The smog filled air of Los Angeles was something Evelyn would never get used to, especially when accustomed to the clean crisp air of the country. There was something soothing about the silence, the gentle hum of crickets beneath her window, the bright glimmering stars against the deep indigo sky. Now it was as if the city lights never dimmed, eclipsing nature's brilliance and obscuring the childhood memories of a time spent away from blaring homes and plastic people. Were things always like this? Scrambling from job to job, fighting against other ruthless writers and artists all desperate to crawl to the top to reside on the A-list and the perks that accompanied such stature. Fortunately for Evelyn, she was bestowed an advantage, albeit a costly one. Four years ago at a slumber party with her best friend, she had allegedly sold her soul to a demon. It had started innocently enough, the recreation of a witch's circle after a few drinks and an attempt to access the spiritual realm. Evelyn had never expected it to work. It was Halloween, they were teenagers, but when two demons appeared before them promising the world with their honeyed words, she found the offer difficult to resist. Truthfully, she was unsure whether it was a dream or something she had conjured in her intoxicated state, but the next morning her apartment was in shambles, broken and sullied furniture covered with ash and grime. She was still hesitant to admit that what had happened was a product of the supernatural. It was easier to blame herself than to give validation to the improbable and the terrifying: that she had lost her soul forever and was set to suffer the fate of the damned. Evelyn's career didn't flourish immediately, which confirmed her suspicions that it had all been a terrible hallucination. There were nights spent hungry, pieces rejected, scathing reviews in newspapers and magazines. Too eclectic. Not enough imagination. Her career was suffering, but Evelyn refused to surrender her creative vision. These were the things she wanted to paint, wanted to write, and nobody would stifle her muse.
Her efforts were finally rewarded several months later, when a small indie movie company asked her to write a screenplay after viewing one of her pieces in a local paper. It was graphic and macabre, perfect for Evelyn's style. The movie proved to be a hit, earning critical acclaim and several awards at Sundance. Suddenly she was a star. Everyone wanted to own a piece of her artistic vision. Her eclectic and uninspired works were now brilliant and revolutionary. She moved out of her pathetic hovel and into the lap of luxury. Marble, Granite, Hardwoods. She wanted for nothing. Did nothing. And then came the awards. Oscars and Grammies. Exhibits overseas. MOMA. Guggenheim. Best Screenplay. Song of the Year. Her mantle place was unable to accommodate her success, and as the trophies spread to her library, above her refrigerator and eventually to their own personal room, her ego grew along with them. There was no place in her world for disappointments and incompetence. Evelyn was ruthless and self-absorbed, surrounding herself with only those as successful as herself. Mikaela, her best friend from high school was placed on this list as Evelyn valued her gifts and her tenacity. They had remained close despite the success of their careers, occasionally combining their talents and gifting the masses with their creations. Evelyn was at the pinnacle of her career, numerous calls from her agent, appearances on television, talks of her dabbling in action despite her protests. Everyone wanted her, but her success was as troubling as it was impressive.
She rapped her crimson nails on the outside of her town car, hazel eyes shaded by a pair of exquisite sunglasses, brown gradient lenses rimmed with white, and watched Rodeo drive slowly pass by. There were smiles and waves from other celebrities and fans hoping to catch a glimpse of fame, but they seemed too simplistic to Evelyn too bland. Now that she had achieved her goals and seized success, her life felt purposeless and mundane. It was the same schedule, the same projects. Evelyn rarely did things for herself anymore. When was the last time she had sat down and wrote for herself? Or for fun? Before she was famous? In the beginning when she and Mikaela had collaborated? It seemed so far away, like a faraway spec that continued to vanish with every passing second. Eventually it would vanish completely and where would Evelyn be then? She rubbed her temples and pulled her phone from her pocket, sliding through her recent messages until Mikaela's name appeared on the screen. 'Dinner tonight? My treat!' Her car slowed to a stop in front of her agent's office at Hellfire Talent Agency. He had called earlier about a new project by and up-and-coming director. The door swung open and she stepped outside, red stilettos clacking against the sidewalk. She strolled into the building towards a friendly looking receptionist with vibrant auburn hair and striking blue irises.
"Ms. Holt, a pleasure to meet you. Victoria isn't here yet, but she said to wait in the upstairs conference room until she arrives. Can I get you anything in the meantime?"
Evelyn clucked her tongue derisively and smoothed out the creases in her black pencil skirt. "Some coffee would be great, thank you. One cream, two sugars." She took a seat in the office, a white sparsely decorated room with a large round wooden table and numerous uncomfortable chairs, ornate in appearance but suffering from a lack of functionality. Evelyn skimmed her fingers against the top of one of the chairs, hesitant to sit down and be enveloped in the smell of leather and oppressive cologne. The executives were always overdressed and overweight, with receding hairlines and large bloated faces. It was no longer a world she wanted any part in, but she supposed it could be worse. Back to the days when she had no job and no prospects. It wasn't that she was ungrateful…but Evelyn longed for more. That spark of excitement that would place everything into perspective.
((Okay! So I left an opening for whatever~ Gideon can show up or Mikaela! Or I can wait until the next post. But the agent isn't Gideon, I made it some random lady! Unless that would be easier. I dunno :p))
