Fairy
lights glittered from where they were half hidden in the foliage, creating a
warm glow in the dusk. The honeysuckle scent of the air floated through on a
cooling breeze, playing with tendrils of hair and lifting the lace tablecloths
at the edges. People swarmed around the edges of the garden, mosquito buzzing
with light-hearted conversation. Everybody was dressed in elegance; tuxedos
with pocket squares and fine silks of dresses, like butterfly wings wrapped
around bodies. Sweets lingered on tongues, coating breath, and red liquid
flowed freely from crystal fountains. An orchestra played soft music, the
lilting notes vibrating over the party, creating a relaxing ambiance as
background noise for the partygoers.
A woman
stepped forward, her skirts circling and settling. Pulling her shawl closer
around narrow shoulders, she adjusted the microphone set centred in the middle
of the festivities and leaned into it. At this motion, a young girl’s eyes
widened and the sharp smell of fear mingled with the flowery atmosphere. She noticed
herself sweating through the thin fabric of her white dress and adjusted a hand
to pick at the embroidered roses sewn onto the skirt. The tulle underneath
crackled uncomfortably against her bare legs as she shifted from foot to foot.
At the
microphone, the woman cleared her throat. With this sound, the girl flinched,
her heart pounding.
Her
terror was palpable; several of the guests cast blank faces towards her in
interest as tensions increased.
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“On this
day, we are blessed.”
The
woman’s strong voice carried over the sounds of the music playing and the party
quietened, allowing her to be heard.
“On this
day, we are blessed.” The crowd echoed in unison, causing the girl to shiver.
It was
about to begin.
—
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Earlier
that day, the girl lay curled on a stone floor, limbs stiff and unused. A rat
scurried past, inches away from her face but she did not move. A clanging noise
rang out through the cell as someone turned a key and the metal gate fencing
her into the corner was removed.
“It is
time.”
At this,
the girl finally lifted her head. Her eyes, previously cold and resigned, now
filled with panic.
Lifting
her by the shackles chained to her wrists, the guard hefted her to her feet,
half dragging her on numb legs.
Emerging
from the dark room, the girl screwed her face up in response to the new colours
and light. As her eyes adjusted, she took in the intricate wall carvings, lit
up by chandeliers embedded into ceilings so high they made her head spin.
Whilst they led her through the hallway, dread settled in- an uncomfortable
nausea coupled with the lack of food which caused her to sway on the spot. The
guard noticed and tugged harshly at the restraints.
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As the
pair entered another spectacular room, the guard unlocked the cuffs, allowing
the girl a modicum of freedom. It was not well received. With her now
unrestricted hands, the girl moved to attack but her chill stiffened arms were
not quick enough for the guard, who responded by slapping her face without
emotion.
“You will
behave.”
Resigned
to her fate, the girl sat on the pulled-out stool in the centre of the room and
awaited what would become of her. Almost instantly, several women appeared from
the doorway and settled themselves around the girl. She let her façade drop and
a low keening noise emitted from her throat as tears formed in the corners of
her eyes. One woman tilted her face towards her, using a delicate hand to
gently, carefully wipe the tears away with a tissue.
“Don’t
cry pet. It will all be over soon.”
Her voice
caused ice to drip down the girl’s spine, leeching any warmth the room
provided.
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They held
a glass of water out to her which she took, composing herself. After sipping
it, she lifted her chin to stare defiantly at the wall ahead, focusing on the
beautiful artwork there. The women set to work, skilfully applying makeup to
hide the damage that two weeks in the jail cell had caused.
As one of
them painted rose coloured eyeshadow onto her eyelids, she broke her silence.
“What
will become of me?”
To her credit,
her voice did not falter despite the fear she felt.
The women
continued their work without hesitation. Only one responded at all, biting her
lip but not ceasing in applying strands of glitter to the flower crown she was
weaving with nimble fingers.
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Another
of the servants crossed the carpeted floor to a huge wardrobe in the corner,
removing from it a dress of white silk. It was undoubtably stunning- off the
shoulders with layers of pale pink peeking through the white making up the
skirt and covered with sparkling hand embroidered flowers- but the knowledge of
what it symbolised filled the young girl with dread. As they laced her into the
bodice, she snaked a hand towards a pair of sharp nail scissors left
unattended. The tiny scraping noise they made as they lifted off the table top
seemed to resonate through the room. The woman who had bitten her lip when
questioned quietly lay a hand over the girls and removed the weapon deftly.
“It is
not worth it.” She whispered. “It would never work.”
The other
women pretended not to notice and busied themselves putting the final touches
into the girl’s appearance. The last step completed as the flower
crown was placed upon her dark hair.
The party
was already in full swing when she exited through the glass patio doors.
Outwardly, she kept her head held high. Inwardly, her mind screamed for help.
The
festivities continued throughout the night. She went ignored, attracting little
attention.
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Only
one person paid her any notice. A woman, elegant in her black shawl,
approached. A long-nailed hand cupped the girl’s chin, tilting her face this
way and that.
The girl
responded only with a dead stare.
“Now,
now. You know I can’t see that evil look.”
The woman
tipped her head to the side. The fairy lights caught her, illuminating the
hollowed cheeks, and lack of any features upon her pale face. Aside from that
mouth.
Black
lips framed a wide hole of saliva dripping fangs. A split tongue emerged and
disappeared back into the black hole in her face almost instantly as she licked
her lips in eagerness of what the evening was to hold.
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The woman
leaned in, flicking her tongue out again to touch the girl’s cheek.
A throat
clearing interrupted the woman. She turned to where the noise had emitted from,
where another woman stood at the microphone.
“On this
day, we are blessed.” came the voices, laced with anticipation.
The girl
shut her eyes. Better to not see what was coming.
Eddie House, author
Eddie House is a 22 year old genderqueer manic pixie daydream. In their free time, they love to write, especially poetry and short stories. Their aim is for other queer young people to read their work and be inspired. You can find more of their work at http://eddielhouse.tumblr.com, or in Anatolios Magazine
So I happened upon this very cheesecake-heavy premiere issue of Extremes of Violet, complete with pinups by some of the comic book greats of the time, and decided to make some Peeping Toms collage art by incorporating the voluptuous vixen into various crystal pieces to create a sort of fishbowl effect centered largely on her bosom (which is unavoidable).
Each of the Peeping Toms is shown from three angles because of how much the pieces shift as the light plays off the crystal. I started with these star forms.
The second bowl was even a bit iridescent, and violet at that!
Next I did a series of really perky busty bowls, which really get the feeling across that you are looking through the tiny peephole in a door as well as exemplifying the content even more. Note: these are shown in two rows with side details as well, so there are a lot of pics here…
I experimented a little and tried a couple of other scenes, like the portrait, as well. She’s staring back at the Peeping Toms…
I also tried this more square bowl form.
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And finally, I found this little heart, which is my personal favorite of the group.
These works are a continuation of my Creepy Comics collage series, shown on Haunted MTL here.
So I probably should have taken a before picture, but I found a faux wood stained plaster Jesus statue and turned it into Zombie Christ. Because it’s the second second coming. Or something. It’s kind of an offshoot of my nail polish paintings reappropriating thrift store art…
Anyway without further ado, I present…
Zombie Christ remake statue by Jennifer Weigel
I was a little concerned that I made him too green at first, but I’m happy with the finished result. This statue just looked so anguished. It’s eyes had been closed but I like them better open and even painted them with blacklight reactive nail polish so they will stand out even more and be interactive in other ways to add creepy factor.
Another view of sculpture
And taking it from the top…
Sadly I don’t have a blacklight anymore or I’d share a picture that way too. Oh well. I’ll leave you with a fun detail shot instead.
Zombie Christ detail with eyes
Next time I may make him more gray than green though. We shall see…
Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.
So it’s been awhile since we’ve looked at some of the things I have gathered, so I thought I’d bring back my art collection for another round… Here are the first and second highlights in case you missed earlier explorations.
From left to right: M Pena Windstone Editions bat-winged flap cat, bone mask by Terry and Susan Wright, wood cat in skull by labcreature, real hair art by myself, pencil drawing of Barbarois Elder for Vampire Hunter D anime cel
From left to right: Barbarois Elder for Vampire Hunter D anime cel, Turn Me Royal portrait of my father and stepmother as Frankenstein’s monster and his bride, painted horse skull
Left to right: Overgrowth by Ellie Bradley, heart by TenderFlesh, praying devil girl by Torman’s Treasures
And a vintage plastic 2-foot Jack O Lantern I got at a yard sale and have kept on display on his very own stool in the living room since. So happy.
Anyway, there are some more highlights from my art collection, as it is always growing and evolving. I have lucked into several of these pieces at antique and thrift stores or acquired them from the artists or more. And yes, I still have Da Ting the taxidermy shih-tzu from the first of these posts.
Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.