text: Find the best light and tilt your chin upwards. Look directly at the camera lens on your phone, then smile. But not a big smile - A smile that says I know you wish you were me. Most people find taking selfies awkward, but it was second nature to Cissy. It was her livelihood, and she was good - very good. Cissy was a social media influencer - a mega influencer - who had built up millions of followers on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and her followers were like a cult, blindly following every recommendation. Being an influencer was a very lucrative business and Cissy was ruthless. When she wanted something, she would network like a poverty-stricken beauty queen in a room full of rich, old men. Despite this killer instinct, Cissy looked like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. Her figure was sleek and strong without being muscular, and every part of Cissy was primped and preened; from her platinum bob to her French polished toenails. Her image was her brand, and it was perfection. It was an average mega-influencer type of day. Cissy had posted her vlog for the morning; a GRWM 1 reel sponsored by a high-end fashion brand. The response had been amazing, and she knew the brand’s marketing department would be pleased. It also meant her asking price would go up. A win-win, and all thanks to her. Cissy was reading her DMs 2 after the post and noted the up-and-coming male model who had slid in. He knew some of the people she knew (of course he did - she knew everyone who was worth knowing) and wanted to ‘catch up and hang’. ‘Maybe next time, loser’, she thought, ‘if you have to chase me then I’m already bored.’ Ekko, Cissy’s old school friend and PA, bustled into Cissy’s bedroom. Ekko was like a creamy custard tart; round and messy on the outside but sweet and thoughtful on the inside. She had idolised Cissy since school, however Cissy had ulterior motives from the start. Cissy wasn’t popular at school but that was because teenaged girls were shallow and jealous. The only reason she was crowned Prom Queen was because Ekko was friends with everyone. Was it her fault that they were all so mediocre? Nevertheless, as loathe as she was to admit it, Cissy was completely reliant on Ekko, to do her dirty work. “Good morning, Cissy”, chimed Ekko in a sing song voice. “You’ve got that right”, said Cissy triumphantly, “I’ve got a few thousand new followers with that crap the brand sent over.” Cissy smirked to herself as she continued. “Make sure we get the views and the sales figures from this post. I want them to know what a difference I make.” “Sure”, chirped Ekko, “Okay, you have a few appointments today; the stylist wants to show you a few looks they’ve pulled for your appearance tonight and your trainer said he can add the extra Pilates session later this week, just like you asked.” Cissy inspected her nails. The chic French manicure with a slice of deep navy across the top would need a touch up soon. “Ohh” Ekko spluttered, “I almost forgot! So exciting! You know that new resort that opened in the Maldives? Well, they want to pay you to visit and post some content for them. Do you think you’ll have time? It would be so cool - I’ve always wanted to go there!” Cissy rolled over in her linen sheets towards Ekko and stared at her coolly. “Hmmm, is that really necessary? I’m not sure that your body is (Cissy used air quotes) Maldives-ready. It could take some prep work for you to be comfortable in a bikini. Honestly, I’m only thinking of you and want you to feel great, and I’m not sure you would.” Ekko slumped, her round shoulders swallowing up her neck. Ekko was so easy to manipulate that it was barely sport for Cissy. Cissy knew that comparisons would ensure she was always unquestionably, the most beautiful. But she also knew that she had to be cautious not to become less desirable by association. Cissy hoped that people saw the generosity she showed a poor little thing like Ekko, simply by allowing her to orbit in Cissy’s universe. “Oh, okay, well, you’re right of course, perhaps I don’t need to be there,” Ekko sulked, “but do you have someone who will sort things out for you at the resort? I’d be happy to try and arrange everything from here, but I just don’t think I could be on top of everything, being so far away.” Cissy paused, tilted her head and tucked her manicured hand under her chin, as if there was a shot being taken of her looking “pensive”. ‘I’ll have to remember this pose’, she thought, ‘it could be good for my post next week on self-affirmation’. “Oh look, I suppose you could come” Cissy sighed, “there’s too much for me to arrange, and I’ll be busy trying to make sure that resort looks as good as it can. God knows, they could do with my help.” Ekko squealed as she spun around and ran out the door. “I’ll get right onto it now”, Ekko shouted as she bustled down the hallway. Cissy leaned back on her pillows and sighed with a smirk on her face. Aquamarine blue water, glaringly brilliant sand and sparkling sunshine - this would be perfectly on brand for her. She would post content of herself lounging on a rope hammock at sunset, and long, slow shots of her oily lean limbs being massaged. All while her followers were shivering in their sodden winter clothes, hating their miserable lives and living vicariously through her. Yes, this was a great idea. When Cissy arrived at the resort, there were some “issues”. The food upset her digestive system, however her stomach became flatter and her thighs were slimmer, which was great for those bikini shots - lots of thigh gap and jutting hip bones. When she got slightly sunburnt, she simply used the photo filters and adjusted the saturation of her reddened skin to a deep olive glow. Cissy posted lots of ‘solo’ reels on the beach (with Ekko following her and filming), showing Cissy emerge from the water like a modern-day mermaid, glistening water running down her burnished back. The posts were an unbelievable success. Cissy’s followers increased exponentially, and her DMs were blowing up with pokes 3 from A list celebrities. She was pursued by major players in the lifestyle and beauty industries, with offers that made her manager scream and cheer down the phone from the other side of the world. Life was perfect. On the last day, during their morning catch up over breakfast, Cissy and Ekko went through the figures and planned the final shoot. Cissy’s floating tray of delicacies bobbed around the private pool as she poked slices of tropical fruit into her mouth. Ekko sat on a chair at the edge of the pool, slick with sweat from the heat. Ekko studiously scrolled through the messages on her phone. “Oo, Cissy - the resort manager has offered us a sail on the resort yacht, and I think this might be a great opportunity to show the reef around the island”, Ekko said excitedly. “God no, I’m not here for the environment” scowled Cissy. “Where’s the hotness? My followers are not worried about the stupid fish!” “Oh no” stuttered Ekko, “I mean it would be perfect to show some full-length shots of you swimming underwater in that neon bikini you have.” Cissy stretched her lithe limbs out and admired the way they glimmered through the dappled water. “I suppose you’re right” she sighed, “okay, well, let them know I’ll do it. But not too early - I need my beauty sleep.” The yacht glowed in the bright sun, stretched out along the bleached marina. As Cissy and Ekko boarded, Cissy imagined reels with long, smooth dives overboard into the turquoise waters (good for a full-body action shot) and of her swimming below the ocean with sea life (the water would make her thigh muscles ripple as she kicked). The journey to the reef seemed to stretch forever and the island faded behind them until it wasn’t even a sliver on the horizon. The crew unfurled the sails which puffed and billowed, capturing the strong breeze. Finally, the deep sapphire of the water lightened to a topaz blue, and the captain set anchor. The increasing gusts of wind unsettled the water, creating small caps of white foam on the edges of the waves. “This is it”, said the captain, “it’s the best spot for sea life. If we’re lucky you might even see some sharks.” Cissy swung around and glared at him. “Reef sharks, of course” the captain continued with a chuckle, “perfectly harmless and very well fed.” He winked at Cissy, but it didn’t appease her. Determined to create the content she needed, Cissy began to wrangle on the bright coloured goggles and snorkel and struggled to pull on her flippers. She snapped at Ekko to avoid headshots and keep the focus on her body. The boat kept leaning and yawning in the unpredictable waves. Ekko balanced on the rolling deck with her legs apart, focusing her phone on Cissy. Cissy leant over the side and looked below into the cool depths. To others, it looked like she was watching the fish below the surface, weaving around the keel. But Cissy was distracted by the perfection of her silhouette, reflected on the choppy water surface. The angle of the afternoon sun meant her shadow was taller and slimmer than in reality, and despite the churning waves muddying any definition of her shape, she knew she was ideally proportioned in real life. That’s why everyone wanted to be her - she was flawless in every way. Cissy pulled herself to the back of the yacht and held onto the metal rail as she steadied herself, ready to jump into the water below. Suddenly a wave lifted the bow and the yacht lurched. Cissy slipped and she clutched at the handrail, but her hands were greasy with sun lotion. Her grip slid recklessly along the length of the rail, finally wrenching open at the end and she fell headfirst into the sloppy sea. With a stomach-turning crack against the fibreglass keel, Cissy shattered her perfectly shaped skull. The hard smack of the impact was followed by a quiet, soft dullness. Cissy’s body sank lower and lower, into the depths. Her final thought was pathetically typical, as Cissy’s mind dissolved into the salty water around her. ‘Ekko had better be filming this - nothing gets more views than tragedy.’ A crimson cloud of blood slowly enveloped her as sharks hovered ominously, swimming in ever smaller circles. -The End - 1 GRWM is a ‘get ready with me’ reel on social media where influencers film themselves getting dressed or applying makeup in preparation to ‘go out’. Always staged and often sponsored. 2 DM: Abbreviation for ‘Direct Message’, private texts/messages between the person who uploaded the post and an approved follower. 3 Poke: A DM/message or a reaction to a post from a follower.