Carley

I: Who is Carley?

She never was a pretty girl. Never tried to be. The world dealt her a brutal hand. From a young age, her mother had a drug problem. So bad that she was constantly in jail for it. Carley and her sister stay with their mother’s boyfriend. That man. He was a nasty piece of work.

All he did was drink. The girls had to fend for themselves for food. Carley had to be the one to defend her sister. She took most of the blows from him. The boyfriend would never hit her in the face. Always her torso. Much easier to hide the bruises. Carley tried to hide her sister in the closet when the boyfriend got in his fits of rage.

By the time she was seven, the state took both girls are to live with relatives. Through their childhood, the girls were passed around from relative to relative. Things didn’t get any better.

By the time she was eighteen, Carley ran away from home.

II: Andy’s in Trouble:

The Factory is about out of money. It won’t be long before everyone finds out. This movie was going to be the last hurrah. Only Ian and Violet knew the truth.

Even that was falling apart.

Stars were leaving left and right. They all had their different reasons. Some moved onto better things. Some of them died. Violet and Ian had their questions.

“Now what?” Ian asked. Andy didn’t answer. Still, he already had one last plan to get this movie going. Would this work or send everything going worse? He was going to have to see.

It would just take one phone call.

III: Out On the Streets:

Carley had to survive on the streets. She hated men, but she needed them. She wasn’t stupid. Even when she was kid, Carley knew that money made the world go round. She didn’t have many skills. Carley didn’t finish school. She dropped out when she was twelve. She bounced from job to job. Sometimes, Carley would like about her age just to get a job. (She looked older than she actually did.)

By the time she was eighteen, Carley turned to sex work to help pay for her to survive. She’s never liked it. An older cousin saw to that. Oh and that trashy boyfriend too. They both destroyed her feelings for men.

Men.

They were the trash of the earth. They ruined so many women. So many dreams blown up. They leave the women with the consequences. They caused wars and suffering. They left everything in ruin. Men were the enemy of the world.

Still, she needed them to make money. This wasn’t going to last long for her. She needed something new.

It would take just one phone call.

IV: Casting Call:

She spotted the flyer after her latest job. A chance to star in a movie. Carley tilted her head. Hm… She was never into the star life. But she really needed the money. The rent was due again on her apartment.

Carley took down the flyer and looked at it. This couldn’t hurt. She needed the money after all.

She didn’t have a cell phone. Carley found the nearest payphone in the city and made the call.

V: Chance to be a Star:

Andy still needed one more star to finish the movie. His star band was about to leave. Ian looked like he thought about leaving too. And then what?

The Factory doesn’t really have a future anymore. Might as well go out with a bang.

Then the phone rang.

VI: The Interview:

“Please state your name.”

“Carley Shepherd.”

“Do you have any experience in acting?”

“No.”

“Have you ever been on camera?”

“Yeah.”

“How often?”

“Sometimes.”

“Say this following line.”

“This line?”

“Yeah.”

“She slapped me, and it felt like a kiss.”

“Say it again.”

“She slapped me, and it felt like a kiss!”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well…”

“Hm… one more thing.”

“What?”

“Can you fight?”

“Hell yes.”

“Okay.”

“Do I get the part?”

“Yes.”

“Nice.”

VII: A New Star is Born:

Andy’s got his star now. Now, he can try and finish the movie. He introduced her to his stars. Some of them were warm to her. Others didn’t trust her. Carley isn’t looking for friends or relationships. She just wants the money. Should be a fair exchange, right?

What could possibly go wrong?

VIII: Racing to the End:

The movie is in its homestretch. Andy knows that time is running out. He knows that the money is running out too. The question is when. Maybe the end would come with Carley. It would only take ten days for that to happen. The fuse was now lit. It’s only a matter of time…