Hope Falls

by Jamieson Wolf

"Is she pretty?" Howard barked.

  "I'd say so, sir."

  "I'll be right out." He said.

  He smiled, a predator's smile at himself in the mirror, and left the office. Miriam counted five beats and then left after him, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

  Miriam could feel the file folder scratch against her skin. She had a lot of reading to do. She headed towards her waiting cab.

  THIRTY FOUR

  Miriam discovers some upsetting information

  After Miriam stepped out of her disguise, she took a long, hot shower back at her apartment. She had come close to getting caught by Howard, but that snippet of conversation she had heard was interesting. "She won't be able to answer if she's dead." Howard had chuckled. "I guess Betty did her job."

  Miriam shivered in the hot water. They were hunting her down now, it wasn't just for the show. They knew. They knew that she had talked to others, that she had involved others outside the show. She knew why they were after her: she had threatened the safety of their secrets, had threatened the safety of the show. They now most likely considered her a lose cannon, one that had to be dealt with. How else could she explain an assassin coming to her door?

  She could never go back into the studio. She knew now that her life as a soap star had ended and a new life had begun. Miriam knew that if she ever went back to work, they would kill her and would not bother with the set up of a scene or a set. They would kill her in cold blood. Howard had laughed when he had talked about Betty doing her "job". She would show them, she thought. She would show them. She remembered Howard's smug smile and vowed to show them justice.

  Making herself a cup of coffee, though she was tempted to make a screwdriver, Miriam sat down at her dining room table. She was about to add milk to her coffee, but stopped herself. Going over to her cupboards, she got out her bottle of Baileys and put a shot of that in her coffee. And than another. Nothing cures fright like a good Irish coffee, she thought.

  Stalling, she made herself a plate of toast to go with her coffee. She liked how the bread always came out golden, like bread made valuable. She loved the crunch she heard, felt, tasted, when she took her first bite. When the toast popped, she grabbed the red folder off of her coffee table. It was the middle of the day, the noontime sun showering through her window.

  Taking the folder back to the table, she ran a hand over her picture, her smiling face. They updated the photo's on their files every season. The picture on the front of her folder, an 8x10 black and white publicity shot, was taken only three months ago.

  Taking a bite of her toast and a sip of her coffee, Miriam opened the folder and began to read…

  *

  SUBJECT: MIRIAM PARKER CHARACTER: SYLVIA STEVENS

  AGE: 52

  HEIGHT 5'9

  EYE COLOR Blue

  HAIR Blond (dyed)

  BREAST SIZE Double C

  WAIST SIZE Not given

  SUBJECT SIGNED ON TO HP IN 1965, AND HAS PLAYED SYLVIA STEVENS EVER SINCE. SHE IS ABLE TO PLAY CHARACTER WITH GRACE AND STYLE AND HAS A GOOD HEAD ON HER SHOULDERS. RECOMMENDED THAT SHE IS NOT APPROACHED FOR THE PROJECT. HER MORALS WOULD BECOME PROBLEMATIC THEREFORE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT SHE BE PLACED IN RED SO THAT SHE CAN BE MONITORED UNTIL IT IS TIME….

  *

  Miriam looked up from the file, took a sip of her coffee. What she had read had scared her badly. Why would they need to list her breast size? Why would they need that? What was this mysterious Project? The red, though, she thought she could guess that.

  She looked at her folder. She remembered that hers had been blue when she had started on the soap. Placed in red so that she can be monitored…what did that mean? That she had been marked to be killed later? What was the significance of the blue and red files?

  Steeling herself with another bite of toast and a shot of Baileys' straight from the bottle, she flipped her file back open and continued reading…

  THIRTY FIVE

  Miriam learns more about The Project

  …SUBJECT HAS SHOWN GREAT PROMISE AS AN ACTRESS FROM HER BEGINNINGS ON THE SHOW. WITH DEPTH AND ABILITY, SHE IS ABLE TO SHOW THE DEEPEST EMOTION. THIS WILL MAKE HER A GOOD SUBJECT FOR PART TWO OF THE PROJECT. SHE IS AN ADEQUETE CANDIDATE FOR THIS PART OF THE PROJECT, SHOWING STRENGTH OF WILL THAT WILL BE HARD TO CRUSH.

  IT IS RECCOMENDED THAT SUBJECT BE MONITORED FOR PROGRESS. SUBJECT WAS DISTRAUGHT WHEN BRUCE'S PART OF THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETE AND HAD TO BE SEDATED. SUBJECT WAS ALSO PRESENT AT OTHER TERMINATIONS, NOTABLY CAROLINE, STACEY AND RACHEL. SUBJECT WAS MOST UPSET AT TOBY'S TERMINATION OF CONTRACT, HOWEVER. SUBJECT WAS SEDATED.

  SUBJECT IS NOT A VIRGIN, THOUGH SHE IS A FORMIDIBLE WOMAN. THIS WILL GIVE HER WIDE APPEAL WITH MORE CLIENTS. SUBJECT IS NOT SUBMISSIVE, SO IT IS RECCOMENDED THAT SUBJECT IS DEALT WITH SOON. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT SUBJECT WAS IN LOVE WITH TOBY AND HIS TERMINATION AFFECTED HER GREATLY.

  DESPITE HER LACK OF VIRGINITY, SUBJECT HAS BEEN OBSERVED IN HER APARTMENT AND THERE ARE NO MALE LOVERS. SHE HAS NO HUSBAND, NO PETS AND LIVES ALONE. SHE ENJOYS A GREAT DEAL OF TELEVISION BUT WILL NOT WATCH HERSELF. CAMERAS WERE REMOVED FROM APARTMENT WHEN SUBJECT ALMOST FOUND ONE INSIDE HER JEWLREY BOX. WE SUSPECT THAT SUBJECT IS MODEST. OUR RECCOMENDATION IS THAT SUBJECT SHOULD BE DEALT WITH SOON….

  *

  Miriam read on and on into the night. By the time she looked up from the file, the stars were out. They twinkled in the sky like diamonds, or glass that could cut you.

  The folder contained the brief report, photos of her in her apartment, walking with her friends, modeling shots, articles from People magazine and Time that had featured her. Articles from internet sites and chat rooms that mentioned her name.

  There was also a detailed list of all her friends, her family. She felt as if she had been slapped several times. Every time she flipped over a page in the file, more surprises awaited.

  They knew everything about her. They knew where she shopped, what she cooked, that she dyed her hair. They even knew her breast size. This brought her back to the report that had mentioned her virginity. Why had that been mentioned? What was this mysterious project? Why had they made her a part of it?

  There were too many questions in her head; she had to talk to someone. Why would someone do this to her? To think that they knew everything, were watching her. She shivered again and poured herself another shot of Baileys.

  Slamming down the glass, she made her decision and grabbed her coat. She had to talk to someone before she went mad.

  DeDe was out; she didn't believe her. Miriam supposed she couldn't blame her friend. She hadn't been able to get hold of her anyway.

  But no matter; she knew exactly where to go.

  THIRTY SIX

  someone comes after Susan

  Susan opened her apartment door and stared at Miriam. "What happened honey?" she said, "You look like death warmed over. I've been worried about you since I came home and found a hole in my door. Tell me what happened, honey, Come on in."

  Miriam nodded her thanks and stepped into the gleaming mass of hardwood flooring. "God, I don't know what to do!" she sobbed, throwing herself into Susan's open arms. "I went to the station as Sabrina and I-"

  "Wait a minute, you did what?"

  "I went to the station and got into Howard's office."

  "We were supposed to do that together." Susan said, slightly put out. She had been looking forward to a good stake out. It made her feel sexy.

  "I know, I know!" Miriam sobbed. "But I tried out the make up and the costume and I thought, why waste it, you know? And it's worse than I thought!" she wailed now. "OH GOD! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?"

  "Well, first," Susan said. "You're going to stop yelling at me cus I'm right in front of you and I'm not deaf." She smiled. "Secondly, you're going to start at the beginning."

  "They sent an assassin after me."

  Susan whistled. "They're playing for keeps now. At least that would explain the patch job on the door." Susan gestured to the wooden plank.

  They bot
h froze when they heard a knock at Susan's door.

  Looking out the peephole, Susan saw a tall, dark haired man standing in the hallway.

  "I think we have trouble." Susan said.

  THIRTY SEVEN

  a friend comes to visit

  The knock on the door came again. Miriam's face paled. "Do you recognize him?" she whispered softly.

  "No." Susan whispered back. "I have no idea who he is."

  "Do you think we should answer the door?" Miriam put a panicked hand to her throat.

  As if to answer their question, there was another knock on the door. "I don't think he's going to go away, whoever he is."

  "They're looking for me."

  "They think you’re dead, don't they?"

  "Yeah." Miriam said. "I think so." She whispered. "Howard mentioned something about Betty doing her job. She fired a shotgun through the door."

  "Then they think you're dead?"

  "Until Betty wakes up."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I knocked her in the back of the head when I was in costume."

  Susan looked at her and smiled. "Didn't think you had it in you, girl."

  There was another knock on the door. "I think you should answer it." Miriam said.

  "Are you sure?"

  "What choice do we have?"

  "We could go out on the fire escape."

  "I'm wearing high heels at the moment; I don't think that's a good idea."

  Susan sighed and slowly opened the door. Miriam stood back behind the door, so that the tall dark haired man could not see her. "Hello," Susan said. "Can I help you?"

  "Maybe," the man said. "Is your name Susan Halliway?"

  Susan smiled. "Why, yes, it is."

  "Than, perhaps I can help you." With that, he lunged at her, wrapping his hands around her neck. He was choking her and her air supply was quickly dwindling. He slammed the door behind him with his foot, too intent on his task to notice Miriam.

  He dragged Susan further into her apartment. She was kicking at him, spitting at him, trying to scream but each time she made a sound he only squeezed harder. Susan's face began to turn a pale blue color.

  "You shouldn't have gotten involved with Miriam." The man growled and his lips tightened to a thin line against his dead white skin.

  The man’s eyes looked mad, and when he started muttering "She's dead now, bet you didn’t know that?” Susan summoned all of her will and spat in his face. She took one of her hands off of his and raked her fingernails across his mans face. Three long arch's of red ran across his face.

  "BITCH!" he screamed, flinging Susan away from him. She landed with a loud smack on the hardwood. Her ankle twisted beneath her and she cried out in pain. The main kicked her and cursed again. "Whore! You'll regret that, just like Miriam did, you'll die a harder death than she did. She got a bullet in the head. You're going to wish I was that kind to you." He started to kick her again, but just as he lifted his leg there was a loud crash and a shower of glass rained down both of them. The man slumped to the floor, blood trailing down his neck.

  Susan looked up at Miriam who stood holding the remains of a crystal vase. "I got that vase in Tiffany's, I hope you know."

  "This vase just saved your life."

  "Good point," Susan laughed. She moved slowly, standing with some difficulty.

  "Are you alright?"

  "I will be. How about him?"

  Miriam looked at the man for a moment before moving her foot back and kicking him in the balls as hard as she could with her pointy high heel shoe. The man, out cold, did nothing, but she kicked him again anyway, hoping to hear the man scream. She stabbed the heel of her stiletto heel into his testicles, hoping that she was making him bleed.

  "He'll never have children." She said with a smile.

  Susan marveled at her friend's ability to be so cold all of a sudden. But then she remembered.

  "Oh no, Naomi!" Susan said suddenly.

  "What about her?" Miriam said.

  "If they came to kill me because you talked about me, they're going to try to kill her too!"

  THIRTY EIGHT

  Naomi lies in a pool of blood

  They barreled along the roadway towards Naomi's apartment. Neither Miriam nor Susan said anything, afraid of what they would find. The cars sped by them like horses, like lightning. Miriam didn't notice; she was too consumed with her thoughts.

  What if Susan had died? What if Naomi was dead? What if her friends died because of her? She could not bear to stand under the weight of guilt that would come with that, could not bear it if one of them was hurt.

  Susan's face looked horrible, all bruised and pale. There were bruises forming on her arms where he had kicked her and there were finger marks pressed into her throat where the man had grabbed her. Susan had packed a bag. "I can't stay here," she said.

  "Unless we kill him, he'll return. We have to find somewhere to go, Miriam."

  "We have to get to Naomi first." Miriam had said, her voice rising to a fever pitch. "If they've hurt her…"

  "Chances are they have." Susan said. "They sent an assassin after you and an assassin after me. They want to kill us, Miriam. What happened to you today? What happened with the assassin?"

  Miriam went through what had happened, how she had been dressed as

  Sabrina White and had gotten off lucky. "Her name was Betty. Can you believe it?" Miriam shuddered. "She seemed so normal, except for the fact that she was standing in my hallway with a shotgun in her hand."

  "So you didn't kill her either."

  "No."

  "That you can not go back to your apartment."

  "There's more."

  "More? What more do you need than someone trying to kill us?"

  "I got this from Howard's office." Miriam pulled the red file out of her bag.

  "My god, Miriam, what is that?"

  "Every actor on Hope Falls has a file. Mine was blue and now it's red."

  "What does that mean?"

  "I think it means that, since my ratings are dropping, they've marked me." Miriam read her the part of the report she had read. When she got to the part where it mentioned her virginity, Susan stopped her.

  "What the hell is that all about?"

  "I don't know. They have my breast size markings too."

  "This is more than just killing people off, Miriam. Something is going on here."

  "And we're still no closer to finding out what."

  "Yes, we are." Susan said. "If they're desperate enough to send people to kill us, it means we're getting close to something. Once they realize that you've taken your file, more people will be after us. You can't go back to your apartment."

  "But I have to, Sabrina is there."

  "Sabrina?"

  "My costume." Miriam said. "My Sabrina costume."

  "Crap," Susan said. "Fine, we'll figure that out later. Right now, we have to worry about Naomi."

  Susan parked sharply outside of Naomi's building. "Make it quick," Miriam said. "We can't be seen. They're watching us."

  "You sound paranoid."

  "It's the truth."

  "I know, that's the problem."

  They ran through the lobby and took the stairs instead of the elevator, not wanting to wait for the ancient elevator to make it's way down and back up. When they reached the fourth floor where Naomi lived, they were both out of breath and Miriam was

  sweating heavily . "I guess I'm not as young as I used to be." Miriam said.

  "None of us are, honey. That's why we lie about our age." She smiled weakly.

  When banging on Naomi's apartment door received no response, Miriam used her key that Nai had given her. When they opened the apartment door, Miriam and Susan both had to choke back a scream.

  There, lying on the living room floor in a pool of her own blood, was Naomi.

  THIRTY NINE

  the girls hatch a plan

  "Oh my god, NAOMI!" Miriam screamed. Susan slammed the door behind them and they ran to t
heir friend. Miriam clutched Naomi to her, regardless of the blood that would cover her clothes. They were kneeling in it and Susan found it sticky and warm on her knees.