What Do You Say?

 This is something I just wrote that would go to another project that I'm not allowed to talk about. ;) But I felt it was well done, and special...so I wanted to share it. Hope you like it. Comment.

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He was suddenly close enough that I could smell him. Not the shampoo he used or any type of cologne he'd put on, but his scent. Then just as I was starting to feel the warmth of his mouth next to mine, I pulled away, feeling so sick that I could hardly swallow.

"I'm sorry. I-" I heard him mumble, still somewhat close to me.

I shook my head my eyes to the floor, "No, it's not you." I could hardly find my voice.

"Then what is it?" He asked with a saddened humility.

"I-I don't know. I just…can't." I was beginning to shake inside out.

There was silence for a moment and I could almost feel his hesitation. "It's because of that…guy…isn't it?"

My mouth lost its ability to move.

I heard him shuffle, sigh, then begin to walk out of the room. I wanted to stop him, but I couldn't bring myself to do anything but stand there and shake.

"I mean, why can't you just…let go of him or something?" the sudden frustration and slight anger in his voice surprised me.

"I don't know." I managed to say.

"Yes, you do."

I wrapped my arms tighter around myself and began to move anxiously. "I don't know! I just-It just feels so wrong! Maybe I'm just…scared of letting go, even though I've tried. Maybe I'm just so afraid that if I do I won't have anything to hold onto anymore," I started to turn around to face him "that I'll just-"

I never finished the sentence. I never finished the thought. Somehow without me noticing, Rob had come up to me and in an instant, took hold of my face and pressed his lips to mine.

It wasn't like an expected first kiss, timid, asking for permission, but full, challenging, and powerful.

I didn't fight it, and I didn't want to. It was natural; breath, skin, oxygen.

It was like my will, my fear, was gone in an instant, the bottle that I had been keeping that part of myself in shattered, the lock around my heart broken.

It was what I needed, and somehow, this man knew it.

We stood awkwardly for a moment, but finally met each others' eyes. He looked at me softly.

"Don't let fear keep you from taking chances." He said wiping a tear from my cheek that I hadn't known was there. "You might miss something important."

I couldn't stop myself now. Every tear that I hadn't shed for him all these years came pouring out onto Rob's chest and he took them without hesitation, eventually sitting us on the couch.

I calmed down, breathing him in, the peace I had been beginning to feel in his presence taking hold. I took note of how easy being with him like this was as I laid my head comfortably between his neck and shoulder.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled.

"Nothing to be sorry for." He answered, taking my hand hesitantly.

I squeezed his in return, searching for his lips again, feeling the final chains falling off of my wings once I did. 

Sight-Alternate Beginning

 This is a new beginning I had for Sight clearly. And really...it's just better. I hope you think so too! Playlist

<--Previous Version

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The strongest memory of my childhood is of my mother's funeral.

A strange cooling mist surrounded me as bugs buzzed in the heat.

A tall, sweating priest read from the bible.

Only a few people came and I didn't know any of them.

No one had anything to say.

All of the flowers laid for her had already wilted under the sun save my iris. She had grown them for as long as I could remember. As the casket began its decent into the ground a hand squeezed mine. I wasn't bothered by it and something was telling me that it was okay to cry, but I didn't. Maybe I had used up all of my tears the day I found her.

She had had me sleep with her in her bed, which I, being six years old, naturally had no objections to. When I woke up the next morning three hours late for school…she didn't.

It wasn't until the middle of that night that someone found me. I don't even remember who, a neighbor seemed most likely. They'd told the officers and paramedics they'd found me crying and holding onto her, begging her to wake up.

After that it was all mostly hushed voices, sympathetic looks, a few pats, sighs, and explanations of natural causes that I ignored. I'd known as much as my young mind could: mom had always been sick.

It wasn't until I was older that I learned she had had the beta form of Thalassemia. She was twenty-nine years old. She had gotten the disease from her mother, who had gotten it from hers all of whom were long gone. There were no siblings to take me in, no living relative that wanted anything to do with me. No one had ever heard of any kind of father.

At some point I'd wondered if, with the high risk of the disease being passed onto me, everyone was too afraid of taking on that kind of responsibility, but I had never shown any trace of it.

With no other place for me, I entered a foster home. I couldn't ever say if it was a bad place to be or not. I hadn't been there very long.

I don't know if it was my mom's death that had triggered it or if I'd always been that way, but the first night in the foster home had me screaming. Shadowy figures of all shapes and sizes hovered over every other child's bed, and paid no attention to me.

I was immediately sent to a doctor, which became another doctor, and another and another until I was landed in a home for mentally ill children that frankly, they didn't know how to help. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I was seeing things that left me alone and never said a word. I quickly learned that they had no interest in me and that they were everywhere, at least one with every living thing. I wondered for years if this was what happened to those who, because of death, were lonely in the world, they could see what others couldn't.

With no other means of passing time in what was mostly seclusion, I studied. I didn't bother until I was about thirteen and the things I had learned to ignore became nagging questions that would not ebb.

There was never a question in my mind about who I was. Anna Grace, daughter of Amy Grace: More than likely insane, but harmless. But the questions I did have, no one seemed to be able to answer.

What were the shadows? Why were they around every living person except me? What did they do? What did they want from us?

The more I dove into the knowledge I could get my hands on, which wasn't much, the more my questions led me to religion.

I gathered the basics of what the most commons believed but ended up concentrating on the most important aspect: Demons, spirits, ghosts, apparitions, the remains of the dead, evil, temptation.

The shadows I saw never physically harmed anyone that I had seen, spoke, and was not bothered by anything it came into contact with, not to mention, salt.

I often found myself closing this books rubbing my eyes, then glancing once again at the shadows trying to make the defining connection, but ending up nowhere. I wasn't doing too well on my own. I needed a teacher.

I asked for one and after a great deal of hassle, got one, but one only adequate enough to prepare me to earn my GED. It was my thinking that once I proved what I could do with the knowledge I gained, they'd let me research more on my own, have access to more information. I was wrong. At sixteen, when my test results came back with flying colors it seemed that every door closed on me. I fought through a long year like that. I became so desperate for answers that when I was seventeen I refused to eat. Death wasn't what I was going for, and I knew that they didn't want it either, so they made me a promise.

One more year, granted I behaved, and I could enroll in a few classes at the local college.

Eighteen. That was the desired year in this house of the destitute. There was a chance, even if it was slight, that they could re enter the world of the sane, privileged, and living. So, like a good girl, I ate, and did anything else asked of me until my eighteenth birthday.

That morning, there was no sign of heaven's light coming through my window, it was raining. No trumpets sounded, no angels sang or carried me away. I went to breakfast.

Jessica sat down next to me…well a foot away from me. It was the closest she ever got to anyone. She had such a sweet and soft face, with beautiful blonde hair, most people wanted to touch her and it never ended well. The slightest chance of human contact terrified her, always had, and by how things were going, always would.

She glanced at me nervously and held her spoon in one hand like a toddler, the other hand twitching nervously in her lap.

"Anna." She frowned at her hot cereal.

"Hmm?" I answered giving her my attention.

"Are you leaving?"

She was younger than me by four years and I remembered my fear of loneliness at that age. The moment called for a comforting touch or hug, but I had long overcome that instinct with Jess.

"Maybe." I answered.

"Do you think there will be more of them out there?" she asked.

Most of the kids in here came to accept each others' problems. Mine seemed like an easy one, but it was hard for most to think that there were shadowy figures around them all of the time, but Jess was a trooper.

I eyed the one that appeared to be nuzzling her ear. "Most definitely, if I'm right about my theory that is."

Jessica's face scrunched up. "Be careful." She whimpered.

"Oh Jess." I said as she started to cry silently. "I'll be fine. I don't think it will be any different. If they haven't paid attention to me in here all my life, then it won't be any different. I'll be fine." I smiled at her. "My kung fu is strong Jessica-san."

This made her laugh which almost sounded like a scream paired with her tears.
 

Later, I paced in my room, trying to decide whether or not I was going to go to the mistress about it. They had told me that they would make the first arrangements and let me know, but I was yet to hear anything.

My heart stopped when there was a knock on my door.

I opened the door expecting the mistress to be standing there grim faced, but a woman was not what I found. It was a man. Though "man" seemed too…simple a term. His clothes flowed over his figure like they were made for him. There was something other worldly about his face with glowing sea-green eyes and slightly wavy blonde hair that fell around his face like it was painted.

I couldn't say a word, he blinked.

"Anna." It wasn't a question, it should have been. The way he said my name like he knew me should have terrified me, I knew that, but it didn't. His smile was so genuine as he appraised me, but it wasn't in a scrutinizing way. He appeared excited.

I stepped out of the way and he came in my room, no shadow following behind him.

"Um." He said to my gaping expression, holding out his hand. "I'm Gabriel…Cephas."

I hadn't put my own hand out.

"You had shown an interest in attending classes at the university?"

I snapped out of my confusion in time to frown.

He was from the college? He looked much too young.

"Yes?" I managed to say.

He seemed to chuckle a moment, almost disguising it as a cough. He smiled at me knowingly, his face lighting up instantly, I almost smiled back.

"Well, pack your things and we will get you started."

I couldn't repress my grin now. I was getting out! I was going to finally get the answers I couldn't find in here.

I had to stop myself from running to my drawers. Gabriel made no indication that he noticed.

Once I was ready he'd taking most of my bags from me and carried them himself. I walked right out of the front doors and no one made a move to stop me. 

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(These links are highly subject to change!)

Sight-Legacy

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No one moved as the echoing died throughout the chapel. Jacob continued to hold onto me tightly as I began to feel light headed.

The father moved first, shuffling toward the knocked over pews, Gabriel quickly went to help him.

I tried to fight the tears, but when I failed, I turned into Jacob's chest, clutching his shirt and trying to breathe evenly. He gingerly held me against him and let me do what I needed.

I mumbled several things. I don't even remember what they were, but Jacob hushed me and kept telling me it would be alright.

I felt Gabriel behind me after some time, but he made no move to comfort me. I stopped eventually, rubbing my eyes and whispering an apology to Jacob. He sighed and shook his head. "It's nothing." I saw the pity in his eyes.

His sympathy only aided my fear and I craved Gabriel's comforting touch.

I faced Gabriel and his expression froze me. His eyes were hard, scrutinizing, and they studied me cautiously.

"Gabe." I nearly whimpered again. He closed his eyes, sighed, and opened his arms to me. I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck and he picked me up as if I were only a child.

He rubbed his cheek against mine and whispered in my ear, "There's something you need to read."

"At home." I whispered back waiting for the fear to let his peace in. I wasn't going to let go of him until it did.

"Let's go Jacob." Gabe said to Jake. I didn't like how gruff he'd sounded.

Gabriel carried me out to the car and I clung to him for my life.

He tried to set me down and I grasped tighter.

I heard the sound of the keys. He must have tossed them to Jacob. He didn't let go of me, carefully shifting me into his lap in the back seat and I was grateful.

In the house, he continued to hold me in the chair and I was finally starting to feel better. The ache and dread that seemed to be in my core was beginning to ebb, but I still remained encased in him taking in the holly sent of him. Today he smelled like fresh rain soaking up a warm pavement. Jacob said nothing.

"Are you ready now?" Gabe whispered after a while.

"I guess so." I answered, sitting up slowly.

Gabe reached forward and picked up a small brown book from the table. It's rough and somewhat cheap appearance gave away part of its identity. It was a journal of some sort.

"I'd told you I'd known you your whole life." Gabe started. I nodded.

"I did mean your entire life, not long after you were conceived. And so, I knew your mother." I stared at him. Not once remembering his presence in my life before a year ago.

"This was hers." He continued acknowledging the journal and handing it to me. "She wanted you to have it when you were ready."

I stared at the small book. It was needless to say that I was ready now and somehow I knew this held more answers for me.

I got up from Gabriel's lap and went to my room shutting the door quietly and lowering myself to my bed. I opened to the first page.

This first thing that surprised me was the key that fell out onto my lap and as curious as I was about it, I set it aside. I'd find out about it later.

I then began to read.

My little Anna,

I know that it will be hard for you to be without me, but I know that there is a strength in you that will help you get by, along with many who will help you. I also know that by the time you read this, you will have a lot of questions that I will try to answer about me, yourself, and especially your father.

End Sight: Book One.

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This would be the point, that I most recently decided, where Book One would end. What would follow would be Anna's mother, Amy's, story or as I like to call it The Devil Has Blue Eyes. Then after that there would be a third and final book, which I shall start beginning to compile shortly. :D 

A Small Move!

Sight and The Devil Has Blue Eyes have been moved! I felt that since they've become more like full blown stories than ideas, that it would be appropriate to remove them from the Ideas page and give them a page of their own under Stories!

I have gladly titled their world The Blessed and Forsaken. You can view their page here.

Sight-Origins

 <--Immediate Previous Post

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I opened my eyes and my room was silent, Jake's arms still around me.

Sunlight was creeping through my window and I realized that I must have passed out.

Jake stirred.

"They're gone." He mumbled, sounding tired.

"Are you okay?" I asked. He must have used too much strength to still be so exhausted.

"Fortunately."

Our heads both turned to the speaker. Gabriel was lounging in a chair across the room. His arms folded tightly across his chest. He looked like a mad parent confronting his children for sneaking out.

"You're lucky." He eyed Jacob. Then he turned his rage on me.

"Why didn't you stay with me?" he asked, a sadness emerging in his eyes.

"I didn't mean to. I just lost you somehow, I wasn't looking. But, I'm…okay…now." Gabe always made me feel like such a child when he scolded me.

"And why didn't either of you call me?" he was angry again.

I shook my head. "I don't know Gabe. I was too, overwhelmed to think straight."

He frowned and glared at Jacob again. "What about you?"

Jacob shrugged. "I knew I could handle it."

Gabe's knuckles turned white, but then he closed his eyes and breathed, calming himself.

"Anna, what made you leave like that? When that guy started to throw a fit, why didn't you come find me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. A guy asked me about my mom and he got upset, and I saw…" I closed my eyes and rubbed them. "so many Temperos around him and could hear them." I moaned, the fear building again. "It was so terrifying, then something told me to run. I had just to get out of there."

Jacob rubbed my shoulders and I looked at Gabriel. His expression had fallen from anger into shock and a bit of horror, then he was suddenly serious again.

"You have to see something." He came forward and held his hand out to me, and I gave mine to him.

 

Gabriel parked the car in front of the chapel that my mom used to take me to. I hadn't been here since she died. Jacob looked grim.

We went straight into the chapel and the father greeted us from behind the pew. Then, upon seeing Gabriel, rushed forward and grasped his hands.

"Praise the Lord. It is a blessed day to see you again." He said. Gabriel smiled kindly at him.

Then the father turned his attention to Jacob and I.

"Who's this?" He smiled.

"Jacob Arthur Jareth," Gabe said gesturing to Jake, then put his arm around me. "And this is Anna Rachel Grace."

He looked at Gabe and Gabe nodded then the father's eyes widened as he looked at me and I felt the urge to hide from his stare. He looked scared.

The father blinked and threw on a grin. "It's a pleasure to see you again young lady." He said, but didn't offer me his hand. "My you have grown well."

"Um, thank you." I answered, biting my lip, feeling awkward.

"Amy sure did one hell of a job raising you."

All of us turned to the sound of the voice. The man from the club was sitting, legs crossed, on top of the alter. His face set in a firm grimace.

I almost didn't see him move as Gabriel threw me behind him.

"GET-" I heard the father begin, but then he seemed to choke.

I glimpsed behind Gabriel to see what was happening. The man was now closer and had his hand around the father's throat, his other twisting his wrist that held the cross around his neck.

"Don't even think it." The man seethed at him. "I still haven't forgotten last time."

He released him with a shove. "Besides, I mean no harm." His eyes turned to me, familiar, but aflame in a way that seemed forbidding. "I only wish to speak with my daughter."

Gabe tensed, along with everyone else in the room. I felt all of their eyes on me, but I couldn't look away from this man claiming to be my father. I was trying to find something to discredit him, but it was clear in his eyes, in his expression, and the features of his that were so similar to my own.

He began to walk toward us and Gabe didn't move closer to me, but he didn't move away either. 

"You keep some shitty company, baby girl." he indicated Gabriel with a nod of his head, keeping his eyes on me.

When he was close enough and Gabe didn't move aside, he glanced at him. "Step aside, young Gabriel, if she truly is of me, then I have no reason to harm her." His voice seemed almost gentle.

"Gabe, it's okay." I muttered before I could stop myself.

He hesitated, but then he moved and stood at the ready no more than three feet behind me. I looked at Gabe's face and he looked at me in horror, but not for me, he seemed to be horrified of me.

The man instantly came forward and took hold of my face in one hand under my chin. I gasped, his hand was ice cold on my skin. He moved my face around somewhat forcefully, staring into my eyes, checking every inch of my features. He released my face and started to walk around me, studying.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Nineteen." I answered hesitantly.

"Hmm."

He then grabbed my hand just as fast as Gabriel sometimes moved, if not faster.

"Do you feel that?" he asked. Indicating his hand in mine.

"Yes." I answered. "It's…cold."

"Really?" he asked. His face softening as he looked down at our hands. "You feel warm to me."

I heard someone gasp and before I could say anything else he released my hand again and began pacing around, his hands behind his back.

"Who…are you?" I stammered.

He spun around again quickly. "You don't know?" he asked.

I shook my head. A sudden dread filling me.

He laughed darkly. "No one told you that your father is the devil?" his laugh became louder. "Don't you think that's rather cruel young Gabriel? You knew didn't you?"

My heart was racing in my head, and I could hardly find my breath as I turned to Gabe.

"Not exactly." He said through his teeth. "I knew the means by which she was conceived weren't normal." Gabe wouldn't look at me and I seemed to be shrinking by the second. "Her mother was no Virgin Mary either."

"It's…not-" the father began to shake. "It's not possible."

"It happened Priest." My…father said with a laugh, a look of triumph on his face.

"You don't have a body!" he yelled at him pointing his finger, his face turning red.

"I did." He answered. "For one…" he held up his finger. "ONE night! And she is the result of that!"

His finger jutted toward me as his voice echoed throughout the chapel.

I was shaking my head, but I didn't understand why. With everything that I had been going through the past few months, everything that was being revealed to be true, possible, this seemed utterly impossible. But maybe I just didn't want to believe it, because if my father was Satan…what did that make me?

"Now why'd you go and scare her Nick?" A young man had entered the chapel behind us. "That doesn't seem like a very fatherly thing to do."

Nick…I could…handle that.

Nick was suddenly in front of me, frowning, but serious. "I don't care if it scares her. Just as long as she knows whom she belongs to." He tilted his head at my expression. "Which it appears she does."

He moved away from me and my vision blurred as water flooded my eyes. My knees gave out from under me as tears began to fall down my face. "Anna." Gabriel said, sounding frantic as he caught me. "Anna, you're okay. Listen to me. You-are not-evil."

"Perhaps not." Nick said, farther away now. "But she isn't human either."

With that I sobbed even harder into Gabe's arms. 

“She has a purpose.” Gabe said, speaking to Nick. “She wasn’t just an accident.”

“And what purpose would that be?” the tone of his voice made me want to shudder.

“She is the key to defeat you, brother.” Gabe said gravely, his voice manifested.

“Is that so?”

In the next instant I found myself in the air, held up by the very man said to be my father, killing intent clear in his face.

“And WHAT POWER DOES SHE HAVE THAT I SHOULD FEAR?!”

My hands grasped at his arm trying to get him to loosen his grip on my neck. He squeezed tighter and my power was released.

I looked down at him, my eyes glowing.

He chuckled. “So, this is it, huh? Tell me, what do you See?!”

Everything. I thought to myself.

I could see his fanged teeth and clawed hands, the true strength waiting to burst in his arms, and his heartless chest.

His eyes showed me everything else. Black surrounding their fire-blue irises I saw everything and more. “Mom.” I mumbled.

The anger in his face broke for one second, and he dropped me. Jacob ran to my side and helped me up, Gabriel faced Nick.

“So, it was YOU?!” he screamed at all of us.

“I came back here because I was told someone was interfering: driving my followers away from their targets against the targets will. And I find that my own DAUGHTER is the one making it all possible?!” The room seemed to shake with his rage.

He turned on Gabriel. “Why would He sink so low? HUH?!”

No one answered him. He screamed and it sounded like the roar of some beast, suddenly plowing through a few pews, sending them flying to the wall, and then he was gone. 

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Sight-Gaelic Continued

 If you didn't guess... this is directly connected to Sight-Gaelic.

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I laughed to myself making my way away from the club. I knew where Anna lived, and she more than likely went there. I turned the corner and caught my reflection in a window. I stopped. Since when had I had a reflection?

I had defied Lucifer.

A wide grin spread across my face and I touched my sandy hair.

"Oh hell yeah." I said checking out my body and clothes.

I still didn't have a body, but I had the illusion of one. There weren't many who reached this level, but I had achieved it by playing with the master.

Things just got way more exciting. I thought to myself as I continued onward.

 

I thanked Frank and got out of the cab quickly making my way to my apartment. The moment I shut my door my breath was knocked out of me. I could feel them in here. Gasping for a moment, I nearly crawled onto my bed.

Just wait it out. It'll only last for a few minutes.

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~Sight-Overwhelming Darkness would occur right after this. Though, reading it like it is with this would be a bit confusing since they do not sync perfectly. I wrote OD as the very first thing for this story which became the initial idea, I hadn't been so detailed in the story then. Still it'd be beneficial for the basics of the plot and what happens at this point.

An Essay About Paparazzi

This is an argumentative essay I wrote about the evils of paparazzi. As much as I support what I say, this is mainly an example of a different way in which I can write. My grade was wonderful and I was very pleased with myself.

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Katelyn

17 December 2009

Professor Mark Thompson

English 1010 First-Year Composition (CA1)

Essay 3

 

Paparazzi

When you hear the word "paparazzi," what is your immediate thought? A camera? A flash? My first few thoughts are loud voices, blinding lights, people running to get away, and to put it all in one word, chaos. Paparazzi are, by definition, freelance photographers that take candid pictures of celebrities for publication. They are a sinister group of people that are known for obtaining such photographs by any means possible, whether it is by harassment, endangering others, or causing fear.

If that seems like an extreme accusation to you, then I invite you to first take a look at the origin of the word "paparazzi." The word itself means "buzzing insects." Freelance photographers were taking pictures of the famous before they were called paparazzi in the 1960's. The term was first used in La Dolce Vita, "The Sweet Life," by Italian film-maker Federico Fellini. It came from a character in the film called Paparazzo. "'
Paparazzo suggests to me a buzzing insect, hovering, darting, stinging.'" Fellini said about his use of the name in the film (Celant). The character was based on photographer Tazio Secchiaroli who became famous after he captured embarrassing photos of three celebrities in one night, therefore changing the industry from taking promotional pictures to seeking candid shots (Valdes). After that, the name became widespread all over the world for the hunter photographers.

It is interesting to see the system of their profession. Robert Valdes writes an informative article for Discovery's company How Stuff Works. He explains how paparazzi each have their own network of people that keep tabs on celebrities and inform them of their whereabouts. These people sometimes include those that work with celebrities and are called informers. Valdes says how autographers are also used to corner a person of interest, giving the paparazzo an opportunity for a picture. Both the signature and the photos are sold for prices that can range from a hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the amount of fame the celebrity possesses, the quality of the picture and so forth.

"By Any Means Necessary" (Valdes)

For the past nearly fifty years, paparazzi have been a natural part of "Hollywood" society. They are as expected as they are dreaded by most stars around the world. The paparazzi have a well known principle for their line of work: "Get a shot by any means necessary" (Valdes). "'There is just something weird about a human being whose livelihood, quote unquote, means living in the trees outside a celebrity's house.'" said publicist Ken Sunshine in an interview with "CNN Presents" regarding paparazzi for part of a documentary they were creating titled "Chasing Angelina: Paparazzi and Celebrity Obsession." Other than the use of stealth, many of these photographers have gone to absurd extremes in order to get a photo.

One of the most seen tactics used by the paparazzi is harassment. Harassment is to subject a person persistently and wrongfully to annoying, offensive, or troubling behavior, which is exactly what they do. They purposely try to provoke a public figure to react or certain way for a "good" photo or to give in to a signature. Jennifer Garner and her daughter had been followed by paparazzi a whole day in pursuit of a photograph in May of this year (Anything Hollywood). In 1998, Arnold Schwarzenegger's car was surrounded by photographers as him and his wife tried to pick up their child from school and could not safely move forward (KTLA.com). A video taken by paparazzi shows Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart being pushed in front of a diner while being repeatedly and obnoxiously asked for a signature and then chased into their hotel last month (Gossip Cop). Several people responded to this video saying things like: It's just wrong when anyone is being pushed for a signature. These are only a few examples of the ways celebrities are harassed by paparazzi every day.

Another tactic freelance photographers use that affects the most people at one time is vehicular pursuit. There have been a shocking number of incidents where several cars have chased one car that contained a public figure, ignoring all sorts of traffic laws in the process. In 2005, Nicole Kidman says how she was brought to tears from fear of getting into an accident while she was pursued by paparazzi that were running red lights and had jumped over a median in Australia (Reuters). Also, in the past few months Brad Pitt, Nicole Ritchie, Lindsay Lohan, LeAnn Rimes, and Brittany Spears were all rear-ended by photographers and most of them suffered minor injuries (Celebrity Health & Fitness). These incidents have generally been low on consequences, but there have been times where someone has paid the highest price. In 2008, a decade after the incident in question, it was concluded after a thorough and lengthy investigation that the death of Princess Dianna and her companion was caused by her driver driving recklessly in attempt to escape paparazzi which is considered to be a form of manslaughter (Jordan). A celebrity being rear-ended has been becoming a frighteningly frequent incident lately and there is always the risk of it turning into a horrible accident like with Princess Dianna. This behavior is unquestionably life threatening.

Am I In Danger?

With all of these things happening to stars every day that are obvious, there is an aspect that most people do not realize. John Mayer, in a testimony at a Paparazzi Task Force Meeting in 2008, brings this perspective into the light. He states: "A scenario: It's two o'clock in the morning and you're driving home from a friend's house. You notice there is a vehicle behind you that has no license plate and that has been following you for the last 15 minutes. The driver is so brazen that he or she has even taken to ignoring red lights just to stay behind you. As you begin to turn onto a small neighborhood street just blocks from where you live, you now realize this person has definite intentions of engaging you at your house. The question I ask you is: Are you in danger? The answer is YES. Not 'depends if you're on TV.' It doesn't matter what you do for a living, and it doesn't matter that there might turn out to be a digital camera on the passenger seat. You are IN danger. Danger is defined as the possibility of suffering harm or injury. And without knowing who is following you, you do not know why you are being followed, which brings about a very real possibility for suffering harm or injury." With this description, one cannot help but to be reminded of a serial killer or rapist following its prey. There is no way to make it sound any less horrible. The way in which these people work causes them to more than likely not tell you who they are, therefore making themselves a threat to a celebrity or anyone else that they are pursuing, but they believe they have a certain right to do it.

Right to Know

The paparazzo's first line of defense is nothing unfamiliar in this democratic country. Their battle cry is the freedom of press, speech, and we, as a people, have a "right to know." We have a right to know who these people are that we hold in high regards. This entitles them to pursue any subject of interest especially those that are legally deemed to be public figures. A public figure, according to How Stuff Works' Robert Valdes, is "[a] person who has achieved fame or notoriety or who has voluntarily become involved in a public controversy." Celebrities naturally fall under this category and as a result, are subject to the loophole in the law of right of privacy. This right is "[t]he right of a person and the person's property to be free from unwarranted public scrutiny
or exposure," but the loophole is that those that are public figures are subject to a lack of privacy to some degree, which gives the paparazzi the rights to do what they do (Valdes). It is legal at its base and as long as it's in a public place even if there are those who break other laws to gain what they are seeking, but not all do. "… it doesn't happen [paparazzi living in trees outside celebs' houses]. I have a thousand magazines in the next room. And if you can show me one picture that's been taken inside someone's house or of children playing inside their yard, it simply doesn't [happen]." says Frank Griffin, a freelance photographer and co-owner of a paparazzi agency, when speaking with CNN in the paparazzo's defense.

Other arguments they have made is that celebrities have subjected themselves to it and often accept it. Griffin stated: "…I've never had a situation where the talent gets upset. ... Instead of being aggressive or argumentative, you say, 'Look, I'm really sorry if I've upset you. My name is Frank. I'm part of what you do for a living and I'm really sorry.' And I think a lot of them accept it. ..." He goes on to talk about an encounter he had with Julia Roberts: "…I followed her one day and she stopped and she walked over to me and she said, 'I'm gonna go and pick my niece up.' This is a good few years ago. And I said, 'Look, I'll do a deal.' I said, 'Next time you're with Matthew you've got to do a picture for me and I'll leave you alone with your niece.' And she did, and I didn't. ..." Griffin also gives us one last thing to consider: "Let's face it. If a lot of the celebrities were given the choice earlier in their career when they're quite young and before they start out and they say, 'Look, here's a piece of paper. I'll give you a million dollars a week for your TV show. But it means that there's gonna be a photographer outside your house five days out of seven, possibly more if you're successful. If you're making $2 million a week, they're gonna be outside your door seven days a week.' So what would you rather do? Wouldn't you want to sign this form and take the $2 million a week and have the photographers? Or do you want to work in a bank for the rest of your life? And I know. Which would they do? I'm quite sure they'd accept that. That's not making excuses for what I do, but I think many of them would accept the limelight in return for their paycheck."

And?

As true as these statements are there is nothing backing them that makes them morally right. Yes, by law, we all have a "right to know," but since when has the private life of an actor, actress, or musician determined the fate of others' lives? I strongly feel that that right is strictly meant for governmental issues such as what the government is planning to do with our money or what kind of person is leading our country versus what kind of person is pretending to be someone else for our entertainment. There is nothing fair about how celebrities are subjected to having less rights of privacy than "ordinary people." To me it just represents the most extreme lack of respect for people that we actually hold in high regards. If they are a form of royalty in our society, why are we not treating them as such? Why are they being chased down like some rare breed of animals that we need to analyze by torture? Even if not all paparazzi go to extremes and break the law for a photo, there are some that do and that is enough to be dangerous to everyone. Celebrities should not have to accept this invasion as a part of their careers. They should not have to make deals with paparazzi to be left alone. As much as they might have known or expected it does not mean it should still be happening. "It's very easy to say 'Oh, who cares just deal with it. Why does it matter if you get a photo? You just live your life. Then that's just the way your life is, accept it.' But I mean…you can't live your life…there is no way that you can. If you have fifty cameras there, that's not living a life, that's posing for photographs." said Robert Pattinson, a current actor, recently in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

Currently, there are laws in place that are attempting to solve the problem or control the issue. Fines may be issued to paparazzi that obtained a photo by invading a celebrity's right to privacy. Recently, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an amendment to that law that allows celebrities to sue companies that use photos that they know were obtained wrongly (KTLA.com). Despite these efforts, neither end is completely satisfied. Paparazzi want to pursue their careers and are continuing to break laws and celebrities often cannot go out in public without difficulty. My first concern is to give public figures a degree of peace and as much as I would like to see paparazzi practice abolished, I know that it is not completely fair or the best thing for everyone. I am proposing some options that could potentially work for both groups.

First and foremost is the issue of paparazzi breaking the law. Even though the ones that are doing this are being arrested and are given other consequences, it still seems to be happening. It appears that possibly the only way to get through to those individuals is by no longer allowing them to take photos of celebrities once they have violated the law, but since it is their livelihood something else can be done. They can be given a form of warning along with the other fines and or jail time they receive as a result of the crime. This warning could come in the form of a document that they would have the option to sign or agree to that if they break the law again then their license would be taken away. They would also be given options or help to start another career if it does come to that.

Another document could be formed to help with the other issues. Paparazzi would be allowed to pursue those that agree to it. Celebrities would be given the option to consent to being pursued by the paparazzi as long as it is legal and those that do not wish to can have ways of restricting the paparazzi, but not discontinuing them completely. This gives the paparazzi the choice of still taking photos of celebrities, but they would only be allowed a certain amount of photographs, a certain distance at which they could be near the person, or other such restrictions.

What seems to happen by our sort of awe with these celebrities is that we forget one crucial thing. They are people just like us. They just have different talents, different careers just like every single living person. That should not mean that they are subject to being chased anytime they go into a restaurant or department store. The paparazzi are completely out of control. Harassment or putting others in danger is not acceptable and something must be done.

And something is being done, but not by whom you would have expected. Fans of celebrities, the would-be consumers of paparazzi products, are taking a stand against this behavior. Pattinson Online, a Robert Pattinson fan-site that has been active for four years now, started a project July of this year. Project Fangirl Leaders Against Needless Stalking, or Project F.L.A.N.S. as it is more commonly called, had decided to encourage fans to take a stand after "…[becoming] increasingly dissatisfied with how the media AND the fans have treated Rob – this project is the culmination of years of frustration and desire to see the fans educated on how to protect Rob's safety and sanity!" (Project F.L.A.N.S.). Many other fan-sites have joined in on this project including a blog called Thinking of Rob. On the fourth of December this year an incident where Robert Pattinson was mercilessly followed and photographed by paparazzi regardless of clear signs that he wanted to be left alone, Thinking of Rob started a campaign against this sort of atrocity. The next day, together with Pattinson Online and Project F.L.A.N.S., they shouted out to fans to send in pictures of themselves with their hands in front of their faces as a sign of protest. The response was instantaneous. Within 48 hours they had received over 1,200 photographs from fans all over the world with comments of their retaliation against the paparazzi, which I was proud to personally be a part of and continue to support. They are still receiving photos and several videos have been made and they have gained over a hundred collaborating sites. The result was so immense that they needed to create an entire new site dedicated to this event. It is titled their shout: He Doesn't Want This. Neither Do We. Even though it took something happening to a favorite actor of this group, they mean it to apply to any and all celebrities, because no one deserves to be treated that way. This project continues in the hope that it will continue to gain support and eventually, if it has not already, get the paparazzi's attention and give them a hint on what the fans want to be done.

 
 

Works Cited

 

Anything Hollywood. "Jennifer Garner Says Daughter Violet Harassed by Paparazzi." Anything Hollywood. N.p., 13 May 2009. Web. 25 Oct. 2009. <http://anythinghollywood.com/‌2009/‌05/‌jennifer-garner-says-daughter-violet-harassed-by-paparazzi/>.

Celant, Germano. "The Shooting Begins: How it All Started." Paparazzi History. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2009. <http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/‌projects/‌Spring99/‌Johnson/‌page1.htm>.

Celebrity Health & Fitness, Admin. "Brad Pitt Motorcyle Wreck Latest in Celeb-Paparazzi Crashes (Video)." Celebrity Health & Fitness. N.p., 24 Oct. 2009. Web. 26 Oct. 2009. <http://www.celebrityhealthfitness.com/‌?page_id=532>.

CNN Access. "In Defense of Paparazzi." CNN.com. N.p., 13 May 2006. Web. 21 Oct. 2009. <http://www.cnn.com/‌2006/‌SHOWBIZ/‌Movies/‌05/‌09/‌griffin.access/‌index.html>.

- - -. "Why Paparazzi Are Wrong." CNN.com. N.p., 16 May 2006. Web. 21 Oct. 2009. <http://www.cnn.com/‌2006/‌SHOWBIZ/‌Movies/‌05/‌09/‌sunshine.access/‌index.html>.

ET. "Rob Pattinson on 'New Moon': I'm Afraid of Commitment Like Edward." ETonline.com. Entertainment Tonight, 9 Nov. 2009. Web. 9 Nov. 2009. <http://www.etonline.com/‌news/‌2009/‌11/‌80628/‌index.html>.

Jordan, Mary. "Paparazzi and Driver Found Negligent in Princess Diana's Death." The Washington Post. N.p., 8 Apr. 2008. Web. 26 Oct. 2009. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/‌wp-dyn/‌content/‌article/‌2008/‌04/‌07/‌AR2008040702743.html>.

KTLA. "Schwarzenneger Signs New Anit-Paparazzi Law." KTLA.com. N.p., 12 Oct. 2009. Web. 21 Oct. 2009. <http://www.ktla.com/‌news/‌landing/‌ktla-paparazzi-law,0,3679358.story>.

Mayer, John. "Testimony from John Mayer, Singer/‌Songwriter, at the July 31st." Ci.la.ca.us. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2009. <http://www.ci.la.ca.us/‌council/‌cd3/‌cd3press/‌cd3cd3press14254887_07312008.pdf>.

Pattinson Online. "Welcome!" Project F.L.A.N.S. Wordpress, 5 July 2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2009. <http://www.robert-pattinson.co.uk/‌project/‌2009/‌07/‌07/‌welcome/>.

Reuters. "Kidman Says Scared of Crash in Paparazzi Car Chase." Canada.com. N.p., 20 Nov. 2007. Web. 25 Oct. 2009. <http://www.canada.com/‌topics/‌entertainment/‌story.html?id=6180728f-0ae2-4b3b-bb54-0100a65c8b64>.

"Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart Have Dinner." Gossip Cop. N.p., 4 Oct. 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2009. <http://www.gossipcop.magnify.net/‌video/‌Robert-Pattinson-Kristen-Stew-7>.

Thinking of Rob. "Paps: The Fans Fight Back "He Doesn't Want This, Neither Do We"." He Doesn't Want This. Neither Do We. Wordpress, 9 Dec. 2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2009. <http://hedoesntwantthis.wordpress.com/‌2009/‌12/‌09/‌paps-the-fans-fight-back-%e2%80%9che-doesn%e2%80%99t-want-this-neither-do-we%e2%80%9d/>.

Valdes, Robert. "How Paparazzi Work." Howstuffworks. Discovery, n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2009. <http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/‌paparazzi.htm/‌printable>.

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It would be my suggestion to try and not support the paparazzi's actions in any way, but not buying or reading the tabloids or non-legit magazines. Along with not visiting such gossip sights and the like. If you have a different opinion on this subject, I don't mean offend or impose an opinion, merely to inform. Thank you. 

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