Truth

Julie awoke with a start. A cool sweat pricked on the back of her neck. Sighing deeply, she slid out of bed. Stumbling slightly, Julie yawned and picked her way out of the bombsite of a room she called home. Lifting and pulling at her deep mahogany hair that fell to her waist, hse stopped in front of the mirror. A sickly pale creature stared back at her. The skin of the creature was almost blue, it's eyes blood shot and surrounded by smudged black. The limbs of the creature were long and bony. The most disturbing feature of the oddity in the mirror was the angry, pink, puckered skin that ran in criss-crossing lines across the tops of the creatures thighs, arms and hips. Some of the lines had faded to a line of silvery white, where as others were still bleeding. Julie sighed once more and turned for the kitchen.

After donning her day work clothes ( her night work clothes would not be deemed appropriate at all), Julie slipped out into the cold crisp air of a New York morning. Power walking in 6 inch heels was never Julie's strong point even though she wore them enough. Deciding she needed out of the cold, Julie fished in her cheap pleather purse for change. After finally putting together just enough for the subway, she found herself in the rattly warmth of the Subway car. Reaching her stop, Julie bid the warmth a sad, silent goodbye and hurried across the road the high rise offices.

Julie McDonald has a passion for fashion. Thats what her mother would always say. Unfortunately, Julie's life had gotten in the way of this passion but she was finally setting the record straight. After battling for years to get recognised and accepted and of taking on anything she could to earn money, Julie had earned an internship in one of the most prestigious fashion magazines New York had to offer. Ofcourse, internship are pay-free so Julie's night job had to remain but she vowed she would work until it was just a thing of the past.

The internship was a year long programme, offering a taste of the fashion world for the hungry. Julie was 8 months into her internship when she was invited into the office of the editor that cool, crisp morning in New York. Yvonne Tolf was a tough woman yet she was smiling sweetly at Julie, even sickly sweet. After accepting a cup of coffee from Yvonne...well, Yvonne's assistant who was then shooed from the room, Julie sat squarely on the plush cream sofa that resided in Yvonne's office. Yvonne flounced down beside her, too close for comfort. With her sickly sweet smile still in place, she leaned in to whisper in Julie's ear. " I know what you are, whore."

Julie's cup clattered to the crowd, coffee staining the ash carpet. Yvonne was up in a flash, a look of disgust upon her face. " Its time you left, slut" she said softly, smile still in place. Retching with shock, Julie stumbled out of the office. Her dream, her life, her passion had just come crashing down around her. She had been so careful, so careful. How had Yvonne found out?! Making eye contact with other employees, Julie say the look. The look she got when she was seen on the street at night by people. The look of shame and of exculsion. They knew.

Bursting through the revolving doors, Julie was momentarily blinded by the eerie stream of winter sunlight. Hyperventilating, Julie continued to stumble down the street, throwing her box of belongings to the cold concrete. Passersby stared and hurried on. Tired of tripping, Julie ripped of her shoes and started running barefoot along the grimy ground. Tears blurred her vision but she didn't stop. Eventually, when the burning in her chest became too much, Julie stopped. When her eyes cleared, she saw blue. The Hudson River. Julie didn't even think. Her life was over, her world destroyed. She couldn't go back to what she was or who she was. It could not happen. As she balanced upon the icy metal railing, people began to shout. Julie didn't care, she was going to be free. A small smile spread across her face and she jumped.