Chapter Nine
As Dana worked through the day, she was continually distracted by the events of the morning. The dark things that terrified and yet were so exciting to her had been suppressed time and again, only to resurface in her moments of weakness. Why was she continually haunted by these shadows that constantly nagged at the edges of her consciousness? It was the dream, that same disgusting dream that she could not control. The dream that had recurred again and again since she was twelve or thirteen.
Dana was not stupid. She realized that many things that happened, in reality, were suppressed by the psyche and resolved themselves as dreams and fantasies. So was this recurring sexual dream/fantasy/nightmare a real event that a younger Dana had been unable to cope with? Is it possible that the dream was real? The possibility was scary. If the dream started when she was around twelve, how long had it been buried inside her before puberty forced it out into the light? She vividly recalled the event that the dream related to, but her memory of the event ended before the dream began.
The Event
-She and Billie were walking home from school. It was 5th grade and they had spent too much time goofing around with their friends before walking home. Normally, they took David Avenue all the way to Lighthouse and turned right up Lighthouse to home. The streets were lined with sidewalks and businesses all the way home.
Because they were running late, they decided to cut through Forest Park. There was a narrow trail through the woods that came out just behind the Safeway store and would save them a lot of time. The only downside was the woods. They were dark and scary. the two young girls were putting up a brave front and Dana kept goading Billie in hopes that she would back down and they would just get in trouble for being late without losing face by backing down.
As the two girls got deeper into the woods, they moved closer together and jumped at every rustling sound. With wide eyes, Dana saw shadows moving between the trees. She wanted to turn back but was afraid that it would be farther than going forward. By now, the two girls were clinging together when four whooping older boys burst out around them and grabbed them by their arms. The girls screamed but the boys clapped hands over their mouths as voices threatened them with dire consequences, both physical and sexual, if they didn't shut up.
They took them to a clearing with a large fallen tree trunk in the center. Dana was petrified by fear as one boy held her arms tight to her sides and another tormented her with sick and twisted things that he was planning to do to her. She could see Billie being similarly restrained and taunted. The boys were much older, maybe high school or college age. Their eyes were scary as they began to count in unison. On the count of three, each boy lunged forward and grabbed the boy holding them whilst screaming for them to run for their lives. She could still hear the laughter following them.
The girls cried all the way home, Billie turning a block before Dana's house. Her mother was in the kitchen and called out to her about something mundane, but Dana rushed to the bathroom. Why go to the bathroom? It seemed as if she should have run to her bedroom for safety and comfort. Her bedroom was her refuge. No. It was definitely the bathroom. How long was she in there? She remembered her mom knocking at the door and her calling out from the shower that she was okay and would be right out. Why was she in the shower?
In retrospect, Dana recalled very little of the rest of her fifth-grade school year. Whatever became of Billie? Did they ever mention the incident again? All she was sure of was that her family moved that summer to a new city.-
So, what really happened that afternoon in fifth grade? Had it just been a group of boys pulling some sick prank on a couple of school girls? Did the boys do more? How much more could they have done without making her late? Her mother would definitely have confronted her if she had been late getting home. It was troubling, but what troubled her the most was that it might have been, in some way, responsible for what her stepfather had done to her. Can perversion be transmitted by physical contact, like a virus?
As Dana shook off these thoughts, she began thinking of Danielle Sharp's revelations. There was something more there that she could feel, like a magnetism. Danielle was a dominating force that seemed to tug at Dana in an almost sexual way. Dana had never experimented with other girls, despite having several opportunities. Before Sloan, she was much too afraid. After Sloan, she just wasn't interested. So why was she so drawn to Danielle?
She came to Danielle's veiled suggestion about Sloan. Would it work? Sloan was a remarkably talented actor. She was not thinking that in an obligatory way. He truly was a remarkably talented actor. He poured himself into his roles and was mesmerizing in any part he played. This was both a blessing and a curse in his career. It made him unsuitable for smaller roles, where he might draw focus from a lead. It also made him less suitable for larger parts where his lack of name relegated him to stumbling in purgatory in the hope that some director would be willing to take a risk on him.
Let's face it, Hollywood was not about breaking ranks and taking risks. Millions of dollars were at stake in even the smaller, indie films. The studio blockbusters could run hundreds of millions. That is why Hollywood marched in lock-step following trends and demographics and jumping on the coattails of any film that had success. Because of this, Sloan was chasing a dream that was as substantial as a feather in a hurricane. The odds were stacked against him by a system that denied talent and worshiped mediocrity. Box office sells films.
That is not to say that there were no exceptions. After all, someone had to create a trend for Hollywood to follow. Matt Sharp was one of those exceptions. Directors who had so much success that studios and backers were thrilled to throw money at anything he was attached to. This would remain until a chink was found. The moment his films stopped making money, he would become a pariah. It was like riding a tiger, you grab hold of the tail and try not to get eaten along the way.
Matt and Danielle were great at it....so far.
Comments
Chapter Nine
Lots to say about Dana.
OMG this is looking to be a lot longer than a single novel. It was originally supposed to be a single novel in three acts. Now it is looking like it might be three separate novels.
Please give me some feedback if you like, or hate where the story is going.
waif
Be kind to those who are unkind, tolerant toward those who treat you with intolerance, loving to those who withhold their love, and always smile through the pains of life.
I wouldn't worry too much
I wouldn't worry too much about length - it seems like you are spending a lot of time establishing characters and providing a good deal of backstory on them. So far it hasnt seemed excessive to me. Posting the story in frequent small pieces probably helps.
Overall I think you have a compelling work; the characters are interesting and have some depth so that the reader can actually care about them.
Muchas Gracias
Thank you. It is fun to have an idea and then just let the characters speak. Sometimes they amaze me. Gabriel is a great example.
I really do like my characters, and I have wanted to tell this story for a long time.
If I had tried writing it as a novel, I seriously doubt that I would have been able to stay with it. In this format, I don't have to deal with how far it is to the end of the story, but just have to worry about the next chapter.
waif
Be kind to those who are unkind, tolerant toward those who treat you with intolerance, loving to those who withhold their love, and always smile through the pains of life.
I hate you write so well,
I hate you write so well, pure jealousy my dear,
Everything's progressing well.
Karen