Chapter 39: The Passage of Time
It has been three months since the shooting for the Blair Witch Project began, and after stopping the initial shoot, Jason and the crew went back for more.
Now, they had over twenty hours of footage to edit and make a movie out of. A meeting was called for all those who worked on the project, and I was on my way there.
The first person I saw was Scarlett, who was standing by the door to the room where the meeting was being held.
There were many changes in this world. Some movies didn't exist, some actors were undiscovered, or sometimes older or younger; others had vastly different lives. There were also some new movies and TV series.
Scarlett's smile widened as I approached. She leisurely took a sip of her coffee and held my gaze as I walked towards her.
"Hello, Miss Johansson. I hope i'm not late."
"No, Mr. Adler, you are right on time," she replied. The way she said my name, drawing out the syllables, it made my heart skip a beat.
"I thought I told you to call me Daniel" I said playfully.
"And I remember asking you to call me Scarlett" she answered back with the same tone.
"So, how was shooting the movie?" I ventured further, eager to keep the conversation going.
"It was cold and wet for most of the time," she replied.
Her gaze lingered on mine.
"But it was the most fun I've had in a long time. Too bad you didn't visit much; I would have loved to have you there," she added, moving closer to me.
The distance between us shortened, and her presence enveloped me in a way that heightened every sense.
I could smell her perfume as she drew near.
'Wow this really is happening,' I thought.
"I wish I could have been there more," I admitted.
"Maybe I can give you a more private performance," Scarlett suggested, her voice lowering to a whisper. Her proximity allowed her to close the distance further, ensuring that her words were for my ears alone.
"It would give you a taste of what you missed," she continued, with a playful glint in her eyes.
"And perhaps," she paused, her gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that made my pulse quicken, "we could..."
Suddenly, the door opened, and Scarlett quickly stepped back.
"Hey, Daniel, you're here," Sam said, looking at both of us.
"Am I interrupting something?" he asked.
"No, no, we were just talking," I answered.
"Oh, we are going to start soon, and Scarlett, Dave was asking for you," he said and went back inside.
"I guess I'll see you later," she said with a smile.
'Damn you, Sam,' I thought as I followed her and Sam inside.
All the cast and crew were here, and Jason began the meeting.
"We've wrapped up some additional shooting recently, and with that, the filming for the movie is over," Jason declared.
Everyone gave a polite applause.
"It's going to take us a few months to put everything together," Jason added.
"How long?" Derrick, the second male lead, asked.
"Well, we do have the luxury of time on our side, so until we get a product that satisfies everyone. By my estimates, maybe six or seven months," Dave answered.
"The most important part of the movie is going to be how it's marketed, and Daniel has come up with a marketing strategy for it," Sam said, nodding to me.
I then explained the marketing strategy for the movie. Sam and I had discussed it in length before. It was going to be difficult, but I was sure it would work. The marketing team was now working on it. It was going to cost me a lot of money, but I knew it would be worth it.
"So, you're saying we should stay out of the public eye for a while?" asked Michael, the first male lead, looking a bit concerned.
I acknowledged the concern.
"I understand it might be a bit unconventional, but trust me. To make it worth your while, I'm prepared to offer additional compensation for this period of laying low."
There was a murmur of agreement among the cast.
"Thank you, Daniel. It's reassuring to know that you're thinking about our well-being too," Scarlett responded, gratitude evident in her voice.
"Let's all work together on this. With careful planning and execution, we're setting ourselves up for a massive success," Sam concluded.
The meeting ended, and I stayed behind with Sam, Dave, and Jason as the others left. Everyone was excited for the coming months, and morale was high.
I hoped everything would go smoothly as the investors were making some problems for Chris, but I was sure he could handle them.
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It was the summer break, and we decided to take a vacation to Greece. It was amazing; I had always wanted to go there ever since I started looking into Greek mythology when writing 'The Lightning Thief.'
"Wow," I exclaimed as I laid eyes on the Acropolis.
Mom checked her guidebook; she had practically planned everything out for our trip.
"First stop, the Parthenon. Did you know it was dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom?" she said as she led the way.
Nathan chuckled, adjusting his sunglasses. "I'm just here for the souvlaki and the views, but you do realize I'm a college professor, and your son literally wrote a book based on Greek mythology."
Mom gave Nathan a glare.
"Go ahead, Mom," I said to her.
"Just let her do her thing," I whispered to Nathan, who quickly agreed.
In Santorini, as we walked through the picturesque streets, I asked Mom and Nathan to take a picture.
"Let's get one with the sunset in the background," I said.
As we were taking the picture, a cat photobombed us and startled Nathan so much that he stumbled into a nearby vendor's display of handmade pottery.
"Opa!" the vendor exclaimed.
"I guess we're buying a few souvenirs," Mom said, trying to contain her laughter as the vendor chewed out Nathan.
Our visit to Delphi was no less memorable.
"According to legend, the Oracle of Delphi was always high on natural gases that seeped through the rocks," Mom said, reading from a book.
I Inhaled the air dramatically. "I can see the future" I said.
"It's all downhill from here for the world"
'Yeah I was not joking' I thought as i watched mom and Nathan laugh at my antics.
As our journey concluded, I decided that I should really travel more. Maybe Italy next time; I've always wanted to visit Rome.
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"It's been seven months already, Sam. Why is it taking so long?" I inquired.
The shooting for The Blair Witch Project wrapped up in February, but Jason decided to film additional scenes, extending the process by another two months.
Following that, we dove into marketing, while Jason and Dave tackled the editing. I was hopeful it would only take six months, as they had estimated, but it was becoming clear we needed more time. From what I had seen of their work so far, it was impressive.
The marketing strategy was also lagging, as we opted for a slower approach to let the viral campaign gain traction.
So far, the plan was working, and interest in the story was steadily building. Last month, we had the leads start to lay low in public, reinforcing the narrative of their disappearance after releasing photos online. Despite attempts to debunk the story, a substantial disinformation campaign preserved the mystery surrounding it.
"Danny, sometimes things don't go as planned. Delays are inevitable; you have to understand that," Sam reassured me.
"Yeah, I know," I conceded, sitting down.
"Chris was here yesterday and was really impressed with what we have so far. But the two shareholders are still making a fuss over the movie."
"I don't understand their problem," I said, frustrated.
"They want the company to head in a specific direction, and this project doesn't align with their vision," Sam explained.
"Chris owns the studio, though," I pointed out.
"Only partially. He started it with their capital, so they have a say in its operations."
"Damn, can't he buy them out or something?"
"There's not enough money for that. Look, Danny, don't worry. Once the movie is a success, they'll have to back down," Sam tried to reassure me.
"I hope so."
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Sea of Monsters was released at the end of the year; it was the first book published by my new publishing company, Infinite Worlds.
Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the book has become a hit. I was doing promotion for the book and was in New York making an appearance on Good Morning America.
"Ready, Mr. Adler?" asked one of the production assistants.
"Yes, let's do this," I said, standing up.
She led me to the studio where two chairs were set up. The host was already there. We had already talked about the questions he would ask when I arrived. We exchanged greetings again and sat down for the interview.
"3...2...1...and we are rolling," the director announced.
"Good morning, Daniel! It's a pleasure to have you with us today," the host greeted.
"Thank you, it's wonderful to be here," I replied.
"First of all, congratulations on the success of 'Sea of Monsters.' How does it feel to top the bestseller list again?"
"The response to the book has been incredibly positive, and I'm hopeful that the readers will find as much joy in it as they did the first," I answered.
"You've become a household name with these books, Daniel. How has life changed for you since?"
"Life has definitely changed. It's busier, for sure," I said, chuckling. "But I try not to think about it too much; I'm still me..."
The interview continued. It was the same questions every interviewer asked me, but this time a new question was asked, one I didn't expect. I guess I should have, since this was a bigger show than the others.
"So, Daniel, I understand you're collaborating with Stardust Studios on the movie adaptations for your book series," the host mentioned.
I nodded.
"The question on my mind is whether you'll be venturing further into Hollywood, beyond just adapting your books," he probed.
I paused for a moment. Did he know about Blair, which was a leak?
"Well, I might have something in the works," I admitted.
"Oh?" The interviewer leaned in, intrigued.
"Like I mentioned, I can't reveal much, but it's definitely something that will get people talking soon," I said, hoping he wouldn't press further.
"Thank you, Daniel, for joining us today," he then turned to the camera, holding the book in his hands. "And don't forget to check out 'Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,'" the host concluded, wrapping up the interview.
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[Haley Commentary]
"I have been trying to get Daniel to ask me out on a date for what feels like forever. Every time we talk, I drop hints, hoping he'll pick up on them," Haley said with a voice that carried a hint of frustration.
"I even tried the 'study date' angle last year, but he was too focused on the studying part to the point where I passed the class with grades that I thought were impossible to get."
"Don't get me wrong, I love how dedicated and focused he is on things; it's one of the things that attracted me to him in the first place. But I wish he'd pay a little more attention to what's happening between the lines."
"I mean, he has to be interested, right? Maybe he is shy no that's not it,"
"Or maybe there's someone else," Haley said, panicking.
"No, no, I am thinking too much. I am sure he got the hints and is planning to ask me out any day now."
[End Commentary]
Daniel POV
I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling, my mind racing with thoughts of Haley. I knew she was interested in me and wanted more than just a friendship, and I wanted it as well. I had been thinking about the perfect time to ask her out, but my busy schedule kind of messed things up. I hadn't been to school in weeks and had missed some days before as well.
"Tomorrow," I muttered. Tomorrow I will be returning to school. I'll ask her out then, no more waiting around.
I decided to go downstairs where my mom was with Lucy.
"Daniel looks sharp in these photos," I heard Lucy remark while scrolling through the snapshots from an event in New York.
"Did you select his outfits?" Lucy inquired of Mom.
"No, it wasn't me. Some girl did," Mom replied.
"She has a name, Mother," I interjected, entering the room.
"Who's this girl, Danny? Have you finally found yourself a girlfriend?" Lucy teased.
"It's just a girl from school; she blackmailed him into going shopping with her," Mom interjected. She seemed annoyed.
"Mom, I've told you a million times. I lost a bet, and her name is Haley. Why all the animosity towards her?" I countered.
"Haley, huh? Maybe you should get her to pick out your clothes more often; she's got a good eye," Lucy suggested.
"You know what? I'm going to ask her out," I announced.
"Why would you do that?" Mom questioned, surprised.
"Because, Mom, I'm 16 now and I've come to realize that I've never been on a date. My romantic life is practically non-existent," I explained.
"He does have a point, Mary," Lucy chimed in, glancing at Mom.
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I was planning to ask Haley out for a date today. I was looking for the perfect opportunity when an argument with Matt and John led me to do it.
"Oh please, Danny, like you're such an expert," Matt challenged.
"Yeah, right. I don't think you can lecture us about getting dates," John added, backing up Matt.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" I asked.
"When was the last time you went on a date?" John asked.
"Yeah, Danny. You're practically a monk," Matt added with a sly grin.
"I can ask out anyone at any time. It's not a big deal," I shot back.
Just then, I saw Haley walking into the hallway.
"You know what? I'm going to ask a girl out right now," I declared.
"Really? This I've got to see," Matt said.
"Watch and learn, boys," I boasted and walked to where Haley was.
"Daniel," she greeted as I approached.
"Haley," I replied.
"And here I was thinking you'd forgotten about little old me," she teased.
"You know I've been busy," I responded.
A smile formed on her face.
"Yeah, I know. I saw you on TV," she said.
"I wanted to ask you something," I began.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me," I said, finally pulling the trigger.
For a moment, there was a long silence between us. Haley looked like she was expecting this.
"Like a date?" she asked.
"Yes, I am asking you out on a date," I clarified.
"I'd love that, Daniel," Haley replied.
"Great, Saturday then?"
"Saturday it is," Haley confirmed.
"Good. I'll text you later," I said before ending the conversation and returning to Matt and John.
"You did it. You actually did it," Matt said, looking at me.
I offered them a smug smile and walked past them, with both of them following behind me, asking questions.
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[Haley commentary]
"He asked me out," Haley said excitedly.
"I knew he would get the hints it eventually" Haley with a smug smile.
[End Commentary]
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