Learning to Love and Let Go Part Two: The Last Dream Before Sunrise

Hi there. This is just a note from the author. I just wanted to let y'all know that I had a great time writing part two of this story. I don't have set dates for when each part will be released but I really hope that y'all enjoy these stories as much as I do! I hope when I finish this series of short stories, that I will be able to summarise them all into one big short story. These characters are not meant to reflect anyone in real life and are purely made up. If a character pertains to a real person they will be said by name, otherwise, it is merely a coincidence.

I felt the world around me. I was in tune with nature, with self, with soul, and with the mind. I felt the birds on the branches. I felt the water run through the cracks between rocks in the creek. I felt the deer crunch their way through leaves and fallen branches.

The world spoke to me without the need to use words. Words had become irrelevant to me now. They were of no use for everything had settled into tranquillity. The spirit of the forest called to me. I was in another world it seemed.

Was I dreaming? Lucid this unearthly world felt. Never could I have ever before been able to understand so clearly this world, this galaxy, and this universe.

I felt my body sink, but yet I rose into the air. This was an odd feeling. The wind picking me up where I sat, lifting me off the ground. Restrained by gravity no more, I was able to deepen my connection into the living forces around me. With my eyes closed, I could see more than when they were to be opened. Serenity. Tranquillity. Peaceful. Something I haven’t felt in quite a while.

Beep...beep...beep!

I quickly fell to the ground, feeling immense pain throughout my body. Realizing what I had done, I could no longer feel my connection with the living things around me.

I rolled over to the side of the bed, searching to end the blaring noise of my alarm. Remembering the wall I slammed into yesterday, my body ached from the twisted position in which I lay. Finally finding the harsh sight of light produced by the phone I turn off the alarm and force myself to waddle, while wrapped in a robe and three different blankets, to the bathroom to get ready for yet another long day of work ahead of me.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love getting to go to work. It’s what I love. But after a while, things just seem to get old. Anytime I just want to go down the block to get coffee, I’m faced with a swarm of cameras interrogating me. “Kristene, what’s the latest news on your character?”, ”Is Chris really dead?”, ”Will Madison have powers?”, " Will you be making appearances in any other films in the near future?” Since when did my life become, well, not mine? Sometimes, I wish that I could just take their little cameras and stick...

I break my chain of thoughts as I scowl at my own reflection. I undress myself to find my way into the warming comfort of a shower. As I look in the mirror at my own naked body, it’s the first time I’ve really noticed how hard I hit that wall. My side and arms were covered in purples, yellows, and blues. All I can think about is how the makeup girls will be grouchy now that they have to spend longer hiding my bruises for a new day of shooting.

I’ve lost count of what week, much less day, of shooting we’re on. I don’t even remember if we’re almost done or not. All I know is that I’m exhausted. So I guess that means we’re getting close to the end. I never in a million years thought that I wouldn’t be able to handle long continuous hours. Christmas is next week, at least, which means I get a week off. Jaxen’s flying from Texas to meet me at LAX today. I have an interview tomorrow for a newspaper, but after that, I’m off to Texas to be with my family for Christmas.

I get to work and... I was right. “What did you do? Girl, you’re killing me! How do you manage to get another bruise? This isn’t from that wall again, is it? You’re serious?”

I hate to admit it, but me and that wall don’t exactly get along.

“Ouch, that hurts!” Tonya shot me a daring glance that said it all. I tried to hold back the face of pain, but with all the smearing and dabbing it was hard to keep a straight face.

Kinsey at least took some pity on me or at least tried to. She always tries her best to comfort everyone and be a shoulder for everyone, but sometimes she comes off as too sincere to the point that it almost sounds fake. Tonya, clearly aware of Kinsey’s presence, began to ignore her comments. Kinsey eventually gave up in good humour and proceeded to make her way to craft services for coffee. “Honest to God, girl, there ain’t no way that once you get that suit on that you’ll not be able to feel that wall from yesterday. It’ll come rushing back once you’ve taken so much as a step.”

After who knows how long I was in hair, makeup, and wardrobe, the words “Role sound” make their way into my daydreaming head. The sun had finally made its way through the clouds and into the sky. But why am I so tired?

“Action!” CLAP!

I read my lines off the script embedded in my brain as if they were my own words. Pulling forth every emotion I could to create this scene. I go running towards “danger” (a blue wall) when there’s clearly a mat down there, Kristene! So there I am, face planted into the floor, already crying from the scene so I, of course, start to ugly, laugh-cry.

“Gag Reel,” “Bloopers,” “Congratulations, kid, you got yourself an even better blooper reel today!” “Still not as good as mine though, ha!” For some reason, these comments gave me a sense of comfort. Comfort knowing that even though I’m stressed, extremely overworked, and a now confirmed hot mess, that so is everyone else.

“That’s it for today. Go home, have a good holiday with your whoever you’re with and I will see you all back here bright and early next week.”

I find Jaxon waiting outside my apartment door. “Not even fashionably late, I see.” He gave me a frustrated look that he soon took back. We drive towards LAX, car karaoke and all. We returned the rental car and headed to the airport on the shuttle bus, ball caps pointed down over our faces as to not be recognized.

The weather for this Cali winter has been strange, so when I was planning on it being around 45°F outside and it’s 75°F, you feel extra ridiculous when taking off your big winter coat. Like, come on… it’s winter people. At least this giant coat is another shield of protection against the potential for paparazzi. Luckily, we made it to the baggage check without a problem. As we load our luggage onto the carousel to be taken off to the plane, Jaxon looks at me with a weird, concerned look on his face. His concerned frown turns into a burst of knowing laughter. “It’s those walls again, isn’t it?” How did he know!?! It’s not like I’m always swinging into walls while I work. “You know I do things other than getting bruises on my arms, right? You don’t need to start going around making these assumptions.” I replied trying to be snarky.

“What are you going to do once you finish filming?” I rolled my eyes at his comment not thinking much of what he had asked.

“Are you worried that I won’t have many embarrassing moments caught on camera for you to watch later?” I replied.

“No. I don’t need a camera. They happen quite frequently.” He stated, overly proud of himself.

“Whatever. Just find the PreCheck line so we can go home and I can go to sleep.”

I was out of it not as much as 15 minutes after we had taken off.

It’s funny how much the world can change in one day. The world is never in the same place in the vast regions of space twice, therefore you physically can’t recreate something to the same exact degree as the original creation. Just a strange though, I guess. Maybe, maybe not. Thoughts like these, random as it may seem, are what I think about at night before I go to sleep. Lying there in my bed, in the darkness of midnight, wondering… maybe someday we’ll reach those stars thought to be far away, so far away that we didn’t even know they exist in this day and time, yet.

At my parents' house in my old room, I lay in my old bed wondering and deciding that I know there’s someone out there living amongst the stars. There has to be. Space is limitless. If it’s the last frontier, it will always be a frontier if you can even classify it as such a thing. Quickly realizing that I’m tired, I slide down deep into the bedsheets, trapping myself within my own body heat. It feels comforting. As I drift off into another world of dreams, a thought came to me: What will I do when this movie is over?

Author Notes: Thank you for reading Part Two of Learning to Love and Let Go! Part Three will be coming out soon. Please comment 1-5 stars and tell me what you thought about this story. I'm hoping this will be a big project. Lots of love!<3

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