Page 1 of The Unknown

One

The island sits in the middle of the lake, a black smudge on the horizon. Although I can see it when the car pulls up to the dock, its details remain elusive, out of reach. Less an island than the suggestion of one.

It doesn’t help that I don’t know the island’s name. Or its size. Or even what awaits me there. The only concrete knowledge I have about the place is that it will be my home for the next five days.

Loretta is waiting for me on the dock, her ensemble as dark as the distant island behind her. Black slacks. Black blazer. Black Wayfarers. Her presence is unexpected. One, she’s the producer and, presumably, has better things to do. Two, I didn’t even know she was going to be here. And, three, I was supposed to be dropped off an hour ago.

Even though the delay was caused by a snarl of traffic near Albany and my driver’s fickle GPS, it’s never good to be late for your first day on the job. Especially one like this. That’s why I spring from the car before it comes to a complete stop, apologies at the ready.

“I’m so sorry! You wouldn’t believe the number of cars on the road at this hour.”

The corners of Loretta’s mouth twitch into a smile that might be sincere or might exist solely to mask her annoyance. “It’s totally fine,” she says. “I’m just thrilled you’re finally here.”

She pulls me into a half hug, finishing with air-kisses to both cheeks. An act that surprised me the first time she did it. I’d always thought that was a Hollywood cliché. And maybe it is. Maybe Loretta Zeverin herself is the cliché, acting the role of high-powered producer because she thinks it’ll help her further climb the ladder.

Fake it till you make it.

Something I have yet to master.

Right now, I actively avoid looking at the people who’ve clocked the black sedan with tinted windows that brought me here and are gathering across the street from the dock. Clearly, word has gotten out that Hollywood has come to town. They clutch their phones, eager to snap a picture of a movie star.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see one woman start to raise her phone. She stops halfway, a strange look on her face that I assume is disappointment because I’m not someone famous.

Yet she continues to watch.

Long enough that I feel compelled to face her full-on.

She’s pretty, in an unassuming way. Twenties, slight build, brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her most striking feature is her eyes. Large and round, they remain fixed on me in a way that no longer registers as disappointment.

It’s envy.

Maybe she also harbors dreams of being in the movies. I suspect I looked just like her a few days ago, when I stopped near the stage door of a Broadway theater on my way to work, angling for a glimpse of the blockbuster actress starring in a play I can’t afford to see. On her way into the theater, the actress locked eyes with me, smiled, gave me a little wave.

I do the same thing now, trying it on for size. My finger-waggle at thegirl across the street feels forced and fake, especially once she looks away mid-wave. I turn back to the car, embarrassed.

“Ronan and the others have already been taken to the island,” Loretta tells me as we collect my bags from the car. “They can’t wait to meet you. We’re all so excited.”

That’s another thing I’ve noticed about people who make movies. They’re always so excited! About everything!

“Me, too!” I exclaim, feigning enthusiasm, when in truth I’m tired and slightly carsick from the hours-long ride to Vermont.

And nervous.

So nervous it makes my legs heavy as we head to a waiting powerboat. Weighed down by anxiety and my suitcase, I shuffle across the dock, trying in vain to keep up with Loretta’s long, confident strides. I feel like a child heading to her first day of school. Will I like it here? Will I make friends? Will Ibelong? Raising the stakes is the fact that this isn’t school but a movie that’s about to be made. Failure is not an option.

“Everything okay?” Loretta calls over her shoulder.

“Just great!” I say, the words obnoxiously loud in the early-afternoon quiet. There’s not another boat on the water, making the lake as smooth as glass. The rest of the dock is also empty save for a man waiting by the boat. He’s a cliché in his own right. An old salt plucked from central casting. Weathered face, gray beard, years of peering at the sun-brightened water giving him a perpetual squint.

“I’m Pete,” he says while taking the suitcase from my hands and hoisting it into the boat. “Welcome aboard.”

“I’m Marin,” I say. “Sorry about forcing you to make another trip.”

Pete sniffs. “Don’t you worry about that. Had to make two trips anyway to get the earlier crew over there. This ain’t no trouble at all. You another one of them actresses?”

“Yes,” I say, and for the first time in my life, it doesn’t feel like a lie.

I am an actress.