Lights, Camera, Flash!

Chapter 1

[Iris]

I blink back into consciousness, the side of my head pounding with each pronounced heart beat.

“OK she’s back! Candice? Candice are you OK?” a blonde woman asks in a kind voice, her expression one of concern.

“Yeah I think so what happened? And who’s Candice?” I ask and her eyes widen.

“Uh…you are?” she says with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
I let out a half hearted chuckle.

“Uh, no I’m not. I’m Iris. Iris West-Allen?” I clarify and the woman’s eyes open wider, forming saucers on her petite face.

“Yeah, OK. Someone get us a medic in here! I think she has a concussion.” She exclaims and I flinch as her shout pierces through my brain. I look around and find myself surrounded by strange faces. There are cameras and microphones every where and the entire room, from the walls to the floor, is covered in some form of green material.

“OK, let’s get you up,” the woman says and proceeds to help me to my feet. The world around me spins and she has to hold on to me for a few seconds before I find my footing.

“You OK?”

“Yeah I - I think so.” I try to confirm, nodding my head and immediately regretting the action as another wave of pain shatters through my skull. She notices my flinch and sighs.

“Alright every one take five!” She yells and I close my eyes against the headache that intensifies with her holler.

“Sorry,” She whispers, noticing my discomfort then adds:

“Come on. Let’s get you to your trailer and put some ice on your head. I hope it doesn’t swell.”

I follow her out of the building and into what looks like a tarred street with identical buildings neatly lined next to each other. The place is bustling with life. Golf carts going to and fro, construction vehicles carrying pillars and large pieces of cardboard painted with scenic images of sunsets or waterfalls or fireplaces.

“This way,” She says while ushering me into a golf cart that drives us through the mess to a slightly quieter area. Here, trailer after trailer sit side by side, some with their doors closed and names taped to them. Others with their doors open and people sitting on the steps conversing and going about their business.

I look around for any familiar faces and spot one, though his presence on this earth (and in this timeline) is rather unusual.

“Mon-El!” I scream as I step towards him but the stranger helping me holds me back and says between gritted teeth,

“That is not Mon-El!”

“Oh yeah? Then why is he walking this way?” I whisper back but before she can answer he reaches us and pulls me in for a hug.

“Mrs West-Allen, how are things on the Flash set?” he asks with a hint of a joke in his voice and something inside me tells me that he doesn’t know who I am either.

“Set?” I ask and his brow creases with slight confusion so I quickly add:

“Never mind that for now, weren’t you supposed to be in the future?”
The crease deepens.

“Uh, I think you’re joking but you’re tone says otherwise.” He offers in his bewilderment and as I’m about to answer the lady by my side steps in.

“Yeah…Sorry about that Chris. She took a pretty nasty tumble and hasn’t been making much sense since. We’re getting a medic to check her out,” she answers.

“Why are you calling him Chris? And what do you mean get a medic to check me out? It’s just a headache,” I try to brush it off but clearly they’re not buying it.

“Shouldn’t we get her to a hospital for a CAT scan or something?” he suggests, worried.

“Who needs a CAT scan?” Kara interjects, decked out in her new suit, and for the second time I find myself wondering whether or not I’m on the right earth.

“Kar-Supergirl!” I correct myself, suddenly aware of the civilian amongst us.

That was close. Maybe this is more than just a headache. I think to myself as she takes on the confused look previously adorned by… Chris.

“Loving the upgrade on the suit by the way,” I complement, making friendly small talk.

“Uh thanks Candice,” She responds, her look of puzzlement unmoving.

“Iris, Iris West-Allen.” I clarify yet again.

“What?” she asks with a half hearted chuckle.

“She fell on set. Hit her head so she’s a little confused.” Chris explains.

“Oh dang, do you need to get to a hospital?” Kara asks

“Nope. That’s alright Mel I’m getting the medic to check her out first. Speaking of which we should probably get going.” The lady beside me says while pulling at my arm.

“You sure she’s gonna be OK?” Chris asks and she nods while pulling me away.

“I’ll take good care of her. Happy filming!” She screams back hurriedly and drags me to “my trailer”. A place that yet again label’s me as Candice. All the while my mind is racing.

Candice? Chris? Mel? Who are all these people?

I ask myself as I’m ushered inside. Another lady sits on one of the couches in the snug space and contently plays with an adorable little pup. At the sight of me, the cute creature springs from the woman’s lap and races towards me, jumping at my leg and begging for attention.

“Aww, well aren’t you the cutest little thing,” I coe as I drop to the floor and pat it.

“What’s your name?” I ask it and the blonde who’s been helping me sighs.

“This is Zoë, Candice. Your dog?” she explains and my hand stops mid pat, making the little pup squeal in protest.

“My dog? I-I don’t have a dog.” I correct her and she shakes her head, slapping her forehead in frustration.

“Meg, can you do me a favour and see if the medic’s around. Although I think Chris and Melissa were right. A hospital might be better. We might need to give her an MRI.” She breathes out.

“An MRI? Kristy are you sure? What happened exactly?” Meg asks while getting up from her perch on the sofa and grabbing her phone.

“We had a green screen scheduled for today and she tripped on set and fell. Hit her head pretty bad, she was out for a good minute.” Kristy retells and I shake my head in disagreement.

“OK first of all I would really appreciate it if you didn’t talk about me like as if I weren’t here and second, that is not what happened. I was tracking down a lead on some recent meta attacks and she caught me. Guess she wasn’t keen on being front page news. Barry got there just as she...” and my voice drifts off. Slowly pieces of the puzzle start fitting into each other and I take advantage of my squatting position to slump down onto the floor as realisation floods my mind.

“Candice? Candice what’s happening?” Kristy asks,

“I think I’ve been wamied,” I breathe out.

“Meg!” Kristy hollers.

“I’ll be right back with the medic. Don’t let her fall asleep!” Meg exclaims as she rushes out the door.

“OK Ms Patton let’s get you to the sofa, come on.”

Mechanically, I let Kristy help me up and lead me to the sofa where I sink into the cushions and try to assess my situation.

“Hoooow on earth am I going to get out of here?” I ask as my eyes begin to well up. Hearty sobs rattle through me as I let out the past week’s troubles. It’s just way too much for me to handle all at once.

“Noo, no, no, no, no. Don’t cry, I-um-I’m sure everything’s fine. You’re gonna be ok.” She tries to calm me down while frantically looking around for a box of tissues (which she finds and offers to me). I take it shakily and dab at my dripping nose and wet cheeks.

“Kristy!” a male voice shouts from outside and she startles for just a second before her brain connects the voice to its owner.

“What is it Marvin?” she hollers with a volume that previously would have made me flinch but now is drowned out by the silence of my depression.

“Carlos is out of hair and make up. Can we do his green scenes while Candice recollects herself?” A young man with a headset asks, poking his head into the trailer. Kristy let’s out a sigh of frustration and drops her head.

“Set up his markers and get him in place, I’ll be right there to walk him through the scene.” She gives in and Marvin nods his head in comprehension (though Kristy still has her head down and doesn’t see it) before he leaves to follow her orders.

“OK Candice, Meg will be right back with the medic and until then I need you to promise me that you are going to stay put OK?” she instructs and I nod silently, too weak and lost in thought to argue. She hesitates but with a final sigh decides that she has no other option but to leave me alone.

And so she does.

I sit in the dimmed noise, not paying any attention to the sounds around me as I contemplate my current situation.

Barry must be worried sick. Has he even noticed that I’m gone? Has the team? Has this Candice person taken my place? How am I going to get out of here? Actually where is here?

My mind is a mess of questions that I currently have no answers to and I feel my eyes begin to well up again at the notion of my helplessness. That is until I hear a much too familiar voice exclaim:

“Whoa, what are-”

BARRY!

My mind screams like an alarm going off and I rush out of the vehicle to find him. It doesn’t take me all that long to spot his familiar silhouette nor to notice the woman who’s body is comfortably (much to comfortably) moulded to his. Her hands are all over him and she kisses him with a passion reserved for girlfriends and wives. A passion that, when it came to Barry Allen, should not be expressed by any one but me. I feel my cheeks flush with anger at the scene and march up to them fuming.

“BARTHOLOMEW HENRY ALLEN! What on earth do you think you’re doing!” I scream with indignation. The two break apart startled and the pretty (fuck why is she pretty?) woman steps back and addresses me with a look of irritable confusion. She’s petite with short black hair and tiny Asian eyes. Again – why does she have to be pretty?

“Iris!” he exclaims and the fact that he knows its me both relieves and aggravates me  simultaneously.

“Barry!” I exclaim through gritted teeth.

“Iris, honey, I – I can explain!” he says flustered and the other woman looks at him with a wide eyed expression that says she’s just as unhappy about this as I am. I fold my arms and look at him pointedly, waiting for his explanation. The yet to be named woman mimics my stance and gazes at him expectantly. His cheeks flush and he looks from me to her and back again then says:

“Uh? Yeah, I got nothing,”

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So that was the first chapter!
Obviously some of these characters are completely made up and the story lines too but I hope you enjoyed it 😘.
Let me know what you think? Do I have your green light? Can I keep going?