A Short Story for “F” and the Font “Faded Moviestar” (#AtoZChallenge)

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: Letter “F”

For Day 7 of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge, I chose the font Faded Moviestar by Mr. Fisk as my prompt for today’s flash fiction.

#AtoZChallenge

I hope you enjoy today’s flash fiction with a SciFi twist, Faded Moviestar.


Faded Moviestar

by Anjela Curtis

Striking a dramatic pose would be difficult while wearing a space suit, but not impossible.

The great Madison LaSalle was an actress of the ages; she never backed down from a challenge. Not at the beginning of her career and not now that she was pushing fifty. She was going to single-handedly revamp her acting career, or die trying…literally.

Staring back at her smooth, deep mocha-colored skin and perfectly made-up face in the mirror, she tried to ignore the most expensive costume she’d ever worn on set. Designer courtier had nothing on an aeronautical space suit she was to wear for filming. Within minutes, her dressing chamber would be teeming with a group of expert technicians and scientists to ensure that she and the space suit equipment was properly installed and fitted. Then, shortly after, she’d be the first actor to star in a movie filmed on Mars.

Everyone had told her she was crazy to live and die on another planet in the hopes of reviving her acting career. Least of all Mars. If she was going to die anyway, it might as well be while proving the whole world wrong. She’d never done anything by half-measures, she wouldn’t begin now.

Her former agent and “well-meaning” colleagues had hinted and implied that her career was over. They tried to convince her that it was time to retire and endorse those useless products whose commercials aired during the wee hours of the night. They’d wanted her to give up and fade into obscurity. If obscurity was her destination, she’d go out like a supernova. If the world thought she was finished, she’d convince them they were wrong. She’d show them she wasn’t some washed up has-been who couldn’t possible appeal to a younger audience.

Turning her head to each side, she’d put the finishing touches on her on her make-up. This was not the time to overlook the little details. The world was watching; and she’d be ready for her close-up, even if that damned glass dome on her helmet ruined the lighting and obscured her facial expressions.

She’d deliver an Oscar-caliber performance. Her only regret was not being around to see all the shocked faces of the naysayers as her performance earned her award nominations and accolades. There’d be no paparazzi. No interviews where she’d tell the media not to call it a come-back. She wouldn’t be coming back from this trip to Mars. Best of all no one would remember her as a “faded movie star.”

© 2017 Anjela Curtis

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4 thoughts on “A Short Story for “F” and the Font “Faded Moviestar” (#AtoZChallenge)

  1. I just fell in love with that first line to be honest. What a great intro to this character! I can totally imagine her issue of being irrelevant. I’m sure a lot of actors feel that way. Not easy to be in the background after the spotlight I guess!

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