Have you met Ziggy?
She’s that girl on all the big billboards. She has shocking green hair and gorgeous brown eyes. Her signature black lipstick often sparks controversy on daily tabloids.
She’s an inspiration for young girls to embrace their authentic and unfiltered selves. On Halloween, the best costumes at parties are inspired by her outlandish outfits.
Ziggy, as you would have guessed it, leads a glamourous and eccentric life. But, you wouldn’t have guessed that she’s had a rough childhood and used to be homeless.
When she was fifteen, she literally had to pick herself off the streets and go wildly chasing after success. Today, she has a flourishing rap career, an inclusive makeup line, and millions of dollars.
She is well aware that in every moment of every day, someone’s always thinking of her, or listening to her music, or using her products, or talking about her, or even dreaming about her.
Ziggy feels the power of the world that flows through her veins, and that can be a dangerous feeling.
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How does Ziggy do it, you may wonder. Let’s look at a typical day in her life.
She wakes up at 5 am and sips on her herbal tea as she gazes at the sun rising over the concrete jungle that overlooks her penthouse in New York.
She then sprawls out her yoga mat on the balcony to meditate as the sound of spiritual music and the aroma of scented candles waft through the air.
Next, she heads down to the gym and does cardio, lifts weights, and stretches herself tall to get her heart pumped for the rest of the day.
By 9 am, she’s walking to her car with her assistant racing alongside her, who narrates the schedule and makes notes of her whims.
She has to be in many places at the same time, but Ziggy goes where she wants to go.
So, by 8 pm, she would have met several familiar faces, some famous ones, some friendly, and others not so much. She makes it a point to keep her shades on when she’s around a reporter; she believes they can read from your eyes what your lips do not murmur.
When it’s time to head home, she takes her shades off and says goodbye to her duties that go hand-in-hand with fame. She then shuts her home to everyone else but herself and the Devil’s workshop that’s her mind.
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Before it’s time, Ziggy fixes herself a glass of wine, slips into a long, black silk robe and walks into her ivory-coloured bedroom.
She takes a moment to gaze at the full moon outside her window and listens to the faint sounds of sirens and the chatter on the streets.
Then, she takes a deep breath before she steps into her real and metaphorical closet. Pushing aside her fur coats, she creaks open the door to her secret room.
As is ritual, Ziggy sits in the middle of a circle of burning candles in the pitch-black room and reads from the scriptures. She can sense him lurking in the shadows as she hums a tune that can lure him towards her.
The Devil doesn’t need luring because he loves Ziggy, and he patiently waits behind the black veil between their worlds until she’s ready for him.
Ziggy has made many sacrifices all her life, but the first one was when she sold her soul to the Devil in a Wendy’s parking lot in exchange for a good life. When she got a taste of luxury, she couldn't stop, and he was ready to offer more.
She did good work for him. It wasn't an easy job, but with all the power she had, Ziggy made it seem like child’s play. Over the years, she began to control him, as he did her, and they traded favours like cards.
Together, they would leave a trail of disaster in their wake - crushing debt, murders, poverty, and pandemics.
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You might have met Ziggy in your lifetime. People say that she has many enticing faces. She could be your teacher, your favourite pop star, or your president — always in a position of authority.
A Ziggy can be found amongst those who play with power and adoration. When you look deep in their eyes, underneath their many charming guises, you might just see the Devil’s advocate sneering at you.