A Curse to Kick Things Off

            My story begins when…

Yes, yes, I know exactly what you are thinking to yourself. I am indeed the Vienna DeMarco. Alright, let’s just pause the story so you can get ahold of yourself. Please, just try to calm down a little squeeze.

                                    What do you mean you don’t know who I am?

            Vienna DeMarco, young actress. Popular young actress. I have fans all over the world. Don’t you recognize me from my first role on the prizewinning TV series, Bradford High? I played Cindy, your average teenaged girl with stunning good looks and a quirky-adorable personality. The ratings went through the roof when my character decided to not only take Chad, the quarterback, to prom, but also the cheerleader, Maxine.

            Okay, even if you’ve never seen my show, that doesn’t really mean much. I’ve been in plenty of movies as well. I’m sure you loved Heart Strings. You know, the one about a shy girl who can only talk in front of her crush when she’s killing it on stage with her guitar. It SO does NOT sound stupid. I’ll have you know that Heart Strings has a very loyal following.

            Alright, alright, you’ve got me. My fans are of a certain demographic—mainly young girls who worship me with the occasional creep who’s seen everything I’ve done. That doesn’t mean I’m not a star though. I’ve done modeling too, which everyone loved.

            Whatever, I don’t need you to know me. Just know that I was famous. Top of the line. And I had gotten to where I was with a clever little shtick my publicist came up with when I first started. I was a crusader for those little girls who loved me. “There is no such thing as beauty!” That was my tagline or motto or what have you. Everyone, especially parents, ate it up. And I really played with it. Even dated a few putrid-looking men to get the point across. People were fascinated with someone they believed to really have no conception of attractiveness.

           

            Please, now let me get back to my story. It started when I walked through the door of the apartment I was renting while shooting a new teen romance movie. It wasn’t too late, although I was exhausted! I’d filmed all that day while dodging calls from my newest fiancé. All I wanted to do was get home, relax with a few magic jellybeans, and then head out to whatever club sounded hottest.

            I was so in my head that I didn’t even notice a stranger sitting across the room. Kicked my breath out when I first saw her! “Who the hell are you?” I asked when I felt I could talk. Then a realization washed over me and cooled me with slight annoyance. My publicist loved to schedule dumb little contest things where the winners could spend a day with me or some bullshit like that. I willfully ignored the fact that none of my attendants or bodyguards were present. “Look, I don’t care who told you it was okay for you to be here, but you need to get out. Like now!”

            The girl just sat there and gave me a weird look. I started to get nervous, and then finally she spoke. “So you’re really Vienna?”

“Of course I am!”

            She got off my chair and I dared a few steps closer to her. “Get over being star struck and leave, or I’ll have to call the cops. You wouldn’t believe how fast I can get them somewhere.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled. In her eyes was a childlike excitement, which I mistook for her being overwhelmed in an A-list celebrity’s presence. “I just can’t believe I actually did it! And on the first try. This is really happening!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

            “I teleported myself to you. I didn’t think the spell worked when I wound up in this stuffy apartment, but here you are.”

“So you’re crazy?” I started to reach for my phone. Something in her smile made me hesitate though. It could ruin my image if I called the police on a fan that wasn’t all the way there in the head. Unless she was insane in a violent way, but I just didn’t get that impression.

            The girl lost her smile and muttered, “Right, time to get to it,” to herself. I didn’t get a chance to press it before she launched a question at me. “Do you actually believe that every person is equally beautiful?”

I shrugged. “Of course I do.”

“So you don’t think that any of your fame can be attributed to your good looks?”

I opened my mouth and then just closed it.

“Let’s say two women both apply for a waitressing job. One has a tiny waist that’s offset by her voluptuous chest. Her lips are pouty and her hair is full and shines in every light. Her skin is perfect, accentuating her perfect nose and eyes. The other one, well the other one looks nothing like this.  Who do you think will get the job? Which one would get more tips? Which one might have an easier time convincing customers to go ahead and get an appetizer as well as an entrée?”

“That’s not really a good example. The pretty one will most likely get the job, but that’s not right.”

“No it’s not,” she said bitterly. “But you just proved my point. You do realize that there is some kind of standard of beauty.”

            “Look Honey,” I wasn’t worried about the stranger in my apartment, just really annoyed. “I don’t really get why you’re trying so hard to make me break my gimmick. Of course I know that some people just aren’t attractive. I inspire kids though, so what’s the problem? Besides, you’re at least a bit above average, so can’t you just be happy with that?”

            “The problem is that you’re not helping anyone! You aren’t helping girls rise above what society may think of them, you’re just pretending the problem doesn’t exist. And when these kids believe you, they eventually get hurt worse.”

“You’re making this a bigger deal than it is. And who’s to say I’m hurting anyone? I give people confidence, and that’s what really turns people on.”

“That’s hardly true in the real world. How did you get so far in life? Was it because you believed in yourself, or was it because of your father’s money and your pretty surgically-enhanced face?”

Oh she did not go there. “Okay, now you are pissing me off! I’m calling the police if you don’t get out.” She didn’t go towards the door at all, and yet I did not grab my phone, too intrigued by what she could possibly say or do next.

            She started to turn away. “I guess I knew that you’d really be the monster I thought you’d be. I was hoping you’d just be naïve and stupid.”

“I am by no means a monster. You’re the one who broke into someone’s home.”

            “It’s okay. With this I can teach you how things really are. You can learn all about the hard work most people put in, instead of just having things handed to you.”

            I scoffed until lights started to come from the stick she waved around. “What are you doing?”

“I’ve designed a curse for you, and now I’m putting it into action.”

            “Wait! You’re not serious are you? This is just a joke?”

            When the lights started flying at me, hitting against my skin with a cold burning sensation, I let out a jolt of a scream. That girl was a psycho and a freak! What the hell was she talking about—a curse?

            And then it was all over. She put the stick back from wherever she’d pulled it from, and I felt exactly the same. A little embarrassed perhaps. It’d all been some kind of sick joke.

            “I guess your little plan didn’t work,” I taunted, in case she really had been serious. “Now I really am going to get your ass thrown in jail.” I reached for my pocket, but I never made it. Everything went dark and the last thing I could feel was air brushing past me as I fell.

            “I’m sorry Vienna, but it did. My curse will set you at zero, and you will have to begin all over again. You will not have your beauty. You will not have your family money. You will die an ugly woman, but if you pass your misfortune on, you will be allowed to keep watch over your family. If your genes ever create an heir as pretty and rich as you, then you will get the option to return to this life.

            “My dear sister, I am going to teach this awful beast a lesson in your honor.”