Movie Star
by Mike Purfield

Julia Hunt was lost in New Jersey. It was about 2 A.M., rain and lightning fell from the sky, and she had trouble keeping her eyes open. She drove home on the Parkway North from a party in Toms River; her tires planted firmly in the right lane.

A bolt of green lightning stretched across the sky, burning into Julia's eyes. When she regained her orientation, Julia suddenly realized she was on an exit lane.

Julia parked her Mercedes on the side of the unlit road, slammed her hand on the steering wheel in anger, and cursed herself for a few minutes. Woods surrounded her and there was no sign of life around. Julia then thought about the green lightning and wished she hadn't taken that pill that was passed around at the party.

Gathering herself together, Julia started up her Mercedes and drove down the opposite direction, hoping to see signs directing her back to the Parkway. She turned on the radio and blasted the rock station, intending to keep her awake.

The road opened up to reveal a series of strip malls and small business, and chain restaurants, all of which were closed. She was still the only car on the road, not even a cop in sight.

"Fuckin' A," Julia muttered.

The rain died down but there was an echo of thunder in the sky. At least she had that going for her.

Then she saw a bit of hope in the shape of a WaWa. Julia smiled and took a jug handle to the convenience store on the south side of the road. She drove into the parking lot and placed the car in front of the building.

Julia got out of her car, pulled her dress down to her knees (it rode up in the car), clicked on her car alarm, and entered the store. The bells on the door signaled her existence, but no one turned to her. The store was empty.

"Hello," Julia called out.

A clerk, about 19 or 20, came out. She had flat, straight, long brown hair and a butter face covered with puss-filled pimples. Her body was painfully thin under an orange and brown uniform; the nametag said Tina. Her face was red, possible from embarrassment or excitement, and her breath was short.

"Hi," Tina said, heading for Julia.

"Yeah, hi," Julia said, flinching from the girl's appearance. "I'm, a bit lost. Can you tell me what town I'm in?"

"You're in Howl."

"Is the Parkway far from here?"

"The Parkway?"

Tina made such a confused expression on her face that Julia seriously thought the girl was retarded.

"Yeah. You know, the Garden State Parkway," Julia said, annoyed.

"Oh, yeah." Tina smiled wide, her mouth open and snorting up a laugh. "Yeah, it is."

"Well, can you tell me how to get there?"

"Um, no."

"No," Julia snapped.

Tina skittered back, her smile dropping, and fear taking its place.

"Sorry, I don't know," Tina said. "I don't drive. I walk here to work. Also I don't go anywhere. There's not much to do in a t..."

"Maps," Julia interrupted. "Where do you have maps, or don't you sell any."

"Oh, yeah. Over there next to the magazines." Tina smiled and pointed to the glass window across from them.

"Thanks." Julia fake-smiled. She turned her back to the girl, rolled her eyes, walked to the magazines, and muttered, "Dumb hick."

"You're welcome," Tina said. "Yeah, they're right over there. On top, next to the porno magazines."

Julia scanned the maps, purposely trying to avoid the porno mags and avoiding any memory that they brought up about her past.

"Which county are we in?" Julia called out.

"Monmouth," Tina said.

Julia jumped; not realizing the clerk was right behind her. Tina's breath smelled putrid, making Julia step away.

She picked a map up and paged through it, trying to find Howl. But she couldn't concentrate. Julia felt like Tina was staring at her. Julia slowly turned to the girl and looked right into her goofy eyes.

"You know I thought you looked familiar when you came in here," Tina said. "You're Julia Hunt, right."

Julia wasn't sure how to answer. Inside she wanted to yell at the clerk and tell her to shut her fuckin' mouth, but on the other hand, if she did that it might cost her some bad press. She decided to play it cool and smiled.

"Oh, sure you are," Tina said. "Wow, right here in the store. And to think people told me that no good would come out of working the nightshift, that is, instead of being paid time and a half."

Julia couldn’t take it anymore.

"I really must be going," Julia said. "May I pay for this?"

"Oh, sure," Tina said, building with excitement. She took the map out of Julia's hands and ran with it to the cash register.

"I saw all of your movies," Tina said, ringing up Julia's purchase. "Even the old ones where you weren't starring in them, but you had small parts or you were in the background. I know what you're thinking, did I see 'Hot Hotel' back in the eighties where you were the girl who was running down the hall with your top off, yes I saw that. But that's nothing to be embarrassed about. We all got to start somewhere, and you should be glad you did, because look where you are now. Getting Oscar nominations and starring with Richard Gere. Although, you didn't win that one, but you were so good. What was it like doing that sex scene with..."

"How much is that?" Julia managed to ask.

"Oh, $5.08."

Julia took the money out and handed it to Tina. "Thank you," Julia said, grabbing the map without a bag.

"Could I...Oh, Jesus, I'm so nervous, but could I have your autograph?"

Julia saw the grand wonder in Tina's goofy brown eyes and realized that this moment was going to be the biggest in her completely rotten life.

"Sure," Julia said. "Anything for a fan."

Tina squealed and placed a small paper bag and a pen on the counter. Julia signed: To Tina, My Biggest Fan in Howl, NJ. Julia Hunt. Tina picked up the bag, read the words, pressed the paper to her chest, and sighed in relief.

"I really must be going," Julia said, rushing her ass to the door.

"Good night, Miss Hunt," Tina called out. "Drive safely."

Just as Julia got to the door, it swung open and pushed her back in. Two young guys entered with revolvers in their hands. One was black, looking like he stepped out of an N.W.A. video. The other, a white guy, dressed like he stepped off the same music video, but a little more exaggerated. They had pus-filled pimples on their face.

The white guy smiled and pressed the barrel of his revolver to Julia's head, backing her to the counter.

The black guy remained by the door, keeping guard and frowning under his sunglasses.

Tina, behind the counter, held her hands up and sighed in aggravation. "Jesus, Hoezak, what are you doing here?"

"The same thing I do every Saturday night, bitch," Hoezak said. "Robbing this fucker."

"Duh, dufus. It's Friday night." Tina notices Julia shaking. "Oh, don't worry. He's not going to hurt us. Besides, if he did, he knows I would tell mom and she would kick his ass." Tina turns back to Hoezak. "It's been slow tonight, just so you know."

"Whatever, just get started."

"Okay, okay." Tina opened the register and moved the cash into a paper bag.

Hoezak lowered his gun from Julia's face and studied her. Julia tried not to look at him, concentrating on keeping her body still. Hoezak's breath reeked.

"Hey, you look familiar." Hoezak turned to his partner at the door, and said, "Hey, Keith, don't this chicken look familiar?"

"Yeah," Keith said. "Maybe you fucked her."

Hoezak turned back to Julia and looked her up and down. "No, I would remember dipping my dick in a fine ass like this. You ever do any porn? Maybe that's where I've seen you."

Tina turned to their conversation, thoroughly insulted. "Don't you bozos know who you're talking to? This is Julia Hunt. The actress."

"Get the fuck out of here," Hoezak said, smiling. He looked at her face again, this time backing away from her. "Oh, shit. She is. Damn, I was just watching you the other night. What was that movie, 'Terminal Death' or some shit like that. You know the one where you plays that spy chick with that big muther fuckin' gun that blows those niggas away." He points his gun around the store. "BAM. BAM. BAM. Niggas go down. I loves that movie."

"Yeah," Keith agreed.

"Then you had that scene where you take your clothes off and shows us those fine tits and start fucking that one punk, meanwhile there are these bad ass fuckers coming up the stairs going to kill you, and just when they bust in the room yous ridin' that guy, bustin' your nut and shit, and you pulls out your gun and BAM BAM BAM blow those crackers to hell. DAMN! I just pulled out my dick and shot a load out across the room, nearly short circuited my T.V."

"You better watch out," Keith said. "She's looking pretty wet over there."

Julia felt like a chalkboard.

"I bet you're like that in real life," Hoezak said.

"I was acting, it was just a movie," Julia mumbled.

"Sure it was. But I know there was a part of you that wanted to do that. Riding the dick and shooting the gun like that."

Tina pointed at the pup tent in Hoezak's pants. "Uh, oh," Tina said, laughing.

Julia looked down and saw the pup tent.

"Checking me out?" Hoezak asked. "I'm as big as that Hollywood dick you rides in the movies." With one hand, he unzipped and dropped out.

Julia quickly looked up at the sky.

"Go on, touch it," Hoezak urged.

"Put that way," Tina said. She turned to Julia. "I'm sorry. My brother has a habit of doing that. Just ignore him."

"Oh, she's can'ts ignore me. I can tell that little whore is aching to come out," Hoezak said. He pressed his body close to Julia. His penis poked her stomach.

Keith folded over laughing.

Tina laughed nervously, blushing.

"D...don’t," Julia said.

"C'mon, give us a performance," Hoezak said.

"That's not me," Julia said. "Please stop."

"That's you. I'll prove it was you."

Hoezak wrapped his arms around Julia, his hands coasted up and down her body, favoring her ass. His mouth licked and nibbled her neck.

"Don't," Julia said, shivering. Her eyes closed tight, releasing a stream of tears.

"That's right. Say no. I like it when they resist."

Julia deeply inhaled and exhaled. She opened her eyes and looked right at his smiling, pimply face.

"You wanna fuck," she said.

"That's it."

Julia kissed him and pulled him close. Hoezak sloppily slid his tongue in. Julia wanted to puke from the acrid taste, but she had worse from other actors. She then slid her leg between his and slowly moved it up and down, teasing his balls with her knee.

"Mmm, do it," Hoezak moaned.

"Do it?" Julia said.

"Do it."

She slammed her knee into his balls.

Hoezak screamed out in pain, fell to his knees, and dropped his revolver on the floor, favoring to hold his balls.

Keith bent over laughing and propped his hands on his knees.

Tina laughed with him, placing her hand over her hawing mouth.

Julia then kicked Hoezak in the head and tipped him over on his side. She quickly picked up the revolver and pointed it at...

Keith, all serious, stood up straight, pointing his revolver at Julia.

Julia never held a real gun in her hand. She assumed they worked like the ones she held on the sets, except this one had real bullets. Inside, she was shaking, but outside she kept the same poker face as Keith and her gun hand steady.

"We like in one of those John Woo movies," Keith observed. "You ever make any movies with that guy? For a chink, he's pretty cool."

"No," Julia managed to say smoothly.

Tina wasn't handling the confrontation too well. She moved from side to side and kept her eyes on the Mexican standoff. "Hey, why don't we all cut it out and get on with our lives," she begged.

"Hoezak, you all right, man," Keith asked.

Hoezak rolled onto his back. His hands were sandwiched between his legs. "Ah, fuck," he said, eyes wet and bulging. "Fuckin' kill her."

"Okay," Keith said.

Julia fired without realizing. The bullet struck Keith's head right as he pulled his own trigger. Keith's body and brains slammed against the glass door, then he dropped down on his butt.

Julia dove to the floor as soon as she saw Keith's blood, dodging the bullet from the man's gun. She heard the sound of a busted melon behind her and a thud.

Hoezak looked at Keith's dead body sitting with his legs spread on the floor and blood dripping out of the hole in his forehead. His face switched from disbelief to rage as he turned to Julia.

Julia, not able to hide her fear anymore, started shaking her head and whimpered, "I'm sorry..."

Hoezak screamed out and dove for her just as...

...Julia raised the revolver and fired a bullet into Hoezak's neck.

Hoezak dropped down to the floor and grabbed his neck. He screamed and gurgled as his body twitched on the floor.

Julia could only watch him, holding the gun and pressing close to the counter.

Hoezak suddenly stopped seizuring and died.

Julia dropped the gun and, with the help of the counter, pulled herself up onto her feet. She peeked over the counter and saw Tina's body. She had a bullet hole in her cheek and a mess on the floor.

Julia couldn't take it anymore. She dropped the gun, grabbed her head, and screamed.

No one seemed to mind.

Julia calmed down, sucked snot back into her surgically altered nose, and pulled her dress down. All she wanted to do was disappear and find somewhere quiet.

She walked over to the door and pushed Keith off it just enough to slide her body out.

Julia opened her car door and set off the alarm. She screamed out again and then searched with shaky hands for her keys. She turned off the alarm and got inside the Mercedes.

Back on the wooded road, Julia reached for her cell phone from her bag. With one hand, she dialed 911, but the call wouldn't go through.

"Fuck," she said, not too surprised.

The Mercedes suddenly jolted forward and there was a sound of crushed metal behind her. Julia turned around and saw a car shining its high beams in her eyes.

"What the fuck is going on," she screamed.

The car moved away from her rear and into the lane on her left. Julia turned to the car behind her and spotted the drivers. "No fuckin' way," Julia screamed.

Keith, with a bullet hole in his head and a smile on his face, drove the car while Hoezak moved his body out the window and reached out for Julia.

"Just like in the movies, baby," Hoezak called out. "Woo! Woo! Yeah!"

Hoezak reached into the car and took out his revolver. "Here you go, Spy Bitch." He threw the gun at her.

The gun flew through the open window, past Julia's face, and landed on the seat next to her.

"Come on, do it," Hoezak begged. "Just like the fuckin' movies!"

Julia, panting in rage, screamed out, "Fine. You want a fuckin' movie."

She took the revolver and pointed it out her window. She fired off the remaining four rounds into Hoezak. He took the bullets in the chest and head with pure joy.

"Yeah," Hoezak screamed.

Seeing that the bullets had no affect, a fresh load of tears burst from Julia's eyes. She threw the gun away.

Hoezak moved out of the window and stood up on the roof of the car. His dick, still sticking out of his pants, waved limply in the wind. He pointed at his member and scream, "Gonna give it to ya, baby. But I'm afraid I'm gonna need some service to get it up."

"Fuck you," Julia screamed back.

Hoezak guffawed and looked up at the night. He then grabbed his penis and gave it a sharp tug, ripping it off. He howled at the moon, showing joy and no pain at all.

Julia quickly looked away from the stump between his legs and kept her eyes on the open road ahead of her.

Keith moved the car ahead of the Mercedes a bit. Hoezak dove off the roof and landed on the hood.

Julia's eyes widened, trying to keep control of the car.

Keith sped ahead of the Mercedes and way out of their sight down the road.

Julia swerved the Mercedes sharply from side to side, but Hoezak wouldn't give. He held onto the top of the hood with his fingers gripping the wipers.

"C'mon, baby," Hoezak said. "Do what bitches like you on the big screen do the best. Get me hard."

With his penis gripped in his hand, Hoezak smashed his hand through the windshield, shattering glass over Julia. Hoezak moved his arm in a circular motion, chipping the glass, making the hole bigger.

He pulled himself into the car and onto the front passenger seat. With her free hand, Julia started hitting Hoezak. He laughed and waved his penis in her face.

"C'mon, do what you do best," he yelled.

Julia then noticed the car parked horizontally a yard in front of her. Keith stood in between the car and the Mercedes, holding his arms out and motioning Julia closer with his fingers.

Julia twisted the car to the right. The Mercedes skidded sideways into the other car and crushed Keith. The Mercedes, with so much momentum behind it, flipped over the car, moved through the air a few feet and landed on its roof.

Julia dazed, upside down, and with blood in her eyes, realized where she was.

"Leave me alone," she whined.

Hoezak moved close to her and wiggled his penis in front of her. "People like you are never alone," he laughed.

Julia screamed, "Help," then Hoezak pushed his severed dick in her mouth.

***

About one hour after the storm with green lightning, Officer Osco drove down the road and saw the car wreck. He had never seen anything like it. He quickly parked his prowl car, called in the accident, and rushed out.

The first car was across the road and smashed to all hell on the side and top. There was a young black male, also smashed, pinned to the door with his butt a few inches off the ground.

He covered his mouth, hoping the puke won't come out, and moved onto the Mercedes laying on its top. He kneeled down and saw the dead man and woman.

"Oh, my God," he said.

The young man looked so happy, you would think he won the million-dollar lottery. The woman looked worse. Officer Osco noticed the severed penis sticking out of her mouth.

"My God, what the fuck were they up to?"

He then recognized the woman. It was Julia Hunt the actress. Osco shook his head and felt sorry for the woman, knowing how the press was going to have a field day with her and how she was found.

©2002 Mike Purfield

Mike Purfield is the author of the genre-meshed novel "Dirty Boots" and the exe book "Owel and Osmosis." His new novel "Stereo Sanctity" is due out by early 2003. Check him out at www.authorsden.com/mikeepurfield.