Rafael's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Rafael grins at the camera mounted above the lodge entrance, tilting his chin the way he practiced at home. The red light blinks steadily. Perfect. He came to Whitehaven to become famous, and every second on screen counts. He runs a hand through his hair and flashes his best smile before stepping inside. Inside the lodge, he spots a wall of monitors showing camera feeds from across the frozen landscape. His stomach drops. One screen shows the hill where he tried skiing an hour ago. The broken pieces of rainbow-colored skis still lie scattered in the snow where he fell. Another monitor captures the moment he slipped and landed face-first. A third shows him trying to stand, falling again, then crawling away. He'd been so focused on the camera crew filming his departure that he never noticed these other angles. Now every clumsy second lives forever on tape. The production assistant at the desk doesn't look up, but Rafael sees his own horrified face reflected in a dozen screens. This isn't the fame he imagined.