The Dark Deed

The Dark Deed(Joseph Logsdon) The Dark Deed
By Joseph Logsdon
Ever since she was a kid, Anne dreamed of obtaining wealth and fame. She received both of those things, only to lose them shortly after. For one reason or another, she had gotten very bad reviews. According to most critics, she was too overdramatic. She cried at night, anxious to find an answer to her problem. She needed someone to not only save her career, but to also save her soul.
Anne stood in her lonely apartment, just barely coping with her overwhelming situation. If she didn’t pay the rent, she was going to be removed. She had no family, no friends, nobody. In order to support herself, Anne had to work two jobs; one as an actress, the other as a nurse. She needed them both, otherwise she would starve. Her passion was dead, murdered by an unforgiving society.
Just when Anne was getting ready to go to bed, she heard a knock at the door. It was midnight, far beyond the appropriate time for a social visit. Despite her uncertainty, Anne reluctantly opened the door. There he was, the man who had ruined her career. Robert Mitchell, the highest paid critic in the world, stood in her doorway. He stared at her, not saying one word.
“Out of all the people I’ve met, I never expected to see you here,” Anne exclaimed, hatefully staring into his eyes.
“I understand how you feel. You were treated unfairly, and for that, I’m very sorry. We were wrong, all of us were. As critics, we’re meant to give our opinion, no matter how absurd that opinion might be. I suppose that deep down, we really are jealous of actors. We hate them, because they have real talent. We have none, none whatsoever,” he admitted, letting himself inside the apartment.
“Did I say you could come in?”
“I want to apologize to you. I was jealous of you, particularly of your fame and importance. I wish I could undo what has already been done. Your career is dead, and it’s all my fault. Is there anything that I can do to atone for this? I’m begging you, let me do something,” he pleaded, grabbing her arm.
Anne stepped away from him, doubtful of his sanity. She gazed into his eyes, detecting a slight twinkle of madness. He smiled at her, willfully ignorant of her fear and reluctance.
“I appreciate your apology. Now, if you don’t mind, I really must be getting to bed,” Anne stated.
“That sounds like a good idea. Will you be going to bed alone? It’s cold out, too cold to sleep by yourself,” Robert stated, placing his hand around her shoulder.
At that point, Anne knew what he intended to do. She slowly pulled away from him, fear pulsing through her. Robert turned his head, slightly suspicious of her manic behavior. She stood her ground, unfazed by his flirtatious nature.
“That’s the trouble with you critics, you just can’t take a hint. I’m not interested, so don’t bother coming here again. Who do you think you are, coming into my home like this? You hurt me once, you’ll definitely hurt me again. Because of you, I’m done with acting. Do you think you can erase what’s been done to me? The people have spoken, and the people say that they don’t want me. You could write the perfect review, it still wouldn’t be enough. I’m done with Hollywood. As soon as I get the money, I’m going back to Kentucky,” she hissed.
Robert didn’t respond. He walked to the kitchen, poured a drink, and positioned himself on the sofa. He continued to smile at her, unfazed by what she had said. Anne grabbed the drink from him, before pouring it on his face.
“Well, that wasn’t very nice, was it? You don’t seem to be understanding what I’m saying; I can help you revive your career. It won’t be easy, but, then again, these things never are,” he stated.
“Unless you can help me get a good part, I’m not interested,” Anne replied.
“That’s what I’ve been saying; you already have the part. Shooting begins on Monday, leaving you very little time to prepare. I have the script with me, assuming you want it?”
Anne didn’t know what to say. She had been waiting years for a good part, and now that she actually had one, she was conflicted. On one hand, she could revive her career, but on the other hand, she would have to submit to the man she hated the most.
“What would you get out of this deal? It can’t just be generosity,” she exclaimed.
“I want you,” he answered.
“Me?”
“You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman. I’m ashamed to admit, I enjoyed writing those negative reviews. You were dating another man at the time. I was jealous of what you had with him. I decided that if I couldn’t have you, I would destroy you. That was then, this is now,” Robert admitted, rising off the sofa.
Anne sighed, humbly cowering before him. Robert grabbed Anne and tossed her on the sofa. She started to scream, only to be silenced by his powerful hand.
“What’s it going to be, the street or me?”
“How do I know you’re not making all of this up? You’ve been trying to get with me ever since I came here. I saw you watching me at the airport, all spiffy and groomed. You were a loser then, you’re a loser now,” she laughed.
“Loser, am I? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m the one with all the power. I have influence here, the kind of influence that makes and ends careers. At the click of a button, I can break the biggest names in this town. You only have one advantage over the rest of them. You’re already broken, so I can’t break you again,” Robert confessed.
Anne looked into his eyes, surrendering to him. She kissed him, her lips engulfing his. Robert sighed, overcome with lustful thoughts. He moaned, savoring every moment of their passionate embrace.
“This is business, the furthest thing from pleasure. Just know that when you’re with me, I’ll be thinking of someone else,” Anne whispered.
Anne gave herself to him. They went to the bedroom, where their deal was physically sealed. Without a doubt, it was the longest night of her life. Anne was so desperate to revive her career, she sold her soul in the process. That’s what happened in Hollywood, the place of dreams and nightmares.
The following day, Anne was getting ready to leave her apartment, when she suddenly decided to call Robert. He had left rather early in the morning, almost like he didn’t want to be noticed. The phone rang not once, not twice, but three times. Someone finally answered, only it wasn’t Robert. Strangely enough, it was the voice of a woman.
“Who is it?”
“I’m Anne, Anne Sullivan. Who am I addressing?”
“Mrs. Mitchell,” she answered.
“Is Robert home?”
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. Anne heard crying, terrible and horrific crying. She was about ready to hang up, when suddenly, Mrs. Mitchell started speaking again.
“He’s dead,” she announced.
“Dead? How?”
“He was murdered, by a cowardly and evil man. You should be careful, I hear he’s been impersonating my husband. He resembles him, somewhat. It’s a tragedy, just knowing that he’s on the loose,” she cried.
Anne quickly hung up the phone. Before she could even think, there was a knock at the door. He was outside, patiently waiting for her to open the door. Anne remained motionless, crippled by an impossible situation. Everything stopped around her, everything except that horrible knocking.
“Wait a second, I’m coming,” she whimpered.
The End