Ghost Light

Chapter 3 - From the top!

Walking into the audition holding room, James saw the usual spread of faces, a few new ones dotted in among the rest.

It's a different kind of feeling to walk into an audition knowing you are almost guaranteed the role, all that's left is dotted i's and crossed t's, and while it's an amazing, and exhilarating feeling, it was also somewhat sad. As he took in all the faces of the hopefuls waiting to get in front of a camera and prove themselves, knowing they had a very slim, basically next to nothing chance of winning the role, his stomach sunk a little. It wasn't long ago he was one of those faces.

A chance reading at the end of the day had led to him stealing out the part from a well known actor, and now friend, who was in the same position he was in now - all but offered the part, given the reading went well to convince the few - in this case one - holdouts.

But this wasn't just any holdout. This was the writer asking him to prove himself. He had scripts sent to him daily written just for him, roles invented to fit a plot line around his name name in the credits, not someone asking him to prove himself worthy of the role in the epic, long winded, but amazing script he had read over on the way here.

It was another supernatural TV show, which had him a little leery, as it felt like those were just another notch on the genre's bedposts nowadays, but it had twists he wasn't expecting, and that rarely happened to him anymore. He'd played the hero arc time and time again, and he'd played the bad guy once or twice, but this character was all over the map, appearing to be bad, and trying very hard to be, yet deep down, he was obviously and utterly good, and somehow it kept shining through, and that was only in the pilot. He'd have to pace himself to give the character a real, believable arc, since he had episodes to fill now, and not minute markers on a film.

After signing in, thanking the secretary with a nod and small smile, he made his way to a vacant chair, and pulled out the book this was all based on, studying the cover before flipping to the back to read the synopsis yet again. But somewhere along the way, he got caught up in the author's bio instead, reading what little it told of the mysterious Ghost Writer, Jane Doe, quoting a source as her best friend Charlie, along with a picture.

It didn't give away much, just the back of a girl who stood in an open field, walking away from the camera, and it only seemed fitting. It looked as if she was walking into the book itself.

While studying the small thumbnail, his name was called, and he cursed himself inwardly for not reviewing his lines instead. Tucking the book into his bag, it got caught up on something, sticking out several inches, but in his rush to stand and follow the receptionist, he let it be, just making sure it was anchored enough to not fall out.

When he stepped into the room, it was quiet, and he thanked the woman holding the door open for him, who smiled kindly back at him with a small nod before closing the door softly behind him. Surveying the room he saw many familiar faces, who smiled back at him, people he had worked with for the last several years, and then he landed on her.

Standing at barely over 5 feet tall, wearing dark skinny jeans that had holes artfully torn in them to up their cost on the racks, a graphic tee hiding under a comfy looking bomber jacket, and smart looking tennis shoes that matched it all, he was halfway expecting to see a familiar face yet again, a costar from a previous role, but he was startled to see the face from the back of the book instead. Or, at least someone who matched what little the picture showed.

Slipping off her jacket, he glanced to her T-shirt now on full display, and couldn't help a small snicker at the pun.

"Hey!"

His eyes snapped up at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, locking eyes with this new girl, and raising his eyebrows in question.

"My eyes are up here." She pointed at both of them in the universal hand motion, a sly smile on her face giving way to the joke in her sentiment.