Sarica, who nightly dreamt of her own death wasn't afraid of anything. That is until she wakes up trapped inside a castle owned by a terrifying creature. Maybe there's worse things than death.
The audition to play 'Emily' who will go into witness protection in the drama "Protect and Serve" was in a little over an hour. I was running around the house frantically. My older brother Jimin just sat against the couch, an arm slung lazily against the back and his eyes followed me. He had the most amused smile on his face.
"You're going to burn a hole in the carpet if you keep this up." Jimin just teases me endlessly as I try to recite my lines over and over. I would make my lip quiver as I lived the lines. "H-H-Hello...I just witnessed a murder." I vibrate my vocal cords as I say to the imaginary person on my phone.
Jimin clasps dramatically. "Oscar winner!" He smirks deviously and I run over to him and grab a pillow to sling mercilessly at his head. "Ah!!" He covers his head with his forearms and ducks down as I wale him with the soft cushion.
"Quit! Or I won't drive you to the audition!" My older brother threatens as he yanks the pillow from my grasp. I sigh and ignore him as I continue rehearsing my short lines over and over.
"H-H-Hello..! I've just witnessed a murder!" I hear Jimin laugh as I finish my over-dramatized version. "Too dramatic sis. Tone it down. Make it sound realistic!" I nod to his critiquing and continue.
This had to be perfect! If I could snag this role, I'd be the envy of everyone in my acting class. I'd be a prodigy! My name would be out there before I even finished school!
"Hey! We should probably leave now!" Jimin grabs my arm and shakes me, forcing me out of the fictional world I was creating. I nod to him and blink. "Let's do this!"
With an enthusiastic nod, Jimin and I head for the door and after he grabs the car keys, we're outside. He unlocks the doors, and we crawl inside. The engine purrs as the ignition shifts on.
As we head down the road towards the audition, I can't help but feel uneasy. The doubts of failure were creeping into my head like a dense fog over sunlight.
"Do you think I'm ready?" I whisper to Jimin, he glances over at me with panic and curiosity in his eyes. "Just a second ago you were ready to take over the world! What happened?" He shoves my shoulder playfully before returning his hooded eyes to the road.
"I don't know. I am my own worst enemy, you know the saying." Jimin grins and the sight makes my heart feel a little lighter. "Well...stop it. Be your own best companion! I believe in you, so you should too!" My smile returns to my face, and I feel slightly relieved.
I can do this. I can do this.
The car comes to a halt as panic sets into my heart. I look over at Jimin quickly and he nods. "Yep, we're here. Good luck little sis. Text me when you're out, I'm going to go hang out with Jin." I nod and swallow.
It was now or never.
After I thank my sibling for the ride, I step out onto the concrete and try to gather courage. I couldn't attain my dreams if I didn't put in the effort. Nothing will be given to me, I needed to pour my heart and soul into this performance. Even if it's just a few lines.
Deep breath.
I open the door to the office and step up to the receptionist. "Hi, my name is Park Sarica and I'm here to audition for Emily." The tiny blonde smiles at me and types something on her computer. "You're checked in, please have a seat." She gestures towards several rows of chairs, adding up to probably twenty. Most of the chairs were filled.
My heart races as I sit down, and I hear a name called out that isn't mind. The girl beside me stands up and smiles down at me before heading towards the door. "Good luck." I tell her genuinely, but she just scoffs at me. "Thanks," she states sarcastically. Not thankful at all.
This same process happens many more times before my heart finally stops when I hear my name being called.
"Park Sarica! Head inside please." I nod to the receptionist and breathe in deeply. I stand on my now wobbly legs and head towards a door that held my imminent future. The stride I made towards the door was no longer confident, but terrified.
Twisting the doorknob, I step inside and see three men sitting at a table. Their greetings are kind and warm when I enter.
"M-My name is Park Sarica and I'll be reading for Emily." I clear my throat and ignore the instant drying of my mouth.
I lift my phone to my ear to match the exact moment that's explained in the script. I envision my nightmares. What someone else might feel if they ever saw something like that happening to me. If a witness had seen someone strangling the life from me. I close my eyes and a single tear escapes as my lips shake.
"H-H-Hello...I just...witnessed a murder."
I look around, trying to imagine I'm in a dark alleyway. I hold my free hand tightly in a fist close to my chest.
"I-I'm in an alley on Autumn Avenue."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
***Don't forget to star 🌟 the chapters if you like what you're reading!***
(The 'drama' is the Protect and Serve book of mine hehe)
