Myths And Legends:

Narcissus in a Modern Setting

"Your on in 2 minutes Miss Kline!"

"Not yet! I need a 30 second manicure on the double!"

"Miss you really need to change into your dress!"

"Miss Kline you're on!"

Tegan gathered up the satin material of her dress and stationed herself at the middle of the catwalk. The blinding lights erupted and the curtains drew back. She looked over the millions of faces, so much worse off than her in the looks department. Cheesy photographers, sleezy managers, and just plain ugly general public. They had no sense of fashion at all.

But she was beautiful. She was skinny. She was the one wearing thousand dollar make up and clothes. She was the top model. So much prettier than everyone else.

She flashed a dazzling smile and began her brisk, but beautiful walk along the catwalk to the masses of grubby hands reaching up to touch her. Poorly manicured nails catching the lights and giving off sickly glows.

She reached the far end, posed for the cameras, and sauntered back. On her way inside she flashed a smile at the next model to walk. She thought her name might have been Felicity, but Tegan never took much notice of anyone but herself.

Backstage she changed her dress and her make up. Then she got another manicure. Once that was done she checked to make sure the guy didn't stuff up her nails like he did at one of her shows. He hadn't. In fact he'd done such a good job that she could see her reflection perfectly in the long nail.

She couldn't stop looking at the reflection. It was just so breathtaking. But she couldn't stare for long. Her manager was already ushering her out onstage for her next walk.

She tried her best to focus on the cameras, but couldn't help but glance at her fingernails every so often. She finally made it back inside and got remade again. But this time when she inspected her nails, They were painted with some dull fluid. She couldn't see herself.

"Hey! You've ruined my nails! Get back here!"

"But I did just as you'd specified earlier Miss!"

"I don't care! I want to be able to see myself in these nails! Got it?"

"Yes Miss!"

By the time he'd finished she was late for her walk. The last walk for the night. She rushed out onstage and completed her walk in record time.

-xox-

Later that night, she was still preoccupied with her nails. Checking her reflected visage every 30 seconds. When her personal maid came, offering Tegan the usual meal of carrot sticks and water, she was too consumed to even notice her there.

This carried on for weeks.

And all the while the doorman of her stately home watched with despair as the woman that he adored in so many ways destroyed herself.

She was eventually sent to hospital, but by then it was too late. She perished. And the first visitor to say goodbye to her lifeless corpse was the adoring doorman. Though he visited in secret. He had to bribe the doctor to even get within ten feet of her.

The funeral was held on a despicable peace of dirt for once she was lost, so was her fortune. No one cared what happened to her body. She was no longer of importance to anyone. Except for the devoted doorman, ever entranced by her every move but unable to reach out to her in life or death.

There were few flowers placed on her final resting place. But of the the sparse blooms one stood out from all the rest. It had been added long after the others had shriveled and expired.

It was one single, white daffodil.

As the sun set over the grave, the doorman slipped back into the shadows. the sole visitor of the once renowned Tegan Kline.

By Lauren Hunter