Pt 3

The next two weeks had been like torture for Dinah, waiting to hear about her application. Of course she understood that enough time had to be given for all those who wanted to be able to apply but still… She also could not help thinking about the nude photographs her dad had taken that had been sent with the application. Just how many people had seen them? Would they be passed around to the press? She could not deny finding the thought incredibly exciting and knew that the idea of people seeing her naked was one she would have to get used to if she really wanted to be the new addition to the exhibit!

Eventually, new arrived! Not in the form of an email as Dinah had been expecting and checking for at least every half hour since submitting the entry form, when she had access to the internet of course, but by letter. It came addressed to her personally. Something which, at nine years old, was quite a novelty and felt like a pretty big deal. Seeing the museum’s logo on the envelope and realising how important it would be for her daughter, Dinah’s mum had managed to resist opening it when the mail arrived around lunch time, setting it carefully aside in the kitchen ready for Dinah when she got home from school. After a while, she had needed to hide it in a cupboard to stop herself staring at it and wondering about steaming it open and resealing the envelope before Dinah got home and the three or so hours before her daughter arrived were some of the longest she had ever experienced.

“Hey, sweetheart!” She had gushed when the rather tired young girl arrived home, “There’s a letter for you. It looks important!”

“A letter for me?” Dinah asked, a little puzzled. The only time she ever received personal mail was in the week or so before her birthday when cards started arriving. The only exception was the occasional letter from the bank telling her the balance of the savings account her grandparents had set up for her when she was a baby but she never found those very interesting. She had been told many times that she could not have the money in it until she was eighteen so what was the point of caring about how much it was? She had taken the thick envelope from her mother’s hands and turned it around curiously, inspecting it. The logo stamped in the corner looked familiar but she could not place it at first then suddenly, all of a sudden, it hit her!

Just at that moment, her mother had considered suggesting that Dinah wait until her dad came home from work to open it, despite how curious she herself was, so that they could all find out together, but it was too late. Dinah has torn the thick, cream-coloured envelope open and pulled out the letter inside, printed on the same high-quality paper.

“Dear Miss Martinez,” she had read out loud, “We are delighted to inform you that you have been shortlisted for inclusion in the Human Development display in which you have previously expressed interest. We would like to invite you to attend a special Open Day at the Museum where you and the other two short-listed candidates will be presented to the public who will make the final choice. Please confirm your continued interest in this project and your intention to attend. Please be advised that, by accepting the public vote declared at close of business on the Open Day, the successful candidate will be deemed to have entered a contract with the museum and will be required to fulfil the associated obligations.”

“What does that last bit mean?” Dinah had asked, looking questioning up at her mum. Mrs Martinez had taken the letter from her and noticed that the date of the open day, the time Dinah was required to attend along with the direct email address and phone number that could be used for confirming her attendance.

“I think it means that if they pick you on the day and you say yes or do interviews confirming you’ve been chosen and talking about how you feel, that sort of thing, then you can’t change your mind and back out a few days later.”

“Like I would back out!” Dinah had frowned. “Why would anyone apply if they weren’t really sure they wanted to do it anyway? It’s not like anyone was forced to enter!”

“I know,” her mum had explained gently, handing the letter back, “but some people love the idea of being famous or get caught up in the excitement of something and don’t really think about what it really means. After all, the girl who gets chosen is going to be killed. I know they will be famous and be on display for a long time in the future but they won’t be around to enjoy it.”

“I know that!” Dinah rolled her eyes. “Pretty hard to stay alive with your skeleton stood behind you and your insides replaced with sawdust but I guess some people are stupid! Don’t worry,” she had smiled at her mum, “if I get picked there’s no way I’m backing out!” Still unsure how she felt about the whole situation but wanting nothing more than for her daughter to be happy, her mum had simply hugged her very tight. When her dad had got home he had picked her up and twirled her around, sharing her delight in the news. Dinah had replied that very evening confirming her attendance. Fortunately the Open Day was scheduled for the following Saturday – much longer and Dinah was certain she would have burst with the excitement and anticipation!

And so now here Dinah stood, totally naked behind the thick museum glass, in front of the skeleton of a girl around her age who had died around a hundred and fifty years ago. She and the two other girls were rotating in fifteen minute shifts so that none of them would get too tired or bored and the public, who had been coming and going since opening time, would get a chance to look at all of them before casting their votes. It turned out that both Dinah’s rivals were friends of hers, one from school and the other from Brownies. She supposed this was to be expected given that the contest was only open to girls from the town and, as towns went, it was fairly small.

There was Nina Archer, an athletic black girl who wore her frizzy hair in two bunches. If the museum wanted the new exhibit to be the peak of physical perfection then Dinah had to concede that would be Nina. She had been going to gymnastics classes since she was three and always ate well. Her extremely toned body reflected that. The other contestant was Rebecca Calloway – a tomboyish, freckle-faced girl who usually wore her light brown hair in a messy plait down her back. Although not especially beautiful she had a certain cute prettiness and if the public decided to vote for the girl who most closely resembled the original then it would be her. Yet Dinah felt she was getting a very respectable amount of attention during her sessions. As always, her straight, jet-black hair was hanging loose past her shoulders.

Dinah had expected to feel more self-conscious standing naked in front of anyone who cared to look since even if she was not picked, there would no longer be a single person in the town who did not know what she looked like in the nude! With the number of photos that were being taken, she was fairly sure her bare young body would be admired world-wide by the end of the week! Yet by the end of her first fifteen-minute shift, she found she was barely thinking anything of it. It was as if she was wearing a costume – dressed as a naked girl! In fact, as silly as she knew it was, the feeling that persisted more strongly was that of being star-struck, standing on this side of the glass next to the boy and close to the others who she had been visiting her whole life, or at least for as long as she could remember, and who’s pictures appeared in books and magazines around the world, not to mention web-sites and TV documentaries! It was as if these long-dead bodies were celebrities that she was getting to hang out with!

One hour before the museum was due to close for the day, it was announced that voting was now closed and all three girls were invited to come out to the lobby of the museum, where the public were gathered, waiting for the results.

Right at the front were three couples – the parents of the girls who received an enthusiastic round of applause as they emerged, still naked, out of the office where they had been waiting and lined up to hear the results. The board of Trustees of the museum were sat at a long table, typical of press conferences, and a number of TV cameras were pointed at them and the girls who stood alongside, not to mention the personal camera, phones and video cameras waiting to capture this historic moment. The Director, a kind-faced man in his early sixties with thing grey hair and horn-rimmed spectacles stood up to speak. And expectant hush feel over the gathered crowd and Dinah was so nervous and excited she felt as if her heart may beat out of her chest!

“First of all, we would like to thank you all for coming,” the man beamed at the assembled crowd, clearly no stranger to addressing the public, “and I’m sure you will all agree that all three young ladies are very beautiful and we would be proud to add any of them to our display!” There was an enthusiastic round of applause and a few encouraging hoots from the audience. Dinah felt herself blushing a little. “But of course,” the man continued, “there is only space for one. And so, without further ado, let us find out who you, the public, have voted for!” A white-haired woman seated next to him handed an envelope up to him which he opened without taking his eyes off the crowd. Sliding the card out from inside, he glanced down at it with a smile before making the announcement that everyone was waiting for.

“Well,” he chuckled, “it looks as if the vote was very close indeed! In fact,” he paused for a moment, making a quick mental calculation, “yes, there is less than fifty votes between the highest and the lowest results, so all three girls can feel very proud!” There was more applause but with a slightly more impatient tone. Everyone gathered was waiting to hear the result, none more so than the three naked girls who’s fate would be decided within the next few minutes.

“In third place,” he began, “with three thousand, two hundred and seventy three votes is Nina Archer!” There was a slightly subdued round of polite applause as Nina, looking a little crestfallen but not devastated, took a little bow and returned to her parents who both closed around her to envelope her in a comforting hug. “In second place,” the Director continued, “with three thousand, two hundred and ninety six votes is Rebecca Calloway which means,” he continued without pausing as Rebecca made her way over to her waiting parents with an air of nonchalance suggesting she had not been too bothered either way about the outcome of the contest, “with three thousand, three thousand, three hundred and seventeen votes, the winner of this contest and the new addition to our famous Human Development exhibit will be Dinah Martinez!”

Dinah stood blinking, unsure quite how to process this news and feeling as if she were in the middle of some surreal dream as the applause erupted and people called out her name to get her attention while a seemingly infinite number of cameras flashed in her direction. The Director was now standing next to her, his arm around her shoulder. He then took her hand and held it up as if she were a boxer who had just won the grand title. As she gradually began to get her head around the situation, something strange caught her eye. A smartly-dressed men with slicked back hair was approaching the parents of the two girls who had not been selected. She could not hear what he was saying to them but he offered his card first to Nina’s father who frowned and shook his head, refusing to take it and pulling his naked daughter a little closer to himself, protectively. Rebecca’s father, on the other hand, took the card a little sheepishly and tucked it into his pocket while his daughter and wife looked at him with incredulity.

“What’s going on there?” Dinah asked, looking up at the Director. “Who is that man?”

“He works for some rich collector.” The Director explained with obvious irritation in his voice. “We told him he was not allowed to approach any of you until the result had been announced. If I’m right, he’s offering your friends’ parents the chance to sell their daughters to his client for his private collection.”

“I see.” Dinah nodded, wondering how she would feel about such an offer in their shoes.

“Don’t let it bother you.” The Director smiled down and her and beckoned her parents to come join them. “There’s much more exciting things to be planning! Come on, let’s get all the paperwork sorted then we can explain what needs to happen next!”