| Subject: Chapter 214 - Part 2 (16 and above) (end of chapter 214) |
Author:
KatherineG.
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Date Posted: Wednesday, November 09, 06:43:28am
In reply to:
KatherineG.
's message, "Dreams in the Dark (203 > )" on Monday, October 03, 07:35:40am
She managed to walk along with the Chinese girl, as her elbow was taken by her; the continuing touch surprised her, but she managed to stifle any such display. Jasmine was talking again. "I see you're involved with Mr. Bauer." Her look cut in. "What ever made you trust him?"
These questions were explicitly direct, but it took Sondra a minute to really hear them; she was listening to the girl's voice, trying to discern some hint of the accent the screen had led her to expect. But it wasn't there. She really did talk like any normal person would.
This surprise entwined her--until she finally took in what the actress was saying; she tried to pull away, but Jasmine's grip was softly tenacious, her look quite probing. Sondra's mind paused, considering. As unusual--as insulting--as the questions probably were, she didn't see any reason to ignore them. This girl was right. She did need someone to talk to.
She decided to open herself, then, seeing no harm in it. After all, Jasmine was a contract player--however lowly; she had nothing to gain from making friends with a stand-in. It wasn't likely that she would talk to her for any reason but actual concern; her mind shifted. Besides, even if her motives weren't so pure, the girl was Chinese. Who would believe her over a white woman?
This last thought was deeply buried, existing only somewhere in the very fibers of her heart--placed there with unshakable confidence since birth. She just shrugged, not certain how to answer. "I don't, really. I was just . . ." She couldn't bring herself to admit her own foolishness. "I just thought he was telling the truth, at the time."
These days of trust were long behind her, as was her ability to believe in dreams. Jasmine seemed to understand, nodding quietly. "He's a dog." There was a grimace. "But all men are. None of them gives a damn about any woman."
To her growing dismay, Sondra had been coming to believe this as well--her time with Bauer making it impossible not to, all her pretty dreams smashed. Even the noble concepts of "good girl" and "bad girl" seemed pretty meaningless, these days. Maybe all that really existed was the type of girl men liked and the type they didn't.
This was only part of what Bauer's treatment had taught her, his lessons in submission exceedingly painful. Jasmine's voice only barely broke through her thoughts--the memories hard to escape. "You were still new when he got you, right?" Sondra nodded dazedly, understanding her meaning too well; the actress sighed. "I guess every woman has to learn the truth, one way or another."
This theory made the blonde woman stop dead, the pair of them wandering somewhere in the dim cavern of soundstage back alleys; her look was indignant. "But it shouldn't be! Men are supposed to care about the women they love."
This lingering romantic nostalgia almost surprised the woman who voiced it, her eyes widening, but Jasmine just shook her head disgustedly--ignoring the fact that Bauer was certainly incapable of such emotion to focus on much larger truths. "Grow up. Men don't care about anything a woman can give them except what's between her legs. Besides that, they'd much rather spend their time with other men."
The brutal honesty of this idea made the stand-in wince--but she was growing to believe it, more and more. In fact, the more she thought back on her youth--on even her mother's advice--the more this idea seemed true. Even the boys who had flocked to her in high school seemed to fit it. They might not have pushed her that far, but they weren't hanging around her for her brain. She had never even met a man who gave a damn what any woman thought.
These more sour reflections made clear her weeks of abuse, the changes they had wrought. Jasmine could see it, nodding. Her topic switched abruptly, then, her real motive in talking to the girl made clear. "You know what Perry's up to, don't you?"
This brought Sondra back, if a little belatedly, her eyes refocusing slowly on the woman. "What do you mean?" Even if a cold chill started somewhere deep in her soul with the actress's words, not wanting to understand, she really hoped that there would be some insight into her fate.
There was a slight huff from the woman with her, her disgust over her own words quite clear. "I don't know all the details, but I know who's being targeted. Whatever the plan, they're planning to take out Kitty." Her eyes cut further in. "And Bauer's probably at the center of it."
Lord. The blonde girl's gaze widened, this information far too close to some of her own fears. Bauer had been talking about the actress much more lately; she had often seen him licking his lips, while watching her. She shuddered openly. It was sickening. If the man who had already destroyed her now planned to get his hands on Mrs. Samuelle, the outcome for the actress was far too unbearable to contemplate.
It took her a second to process this theory, part of her still running from it--as much as she had come to the same sort of conclusions herself. When her attention was finally back to the woman near her, her first words were a denial. "But Mrs. Ward is famous." Her head shook. "He couldn't get away with . . ."
Jasmine's snort returned. "Not if her husband's alive." Her look traveled, the disgust it held quite deep. "He wouldn't like to share." She almost growled, as she gazed back at the stand-in. "But if he's dead . . ."
Sondra's eyes widened, willfully not getting it--despite all her earlier fears for the pair. "Is he sick?" Bauer seemed to be, sometimes. But Samuelle . . .
Lord. The actress's eyes rolled. The girl really could be thick. Her gaze refocused on her, trying to will her the intelligence to understand. "You don't have to be sick to die." Especially not in this town.
The blonde woman had no idea of what exactly was going on in her confidante's mind--couldn't know that it flashed briefly through the stories of what had happened to the woman who might have been her mother. While she was still less than convinced about this maternal link, the thoughts disgusted her, nonetheless. Samuelle had also been using Simone; her look soured further. And what he might have done to her bore no analysis at all.
Jasmine couldn't know the real truth of this case, understood little of Hillinger besides dim rumors. It was only the looks she had seen both Bauer and Madeline giving Kitty that had even made her aware that the other actress might be in any further danger than her marriage alone--her bondage to that bastard Samuelle--suggested; her look bore into the woman near her. And that was why she was determined that they should watch the star more closely.
The blonde woman was beginning to understand, her denial diminishing a little--her gaze returning to the informant, her horror rising with it. She still didn't understand her own role in these plots, but she was certain it existed. She even dimly seemed to remember some half-overheard conversation the producer had had with a friend of his, someone named Formitz--but it was difficult to recall it clearly. They had been talking after one of the first nights of her "education" by Bauer--and her constant crying had made it rather hard to focus on details.
She accepted the woman's words, then, knew the man too well now to question. Still, an obvious concern arose. "But what can we do?" She didn't even know Mrs. Ward well enough to talk to her--would be seen as acting utterly out of line, if she tried. Besides, Samuelle was sure to protect her, if anything happened. However little she was beginning to think of men, she couldn't imagine that he would want to see his wife damaged like that.
Jasmine didn't believe this for a second but said nothing on that front, her only idea spoken. Neither of them knew the woman well enough to speak to her--and, given Jasmine's past pacts with Madeline, Kitty was unlikely to believe her, even if she tried. There was only one answer, then. "Just watch her closely, Bauer too. If he seems like he's going to do something, call her and warn her." Her sigh went deep. At least then she would have some prior knowledge to be able to prepare herself for the worst.
This wasn't a perfect plan, was no head-on way to attack their enemies, but there was only so much they could ask for. If for no other reason than guilt over the past, Jasmine wanted to protect Kitty, did wish her well. In truth, she wished her well away from her killer husband--either to be alone or with someone safer, someone female. That was the only path any sane woman could take.
She didn't hold out much hope for this end, however, simply offered a piece of paper with the phone number she had managed to sneak a look at to her new conspirator. It was the only thing they could do. Until someone had the sense to rid the world of men, they were going to have to do the best they could to look after each other.
Sondra only saw part of this belief, nodded--shuddering slightly, when she heard Bauer's voice calling her; Jasmine gave her one more, quick look, before disappearing as swiftly as her cunning race was supposed to be able to. The stand-in looked down at the number before hiding it away. But she was thankful for that inscrutable guile just now. Especially as Bauer glared at her, before his hand sank into the already-bruised part of her arm to lead her back to the set, she knew they would need it. Watching out after someone she didn't even know was going to take all the stealth she was capable of; her gaze returned to her captor. She could only hope that such watchfulness would save her, as well.
Extra note: I know that a lot of old characters are suddenly reappearing after a long absence. Sorry. They all just demanded their time once again.
[End of Part 214]
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