The Weekly LitWit Challenge 8.1: To die or kill for
In The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, an extremely good-looking young man realizes that he will grow old and his beauty will fade. He wishes that his portrait would grow old in his place. Dorian Gray’s wish is granted: for 18 years his appearance does not change. Self-indulgence and debauchery seem to have no effect on his looks. The portrait, however, grows more and more repulsive.
This week’s LitWit Challenge is to create a character so vain that he or she will do anything—and we mean Anything—in order to stay young and beautiful.
Write us the story of this character in 1,000 words or less, and post it in Comments on or before 11.59pm on Saturday, 7 January 2012.
The winner gets the Penguin Couture Classics edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (photo above), cover designed by Ruben Toledo.
The Weekly LitWit Challenge is brought to you by our friends at National Bookstore.
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January 3rd, 2012 at 07:13
WHAT PRICE, BEAUTY?
It was pretty simple,Marlyn De Los Santos had been crowned a beauty queen thrice in her lifetime. The first was maudlin, it was a popularity/ beauty contest in her school and the parents were looking to sell tickets for fundraising, and she won. Not because of any dint of beauty or special skill, simply because she wanted to win and fussed and promised her parents a tantrum every other day if she didn’t. She was ten years old. Her parents thought that 4500 pesos was a good enough investment in exchange for peace and quiet around the house. After all, she was an only child.
They thought her constant quest and chasing after beauty titles was nothing but a passing fancy. An attention-seeking tactic for a lonely child. The only acceptable fact was that she was really pretty.
She trained further in poise and dieted and sweated it our to maintain a twenty-three inch waistline. There were countless other titles as Flores de Mayo queens, Liga muses, and other reaffirmations of She won another title in high school and was third place in the country’s top beauty pageant. This however, did not satisfy her. She believed strongly that she deserved to be in first place. The only limitation was the question and answer segment. She faired badly. She had focused so much on the physical that she barely answered with a straight face. The first and second placers were students from the state university and a Jesuit ran school. They spoke as well as they looked. She came from a small computer college and barely passed communication subjects.
It was late at night, when she had cleaned the third place rhinestone crown and had lovingly placed the sash and the figure-hugging gown back to their plastic cases of honor when the thought had crossed her mind. She could be big, she could be in showbiz, and get her family out of the cramped apartment in the narrow street in Sampaloc. She would never have to stand all day as a department store clerk, or study hard. All she had to do was stay slim and pretty for the longest time. Find a rich man to marry and then retire. That was it. That was the goal of her life.
She was staring for the longest time at a low-hanging star which had managed to shine despite the dirty air of the city and wished. She knew it was futile do so, but all she believed in strongly were fairy tales where pretty girls grew up to be princesses. She clasped her hands and wished with all her being to become that eternally beautiful rich and pampered wife.
Perhaps it was from the barbecue stand beneath her window, or from the passing exhaust of passing tricycles and jeepneys, a wisp of smoke appeared. A beautifully attired man in a sequined red and silver fitted tuxedo appeared. The air around him smelled like sulfur and lit matchsticks. He was handsome, in a criminal sort of way. He looked at her humble surroundings and bowed flamboyantly.
“I’m well, I’m the scarlet fairy. The blue one doesn’t play on our side.” He announced in a high pitched voice. His hands were adorned with rings, and the rubies on them were the size of marbles. A diamond the size of a paperclip hung from his left ear. He oozed sophistication and taste. Marlyn was shocked, but not hysterical.
“I heard you wishing and I could give you what you want Call me Foz, my first name was given to me a long time ago and is SO dated. I heard what your heart’s desire. I provide a service of giving those who deserve it, a chance, for a price of course.”
Marlyn’s heart skipped a beat.
The man looked at the tiny room, at the pictures of her being crowned tacked on the thin plywood walls, at the small plastic drawer and the cheap rickety furniture.
“Of course, there is a catch Marlyn.” Suddenly a red plume feather came out of nowhere and a parchment scroll which he opened with a flourish.
“In order to stay young, beautiful you must kill someone a week. If you don’t you’ll age. If you do, all those you murder will be deemed payment. Payment for an easier, luxurious life, far, far away from this.”
He motioned his hands open at the same level as his head. As if taking in the pitiful lack of comfort of her tiny room. She looked at the piece of paper, it was a contract and it had her name on it.
“All you have to do is sign on the dotted line. You’ll be young and beautiful as long as you do your share of the contract.” The man waved the plume lazily in front of her and handed the creamy parchment. Marlyn swallowed. Written there were the words, “All souls forfeit will be taken to hell. This contract will not expire and will continue as long as the contracted MarlynDe Los Santos continues to deliver the agreed upon soul a week. Her eternal soul shall also be forfeit if she chooses to terminate this contract.”
“I’m not very good at understanding things, but does this mean that I’ll die and go to hell once our contract is ended?”
She asked nervously.
“A small price, don’t you think? For a chance to get out of this hellhole? To be beautiful and loved, you could live for a hundred, even three hundred years.”
His smile was so persuasive. There was nothing to lose. A soul was a tenuous thing, she had never even seen her own.Marlyn took the plume, breathed deeply and scratched away her signature.
And so that was it. Marlyn started to kill people on a weekly basis. Her first victim was the annoying boarder from downstairs, it wasn’t so hard pushing him down a flight of stairs while his back was turned. She had her share of terminating the existence of delivery boys, bill collection agents, an unwitting insurance salesperson, repairmen. She has gone from country to country, feeding off rich old businessmen who she kills after siphoning them dry of their hard earned money. As far as I know, she’s still around, still pretty and still looking for someone every week.
January 3rd, 2012 at 15:10
Ako si Celine. Sa totoong buhay, Klarita talaga ang pangalan ko. Masisisi niyo ba ako kung mas gusto kong palitan ang pangalan ko? Masyadong old-fashioned ang Klarita para sa akin. Isa pa, mas bagay ang Celine sa akin, dahil katulad ni Celine Dion, isa akong diva. Diva ng kagandahan.
Bata pa lang ako alam ko na na advantage sa mundong ito ang pagiging maganda. Mabuti na lang at pinanganak ako sa mayamang pamilya kaya hindi ko problema ang pera. Pero kagandahan? Medyo kinulang yata ako dun kaya naman pinagsikapan kong maging maganda. Oo, tama, pinagsikapan. Madali lang naman ‘yun lalo na’t mayaman kami. Mahirap naman kung sa dinami-dami ng aming salapi ay di ko man lang napaayos ang hitsura ko.
Inaamin ko retokada ako, sandamakmak na ang pinaayos ko sa katawan ko. Matangos na ilong, check. Lips na mala-Angelina Jolie, check. Noong 18th birthday ko, hiniling ko na regalo sa parents ko ay…. boob job! Tapos imbes na magarang cotillion, pool party ang selebrasyong ginawa namin. Nagsuot ako ng itsy bitsy red bikini para maipagmalaki ko sa mga kaibigan at kaklase ko ang mas pinalaki at mas pinaganda kong ‘hinaharap’. Bongga! Kinokompetensya ko sila Kim Chui at Jinkee Pacquiao sa padamihan ng retoke.
Ngayong 25 na ako, nag-umpisa na akong magpa-lipo at pinag-iisipan ko na ding magpa-botox. Sabi kasi nila, kapag nasa ganitong edad na nagsisimulang lumabas ang early signs of aging. Kaya naman maliban sa lipo at botox, araw araw akong nag-gygym. Syempre, umiinom din ako ng mga vitamins na nag-eenhance ng youth. ISang Fitrum sa umaga, tapos isang Myra-E sa gabi. Tignan ko lang kung umubra pa yang signs of aging na yan sa akin.
Nagbunga naman ang pagisisikap ko at nakapag-asawa ako ng isang mayamang business tycoon. Take note, hindi siya multi-millionaire kundi multi-billionaire. Success! At dahil marami siyang pera na pwedeng aksayahin, kinumbinsi ko siya na mag-hire ng mga de-kalibreng espesyalista, researchers, at scientists para hanapin ang ‘fountain of youth’. Kung di man nila mahanap, umimbento sila ng bago! Aba, ayoko yatang tumanda at maging wrinkled, tuyot, at pangit na artifact. Willing ako maging guinea pig nila. Keber kung radikal ang prosesa na pagdadaanan ko. Ika nga, ‘The end justifies the means’. Maging maganda lang ako at manatiling bata titiisin ko.
Habang di pa nila naiimbento ang fountain of youth, nakaisip ako ng isa pang paraan para mapanatili ang ganda at kabataan ko. Kasalukuyan akong nasa New Orleans ngayon. Sabi sa Vampire Chronicles ni Anne Rice, dito daw nakatira ang pamosong vampire na si Lestat. Alam kong kapag nakita niya kung gaano ako kaganda, maiisip niyang isa akong obra na kailangang i-preserve. Madali ko siyang makukumbinsi na ibahagi sa akin ang ‘dark blood’. Kapag na-convert niya na ako, di na ako mamomroblema kung paano i-memaintain ang hitsura ko. At ang maganda pa nun, habang tumatagal lalo akong gaganda!
January 4th, 2012 at 14:53
“GRANDPA, WAKE UP”
Enrique Fernando Sr. slowly opened his eyes and blinked them for a couple of times to adjust his sight. Yet Enrique Fernando III (or Jun Jun)’s image was still the same-blurred.
“We need to leave now, Grandpa” Jun Jun’s voice almost broke. He sat beside his grandfather’s frail and wounded body, reached for the old man’s left arm and placed it around his neck. Using his other arm, he assisted his grandfather’s back and helped him stand. But halfway through it, both already stumbled on their knees.
“Do w-we really need to be in such a hurry, Jun-Jun?” his grandfather’s shaking voice barely reached his ears.
“Yes, g-grandpa” he said, almost panting because of exhaustion. After wiping his forehead with the back of his palm, he stared at the man who has been his sole father figure after his dad deserted them to pursue his passionate love affair with another woman.
With heavy efforts, he tried to fight back the tears welling up in his eyes.
“C-Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I-I need to r-rest. My back is aching and the wound-“
“The emperor has totally gone mad, grandpa. I just can’t sit down here and wait until he and his men find us!” Jun Jun exclaimed and brushed away the tears in his eyes. Upon seeing a familiar figure, he waved his hand at the man approaching them. “Hurry up, Kuya Dan! I’ve been here for an hour. Grandpa is bleeding and we need to get him to safety.”
Dan, with his strong and muscled arms, was about to carry Enrique Fernando Sr. across his shoulders when the sight of the old man’s bloody side stopped him. He quickly told Jun-Jun to go to Aling Nena’s house for some medicines and a piece of clean cloth. The cut was deep and very inflamed that the slightest movement would cause it to bleed more.
Jun-Jun heeded immediately.
“W-What has been h-happening, D-Danilo?” Enrique Fernando Sr. asked the young man. They were sitting side by side with their backs leaned against the bamboo wall.
“The emperor just signed another royal decree. A month from now, three hundred able men, ages 15-35, would be forced to embark with him on a journey to find Gilgamesh’s legendary plant of eternal youth. Lots of our barrio men don’t want to participate in fear of leaving their families and their farms unattended, especially now that there had been rumored savages that plunder and burn towns they meet on their way. Many of them though are afraid of either being killed or imprisoned if they won’t follow or try to flee from the Emperor’s decree.”
“He still isn’t c-contented after having a majority of the old citizens killed. I thought he claimed that the mere sight of us makes him age? Or that it reminded him that his youth and beauty aren’t for eternity?” the old man asked with bitterness. “It would take him to look like me, or those other old people that h-he had gotten rid of, before he could even find that plant. T-That is, if he’ll ever find it.”
‘W-where’s your father? Jun-Jun has stopped mentioning him to me” Enrique Fernando Sr. continued after remembering Juanito. To his surprise, he saw the young man’s jaws tightened.
“W-Why? D-Don’t tell me that he’s been-” Enrique Fernando Sr.’s words were cut short as he saw droplets of warm liquid started falling on the young man’s cheek.
Dan was trying his best not to cry. But he couldn’t. The suppressed sounds became stronger. Louder. Until it almost sounded like the wailing of a woman.
“H-Hush. Tell me what happened”
His shoulders stopped shaking as his hands fumbled over his face, trying to wipe it dry.
Through the barely comprehensible mutterings of words and sounds, Enrique Fernando Sr. learned that Juanito Pepito, Dan’s father and the emperor’s royal tailor was sentenced to death without any proper trial more than a week ago. He was put to death by hanging.
“ But what was his c-case?”
“ He accidentally left his eyeglasses on” Dan started and rubbed his eyes, as if this would stop his tears from falling. “The emperor called him to the palace to make a new suit for him. The emperor has been gaining a little weight, so Papa decided to get him new measurements. Papa uses his glasses since he has very poor eyesight. It was okay because he measures the emperor’s body from behind. That day though, the emperor turned around and papa’s glasses reflected what the emperor has been dreading to see- his additional weight, plus a few strands of gray hair. Right then and there, he ordered his men to seize papa and had him hung without any trial.”
Enrique Fernando Sr. winced in pain. Both from what he heard and from the stinging sensation forming on his side.
“He just created economic chaos when he had the mirror factory closed. Lots of our barrio men were unemployed after he confiscated the equipments for glass making. He couldn’t stand to see his self growing old and ugly even in his reflections, as if forever stuck with how he looked ten years ago! But to take someone’s life for the sake of his vanity? That’s… that’s insane!”
“This will end soon, Danilo. Trust me.”
“I even heard that he’s planning to have the printing house remove the words “ugly” and “old” from our vocabulary. He wanted the words destroyed so such ideas wouldn’t exist!” Dan added half crying, half laughing. “He wanted everything to be perfect by the time-”
“Ssshh, s-someone’s coming” Enrique Fernando Sr. cut Dan short. With a quick movement, Dan was able to pull themselves behind a large cabinet.
“Kuya Dan”
Dan took a breath of relief as he revealed himself to Jun Jun. Holding Enrique Fernando Sr.’s hand, he reached for the old shirt, the bottle of antiseptic and the cup of boiled guava leaves from the boy’s hand.
January 7th, 2012 at 19:34
VENUS, 46, wakes up with a smile, sits on her bed, grabs her mirror and checks her wrinkles (does she have them already????!!!!!)
VENUS
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the youngest of them all?
An image that of a maid appears on the mirror. It turns out to be a reflection. Behind Venus, is her maid, CURACHA.
CURACHA
Buenas Noches, Senora! You look so young and oh-so bella today!
VENUS
You must’ve gulped the truth serum, Curacha!!! Can you repeat that again, one more time??
Curacaha, in a dull and boring way, repeats it. Just then, a flicker erupts. BRIGETTE, the photographer, enters.
BRIGETTE
Bon jour! Le skin is supple. Sooo smooothhee. Here here!
Brigette snaps away. She hands Venus a copy of the image, getting it from the Polaroid camera.
VENUS
Oh. Sweeeeetttttt! Darling, this is so, magnifique! First time to encounter such spontaneity!
Just then, she lays the photo on the table where hundreds of her ‘snapshots’ are scattered. Then she applies the Pretty All Over firming lotion SPF 100 in her body and face, sprays Chanel Young Forever and Ever perfume. She’s about to reach the I am Beautiful in Every Single Way Gluta body gel but stops…
Silence.
The birds are chirping, the breeze touches her face. Venus inhales deeply, stands up and walks towards the veranda. She arches her back and tries to do a Yoga thing she can’t explain. Well, because she invented it herself.
VENUS (to Curacha and Brigette)
Can you feel it?
A series of strong wind unfold. The sky is beautiful; a storm is seemingly looming. The curtains flap towards Venus. She tries hard not to lose balance, to compose herself. Then, she starts declaring her mantra.
CURACHA and BRIGETTE (repeats rom a distance)
Naive, delusional and neurotic.
At the same time, Venus mutters…
VENUS (repeats)
Young, wild and free.
The storm rages, too soon. Thunder and lightning unfurl. Nature is clearly in opposition of her mantra. Mother Earth hates liars. Then the huge drapes flaps wildly towards Venus’ body, affecting her calm posture. She loses her balance, bumps into the terrace, falls down into the front porch.
Lightning strikes. Thunder, with a seemingly laughing rhythm, ensues.
Curacha and Brigette look at each other and smirk. Then croons, Forever young… I wanna be forever young.
On the pavement, Venus lays face first. Her lips twitch. She tries to open her eyes. She hears voices from a distance. They were that of women.
The women were rambling…
WOMEN (alternating)
Ohh a new one. She looks gorgeous!
What a darling! Must be suicide.
Better suicide young than die wayyy older.
They let out an evil laugh…
Venus opens her eyes, tries to gain consciousness, tries to sit down and remember what has happened.
VENUS
Where am I? Who am I? Why am I…?
MARILYN MONROE assists her as she composes herself.
MARILYN
Oh dear, get up! What a glowing skin you have!
GRACE KELLY enters.
GRACE
Goodness gracious, your hair! It’s so well-kept!
PRINCESS DIANA enters. In her famous wedding dress.
PRINCESS DIANA
And that smile, obviously far better than Camilla!
MARILYN
Oh darling, you must get up before your dress gets crumpled, if it is not already
Venus gets up. The four girls walk in the all-white, never-ending room. Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream plays in the background. Then they see Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, among others, walk towards them.
VENUS
Runway….?
DIANA
Darling, we’re in heaven and we’re all angels!
When the word angels were said, everybody stopped and did a pose. A magical transition sound effects can be heard.
MARILYN
Welcome to the world where every woman would stay young and beautiful!
GRACE
Where one’s youth is the premium priority.
DIANA
Where one lives forever…
VENUS
Why am I having a pep talk with gorgeous, sexy and drop DEAD beautiful women.
She shakes her head.
Venus seems to be talking to herself.
VENUS
Am I channelling the dead me? This technology is awesome! I want to have this patented!
GRACE
Venus, you must live up to your name!
VENUS (interrupts)
Like you died with yours.
MARILYN
You have so many years ahead of you!
VENUS
And obviously you did not look forward to yours. You ended it right there!
PRINCESS DIANA
There are so many men out there for you! Waiting for you to seduce them with all your glory!
VENUS
Based on your experience? And you did have your fair share, I know right?
They walk towards the fountain of youth. Marilyn holds a small bottle.
MARILYN
Look, take this FAME! I’m Gonna Live Forever!!! potion and you’ll be perpetually young and eternally grateful!
GRACE
Look at us!
PRINCESS DIANA
Need I say more?
Silence.
Strong winds come out from nowhere. Thunder and lightning unfold again. Venus is about to reach it… But there seems to be an earthquake; the room violently shakes. It begins to crumble.
In another world, Curacha fulfils one of her duties every single day and that is to wake up Venus, greet the latter cheerfully and say how young and beautiful the former is. Just as Curacha enters the room of Venus, she sees her employer on the bed with eyes closed, mumbling incoherent words. Curacha realizes that Venus must be dreaming. No, nightmaring! (is there such a word?!?!, she ask herself) She wakes Venus up, ready to slap the latter.
VENUS
Not so fast, Curacha!!
CURACHA
Senora, were you dreaming?
VENUS
Were you going to slap me, you evil…?
CURACHA (interrupts)
I would have wanted to… to wake you up…
Venus is panting. She tries to smile as she sits on her bed, grabs her mirror and checks her wrinkles (does she have them already????!!!!!)
VENUS
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the youngest of them all?
She saw three images there- all smirking were Marilyn, Grace and Diana.
Then Curacha hands her the potion as Brigette snaps away.
All the women, except Venus, wickedly chorused…
To Life’s Beauty!