Casting call

An attractive young man sits waiting in a quaint restaurant in NYC. He’s meeting his old friend from back home. He hasn’t seen her in many years, not since moving here to pursue his acting career. She’s also friends with the casting director of this upcoming movie that he’s hoping to land a break-through part in.

“She’s running late” he thinks to himself just as he catches her long blonde locks swaying from the corner of his eye. He can’t help but immediately notice the strangely designed large suitcase that she’s carrying. He doesn’t comment or ask. Instead, she quickly sits and they start catching up. Soon she tells him what little she knows of her friend; only that she is eccentric and that they are kindred souls.

After some time they decide to head back to her apartment for the night. She mentions that her friend had actually just been over earlier that day and apologizes if her small apartment appears messy. He doesn’t mind and offers to carry her suitcase for her. “So what is in this fancy suitcase? It’s a bit heavy.”

“Oh its just my emergency/rainy day fund. I don’t normally carry it with me, but I may be leaving for a long while tomorrow and I feel it’s safest with me” she says with a chuckle. He nods and says nothing, they’ve arrived at the front of her apartment building.

They walk into her apartment and he goes straight for her bed, flopping down. She sets her things aside and joins him. One thing leads to another as their clothes start to fall off. He turns to hover over her to hit the light but his hand finds something small and rectangle shaped stuck to her back side. It appears to be an old moleskin notebook. He peels it from the back of her thigh, where it has almost adhered to her flushed skin. They begin to inspect it together. “Oh my friend’s notebook, she must have dropped it earlier!” the woman says. The small notebook reads, “virtues” in dainty little golden letters. Either movie or casting notes they assume and have no qualms peaking.

The first story, or for all they knew the only, begins like this;

*The voice on the tv says*

“Good morning loyal residents of Valo, please remember to as always, check in with the Committee before making any changes to your properties or yourself. Also be mindful of enforcers checking in with your neighbors, friends, co-workers, and all other affiliates to ensure you fall within 90% agreeability at all t...”

Arthur has already tuned out of the monotonous speech long before the tv goes black. A shrill chime reminds him that it is time to get out of bed and start his day. He knows his morning routine by heart; he drinks one full glass of water and takes his pills in front of his blindless window facing the grey wall of his neighbors house, he eats a small healthy breakfast. He back tracks through his small home to his bathroom where he showers, brushes his teeth, and applies any applicable body care products. He goes to his room where he dresses quickly, he knows that he’s running out of time now. But it’s ok, his routine is almost over. His schedule chimes, reminding him of the promised task ahead. He is helping his across the road neighbor, Victoria, re-paint her mailbox. She’s purchased a black one, which they’ve discontinued as of recently, and it needs to be painted white to be in accordance with rules. White mailbox to match the white trim on the grey houses. And no fences.

Arthur walks up to Victoria’s lawn where she’s seen in her blindless window, innocently talking on the phone whilst twirling her blonde straight locks between her fingers. She sits up and waves to him and he can almost read her lips quickly saying,

"I am so sorry, I’ve got to go. I will call you back tomorrow same time!” never breaking his gaze. She turns slightly and he sees her mouth something else. It looked like she said, “He’s here”. He doesn’t think much of it as he and Victoria had been getting acquainted with each other for about a month now. He walks up to greet her at her front door. “Arthur, thank you so much for coming to help me! I simply don’t want to spend any money on a new mailbox” He tells her of course and that he is delighted to help her out.

They travel to her garage where she has placed the mailbox on a tarp as to not make any messes. They quickly paint it with one coat of fresh crisp white paint, then another. He doesn’t spill a drop, making putting the tarp down moot she realizes. He tells her it won’t be long before it’s done drying and can hopefully be put back by the road before the enforcers do their last sweep for the night.

They make their way into her home and she reveals to him that she has pulled out too much salmon to eat by herself and invites him to stay for dinner. “That is so kind of you, Victoria, I would absolutely love to stay. I’m sure it will be delicious. And salmon is one of my personal favorites!” He knows he can’t refuse, even if he did dislike the fish.

She preps the fish and accompanying greens. He sits politely on her couch. He can’t help but notice her only personal belongings in sight; a gold framed picture of her sitting on top of an elaborately designed large suitcase. She’s smiling while holding a gold painted sign that says, “Virtuously Victoria” standing next to an equally blonde and beautiful young woman. It doesn’t appear to be taken around here, too bright.

She notices him looking at the picture on top of their unbeknownst to him rainy day fund. She wonders who will miss him when--

*Ding Dong*

Arthur quickly jumps to his feet. “Oh, Victoria, please relax while that cooks and let me get the door!” Their neighbor, Ms. Verily greets them with a smile and wave. They exchange pleasantries and she asks them both if it would be alright if she left a bit of food and water on Victoria’s porch in an attempt to lure her cat back home, they live next door to each other. She explains that she’s not sure why or how he keeps just up and leaving in the middle of the night. She thinks that the enforcers are not closing her door properly after their monthly sweeps. They both agree and promise to check for Sprinkles ever half hour, as well as put a piece of salmon out in hopes that the scent will draw him back. She is delighted with their cooperation and thanks them up and down before continuing on her evening Sprinkle chase.

“I do believe everything is nearly ready, Arthur” Victoria drawls, while looking at him. Arthur smiles and leans closer to her, “It smells wonderful”.

Victoria serves every thing on plates and places them on the already set for two table. Arthur fixes Sprinkles a plate and places in on the porch besides the items already placed there by his doting owner. They sit close again and begin eating while listening intently for sounds at the door. But, after a few minutes they start to make small talk and are quickly laughing with each other. They pass past experiences and hopes back and forth. How they came to Valo, things get serious with this conversation. No one comes to Valo willingly, they know this, they play along. Though their stories aren’t too sad. They both came with their two wonderful parents.

Victoria wonders if they are still around and will miss him when he is moved. She is about to inquire when they hear something at the door. They look at each other excitedly, thinking that they will get Sprinkles back to his owner just in time after all. They are about to take the three strides to the front door when they stop dead in their tracks. “I don’t think that’s Sprinkles” Victoria says as they stand completely still listening to the very loud, muffled thudding against the solid wood door growing louder. They unanimously decide that that is definitely not the tiny beloved dog of Ms. Verily and quietly tiptoe back to her bedroom and shut the door.

Arthur pipes up, “I guess the enforcers came early tonight but they’re not supposed to do that, I don’t think? We have nothing to worry about, right?” He doesn’t really know what to think when the committees wardens behave like this, he doesn’t know if they do even do anything. He’s really just trying to put Victoria at ease though, she looks a bit thrilled sitting in the dark room. They both know that there is nothing to be done when this happens but take cover so she just says, “Perhaps Ms. Verily found Sprinkles in time. Perhaps we can just try and wait it out in here?” she says. Arthur agrees and quickly offers to sit on the floor. She hesitantly gives him what little pillows and blankets she’s left unpacked and they pass mutual virtues and stories back and forth again. They wait and wait while the animal does not leave. They stare up at the trees making shadows on her ceiling in the moonlight and plan the day upon them.

She mentally finishes planning her preparations that need to be done before 9am tomorrow and he mentally reminds himself to be home in time to answer his chimes. He doesn’t want an enforcer showing up, certainly not that one. The sounds of rustling and scraping at the door fade eventually and they drift off to sleep almost simultaneously.

The young aspiring actor wakes to an empty room. He immediately notices how clean and nearly empty it is, which is odd to him because it wasn’t last night. Only that suitcase and a few other non-descript items on the small coffee table are left. He looks down at his nude legs and begins moving about the bed, trying to locate at least some pants. He goes to sit up and feels something stuck to the back of his thigh, “Oh the casting directors notebook. I don’t really remember reading it, did we? It’s empty?” he says to himself as he tosses it over his should back onto the bed where it lands halfway open. He begins pulling his pants on only to look up and see a stunning blonde woman wearing a colorful silk suit holding that ridiculously colossal suitcase.

“Shit you scared me! I’m sorry I was with a girl last night, she brought me here, I was just leaving just now! ” he tries to explain.

She doesn’t respond to this, she simply says while staring at the notebook behind him on the bed, “Oh you’ve found my notebook, I am so thankful! And my friend picked such a perfect man to play this part! ” Her eyes snapping back up to meet his bewildered ones.

He’s confused, “Part? You’re the casting director for the upcoming movie?”

“Yes I am, you can call me Victoria! And you’ve got the part of Arthur. We don’t have time to waste. Button your pants now, Arthur”

He does this hastily and when he looks back up, she is jumping at him.

Against his better judgement, he catches her and they topple over.

They fall into the pocket book with a *Pop* and then a *Fizzle*

Arthur awakes at his house in Valo with the suitcase sitting open next to him and a note that reads, “I leave my rainy day fund to you, Arthur. Leave and don’t look back. Twenty-thousand dollars will get far from here. -- Love Victoria ”