” I ask, breathless. “Why do you ask?" He tilts his head. "You do not think I am the King?"My eyes rove round the forest, looking for a route to run through if he tries anything suspicious. But I doubt I'll get that far with huge wings like his. “Let's just say it'll do us both some good if you aren't the King.”"And why is that?" His arms are folded across his bare chest.He takes a step closer, but I step back, cautiously. "Because I think the King is da
[ IN WHICH SHE ASKS FOR MUSIC ]The thick walls of the mansion echoes with screams. It echoes violently with the screams of my abductors — Jacqueline and Atlas. After I left the forest with the King, we got to the mansion in no time, where I had to fight the intense urge to puke for the third time. He then ordered for his maids to escort me back to my chambers, where I got dressed in a fresh set of clothing, and was given supper. But before I parted ways with the King, I heard him call for Jacqueline and Atlas. The two followed him into a red room by a corner.And ever since then, the two have been letting out clamorous and ear-splitting screams. It's been two hours, and they still haven't stopped. My heart skips a beat at the sudden knock on the door. Sighing in distress, I call the person in. The door carefully opens up, revealing who's behind it. It's the tall, lanky man from earlier. The one who walked in with dozens of dresses on clothe hangers. He still hasn't told me his nam
[ IN WHICH SHE MEETS THE KING ] The doors are pulled open by two guards standing on each side, and I step into the throne room. I'm first greeted by the aroma of food. My eyes then falls to the long, rectangular table, separating the King and I, keeping us at a distance of at least two meters. On the table, different kinds of meals have been arranged. The insane amount of food available is more than enough for just two people. I begin to wonder if there's a third party joining us soon. Or maybe he does eat this much. Having wings grow out of your back must require a large intake of food. I look to the King seated on his throne. He has no crown on, but he has a shirt on this time. I ask myself: why doesn't he have a crown on? How long has he been on the throne? Who put him in the position of King? And is anyone going to take over? So many questions left unanswered, hopefully for now. Something flashes in my peripheral vision, and my eyes snap to the left. That's when I notice the