Make-Up Artist
"You look…beautiful." Artemis stepped away from the woman. The genius was currently working at his new job in the local mall. For three hours a day, Artemis stood in front of a beauty kiosk applying free blush, lipstick, and eyeliner to any willing passerby.
As he had hoped, most women and young girls had turned him down. Artemis wasn't especially skilled in the art of painting women's faces with cheap (and possibly dangerous) beauty products. Why would they want a make-over from a complete stranger? But closer to the end of his shift the boy's luck had run dry. Lo and behold, this women had charged up to him, demanding he beautify her face (her words, not mine).
Artemis had stared at the make-up set in dismay. What were all these brushes for? And why did the company include colored pencils in the set? No wonder why Juliet and Mother took hours a day to apply make-up.
He had picked up a random q-tip looking brush, dabbing it into a circular container of silver sparkles. Well, it looked pretty. Maybe it could spice up this woman's face as well? Two minutes later, Artemis took back everything he said about silver face…stuff.
She looked hideous! And Artemis hadn't even begun to apply the make-up.
Ten minutes later…Artemis had started to panic. This woman's had only gotten uglier and uglier. He frantically drew across her face with those color pencil thingies and painted her lashes with the liquid black goop stuff. Repeatedly the woman had seen his shocked his expression and asked what was wrong. And repeatedly he replaced the look of horror with an extremely fake smile full of artificial sunshine to soothe her.
"I want to see myself now please."
"Err…"
"What? Is something the matter?"
"No…"
"Then show me my face."
"Well…" Artemis subconsciously picked up the hand mirror and pressed it protectively against his chest.
The woman had had enough. She wasn't going to wait any longer for this pale adolescent to show the results of her make-over. She leapt out of her chair, ripping the mirror out of Artemis' hands.
The look of shock and utter horror on her face was priceless. If Artemis wasn't so preoccupied with thoughts of unemployment, he would have had to call this a "Kodak Moment" and go for a camera.
The woman screamed. And it wasn't just any scream. It was a shatter wine glass, promote early hearing loss scream. Anyone in the immediate vicinity had to cover their ears. Artemis himself had collapsed to the floor, barely moments before the woman hurled the mirror over his head, shattering it against the kiosk shelves.
Police arrived at the scene, and were barely able to prevent the woman from tearing the genius from limb to limb. Artemis had only one thought occupying his mind as the police dragged him away. I don't think I'll be allowed to come back to this particular mall anytime soon.
Tora: I'm baaack! And shout out to Linwen for nominating our story! Words cannot express my gratitude but I'll try anyway. Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!
Note: I'm trying to do as many requests as I can. So I need them now more then ever. If picked (actually I'm doing all of them anyway so it really doesn't matter who's idea I choose to write first) your idea may show up in drabble form!
Yes! Yes! One hundred reviews! Now let's bring this puppy up to two hundred!