Status: Currently on hold but not forgotten!
Novelty T-shirts
Roughly Translated
People were packed inside the small bookstore in down town Hollywood like sardines, Corey wanted nothing more than to run away the moment she saw the thousands of people standing on the side walk and street in front of the store. A clear sign that there wasn’t even a single square foot of space available indoors.
“This was a bad idea,” she gulped and if it wasn’t for the firm hand on her shoulder that was leading her forward there was no doubt in the woman’s mind that she would have fainted at the sight before her.
“It’s just one day,” said Jennifer. “You make a little speech, answer a few questions, then go home with the knowledge that you never have to do this again.” She made it seem so simple, but Corey knew she was lying through her teeth.
Corey would do this again, she’d make more speeches, answer more questions, and return home knowing she was deluding herself by thinking it was over.
“Just make sure no one touches me and we’ll both live to see tomorrow,” she said with a sigh and removed the hand from her shoulder just as they made it to the crowd and started to push their way through.
-
“This was a bad idea,” said Tom as he looked out the window of the limousine to see the thickest crowd his young eyes had ever laid eyes on.
“It’s just one day,” said the blonde woman across from him. She was his agent’s assistant but Tom couldn’t remember her name for the life of him. “You’ll smile, take some pictures, and answer a few questions before going back to your hotel and getting drunk before passing out in a compromising position with Daniel.” Tom may not have known her, but the woman apparently knew him.
“Besides,” she said when he continued to look out the window with a blank look in his eyes. “No one’s here to see you, they’re here to meet Karna.” That didn’t make him feel better, simply nervous beyond compare. Tom was there for that very reason as well.
“Well, let’s get this over with,” said the actor as he lowered his sunglasses and opened the door, only to be met by a blinding flash of light from a camera that someone in the rapidly growing crowd was holding.
“Tom, what brings you here. Are you a fan of Ms.Kullen’s?” asked a small woman to his left just as another flash blinded him for a few moments.
“Are you aware of the secret?” asked another and the short distance to the glass door suddenly seemed to be miles long.
“Yes, I’m a fan and no, I’m not aware of the secret.” Tom continued to push his way through the hoards of people and if he was asked any more questions then he didn’t hear any of them.
“How is that possible?” asked the woman that Tom still couldn’t remember the name of. “This can not be safe.” The duo were standing just inside the small shop and people were pressed so close together it was a miracle that they hadn’t fused to each other.
“It’s against the laws of physics,” said Tom and he took the woman’s hand in order to pull her over to a corner of the store that wasn’t quite as crowded as the rest of the shop.
-
“Hello,” Corey said into the microphone in front of her and the entire establishment was suddenly plunged into silence. “My name is Corey Hills and I’m the best friend of the woman you all know as Karna Kullen.” The silence was broken as applause erupted but quickly quieted so Corey could speak again.
“I’ve known Karna most of my life and I know she would love to be here today, but sadly that’s not an option. She did ask for me to read this to you,” Corey held up a letter she had written earlier for everyone to see before placing it on the podium and reading it aloud.
“Dear readers, you’re the heart and soul of Vampire Park. Without you it would have closed its gates years ago.” Corey looked over at Jennifer and noticed that she was smiling in triumph, almost like she was enjoying the fact that Corey had agreed to lie for this company, something she swore she wouldn’t do, no more than twenty-four hours ago.
“I feel as though I’m losing a child today, a child that I had put everything I had into for years. But like any parent will tell you, it’s a good kind of pain; my books have grown up, you have grown up. The readers have stayed with me from the first book when Emmett dyed the werewolf’s hair pink just to see a pink wolf on the night of the full moon, to the this last segment where the fate of the magical world we’ve grown to love will be revealed.” There was a faint rustling of paper as the woman turned the letter over but even in the short relapse, no one spoke.
“I’m sorry that I must hide behind fake names but I feel it is for the best-“ Corey was suddenly cut off as a young girl no more than fifteen stood up on a table and yelled across the store something that made Corey’s heart warm.
“It’s not for the best, we need her, we need to know she’s real, that this creation was actually written by human hands. We need Karna Kullen, her face, her name, her trust. We need her!” That line was from one of Corey’s books, of course it had been changed slightly in order to fit the situation, but someone remembered it.
“But I feel it is for the best,” continued Corey once the girl was helped down off the table by one of her friends. “For I know my books sell because people truly enjoy them, not because they think I’m funny, or entertaining, or even nice to speak to. They like what I have to offer, not who I am. So once again I am sorry for getting your hopes up; maybe one day I will reveal my secret. But for now I am writing in the dark and waiting for the light of day.
“Love always, Karna Kullen.” Everyone in the store suddenly started to talk at once, causing an explosion of noise that caused Corey to flinch in pain.
Corey would never know what caused her to look to her right, but she would always remember what she saw. A girl, only about eleven years old was crying, Corey had never even seen someone cry that hard and knowing she caused it, made tears gather in the corners of her own eyes.
“Wait,” she said and tilted the microphone back up in order to speak into it. Everyone quieted again and waited for her to continue. “The letter wasn’t completely finished.” With one glance at an angry looking Jennifer, Corey spoke.
“For those of you that are unaware, I was born to two Swedish-American parents, and given a name that unknown to them could be translated into several different languages." She mock-read. "When I was thirteen I started playing around with a language translator one day when I was bored, I typed my name in and watched as strange ones appeared in their place. One name stuck, Karna Kullen, it's Swedish, and roughly translated it means Corey Hills,” she waited for several seconds before taking a deep breath and saying as confidently as she could. “I’m Karna Kullen.”
“This was a bad idea,” she gulped and if it wasn’t for the firm hand on her shoulder that was leading her forward there was no doubt in the woman’s mind that she would have fainted at the sight before her.
“It’s just one day,” said Jennifer. “You make a little speech, answer a few questions, then go home with the knowledge that you never have to do this again.” She made it seem so simple, but Corey knew she was lying through her teeth.
Corey would do this again, she’d make more speeches, answer more questions, and return home knowing she was deluding herself by thinking it was over.
“Just make sure no one touches me and we’ll both live to see tomorrow,” she said with a sigh and removed the hand from her shoulder just as they made it to the crowd and started to push their way through.
-
“This was a bad idea,” said Tom as he looked out the window of the limousine to see the thickest crowd his young eyes had ever laid eyes on.
“It’s just one day,” said the blonde woman across from him. She was his agent’s assistant but Tom couldn’t remember her name for the life of him. “You’ll smile, take some pictures, and answer a few questions before going back to your hotel and getting drunk before passing out in a compromising position with Daniel.” Tom may not have known her, but the woman apparently knew him.
“Besides,” she said when he continued to look out the window with a blank look in his eyes. “No one’s here to see you, they’re here to meet Karna.” That didn’t make him feel better, simply nervous beyond compare. Tom was there for that very reason as well.
“Well, let’s get this over with,” said the actor as he lowered his sunglasses and opened the door, only to be met by a blinding flash of light from a camera that someone in the rapidly growing crowd was holding.
“Tom, what brings you here. Are you a fan of Ms.Kullen’s?” asked a small woman to his left just as another flash blinded him for a few moments.
“Are you aware of the secret?” asked another and the short distance to the glass door suddenly seemed to be miles long.
“Yes, I’m a fan and no, I’m not aware of the secret.” Tom continued to push his way through the hoards of people and if he was asked any more questions then he didn’t hear any of them.
“How is that possible?” asked the woman that Tom still couldn’t remember the name of. “This can not be safe.” The duo were standing just inside the small shop and people were pressed so close together it was a miracle that they hadn’t fused to each other.
“It’s against the laws of physics,” said Tom and he took the woman’s hand in order to pull her over to a corner of the store that wasn’t quite as crowded as the rest of the shop.
-
“Hello,” Corey said into the microphone in front of her and the entire establishment was suddenly plunged into silence. “My name is Corey Hills and I’m the best friend of the woman you all know as Karna Kullen.” The silence was broken as applause erupted but quickly quieted so Corey could speak again.
“I’ve known Karna most of my life and I know she would love to be here today, but sadly that’s not an option. She did ask for me to read this to you,” Corey held up a letter she had written earlier for everyone to see before placing it on the podium and reading it aloud.
“Dear readers, you’re the heart and soul of Vampire Park. Without you it would have closed its gates years ago.” Corey looked over at Jennifer and noticed that she was smiling in triumph, almost like she was enjoying the fact that Corey had agreed to lie for this company, something she swore she wouldn’t do, no more than twenty-four hours ago.
“I feel as though I’m losing a child today, a child that I had put everything I had into for years. But like any parent will tell you, it’s a good kind of pain; my books have grown up, you have grown up. The readers have stayed with me from the first book when Emmett dyed the werewolf’s hair pink just to see a pink wolf on the night of the full moon, to the this last segment where the fate of the magical world we’ve grown to love will be revealed.” There was a faint rustling of paper as the woman turned the letter over but even in the short relapse, no one spoke.
“I’m sorry that I must hide behind fake names but I feel it is for the best-“ Corey was suddenly cut off as a young girl no more than fifteen stood up on a table and yelled across the store something that made Corey’s heart warm.
“It’s not for the best, we need her, we need to know she’s real, that this creation was actually written by human hands. We need Karna Kullen, her face, her name, her trust. We need her!” That line was from one of Corey’s books, of course it had been changed slightly in order to fit the situation, but someone remembered it.
“But I feel it is for the best,” continued Corey once the girl was helped down off the table by one of her friends. “For I know my books sell because people truly enjoy them, not because they think I’m funny, or entertaining, or even nice to speak to. They like what I have to offer, not who I am. So once again I am sorry for getting your hopes up; maybe one day I will reveal my secret. But for now I am writing in the dark and waiting for the light of day.
“Love always, Karna Kullen.” Everyone in the store suddenly started to talk at once, causing an explosion of noise that caused Corey to flinch in pain.
Corey would never know what caused her to look to her right, but she would always remember what she saw. A girl, only about eleven years old was crying, Corey had never even seen someone cry that hard and knowing she caused it, made tears gather in the corners of her own eyes.
“Wait,” she said and tilted the microphone back up in order to speak into it. Everyone quieted again and waited for her to continue. “The letter wasn’t completely finished.” With one glance at an angry looking Jennifer, Corey spoke.
“For those of you that are unaware, I was born to two Swedish-American parents, and given a name that unknown to them could be translated into several different languages." She mock-read. "When I was thirteen I started playing around with a language translator one day when I was bored, I typed my name in and watched as strange ones appeared in their place. One name stuck, Karna Kullen, it's Swedish, and roughly translated it means Corey Hills,” she waited for several seconds before taking a deep breath and saying as confidently as she could. “I’m Karna Kullen.”