UNDERGROUND

by Macosta

Part 1

  - Introducing the main character, a young man fresh out of college on his way to his first day of work at one of the oldest and famous film studios in the world.

  Driving down the boulevard of tall lined palm trees Frank had the roof down on his convertible sports car. He admires the tropical palm tree tops against a clear blue sky and basks in the warm Californian sun, a far cry from the long and cold winters of small town where he grew up. Frank had three of the most important things in his Life that morning, a top of the range convertible sports car, a $700 suit and his F.A.M.M.A, Film, Acting & Media Management Academy degree.

  True he was renting the cheapest studio flat apartment near Hollywood that came with a garage, and had enough money in the bank to pay for another 3 months rent. True that all he had was invested in that car and suit and the hard earned money of his parents from small town Mid-west paid for his degree, but at 22 Frank felt he had the world at his feet and no one could stop him now.

  Image was so important for him and he was so convinced that it would portray him as someone who is, in Hollywood rather than someone who is,starting out in Hollywood.

  In his mind he did this journey many years ago when he was still a kid and all he dreamed of was being in the land where dreams come true, Hollywood and movies was his Life.

  As he approaches the studio gates he makes an effort to make eye contact with the guard, he knows he’s on that clipboard but he’s not going to be pretentious about it, an orchestrated attitude of confidence was Frank’s way of succeeding in Life.

  Guard at the gate: “Let’s have a look. Frank right? Work experience.”

  Frank: “Internship, actually” (Frank feels a certain lack of respect here)

  Guard at the gate: “Straight ahead then turn left on that blue building (he points lifting his fat belly on purpose up against the car door, he’s belly almost leaping into the car and landing on the passengers seat) you do never, never park on the right side of this main lane (the guard turns his back on him and walks slowly as if he was making a point, that he was in charge. Frank stares openmouthed and shakes his head)”

  Driving down the lane Frank sees a small parking lot on the forbidden right, luxury car after luxury car parked under covered shade, side by side. Bentleys, Mercedes, Lamborghinis, every kids dream car in one car park. A short drive ahead turning left on the blue building Frank is in a big car park with some of the most average cars that you could possibly come across. It was like the cars you see in a Wal-Mart car park it even had pickup trucks.

  After a long walk to the main building Frank quickly finds who he will be working under. A tall woman in her forties with a lifeless facial expression by the name of Sue talks to Frank as they walk down the corridor, she doesn’t look at him once as they pass the desks.

  Sue: “For three years we’ve been getting letters from you. How did you manage to get all our personnel names and addresses? Everyone applies online these days, you lucky our studio executive came across one of your letters. This is your desk. You plug your laptop here. I will call you in an hour or two.” Sue was a mix of prison warden and headmistress; you felt she had a whip near by just in case.

  Frank is speechless; all he has is a plain looking white desk and a phone. Next to it is a notepad and cheap plastic pen. He looks around and there are about 20 people at their desks, no one acknowledges or talks to each other. The white desks, the touch screen monitors on the wall and sliding doors makes him feel that he is on the set of a science fiction film, maybe that’s what it was, the set of a spaceship that now was being used for an office. He sits there with his nylon laptop carrier by his feet and tries to say hello to the colleague at the desk next to him.

  Frank: “Hi. I’m Frank (she hears him alright and goes out of her way to ignore him by turning slightly to the other way of the desk completely snubbing him) Sorry, I don’t speak any Spanish but I can learn. I’m a fast learner. (She now turns to him and has a good look at his suit and goes back to her laptop)

  After about two hours of staring at the phone and looking around at people coming in and out, Sue comes in and calls everyone to an office.

  They’re all in crammed into an old fashioned dark wooden office. The walls are covered in black and white pictures of actors of a bygone age of the big screen. The contrast between the sleek and modern workplace with white desks, touch screen monitors on the wall and sliding doors and the studio executive office couldn’t be more extreme.

  Frank: “This must be the past. What century do you think we’re in at the moment? (He asks the female colleague that ignored him earlier on. This time he got a smile from her)

  In comes the boss, Bill the Studio Executive, Big Bill as some call him. He has a certain presence about him; certain allure a certain power. Frank seen Big Bill’s picture in many magazines and papers and recognized him straightaway. It was an awkward feeling for Frank it was like he was in the presence of a respected leader, a higher life form. Frank couldn’t think of a joke or something funny, Big Bill simply oozed respectability and authority. It was in his face, it was in his mannerisms, even in his silence.

  Big Bill: “So… Here we are again. I expect everyone got my memo. (He says looking at Sue who seats near him with her lifeless face)

  Yes… I know all you got my memo, and you all got faster internet connection, more megabits and megabytes, the latest mega laptops. Wasn’t that you all put in the suggestion box? (Again he looks at Sue)

  A new, state of the art office, work was going to be “inspirational” we were all going into the Future; it was going to be more productive… and what did it get me? I tell you what…There are kids out there with camcorders posting films on the internet, making more money than us. Well let me tell you all one thing. You are all starring joblessness in the face.”

  And this is when everyone in the room erupts into a wrangle. Everyone has an opinion, everyone talks at the same time pointing fingers and throwing hands up into the air.

  Like a high Court judge Big Bill grabs a round object, like a paper weight and bangs it on his dark mahogany wood desk, right on a spot that bared the markings of previous court hearings.

  Big Bill: “This is becoming a circus. Every week we sink further into a shambles. I got the Board and shareholders up my ass every day. You over there what you got?(Big Bill points at one of them)”

  Studio employee 1: “Three cowboys are frozen by accident in a glacier on the Rockies while running away from the sheriff and get unfrozen 150 years later in modern times. They go on a shooting spree robbing banks, luckily enough the sheriff is also defrosted and… well, its about the contrast between the old Wild West and modern…”

  Big Bill: “Next. (Big Bill says cutting him off and pointing to studio employee 2)”

  Studio employee 2: “This is the best script ever. Hear me out. A lesbian love story between two women that turn out to sisters…”

  Big Bill: “Next. (Big Bill says pointing to studio employee 3)”

  Studio employee 3: “Nazis. This writer got a great story about Nazis that…”

  Big Bill: Stop, stop, stop. I’m surrounded by idiots. What happened to you guys? You guys are the highest paid in Hollywood, you supposed to be the best. We are sinking here. (He turns and looks at Sue again)

  Everyone looks down as if they were fighting a lost cause, despair had turned to apathy, there was a feeling that no one could revive this studio, that it was fated to the history books. The once mighty studio had lost its touch with the industry it once dominated; its ability to reinvent itself made it a dying old giant.

  Frank: “The best selling book in a generation (Frank says out loud, standing in the middle of the office and holding a book he hastily took out of his nylon bag)”

  Big Bill: “Who is this kid?( Big Bill asks Sue)”

  Sue: “Fresh out of the academy he’s the one that wrote all those letters to everyone. Movie buff. Real pain in the ass. You told me to hire him remember? (Everyone looks on in amaz
ement at the nerve of this newcomer)”

  Frank: “This is what we should be working with. This book sold more copies in its first month than any other book in printing history. (There is a slight pause)”

  Big Bill: “Go on.”

  Frank: “It’s his first book, the author spent 10 years on it, even got a job in the subway. It’s about a prehistoric creature that lives in the biggest subway system in the world. The London Underground. The story is so convincing that people were afraid to travel. There’s been a lot of hype about this book. There are even rumors they found mysterious footprints in the Underground.”

  Studio employee 4: “We will never get the rights to the book, he has refused every offer thrown. The author is a total recluse he can’t cope with the sudden fame, He’s doing a J. D. Salinger.”

  Frank: “Wrong. He had a nervous break down writing a second book and is in a mental institution. His family is preparing to sue the publisher for unreasonable behavior and blackmail.”

  Studio employee 5: “And just how do you know all this? You send him letters every day on how you finishing your degree soon and gonna reinvent the movie industry?( he says with a smirk on his face. There is another short moment of silence in the room)”

  Big Bill: “Go on. (Big Bill says this time sitting down and with full attention on Frank)”

  Frank: “No. I correspond with his mother that happens to update me on his condition.”

  Big Bill: “I like this kid. I really like this kid. What else son?”

  Frank: “Yeh, my car gets really hot under the sun in the car park. Can I park next to you under the shade?”

  The room was silent, everyone just stared at Frank.

  Saturday night back at the studio flat no bigger than an average room Frank sits on his sofa that is also his bed and a dinning chair. In front is a small coffee table that doubles up as a dinning table and a desk where he writes his endless letters. The coffee table has a yellow page directory and few other thick books under its four legs, this elevates the table making it just right to eat on and use as a desk. Next to him is a cardboard box with a pile of white envelops that Frank will drop off at the post office on his way to work.

  As Frank finishes his last letter for the evening he’s distracted by the noise coming from outside.

  He puts the last letter in the box and makes his way to the front door, going onto the open communal balcony that gives access to the other flats. He looks down to an open courtyard and sees two males about his age talking and laughing out loud, they’re waiting for the two girls that live on one of the ground floor flats.

  In the middle of the courtyard surrounded by 12 flats on the ground floor and another 12 on the first floor is an unfinished swimming poll, a great big oval hole partially tiled and looking like it had been left in mid construction 2 or 3 years ago, it even had some small bushes and grass growing in it. As the girls come out all dressed up to meet their male friends one of the girls engages in a long kiss with her boyfriend, the other guy puts his arms around the other girl as if he was to start doing the same and kiss her, when he suddenly, lifts her of her feet and carries her to the edge of the swimming pool and swings forward as if he was throwing her into the empty pool.

  Holding to his neck while still on his arms she screams of excitement and fear as the other two look on and start laughing like frenzied teens.

  Girl standing: “Don’t use the pool or our rent will go up.( Frank looks on as they all walk off into the night he had a sad expression on his face, as if he was missing out on something, as if he should be down there with a hot girl having fun)”

  Just next to Frank on the same corridor and witnessing all this, is the neighbor Ms Brown, an overweight lady widow in her seventies, she has a thin summer dress and he could see her fat legs with dark thick veins, like blood clots.

  Ms Brown: “Evening Frank (she says puffing away on a cigarette)”

  Frank: “Hi Ms Brown.”

  Ms Brown: “Tell me dear. How does it feel living in such a small room? (Frank lived above a garage, the room was the same size as the garage underneath, it stood awkwardly at the end of a row of flats. It was the cheapest room he could find that came with an all important garage for his sports car)”

  Frank: “Fine, just fine. As long as my car is safely locked up down there, I’m a happy bunny. It won’t be for long Ms Brown, I’m going to London soon.”

  Ms Brown: “London! How wonderful. My George was there during the war. He would send me love letters, you know. Oh it was so romantic. You can write your letters from there. All you need is a sweetheart. You such a good looking boy, its Saturday night you should be out there chasing women.”

  Frank: “No Ms Brown. Focus… Focus. I have a mission in Life. Party time will come when I’m rich and famous, women will be chasing me. When I’m back I’ll be moving out to Beverly Hills. Got my first movie. I’ll send you a letter from London; keep you up to date with events over there.”

  Ms Brown: “Oh, you such a sweetheart. I know you will succeed, you will go all the way, you will go to the top.”

  Frank and Ms Brown look over to another flat, there’s loud Latin salsa music coming out of it, with the windows open they can hear a woman squeal and laugh loudly as if someone was tickling her; occasionally the voice of a man is heard.

  Frank: “Good night Ms Brown. (And Frank goes back inside leaving the neighbor to finish her cigarette)”