Paper Dreams
#10 of Snapshots
An extremely short flashfic I wrote as a submission for FC's flashfic contest. It didn't win, but I'm still pretty happy with how it turned out! The theme was 'FC goes to Hollywoof'.
Paper Dreams
Albany's claws tack-tack-tacked a frenetic rhythm over their beat-up laptop's keys. Upon the page, endless possibility played out. Act II, scene I--a pivotal turning point in the narrative building up to the denouement. Something grand, something splashy. A horde of invading zombie birds. No, that was overplayed. Heartbreak! Lovers torn apart by betrayal. Yes, and the lead actor, played by the gorgeous snow leopard Gabrelle Dubois...
No, she'd said in so many interviews that she avoided romantic movies. Stick with action, a heroine femme fatale... but not one that played to clichés. Films catered to the male gaze enough. The scene unfolded before the borzoi's flying fingers, poignant, breathtaking, the heroine leaping from a burning car as she fought off pursuing spies...
"Cut! Okay, take five, people."
Who to play her co-star? Perhaps the dashing Enrique Alvaraz? No, a female co-star, break the gender norms. Perfect. The image solidified on the page, a smartly dressed doe pulling the drenched Gabrelle from the river...
"Hey! Lackey!" Fingers snapped in Albany's face, impatient. "Coffee. Black as sin, double sugar. C'mon, what am I paying you for here?"
Albany's wagging tail stilled as they glanced up into the irritated face of Francis, the film's pine marten AD. "Sorry, I'll get right on that," the borzoi replied, leaping up and snapping their laptop shut on their dreams.
They hustled off, chased by the AD's glare. Soon, soon. All they needed was a chance, just a chance. Hollywoof was the place for dreams, right?