SHORT HORROR STORIES #3
INSTA-EMPLOYED
CATHERINE’S DAY: Catherine just got back home after a long day. She is studying medicine and working 2 jobs to pay for her studies. Catherine opens the door tosses her bag down, gets changed, makes herself a cuppa and then crumples herself on the sofa. She opens her phone and checks Instagram.
Feed after feed of beautiful women with thousands of followers come across her screen. She admires them and wishes she was like them. Adored by thousands of people for simply posting sexually suggestive, pretty photos. Catherine catches her reflection on the glass window, she sees dishevelled hair and flaking mascara. She pouts, dismayed by what she sees. Catherine returns her gaze back to her phone and continues scrolling aimlessly, she stops at HELEN’S newest post. Catherine sighs, admirational envy in her eyes. Helen has 100k followers and appears to be a very sexy girl flying all over the world in nice clothes. The life Catherine wishes she had.
HELEN’S DAY: Helen just got back home from her meeting at the unemployment/benefits office. She’s been on benefits for over a year now. She was the hot girl in highschool and dropped out when she was in the 11th grade to pursue fame. Without a degree, no qualifications and no work experience, no one is keen on employing Helen.
Still annoyed by the condescending man behind the counter at the benefits office, Helen opens the door to her run down apartment and slams her LV bag against the wall. Helen then does the only thing she is good at. She puts on a push up bra, does her makeup and takes selfies half naked on the bed. She then edits her images on a pirated copy of Photoshop. Posting the images on Instagram with the caption #DontYouWishYourGirlfriendWasHotLikeMe
She receives 10,000+ likes and feels like she is accomplished at life. She feels it is fabulous that men adore her, gift her nice things like her LV bag and are willing to fly her out for free to exotic destinations just for her “company”…
FAST FORWARD 5 YEARS …
Fast forward 5 years. Instagram is dead, along with the ‘perfection selfie’ culture that went with it. Catherine has finished med school and is just starting up her practice.
Helen is dead, she committed suicide. The daily facade of a high roller lifestyle on benefits mixed with pseudo-prostitution got the better of her sanity. However, she did manage to procure 1 million followers before the demise of herself and instagram.