This Life is a Lonely One
Riddick was pleased; Jack hadn't recognized him. "Luck's on my side," he thought. But he'd known she wouldn't his disguise could even fool himself. He had short, spiky, black hair, bright green eyes and a perfectly sculpted ghotee. Even his voice was different, he'd been perfecting it to sound more sophisticated and business-like (and much less like a booming rumble) over the past 4 or 5 months, it was near perfect. He wore a black business suit, which was totally different from his normal outfitting. There was no way in hell that Jack would ever recognize him, unless of course he wanted her to recognize him. He smiled to the men that stood behind her greeting them. They accepted him easily enough, "good".
"Jack looks even more beautiful up close," he thought. It had been a rather lengthy time since they'd been together, a rather lengthy time since his life had ended and hers began. "Past is past, Dickey boy. This is now, and the future. Don't make the same mistake, here's your chance of redemption, use it the right way," he reminded himself.
Oh yes, Jack had certainly made something of herself, much more than she ever was with him. Here she was on her third album-just released- and she was one of the universes biggest and brightest stars. Riddick had known she had talent but had no clue that she had such a desire to showcase it. He was happy she'd found her niche, he was happy she was happy, he was happy that he was with her again. He hoped she'd be happy when she found out his true identity.
"Guys, you can go ahead and go. I'll be here until its time to leave for the show. Go get lunch or something," Jack said dismissing her shadows; they exited quickly. "So, Mr. McCorwin. . .where ya from?"
"Please, just call me Greg, Ms. Pogniachi." he said politely.
"Okay Greg, but please if we're on the first name basis call me Jack," she smiled. "So GREG, where are you from?"
"Actually, believe it or not. . .Earth," he answered in a some what laughing tone.
"No shit, what's it like?"
"Well, hasn't changed much since the 21st century. There's a little more technology but it doesn't compare to the rest of the universe, pollution is terrible but other than that it's. . .well, quite honestly, the most God- awful place to live," he said repeating Jack's answer when he'd asked her years before.
"Sounds like the place I left nine years ago. Damn, it's been a while." she said reminiscing in the memories.
"Used to live there?" he asked sounding interested even though he knew the answer.
"Yeah, born there and lived there until I was 14 when I left. After that my life's been hell in all its layers."
Was that regret in her voice? "Oh I see, life's that bad?" He said jokingly.
"Oh no, I don't mean it like. I love what I do. I just miss sitting around. My whole life, since I was 14, I've been running non-stop from something or someone. Half the time the thing I'm running from is myself. No, I don't regret any of it. It's not bad just tiring, and lonely as hell. Especially when you have no one to share you triumphs of success with." She answered, her eyes somewhat going off into the distance.
"Understandable. Now I know where you get your songs from. Deep stuff." he paused briefly. "So is this what you've always wanted to do?"
"I don't know. For a while as a kid, like 7 years old, I wanted the whole "AMERICAN dream" as I'd heard it called. You know the white picket fences, the little rug rat kids running around the front yard, the hubby barbequing, while I smile contently from the front porch; the whole nine. Then I woke up and realized life isn't like that. That's just a dream world that people think of to get themselves through the day. Nothing in life is that perfect," she smiled somewhat sadly, "but hey, what can you do? So then I wanted to be an astronaut. That faded, finally at 14 my eyes really opened. . . I just wanted to get the hell away from my druggie parents. If I could accomplish that, I thought, life would be all right. So I left, made it on my own, but found out that wasn't any easier. . .but it wasn't as hard, I know that. Got caught up shit on the long road, but I was okay and somehow I ended up here. That doesn't really answer your question though." Jack laughed mildly as she realized she'd been rambling. "Sorry, to answer. . .yes, always. Since I'd realized I had some talent worth using, in my heart I'd wanted to make something of myself through music."
"Very interesting story you have there, Ms. Pogniachi."
"Hey! Jack, remember." She said teasingly.
"Oh yeah, sorry. Nice story Jack." He smiled. Some of it had been new to Riddick but most of it he'd already known. "You're a very open person are you not?"
"Yeah, somewhat. I figure with what I've given up and the chances I've taken over the years, I mind as well just be open and let people see the real me. Besides, for some reason I feel very at ease with you, Greg." She smiled warmly.
"Aren't you supposed to put on a front in the public eye?"
"Why? So they can get false interpretations of me? No. . . the management tries to monitor me but I can't do that. I have to be honest, otherwise I'm just like all the other lying celebrities. Not all lie, but you'd be surprise how many do. If people are gonna see me, I want them to see the truth, not some façade. Ya know?" She said.
"Yeah, I understand completely."
Jack got up and walked into the kitchen pulling a pack of cigarettes from one of the drawers, " Oh well, what can I say? I am me. 'one in a million' as my manager says. That's just 'cause I make her life so difficult," She laughed as she lit up her cigarette. "Want one?" she tossed him the box and lighter. "I like to think that's why most people like me so much, 'cause I'm real."
"I'm sure it is." Riddick confirmed cocking his head slightly to the left.
"You remind me of someone. . ." she trailed off.
Oh shit. "Who?" Riddick questioned, afraid he'd been caught.
"No, no one." She faked a smile, "Just resemblance. They're long gone, lost that one a long time ago." She tried to dismiss it but he could tell it still nagged her.
"Sometimes I get that. . .that I look like someone else, that is." He said trying to cover himself. "So, is stardom really worth all you have to give up?"
"It depends on what day you ask me," she laughed exhaling smoke. "Yes and no. I didn't have much that I had to give up, but I suppose if I had a lot it'd be hard. I only really had one thing to give up. . ."
"A guy? It always seems to be a guy." He said, almost wishing he were right.
A look that Riddick couldn't depict crossed her face, then she smiled again. "No, my sanity. You've gotta be crazy to get into this business. It's great at first, and it has its perks but if you don't have a solid rock to lean on sometimes it can tear you down completely. Like I said, this life is lonely. But hey, there's a price for everything. I do love it though, whole heartedly." She smiled, some what trying to convince both of them that it was true.
"Well, I don't know what its like but I can imagine." He said attempting to sympathize.
After that there was silence, Riddick looked over fondly at her. "Never again will you be alone, Jack. I promise." He voiced to her silently in his head.
Riddick was pleased; Jack hadn't recognized him. "Luck's on my side," he thought. But he'd known she wouldn't his disguise could even fool himself. He had short, spiky, black hair, bright green eyes and a perfectly sculpted ghotee. Even his voice was different, he'd been perfecting it to sound more sophisticated and business-like (and much less like a booming rumble) over the past 4 or 5 months, it was near perfect. He wore a black business suit, which was totally different from his normal outfitting. There was no way in hell that Jack would ever recognize him, unless of course he wanted her to recognize him. He smiled to the men that stood behind her greeting them. They accepted him easily enough, "good".
"Jack looks even more beautiful up close," he thought. It had been a rather lengthy time since they'd been together, a rather lengthy time since his life had ended and hers began. "Past is past, Dickey boy. This is now, and the future. Don't make the same mistake, here's your chance of redemption, use it the right way," he reminded himself.
Oh yes, Jack had certainly made something of herself, much more than she ever was with him. Here she was on her third album-just released- and she was one of the universes biggest and brightest stars. Riddick had known she had talent but had no clue that she had such a desire to showcase it. He was happy she'd found her niche, he was happy she was happy, he was happy that he was with her again. He hoped she'd be happy when she found out his true identity.
"Guys, you can go ahead and go. I'll be here until its time to leave for the show. Go get lunch or something," Jack said dismissing her shadows; they exited quickly. "So, Mr. McCorwin. . .where ya from?"
"Please, just call me Greg, Ms. Pogniachi." he said politely.
"Okay Greg, but please if we're on the first name basis call me Jack," she smiled. "So GREG, where are you from?"
"Actually, believe it or not. . .Earth," he answered in a some what laughing tone.
"No shit, what's it like?"
"Well, hasn't changed much since the 21st century. There's a little more technology but it doesn't compare to the rest of the universe, pollution is terrible but other than that it's. . .well, quite honestly, the most God- awful place to live," he said repeating Jack's answer when he'd asked her years before.
"Sounds like the place I left nine years ago. Damn, it's been a while." she said reminiscing in the memories.
"Used to live there?" he asked sounding interested even though he knew the answer.
"Yeah, born there and lived there until I was 14 when I left. After that my life's been hell in all its layers."
Was that regret in her voice? "Oh I see, life's that bad?" He said jokingly.
"Oh no, I don't mean it like. I love what I do. I just miss sitting around. My whole life, since I was 14, I've been running non-stop from something or someone. Half the time the thing I'm running from is myself. No, I don't regret any of it. It's not bad just tiring, and lonely as hell. Especially when you have no one to share you triumphs of success with." She answered, her eyes somewhat going off into the distance.
"Understandable. Now I know where you get your songs from. Deep stuff." he paused briefly. "So is this what you've always wanted to do?"
"I don't know. For a while as a kid, like 7 years old, I wanted the whole "AMERICAN dream" as I'd heard it called. You know the white picket fences, the little rug rat kids running around the front yard, the hubby barbequing, while I smile contently from the front porch; the whole nine. Then I woke up and realized life isn't like that. That's just a dream world that people think of to get themselves through the day. Nothing in life is that perfect," she smiled somewhat sadly, "but hey, what can you do? So then I wanted to be an astronaut. That faded, finally at 14 my eyes really opened. . . I just wanted to get the hell away from my druggie parents. If I could accomplish that, I thought, life would be all right. So I left, made it on my own, but found out that wasn't any easier. . .but it wasn't as hard, I know that. Got caught up shit on the long road, but I was okay and somehow I ended up here. That doesn't really answer your question though." Jack laughed mildly as she realized she'd been rambling. "Sorry, to answer. . .yes, always. Since I'd realized I had some talent worth using, in my heart I'd wanted to make something of myself through music."
"Very interesting story you have there, Ms. Pogniachi."
"Hey! Jack, remember." She said teasingly.
"Oh yeah, sorry. Nice story Jack." He smiled. Some of it had been new to Riddick but most of it he'd already known. "You're a very open person are you not?"
"Yeah, somewhat. I figure with what I've given up and the chances I've taken over the years, I mind as well just be open and let people see the real me. Besides, for some reason I feel very at ease with you, Greg." She smiled warmly.
"Aren't you supposed to put on a front in the public eye?"
"Why? So they can get false interpretations of me? No. . . the management tries to monitor me but I can't do that. I have to be honest, otherwise I'm just like all the other lying celebrities. Not all lie, but you'd be surprise how many do. If people are gonna see me, I want them to see the truth, not some façade. Ya know?" She said.
"Yeah, I understand completely."
Jack got up and walked into the kitchen pulling a pack of cigarettes from one of the drawers, " Oh well, what can I say? I am me. 'one in a million' as my manager says. That's just 'cause I make her life so difficult," She laughed as she lit up her cigarette. "Want one?" she tossed him the box and lighter. "I like to think that's why most people like me so much, 'cause I'm real."
"I'm sure it is." Riddick confirmed cocking his head slightly to the left.
"You remind me of someone. . ." she trailed off.
Oh shit. "Who?" Riddick questioned, afraid he'd been caught.
"No, no one." She faked a smile, "Just resemblance. They're long gone, lost that one a long time ago." She tried to dismiss it but he could tell it still nagged her.
"Sometimes I get that. . .that I look like someone else, that is." He said trying to cover himself. "So, is stardom really worth all you have to give up?"
"It depends on what day you ask me," she laughed exhaling smoke. "Yes and no. I didn't have much that I had to give up, but I suppose if I had a lot it'd be hard. I only really had one thing to give up. . ."
"A guy? It always seems to be a guy." He said, almost wishing he were right.
A look that Riddick couldn't depict crossed her face, then she smiled again. "No, my sanity. You've gotta be crazy to get into this business. It's great at first, and it has its perks but if you don't have a solid rock to lean on sometimes it can tear you down completely. Like I said, this life is lonely. But hey, there's a price for everything. I do love it though, whole heartedly." She smiled, some what trying to convince both of them that it was true.
"Well, I don't know what its like but I can imagine." He said attempting to sympathize.
After that there was silence, Riddick looked over fondly at her. "Never again will you be alone, Jack. I promise." He voiced to her silently in his head.