Outside the perimeter of my bedsheets, it feels like the world is rotting. My fiery halo of protection against the world is powered by blue light and the sheer determination to not look up, to not become fully awake.
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I can’t get out of bed. But why would I go participate in being burned alive, when I can have a front row seat in 1080p? My lithium ion battery and I, against the world. Just the two of us, talking, laughing, crying, panicking, and settling into numbness at the world around us.
Maybe a dog video to dull the pain of the military airstrike I just saw? Or maybe a beauty tutorial to distract from my rights being rescinded? Here’s how to lose ten pounds before a nuclear summer! The endless scroll pulls us into its meaninglessness like undertow, offering everything in exchange for our indifference. The rot slowly seeps in from my phone, until it feels like my world is burning along with everyone else’s.
Creative Direction, Styling, Hair, Words: Lola Barajas
Photo: Helena Daly
Photo Assist: Emily Kullman
MUA: Sarah Albannai
Model: Paige Malwitz
Production Design: Lux Paiz
Fire Coordination: Josh Grogg
Set Assist: Colton Cheatham