Disclaimers: Mine! This is not an uber, but an original story.
Sex: Why yes, yes there is.
If you'd like to tell me what a wonderful writer I am or that I royally suck, feel free at: XenaNut@hotmail.com. Please refrain from sending suggestions or corrections. That's the job of my publisher's editor.
Helix
by
Kim Pritekel
(Hey, folks. Just a possible advance warning: as you know I usually work pretty fast to get these stories out to you in a timely manner. I've got a lot going on professionally right now, and there may be disruptions in the pacing of this story. Maybe not, but just covering my ass in case. J Enjoy the story - Kim)
Part 1
Chapter 1
She could feel the powerful body of the horse beneath her, his hooves pounding into the ground, her heart racing with excitement with every beat. She was tired, her body sore, and just plain soul tired. But, she told herself, she was almost there.
The hills all around her were green, the grasses lush, the sky above blue, dotted by fat, lazy clouds. She spurred her horse on, ignoring the wounds that littered her body, as she knew she was close. She was almost home. She urged her mount on faster. She could feel the wind whipping through her hair, the strands slapping against her armored back. She could see the trees up ahead, which marked the property she shared with her family. A husband. Two children. Her reasons for living.
She clenched her thighs as her horse began to rear up. She looked around her, trying to see what had disturbed him. To her horror, just up ahead, she saw a man hanging from the branches of one of the trees. Gasping in horror, she slid off her mount, hand going to the sword at her side.
Turning in a slow circle, she realized that there were bodies hanging from other trees, others lying dead on the ground, the bleeding long ago congealed into thick death. She could see smoke rising from above the trees.
“No,” she breathed, fear taking hold of her heart with fingers of ice. She took off toward the trees, running for what felt like her life. The sunlight swam in the strands of her brown hair, striping her with golden rays. The edge of the trees was nearing, the sound of the surf beyond the cliffs so close…
Kali woke up, her heart pounding as she shoved the covers from her body, beads of sweat dotting her forehead and making her palms slick. Looking around, she saw her bedroom, the curtains still closed though sunlight managed to peek in around the edges. Glancing to her left, she saw the bare upper back and shoulders of David.
Blowing out a loud breath, Kali flopped back onto the pillow, gazing up at the ceiling.
“Dream again?” David mumbled.
Kali glanced over at her husband of four years. “Yeah. Sorry I woke you.” She smiled as he mumbled something else, though it was nearly unintelligible. Knowing that sleep wasn't likely to come back anytime soon and she had a lot to do before they left, she sat up once more, feet hitting the carpeted floor.
The house was beginning to come to life with the new day. As Kali headed into the kitchen she could hear the tell-tale sounds of a video game. Stopping at the closed bedroom door of her ten year old stepson, she knocked, waiting until the noise stopped.
“DJ, shut down the video game.” She waited for a moment before turning the knob on the door and peeking inside. The boy was still dressed in his pajamas, one sock half-hanging off his foot as he focused on his game. “David Jr. Now.”
“Okay, okay,” he grumbled, crawling across the floor to his TV and the game system, turning it off. “Do we have to go see grandma and grandpa today?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder at the woman his father had married.
“Yep. Come on. Get dressed and ready to go.”
Kali closed the door, standing out in the hall to make sure the boy did as asked. Satisfied, though surprised that the game stayed off, she continued on her way to her two and a half year old son, Lachlan's room. She pushed open the door, smiling immediately at the image of her only child curled up in his crib. She and David had been talking a lot lately about going to look for a “big boy bed” for him soon.
Sensing he wasn't alone, the boy with the light brown hair opened an eye, rolling over onto his back when he saw his mother walking toward him.
“Good morning, my Angel,” Kali cooed, opening her arms as her son slowly crawled up until he was standing. Still not fully awake, he rested his head on her shoulder, legs automatically wrapping around her slim waist as he was picked up and carried to the rocking chair – a relic from his baby days. This was their routine every morning: Lachlan would curl up against his mother and doze as she rocked and sang to him. It was the only time he was quiet all day, till his nap after lunch. Kali knew cuddling times with her son would come to an end permanently far sooner than later, so was determined to get as much time with him as she could.
Kali rested her head against that of her child, the soothing motion of her slow rocking nearly sending her back to sleep, too. She could smell the sleepies still clinging to Lachlan, and it was one of her favorite smells. He was so warm against her as she rubbed his back.
“Hey, Honey?” David said quietly from Lachlan's opened door. He continued once he saw he had his wife's attention. “What do you want DJ to wear to this little shindig my mom's having?”
“Why ask me, David? You know he's not going to listen, anyway.” Kali's soft tone couldn't hide the annoyance in her words.
“Come on, Kali. That's not true,” David said, though it was obvious to them both he didn't fully believe what he was saying.
Not wanting to argue, Kali kissed Lachlan's head. “Put him in whatever you want. He's old enough to decide for himself. You know your mother better than I do, anyway. What won't she get angry with?”
With a heavy sigh, David pushed away from the doorframe he'd been leaning against, and disappeared down the hall. After a quick succession of loud kisses that made Lachlan giggle, Kali got her son up and dressed, then with a slap to his diapered butt, she sent him out to play with DJ so she could get ready herself.
Kali let out a long sigh as the hot water pounded on her skin, her hands slicking long, auburn strands back from her face. She relished her few moments in the shower, as she knew it was the only time she'd be getting to herself all day. Her husband's son from his previous marriage had never been fond of Kali, for reasons the redhead never understood. She'd done her best to try and be there for DJ, without stepping over the imaginary boundaries the boy had set four years ago. It certainly didn't help that David didn't put his son in his proper place. It was basically the only point of contention in what was otherwise a happy marriage. The unfortunate thing was, it was becoming a large point of contention the older DJ got.
DJ's mother, Barbara decided that she needed a break, and so sent DJ to stay with his dad and Kali during his week-long Christmas break. She and her new boyfriend had celebrated the holiday with the boy the night before he was dropped off at their doorstep, backpack full of clothes in hand and a scowl on his face.
David's mother was having a Christmas Eve get-together at her house for Christmas, replete with gift-opening and tons of food, and Kali was grateful. At least this would keep DJ busy, as all his cousins would be there. DJ would be heading back home the following day, as he had school on Tuesday, and in Kali's opinion, it couldn't be fast enough.
An hour later, Kali studied her family, making sure they were the picture perfect bunch that David's mother, Kathryn wouldn't complain about. For some reason, the woman had always looked at her son's choice for a second wife like she were a bug to be studied and eventually destroyed. At one point it had bothered Kali, and she had tried to do everything in her power to win the woman over. Eventually, she saw that wasn't going to happen, and just got used to the idea that nothing she ever did would be right. Except for Lachlan. He was the jewel in Kathryn's perfect crown, which made Kali happy, but also made things even more touchy and difficult. Kathryn doted on the toddler, often times leaving DJ out of her intense, grandmotherly love.
More than once Kali had asked David why his mother was as she was, but even after a lifetime with the woman, he had no clue.
Everyone was clean, dressed in their best, and with smiles plastered to their faces. Hopefully Kathryn would be satisfied.
“Okay, everyone. Into the car.”
***
Kathryn was busy hopping from guest to guest, making sure everyone had a cookie or some other homemade treat in hand. Lively Christmas music played in the background, and the huge, seven-foot tree was lit and decorated just as extravagantly as her home. No one could ever say she was a bad hostess, or not the belle of the block.
Kali had just snagged Lachlan's hand – again – when he tried to grab for an ornament on the tree, the lights and glitter making his eyes light up brighter than the light-encrusted trees outside. Christy, her sister-in-law, and one of the few members of her husband's family that she actually liked - and who seemed to like her - walked up to her, hot mug of coffee held between chilled hands.
“He's so beautiful, Kali,” she complimented, her gaze drifting over the adorable toddler, who few could resist.
“Thanks.” Kali smiled as she tugged her son up into her arms. She could tell he was getting tired, as he'd missed his afternoon nap, and was worried what they were in for once they got home. “He's the love of my life, and the orneriest kid in the world.”
Both women laughed, Christy reaching out to rub the boy's back. He laid his head down on his mother's shoulder, hazel eyes resting on his aunt. “How is the acting thing going?”
Kali's green eyes widened in embarrassed panic, beginning to sway and rock her son, hoping to make him go to sleep. “David told you?”
Christy smiled, admiring the petit woman's beautiful face and smile. She'd always wondered how her brother, who could often be difficult, had landed Kali Roberts. She was beautiful, and had such a kind soul. But, they seemed to love each other, and Christy knew that Kali adored Lachlan. “Did he say something he wasn't supposed to?” She placed a reassuring hand on Kali's arm. “I'm sorry, Kali. I was just curious. I didn't mean to embarrass you.”
Kali grinned, shaking her head as she continued to sway on her feet. She could feel her son's heavy breathing against her neck. “It's okay. I don't mind. I guess I just haven't really talked about it much, outside of David, anyway.” She shrugged, absently rubbing her son's back. “It's always something I've wanted to try. I did the whole theater thing in high school, and did a community play once, but that was about it.” She smiled a little sheepish. “Guess the bug never totally went away.”
“Well, I think it's great, Kali, and wish you luck. You've got the face and figure for it, so I'm sure you'll do fine.” She leaned in conspiratorially, “Just watch out for those casting couches.” They both chuckled.
“Will do. Thanks for the warning.”
***
The house was finally quiet. David had left to drive DJ home, and Lachlan had crashed hard after playing with his new Christmas toys half the day, and being passed around from family member to family member. Kali sipped her freshly-brewed cup of decaf as she booted up the desktop in the home office. After checking her email, and clicked away at the keys until she landed on one of the talent sites that hosted pictures and resumes of acting hopefuls. Kali had decided to post her information on the site three months ago, and though it hadn't done much for her thus far, she checked it regularly.
Once she had decided to get back into acting, she'd looked into local theater groups and dance troupes, but ultimately decided that she wanted to try something she'd always had a secret passion for- film. She'd scoured the web for any and everything local, surprised to find a great deal of student projects and short films that were filmed all across the state. She had left it at that for a couple months, letting it turn over in her brain and decide if she were really interested. Did she have the time, what with a full-time job, a two year old son and a husband? Would David support her in it, and help pick up the slack when she was gone for a day of shooting or auditions?
Finally, after mulling it over for weeks, she sat David down and talked to him about it, getting his opinion and thoughts. To her pleasure, he'd agreed to help out, and was all for her going after her dream. That same day, she'd looked into getting headshots made of herself. She'd met a wonderful photographer named Jasmine Gray, and they'd set up an appointment for two Saturdays later. The photo session had been a blast, and Kali had felt a part of her come to life that had been dormant for too many years.
She scanned the pages of the site where producers and casting agents could check the site freely, find the look they needed, and contact the person. Or, sometimes they'd post upcoming projects on the site, and talent could simply read about the project, then submit themselves for the part. Kali hadn't submitted herself for anything in more than a month, wanting to get through the holiday season, and DJ's visit, undisturbed. Now, Christmas was two days gone, so she was on the hunt. Not that she'd had any bites as of yet, but she was determined.
Leaning on her hand, Kali scrolled through the projects, clicking on a few that seemed interesting, or at least something she fit. Clicking on one, she read the very brief description:
FEATURE FILM TO START FILMING WITHIN TWO MONTHS. NEED A VARIETY OF MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
Brows drawn, Kali was about ready to close the ad when she stopped, tucking her bottom lip underneath her front teeth. Again, she moved the mouse, intending to close the window, but stopped herself. Sitting back in her chair, she tapped her fingertips on the desk, staring at the ad. She felt a pull, somehow. A burst of curiosity that she couldn't shake. Her gaze fell to the link that read: REPLY HERE.
Kali sipped from her coffee cup, then clicked the link. An email box popped up. She considered for a moment, then began to type:
Hi there. Your ad gave very little information, and had no character types that you may be looking for. Can you please send me some more information? Also, below is the link to view my headshot and resume.
Thank you,
Kali Rasmussen
“Hey.” David walked into the office, leaning over his wife and placing a kiss to the side of her neck.
“Hey, honey.” Kali turned her head, meeting her husband's kiss before turning back to the computer screen.
“Find anything interesting?” David sighed as he plopped down in an armchair at the corner of the room. It had been a long couple weeks, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was glad DJ was back with his mother.
“Not sure. I just emailed to ask about a project, but,” Kali shrugged, turning to look at her husband. “Who knows. Do you want on this or should I shut it down?”
“Nah,” David waved her off. “Go ahead and shut it down.” With a groan he got to his feet. “I'm too tired to check email. I'm heading to bed.”
“Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes.” Kali accepted a goodnight kiss from the tall man, then began to shut down the family computer.
Chapter 2
Kali chewed on her bottom lip, eyes studying the computer screen before her. She scanned the flight schedules, trying to find the best possible route from Phoenix to Detroit, per the customer on the phone line's request.
“Okay, Mr. Nazaro, I'm seeing a flight leaving at six forty-four in the morning, arriving in Denver at eight-thirty, then leaving Denver at ten-thirteen, arriving at DTW at two fifty-seven p.m. How will that be for you?” She continued to scroll as her customer spoke his mind, complaining about the layover. “Yes, sir, I understand. But, with that layover of just around an hour and forty-three minutes, you'd have time to perhaps use restroom facilities, get something to eat, or just simply find your gate. DIA is a large airpor-“ she nodded her understanding of Mr. Nazaro's dissatisfaction. “I do understand that, sir. We can look for something else… Okay. Well, thank you for calling United Airlines and have a nice-“ Kali didn't bother finishing as the line went dead. “Prick,” she muttered under her breath.
A glance at the clock at the bottom right-hand side of her screen told her it was time for a break. Switching her status to offline, she pulled her headset off, tossing it to the desk and blowing out a heavy breath. It had been a long day already, and she was more than ready to go home.
The employee lounge was empty, which she was glad about. After an entire morning of listening to customers complain about prices or schedules that Kali had no control over, she was ready to sit back and relax with an ice cold water. The bottle tumbled noisily through the machine, landing in the black, plastic bin with a liquid thud. Kali grabbed the bottle, twisted off the cap and took several deep swallows, leaving her breathless.
She grabbed her cell phone from where she'd shoved it into her pocket. She'd gotten a message while on the phones, so flipped open the pink RAZR, scrolling to get to her voicemail. Small phone to her ear, she listened.
“Kali, this is Carol from Big Stuff Talent. I've got three auditions set up for you this coming weekend. Here are the times, and I'll email you more details of each job.”
Kali nearly knocked the chair over she'd sat in in her haste to grab the napkin dispenser from the counter, pulling the pen from where it was tucked in her loose bun. She scribbled down the times and address, listening to the message two more times to make sure she'd gotten them right. Slapping the phone shut, she pumped her fist in the air.
“Yes!”
A man walked in, looking at her like she'd lost her mind. She could only grin at him before hurrying off to tell her co-workers.
***
Kali flipped her cell phone shut as she unbuckled her seatbelt, David giving her his dinner order as she pulled up in front of their son's daycare center. The squat, brick building had been his playground Monday through Friday for the past two years, the first six months of his life at his grandmother's house during the workday. After awhile, David's mother couldn't handle it anymore, her advancing emphysema making it harder and harder for her to look after the infant.
It had been a long day, and Kali was ready for nothing more than a quiet night and weekend with her family. It was Friday, and the redhead was thrilled. She was also excited, and nervous, to go to her first auditions, two of which were the following day.
“Hi, Kali,” Minnie Parks said with a bright smile, handing Kali Lachlan's coat. “He had a bit of a cough today. You may want to keep an eye on that.”
“Okay. I noticed that the other night, but hoped it was just maybe a tickle in his throat.” Kali knelt down in front of her son, already fussy from a long day and not feeling good. “Hey, baby boy,” she cooed, helping him into his coat. “How's my boy? Were you good today?” She gave her son half an ear as he began to babble on about his day as she got him ready to go, interjecting the correct and appropriate response whenever necessary.
“Bye bye, Lachlan,” Minnie smiled and waved, the boy imitating her with a grin.
“Come on, big guy,” Kali grunted, lifting the heavy child into the back of the car and getting him fastened into his seat. “We have to stop and get Daddy some KFC. How's that?” she asked, tweaking his nose.
“Chicken!” Lachlan yelled, making his mother grin.
“Yes, siree. Chicken.” With a quick kiss to his head, she locked and closed the back, passenger door, hurrying around to slip behind the wheel. The weather was getting worse, the winds colder and stronger.
The roads were busy, traffic heavy as everyone tried to make it home for the weekend before the other guy did. Kali and Lachlan were nearly forty-five minutes late home after she got stuck behind an accident that had cars backed up for miles.
When she pulled into the driveway of their modest, but nice ranch-style house with a basement, she saw her husband in the garage, tinkering under the hood of his Pathfinder.
“Hey,” he said, peeking at his family from around the SUV.
“Hi.” Kali gave him a quick kiss while holding up the large paper bag that held their dinner. “Will you grab Lachlan so I can get this in and prepared?”
“Sure.”
Kali hurried inside, already beginning to shiver just from the few moments in the garage. She hurried into the kitchen, shedding her jacket as she did and tossing it onto the coat tree near the hallway. She headed back to the counter where she'd put the bag and quickly tore into it, already hearing her grouchy son being carried in by his father. She opened the containers filled with hot mashed potatoes and gravy, as well as the box containing their chicken. A few scattered plates at the dinner table, and dinner was just about ready.
“Dave, clean off his face, please!” she called, remembering the chocolate smears from the daycare's end-of-day treat. She heard him call back something, and figuring it was agreement, continued to get dinner going. Drinks poured and the plates filled, it was time to eat. “Dinner!”
With the efficiency of two and a half years practice, Kali and David got Lachlan settled and in his highchair. As they ate, they made sure he wasn't making the biggest mess this side of the Rockies, and that he was eating.
“So, what's on the agenda for the weekend?” Dave asked, pouring some more gravy onto his third helping of potatoes.
As Kali told him about her auditions, she got more excited. Her stomach was in knots, as she was nervous – her first auditions, after all. But, she looked forward to them. She and David made their weekend plans, then he went off with his friend, Mark to play basketball down at the local rec center.
Chapter 3
The flat soles of Van's made no sound as she walked across the half-built sets, cradled in the cavernous soundstage. There weren't many in Colorado, but she was glad they'd been able to secure this one. It was perfect: a three building complex with two different sizes in soundstages. In the third building was a green screen, editing suite and recording studio. It was one stop shopping in the world of filmmaking.
Raeann Parker stuck her hands into the pockets of her loose-fitting jeans, which were hanging slightly on a too-thin frame. The stresses of pre-production were already taking their toll on her system, and it would only get worse as they moved into principle in less than two months, then on into post. After she was able to relax and have five minutes to herself, her appetite and the lost weight would return. As it was, creating was the brunette's biggest passion in life, and when she was writing, directing or producing a film, nothing and no one else mattered.
The construction crews had left hours before, leaving Rae in the production office that had been set up at the rear of the building she was in. The production company she and her business partner owned – Foster Films – had offices downtown, but they had abandoned them for production, knowing full well that convenience was key during the stressful, often times tense days of filming. Since Rae would be directing, her business partner and fellow producer, Tonya, would be left with all the duties of running a production. Tonya was a master of organization and schedules, but even she wasn't Wonder Woman. No matter how much she thought she was.
Rae chuckled to herself at that thought. Wonder Woman. During their five year acquaintance, Tonya had accused Rae of that very complex hundreds of times. When the writer got focused on something, nothing and no one could move her from her path. She was also quick, able to conceive of and then write a full-length screenplay in less than a week. Six months worth of work for the typical screenplay writer. Those in Hollywood had gotten a whiff of her abilities, and had come a callin'. She had more work than she knew what to do with, and was determined to try and tackle it all.
That was where Tonya stepped in. “You can't do it all, Rae, I don't care how much you think you can. You're only human. You burn yourself out and I'll kick your ass.”
The words echoed in Rae's mind, making her smile. Tonya had been her closest friend for as long as they'd been in business together, but even Tonya had a wall to try and tackle. She'd manage to remove a few bricks and two days later, two more had been put up in their place. It was a good thing Tonya was a patient woman.
Her whole life had been spent living inside her own head. Rae had created lands and characters inside her imagination since she'd been a small child. It helped her to cope with her differences. She had grown up long before her time, watching her parents divorce, then her mother move onto an even worse second marriage ten months later. By the time Rae had reached her sixth birthday, she'd lived in seven different houses and three different cities. For an outgoing child, that was a wealth of adventure and experience. For a shy, introverted one, it was devastating.
The clack clop of cheap, black shoes pulled Rae from her reverie. She turned to see a security guard duck out of the light and shadow, his badge glinting off the dim lighting far above their heads.
“Miss Parker, I'm going to be locking up for the night. I can leave the lights on if-“
“No. I'm heading out. Thanks.” She smiled at him, watching him walk away before she turned her attention back to the sets before her. The pride inside her swelled her chest to a nearly painful level, coming out in a rush of breath. She ran a hand through short, shaggy dark hair, blowing the falling bangs out of gray eyes. “Here we go,” she whispered, then dug her car keys out of her pockets and headed out.
The weather outside was finally beginning to clear. Spring was on its way, though Rae knew the wettest months in Colorado were on their way – March and April. March was halfway over with, and the snowfall hadn't been as bad as the year before, but more was predicted for the upcoming week. At least the tempts were reasonable.
She wove her 4Runner through the Mile High City with ease, though traffic had her stopping and starting more than she was happy with. She turned up the volume on her Bose sound system, listening to Hinder's ‘By the Way'. She tapped her thumb on the steering wheel as she was stuck yet again in a line of traffic. It was late, so she was surprised. But, then again it was Friday, and it looked like there was an accident up ahead.
Two CDs later, Rae pulled into the driveway of her modest, three-bedroom house. Her headlights shone against the closed garage door, which began to slowly curl open with the touch of a button. Rae watched, then slowly pulled the SUV inside the open space. In the two-car space, there was only a lawn mower and a smattering of yard tools hung along one wall. An empty gas can sat atop the mower's engine.
The inside of the house was dark, the heater purring to life with the introduction of the cold from the garage.
“Damn, it's a cold night,” Rae muttered, shrugging out of her jacket and tossing it onto the couch. She flicked on a lamp, the buttery light painting the living room in a semi-circle of light. Another flick of a switch and the gas fireplace whooshed to life.
It had been a long day, and Rae's mind was still on full auto. All the things she needed to do the following day were plowing through the fields of her mind. Auditions would be starting this week, which made her happy. That had always been her favorite part, and unlike many in the industry, she, as a director, liked to be heavily involved in that process. Most counted on a Casting Director, but Rae liked the hands-on approach. She wanted to meet with her talent personally, and make sure that not only were they good at their jobs, but how did they mesh with her as a person? Being on a set with someone for days, weeks, or sometimes months at a time, could be pure torture if there was friction. Rae had refused to cast more than one person based on their attitude or any serious personality or cooperative problems. It didn't matter how good their talent was.
Rae walked into the kitchen, kicking off her shoes and peeling off the short-sleeved tee that she was wearing over the long-sleeve one. She unbuttoned her jeans on the way to her bedroom at the back of the house, walking out of the baggy denim and kicking them aside. She grabbed the neatly folded black yoga pants from the bed, where the rest of her neatly-washed laundry was left that morning, and tugged them on. The loose-fitting material felt good against her skin.
Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, yet again, Rae padded back into the kitchen, wondering what she would make for dinner. Opening the fridge, she chewed on her bottom lip.
“Damn.”
Nothing sounded good, so she grabbed a bottle of water and slammed the stainless steel door shut. Flopping back into the couch, she blew out a loud breath, head falling back against the cushion. She closed her eyes with a soft sigh, bottle of water balancing on her thigh. She could feel the warmth of the fire against her face, the craziness of the day slowly seeping out her pores. Within moments, she was asleep.
***
“Good morning, Denver! You're listening to the KHI morning show!” The DJ's exuberant announcement was followed by the beginning strands of a rather ambitious guitar solo and then vocals.
Raeann groaned, rolling over, only to find she couldn't move her legs. After a moment of sleepy panic, she untangled the covers from where she had burritoed herself in the night, and sat up. The morning sun was blaring in through the blinds she'd forgotten to close the night before. “God, why can't mornings be dark?” she muttered, flopping back onto the mattress. She scrubbed her face, groaning again when her cell phone chirped to life. She flipped it open and put the small instrument to her ear. “Hey, Tonya. What's up?”
“Hey. I'd say I'm sorry I woke you up, but I'm not.”
Rae grinned at her friend's sarcastic tone. “Well, sorry to break your bubble, but Tom the radio man beat you to it. Even so, what do you want?”
“We've got a ton of submissions and headshots to go through today. Auditions are this afternoon, and I'd like to try and get some of these folks in and out as quickly as we can, because we've got that whole load coming in from New Mexico tomorrow. So, get up, go run or whatever it is you do to torture yourself, and get down here to the office. I've got coffee ready.”
Before Rae could respond, the line went dead, which was Tonya's way of telling her she had no choice but to get up and get ready, then get to work. She snapped her phone shut and tossed it to the empty bed next to her.
“And away we go.”
***
True to her word, Tonya had the coffee brewing as Rae walked into their small office space, rented out of a twenty-story building in downtown Denver. The space consisted of four rooms – the larger space was used as a reception area, where their only full-time hired employee, Stacy, clacked away at a keyboard and chewed gum all day. Tonya's office was closest to the small bathroom, while Rae's was across the hall, where she headed now.
The office was exactly as she'd left it last time she'd been in there, more than a week ago. She shrugged out of her coat, tossing it on the second chair in front of her desk, flicking on the desk lamp and opening the blinds on the small window. The morning sun shone in, brightening the room. She opened her lap top, which she'd brought from home, and let it boot while she headed into Tonya's office to get her morning caffeine.
The heavyset blonde was sitting behind her desk, the phone already attached to her ear. She waved Rae on toward the espresso machine – one of their first purchases as a production company – and the large mug that had been set out for her. She poured herself a cup, making it exactly how she liked it, and moaned at her first sip.
“Asshole.”
The slam of the small cell phone on the desk got the brunette's attention. “Bad day at the office, dear?”
Tonya smirked, grabbing her own cup of Joe and taking a long drink. “That was Marty from Lionsgate. Little sawed off prick.”
“What did he say?” Rae flopped into the chair across from Tonya's desk, ready to hear the first problem of the day.
“They want us to get rid of Cameron Diaz and replace her with Kate Winslet.” Tonya leaned back in her chair, the old metal and vinyl piece squeaking with every rock. “Shit, Rae. That part won't work with Kate.”
Rae chewed on her bottom lip, mind spinning at the possibilities of this new bit of news. Tonya waited patiently, knowing that her long-time friend would speak when she was ready. Rae tapped her fingers against her ankle, which rested on the opposite knee. Slowly she nodded. “This could work,” she murmured absently. She remembered that Tonya was still waiting. “So, what was Marty's reasoning?”
“He said, and I quote, ‘Cameron no longer appeals to Lionsgate's audience-at-large', end quote.” Tonya waited, but when nothing more was forthcoming, she continued. “This is why we should have gone indy, Rae. Gotten studio distribution, but got independent funding.”
“Well, a bit late for that, Tonya. We start filming in less than two months. Everything is in place: locations, half the talent. Grip truck. Todd.”
“I know.” Tonya sighed, running a hand through her hair, half-tugging it out of her already messy ponytail. She sighed heavily, coffee-breath reaching Rae. “Let's talk to Kate's people, and Cameron's people, and get this shit done. Can you make some changes to the script, bringing in more of Kate's strong points? Maybe bring the comedy down a bit?”
Rae stood, grabbing her cup from where it had been placed on the corner of Tonya's desk. “Yep. I'll have the changes done by this afternoon.” She turned to leave.
“Wait, Rae,”
The brunette stopped in the doorway.
“Auditions. And, I forwarded you some submission emails from some local folks. Extras, all that.”
Rae nodded, then headed to her office. Laptop fully booted up, she sat at her desk, sipping her coffee as she logged into her email. She had twenty messages waiting for her, and gauging by the subject line, she made her way through them. Sixteen of the twenty were submissions from local actors for the upcoming movie.
Rae opened the first email only to see the non-existent resume and snapshot of a local actress who “decided on a whim to try”.
“I admire your guts,” Rae muttered, hitting the print button to print out the woman's picture and name. She moved on to the next email:
Hi there. Your ad gave very little information, and had no character types that you may be looking for. Can you please send me some more information? Also, below is the link to view my headshot and resume.
Thank you,
Kali Rasmussen
Rae chewed on her bottom lip, wondering which site the woman was talking about. They had submitted their add to a local talent agency, who said they'd give the ad to those in their talent pool who matched what they were looking for. From the looks of Kali Rasmussen's email, she wasn't part of that agency.
She maneuvered the touch pad cursor until it was over the link provided, then with one quick tap of her fingertip, a new page opened up. To the left was a five by seven color photo, to the right a listing of information: name, weight, height, etc. Rae's eyes were drawn to the photo. In it, a beautiful woman was sitting casually, one hand resting against her head as she glanced over her shoulder, a playful smile on her face.
Rae sat back in her seat, unable to look away. She had three thoughts in quick succession: she's beautiful: she'd be perfect for the character of Amber: where have I seen her before?
The third thought won out, the others dimming in light of the pounding in her heart and her brain. Rae stared at the woman's face, taking in her green eyes and dark, auburn hair. Her mind whirled, trying to find the memory. Had they met somewhere on another set perhaps? Another project? Had Rae run into her at a store at some point? Then she realized that it wasn't the woman's face that had struck her. It was… something. Something else. Some sort of familiarity.
Tonya stood at the open door to Rae's office, watching with great interest as her business partner stared at the screen. Finally gray eyes raised to meet Tonya's own brown ones. “You okay there, chief?” the older woman asked, a bemused smile on her lips.
Rae shook herself out of her reverie, focusing on her friend. “Yeah. Come around here. I think I've found my Amber.”
Tonya made her way to stand next to Rae, looking down at the screen with great interest. She wasn't so interested to see who the writer pictured as one of her characters, but what had struck her nearly deaf and dumb for nearly five minutes.
“God, she would make a great Amber, wouldn't she?” Tonya said, taking in the open, honest face, soulful green eyes, and gorgeous hair. “But,” she drawled, “isn't Amber already cast?”
“In this business, Tonya, nothing is cast in stone until you sign on the dotted line.” Rae grinned up at her friend, who rolled her eyes.
“Cute, wordsmith. What if this Kali Rasmussen sucks?”
Rae brought her attention back to the actress, shaking her head. “I don't think she will.”
“Lemme guess – the gut tells you so?” Tonya headed back out toward the hall. At Rae's nod, she sighed and crossed toward her own office, only to remember why she'd stopped at Rae's office in the first place. “Oh!” She leaned against the doorframe. “Ed called. He wants to see you at the soundstage at noon-thirty.”
“Today?”
“There's no other.”
Rae sighed, turning back to her computer. “Okay. Damn. No lunch yet again.”
“Grab something on the way,” Tonya called out over her shoulder, entering her own office.
“It's bad for my heartburn,” Rae muttered, returning to Kali's email and hitting the reply button.
***
Kali peeked her head out of her cubicle, chewing nervously on her bottom lip before jumping onto the internet and quickly checking her email. She'd gone to her auditions over the weekend, and it had been one of the most wonderfully terrifying experiences of her life. All three had been completely different from the one before it. The one thing she hadn't liked was that it had felt so impersonal. Theater could be that way, too, but she had hoped for… she wasn't sure what. Maybe just something more.
But, at this stage she figured beggars can't be choosers, so would be happy with what she could get.
She quickly typed in her username and password for her email, and smiled at the new email that bore the RE: Local project – Shadows
She took a deep, nervous breath, and read the attached email:
Hey there, Kali. Sorry about that. If you go to the movie's website you can get a character list and more information about the project.
Good luck!
Raeann Parker
Kali immediately clicked on the link provided, and a wonderful website opened up, outlining the storyline, character types that were being sought, as well as information about the producers and production company. Green eyes quickly scanned the character types, then she went to check out the producers. She saw there were two:
Tonya Robecheck has worked in the film and music industry for the past twenty years, working both as an actress, musician and finally film producer. She is co-owner of Foster Films.
Then Kali's eyes fell on the name Raeann Parker, the woman who had responded to her email. She scanned the name one more time, a chill racing through her. Her heart began to pound, a slight headache beginning at her temples. She swallowed to try and clear her head, then consumed the given information about Raeann Parker.
Raeann Parker has been a novelist for eight years, making her way into the film industry as a writer on the critically acclaimed television show, Rex's People, moving on to create Foster Films with Tonya Robecheck, where they created two short films, one of which, Time Stamp, won at Sundance in 2007. Since, they have moved onto feature films. Rae is a writer, director, and producer.
“Jesus,” Kali blew out, sitting back in her seat. She scanned the page, seeing no pictures offered of Raeann. She needed to see her, somehow needed to connect. “What the hell?”
A link was given that would take Kali to the Foster Film's website, which Kali quickly went to, scouring it for more information. She found a page that listed all the upcoming projects for the team. Kali read the tagline of each one, her heart stopping when she reached the one for Siege. She almost couldn't breathe as she read about the Medieval story of two young girls, trying to find their way in a dark, cold world.
Snippets of the dream she'd had came back to her. The woman, dressed in armor, riding. Those that are dead, hanging from the trees, or slain where they stood. Fire.
Kali shook herself from the dream images that had haunted her since she'd been a child, and chewed on her bottom lip as she thought of what to say to the email. She had a fierce need to be part of the project, and would do anything to get a chance. She hit reply, and began to type:
Hi, Raeann.
Thank you for the casting information. When I read about ‘Siege' it gave me chills. I love your story ideas.
I am 33 years old, and for this project I fit the casting of Ellen, or one of the extras, I think. I don't have any projects currently, though I just did three auditions, so something may be coming up.
If you are interested, please let me know.
Thank you,
Kali
Kali read over the email a couple times before hitting send. Her stomach was in knots, her palms beginning to sweat. She took a deep breath, and got back to work.