The Shoot

Ellie burst from Hendrson's office, cheeks red, tears welling up. The blonde girl who had been peering into a mirror turned and stepped in front of her.

"Buy a vowel, get a clue. You are out of your league. You can't beat me. Why don't you go back to the bayou where you belong, marry your cousin, make babies."

Ellie brushed past her and pushed through the door.

"Shauna?"

Henderson gestured to her.

The lawyer was in his office. She handed Shauna a sheaf of papers.

"Standard contract. Same rules. Same deal."

Shauna looked at the papers.

"Uh, you missed something."

"Oh?"

"A zero."

"Don't go there, Shauna."

Walter Henderson was the kind of guy who could make or break you with a snap of his fingers, but this was her big chance, put her at the top, send her national.

"Walter, this is huge. I won't lie to you. But it's a big one for you, too. Be a nice jewel in the Henderson crown if we can pull it off."

Henderson paused a moment.

"Do it."

The lawyer tapped at the keyboard, papers spit out of the printer. Shauna smiled and signed on the dotted line.

"Shauna, you're right this is big. I've invested a lot in this project, but we only get one shot. I've had to pay off some public officials, get the police in for traffic control, the whole nine yards. When the window opens we'll have two hours max. You'll get a call the night before. Be on the set before chicken farts. Understand?"

"No problem, Walter."

Shauna fairly floated out of the office. She skipped down the stairs, out into the street. She was oblivious to the crowd, oblivious to the dark haired girl. The one that looked at her with a look that would kill if it could. The girl pulled out her cell.

"Auntie Ruth."

Auntie Ruth wasn't her aunt, but everybody called her that.

"I need your help."

Shauna sat in the cafe, treating herself to a double fudge brownie.

Stupid little bitch. Comes up here from the swamp. Thinks she's hot shit. Yeah, maybe with her Cajun cousins. Go work your voodoo on them.

Shauna smirked, took another bite of chocolate. She'd worry about her diet tomorrow.

Ellie had become her pet project this past year. She had beat Ellie out a couple of times, but the bitch kept coming back. Pissed Shauna off. She went after every gig the other did. Got them, too. Every one. Was it spite? Yeah.

Shauna shook her head.

Yeah, go back to the swamp little girl.

The call came two weeks later. Shauna took a pill. No way she'd sleep without it. When she woke it was still black. She tried to shake the cobwebs from her head, couldn't. The pills did that.

She showered, walked into the bedroom, closed the door. She stood, naked, in front of the full length mirror as she had every day of her life, admiring her perfection, scanning for the slightest flaw. She found none.

She felt a jolt of vertigo.

Probably the pills.

When her vision cleared she blinked. Ellie blinked back. Shauna frowned. The reflection frowned, dark brown eyes beneath dark brown hair.

Shauna raised her hand, touched her pink-nippled breast. The reflections raised a hand, stroked a brown one.

The image reached down, ran her fingers through her neatly trimmed bush. Shauna followed, felt the fur even though her own mound was hairless.

The image smiled, Shauna smiled back.

The image held her gaze for a long moment, then turned.

Shauna turned.

The image reached out, made a pulling gesture, then a scooping movement.

Shauna turned to her dresser, pulled open a draw, scooped out an armful of colorful scarves.

The dark image opened her arms and the scarves floated to the floor. It turned.

Shauna opened the nightstand drawer, rummaged through the condoms, lube, sex toys until she found the pink, fuzzy handcuffs. A bit more rummaging produced the key. She stepped back in front of the mirror.

The image made a twisting motion, then a tossing motion.

Shauna unlocked the cuffs, threw the key across the room.

The image sat.

Shauna sat.

The image moved. Shauna mirrored the movements.

She picked up a scarf, wrapped it around her ankles several times, knotted it tight. She tied her knees with another bright scarf.

The image made a crushing motion, then opened her mouth.

Shauna balled up a scarf, pushed it into mouth, pushed until her cheeks bulged.

More movements.

Shauna knotted a scarf, wedged the knot between her teeth, tied the ends behind her head. She took another scarf, shook it open and wrapped it around her head, covering her whole face.

She could no longer see the reflection, but her body responded. She felt behind her, found the cuffs. There was a soft snicking sound as she pressed them shut.

The image in the mirror smiled, then slowly faded. As it disappeared, consciousness flowed back. Shauna sat on the floor, naked, bound, for one long moment ... and then she screamed.

Ellie stood in front of the mirrored sign of the First National Bank. Behind her bright, stage lights shone in the pre-dawn darkness. Men and women with headsets crawled over the set. She brushed a hair from her face. Still smiling she turned and walked over to a nervously pacing Walter Henderson.

24.04.12