By: Palais
9/12: This is the newly revised version, I reworked it a bit, and I shall soon be doing the same to chapter two. I've finally decided to go through with this piece, and I'll probably change a few things.
Cast List: In order of appearance…
Sarah Williams: Jennifer Connelly
(More to come at a later date…Don't worry, she's not the only character! I'll add a little every chapter…well, as long as there are new characters to add.)
Chapter 1 : Indistinct Utopia
Tick…Tock…
The firm cotton sheets intertwined with her body like a lover's embrace; leaving little room for the involuntary thrashes of nocturnal repose. Fortunately, sleep had been kind and she lay passively upon the supple mattress. Yet, as always comes with these subdued moments of slumber, the dreams subsisted.
They churned like a bubbling cauldron, a symphony of correlated colour. Gaudy hues of scarlet and ginger, golden and azure, russet and mauve. They swirled and bonded, disbanded and danced. Some of the shades were embellished with a silky sheen, as others boasted effervescent sparkles within their fervent composition. It was a sonata of imagination exposed inside bravura shades.
…Tick…Tock…Tick…
It was deliberated, but before long, baleful tones of ebon began to amalgamate with the ornate colors; staining all a murkier hue. Only then, did the thrashing and turning that came hand in hand with the nightmares commence. It was faint at first, a slight toss of the head or a insignificant kick of a foot; but, with time, as the myriad of brilliance succumbed to the shadows, the motions became exaggerated. The coverlet fell lifelessly to the carpeted floor, escaping the barrage of attacks from the unwitting woman. Therefore, leaving her to the web of sheets she had constructed.
The obsidian had conquered a large amount of the incandescent, staking its claim over her mind. With the new reign of darkness, images began to form. Horrific sights and sounds; screams of decapitated corpses, translucent specters beckoning to her across the supernatural void, and various other fiends of the shadows. Her thrashing increased ever the more with the increase of the horrors trapped inside the darkest reaches of her mind. She was trapped within the iron tight grip of the dream world; helpless and frightened.
…Tick…Tick…BUZZ!
She bolted up instantly, the peal of her alarm clock liberating her from the clutches of her hellish nightmare. She released a long pent up sigh; a somnolent hand finding its way to her brow, relieving it of it's flood of condensation. Tiny rays of sunlight were making their way just barely into the room via slots in the shutters, basking the room in cheerful glow. She released a yawn and extended her arms toward the white stucco ceiling. Then, being as aware as she could ever be early morning, she undertook the sizeable task of untangling herself from her ivory sheets.
Once finished with the trying ordeal, she lifted herself from the heap of disordered bedding. She pulled her soft cerulean robe off of a nearby chair and proceeded to wrap her chilling body within its warm confines. Not seeing her slippers in direct view, she decided against searching; the plush carpeting felt lovely against her bare feet, anyway.
She doddered aimlessly out of the chilled bedroom, only stopping briefly by the doorway to turn down the AC. The living room was a spacious area, ascetically furnished, and bathed in glorious sunlight. The entire back wall was a long window overlooking the busy New York streets. Despite, the grime of the well lived in city, it held a certain breathtaking magnificence this high up. All the flashing lights, bustling people, and cluttered billboards formulated into a vigorous compilation of life.
With a gentle smile upon her cherry lips, she stepped into the kitchen. Living alone had its share of pluses and minuses; the drawback being the fact she had to make breakfast every morning, the advantage being she only had to make it for herself. She rarely wanted anything more than fruit and coffee in the morning, simplifying her morning routine greatly.
Upon entering the kitchen her normal morning capers were activated immediately; the brewing of the coffee, the selecting of the fruit, the pouring of the coffee, the eating of the fruit, so on and so forth. Quite a rudimentary schedule, which entirely contrasted the balance of her normally convoluted lifestyle. Yet, it's quite vital to posses a sliver of simplicity in one's life, be it as basic as a morning routine or as great as an occupation. Regrettably, for the night owl, morning's were her only times of minimalism and leisure. Thus, her life's simplicity was limited to this single morning practice.
Her smile of delight had faded gradually along with the apple, peach, and pear. Now, as she languidly sipped her coffee, a lazy smirk of satisfaction sat upon those ample lips. Dark tawny eyes scanned the surroundings about her, savoring the fact all this richness and distinction were hers and hers alone. She had slaved hard years, fighting forcefully toward the summits of that craggy mountain proclaimed "show business". She had succeeded where others had failed, she had performed with every inch of her soul, and in the end she had claimed victory. These mortal possessions were mere reflections of that struggle, which in their own right held a fair amount of beauty. They could never wish to compare to the succulent richness of attainment, but they sure could try.
Her eyes glittered at the mere thought of standing amidst the searing lights of the stage, the hustle and bustle of the crew rampaging around her. But, those petty distractions could never touch her. They could never pull her away from the pleasure of assimilating the persona of a fantasy form. She was lost the moment the stage light glared; sucked wholly into the guise of her newly digested figure. It was an experience more delighting than the heat of a passion-seared embrace; it was indescribable.
It was her life. It was much more than she could have comprehended when she was a mere child. Her fanciful jaunts in the park and the abutting forest proved scanty competition to her new found enjoyment. It was rare that one fulfilled their childhood dream of fame and fortune; Sarah had been blessed with the grandest stroke of luck ever to exist.
She rose from the stool that stood solo before the island of her kitchen counter. Her eyes scanned it briefly, a shadow of sorrow passing through her amber orbs. Living the single life did have its benefits, but an empty room is merciless, comfort a forgotten ideal amidst the diffidence. Slowly, she advanced toward the summoning warmth of an anticipated shower.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sun cheerily suffused the equally cheerful woman in its rich golden glow, sparkling happily as she raised squinting eyes to express thanks the ever-philanthropic ball of molten. Her heels clicked in a merry cadence as she walked, nearly skipped down the teeming sidewalk. She couldn't explain the source of her benevolent humor and she didn't try. When one tries to explain the happiness in one's life, they usually reconsider their munificence and bestow the blessing upon another, more accepting individual. Thus, Sarah received her joy with a happy heart and wide-open arms.
The day couldn't get much more wonderful either. The heavens were a deep cerulean hue, streaked with an odd fluffy cumulus puff every now and then, but for the most part were fine and fair. The only spoiler of this magnificent existence was the heat; the thick, oppressive, stifling heat. It clung to men's suit coats and curled women's perfectly straight tresses. It moistened brows, lips, and underarms creating a disagreeable atmosphere.
Sarah was dressed to the nines in an accommodating pair of khaki shorts and a ruby red tank-top. A ebon pocketbook was slung over her well-formed shoulder, and swung as gleefully as an inanimate object could muster. Her feet were shod in tan heeled sandals, not uncomfortably heeled of course. A woman could do an incredible amount of walking about the harsh concrete streets of New York; Sarah did not have a death wish.
Adorned in the most comfortable attire possible while still retaining a fleck of dignity, Sarah strolled merrily down the street, advancing quickly upon her destination. She was headed to work on this rather stifling July morning. She refused to allow herself to conform to the grumpy and irritated ambiance that surrounded her like a tyrannical fog. Life was too short to dwell upon the injustice of the climate; there was too much smiling to be had, too much joy to spread. Yes, on this day Sarah felt like a modern day Doris Day; untouchable and all too blithe.
She stole away down an adjoining alleyway, disappearing into the dust and grunge of New York's side streets. Yet, this alley was devoid of all life; a single obsidian doorway stood resolute at its conclusion. Sarah approached this doorway with the same optimistic ambiance, and hauled it's bulk open and entered within.
The insides were splitting at the seams with life. Crew workers were speeding around with various articles of set supplies within their gloved-grips, running for all their worth toward their objective. All at once, she was attacked by an entourage of make-up and hair squads, costume heads and line readers. She took it all in with a gentle smile and followed them all with a confident step. This was her world, as hectic and ruthless as it seemed at times. She loved its aptness and flaws as one whole, since one can not have one without the other. Black and White, except her world possessed Red and Black, since white was rarely seen within it recesses.
"Sarah, where in heck have you been!" cried an erroneously effeminate voice. A gaudy character stalked over to her, adorned in a flashy purple number, including a sparkling shirt of amethyst and leather pants of a similar hue. His deep chocolate skin seemed tinted a scarlet tone; Marcus had evidently been in the caffinated Hazelnut coffee again. She would really have to address the issue with Cynthia, everyone knew how jittery he got when he indulged himself.
"Marcus, you really need to calm down. It's only ten, shooting doesn't start for another two hours. I'm actually early for once," Sarah replied in her usually calming tone. Marcus, however, was not convinced by the soothing octave. He paced around behind her, as she was pampered to no end by the teems of beauticians. A long-finger hand arose to massage his brow, only further convincing Sarah of the dire need to rid the studio of the dreaded Hazelnut coffee. An edgy director was no fun to be around, no matter how much one treasured the bright lights.
"I know, I know…but, Sarah, we only have two days of rehearsals left. Every second is crucial. We must seriously cut down on our mistakes," Marcus pranced around like a spooked stallion caged within a ring. Sarah released a concise sigh, trying not to hinder the workers about her in the process; one slip up would only lead to an extended stay in this chair, and probably freak out Marcus furthermore.
"Marcus, please,"
"I know, I'm sorry. It's just everything is so…so…ugh!" Marcus threw his hands up in the air and stormed off in a huff. Sarah stifled a shake of the head and a roll of the eyes. Luckily, for the actress she required little make-up for the role she was currently portraying, well at least nothing extensive. She played a human female around her age, thus she needn't any wrinkles or grayed hairs. After a few more moments, she was released frothed grasp of the make-up artists and left free to drift about for a few minutes. It wasn't dress rehearsal yet, thus the actors didn't need their costumes yet, but Marcus loved his actors to wear make-up during the last week of run through. Just an eccentric fancy of a similarly eccentric director.
"Paula, I'm going to step outside for a few minutes…" Sarah called to one of the stage hands. The girl promptly shook her head in agreement and ran on her way. Sarah released another sigh and made way towards the closest egress. She needed to compose herself for the upcoming run-through. She wouldn't be missed for some time anyway. Thus, a few minutes of quite reflection could do no harm.
She opened the door slowly, stepping out once more into the oppressive sunlight of mid-morning. It was a bit cooler in the alley, but not by much.
She glanced down an adjoining alleyway to her right, a wave of cooler air washing pleasantly over her. She instantly rounded the corner, the cool air feeling exquisite upon her sweat slicked skin. She gave the alley a quick look over, just in a habitual attempt to familiarize herself with her surroundings. This little alcove looked to be a lovely spot to hideaway in when rehearsals got out of hand, and it would definitely be getting a fair share of use in the days to come.
She leaned indolently against one of the walls, when she spotted something in her peripheral vision. She turned to the side, a small rotund object instantly grabbed her attention. It glowed with a divine vivacity, capturing her interest fully. The familiarity of the object was deafening, it drove her thoughts quickly into her past. A past filled with endless corridors and sparkling spheres, magic and mayhem, uncertainty and an overassertive King.
The object lay dejectedly in a corner, but its rejection blemished its hearty glow none. She exhaled loudly, just realizing she had been holding her breath. Her eyes searched anxiously about the murky alleyway, expecting to see a pair of mismatched eyes glaring at her intently through the darkness. She saw none eyes of that description, but with turning her attention back to the orb she noticed, with further inspection, two cerulean dots shimmering upon exterior. The duel specks closed momentarily and then reopened. They were eyes. This sphere had eyes and they were blinking quite noticeably at her.
The mere sight propelled Sarah straight to the object, an equally radiant gleam in her amber eyes. It was a outstanding creature, like a baby sun. She had never seen anything like it before and probably never would again. Slowly, Sarah bent down on one knee, reaching for the spherical entity. It radiance flickered momentarily, when she brought into her tender hands. She smiled in return, presuming that was the creatures way of speaking. The creature flickered a bit more, however, and then went out.
Sarah dropped the being suddenly and shuffled backward a bit. She stared at it intently, awaiting to outpouring of it's luminous radiance. However, that never occurred. The ball just lay there inertly, looking nothing more than an unwanted child's toy. Sarah's eyes widened in horror. Had she killed it? Was it alive, at all?
Deciding she had played enough in the affairs of the supernatural, she turned heel and quickly began to exit the alley. Except, instead of running down the familiar alleyway, she unassumingly ran straight into a shimmering portal. Only realizing her folly belatedly, as the portico closed quickly behind her.