The Acting Job
by The Gripper

"I can't believe this is happening!" She thought to herself as she stood naked (well, half naked) in front of the mirrors. Just a few short days ago Emily was considering giving up her quest to become an actress when her agent contacted her about a part in a low budget film being shot in town. The film was about a doctor who discovered how to grant women immortality. Emily was playing the part of a rookie television journalist sent to interview the doctor at her home in LA. Yesterday morning she read a few lines to the movie's director and by afternoon was told to report to the set the next day. She was surprised by the rapidity of the decision, but the director explained, "Emily, you were chosen in part because of your relative inexperience in front of the camera. We will be doing a special effects scene involving your character that will require two things: nudity and a genuine reaction to what is happening t- around you."

Earlier that morning, they had shot the first scenes involving Emily's character, Ms. Emily. In these scenes, Ms. Emily interviewed Dr. Asudem, a doctor of relative obscurity who had made the incredible discovery over 25 years ago. She claimed to be almost 50 years old, but had the appearance of someone in the mid to late twenties with a body most men would die for. "Dr. Asudem", the interview began, "what is the secret to this immortality that you have boasted of? Why is it that only women can achieve this?" "Well, Ms. Emily," the doctor responded, "the process can't be easily explained. Basically, I have found a method of reaching some of the untapped potential of the female mind and using that energy to mentally create, enforce and enhance a belief of living forever. For reasons I don't fully understand yet, a physical manifestation of the belief that I help the patient achieve becomes a reality. The reason that this works only on women has something to do with the differences in brain structures between men and women." "Dr. Asudem, this is going to be difficult to explain to our viewers. Frankly, I don't think that this will be well received.", Ms. Emily responded. A look of anger crossed the doctor's face for a brief instant and then she smiled to Ms. Emily, "Yes, I can see that this amazing discovery could be ridiculed. Why don't you come back tonight with your camera crew and I'll arrange a demonstration."

"Emily", the director's voice came over hidden speakers in the room, "remember that you have no lines in this sequence. We just want to catch your genuine reaction to what is happening. Roll cameras!" "Ms. Emily", it was now the doctor's voice that she heard, "tell me what you see in the mirrors." Emily panicked for a moment, she wasn't expecting to have to speak, but it seemed appropriate. "I see myself." "Very good, Ms. Emily.", came the reply. "Now, in order for this demonstration to work properly, there must be no distractions of any kind. That is why the room is completely mirrored. Now I'm going to rotate the platform you are on slowly so that you better understand this." The platform began rotating. As the platform moved, Emily felt a slight tingling sensation in her legs, barely perceptible. She ignored the sensation. "Ms. Emily, I am going to flood the room with various lights in a few moments, so I want you to place the opaque contacts lenses on your eyes to protect you from the strongest bursts of light." Emily opened her left hand, exposing two white contact lenses. They appeared to be opaque. She placed one on each eye. The doctor continued, "Very good, Ms. Emily, I am now switching on the lights." Emily saw blurred, color lights dance in front of her eyes. She felt the heat of the more intense lights on her bare breasts. "I will now clear your vision so that you can see the lights dancing about the room." A second later, the opaque lenses became clear and Emily could see normally again. She watched flashes of colored lights seemingly dance around the room, the effect of the mirrors, no doubt, but why was the platform still moving? "Who are you?" came the doctor's voice again. "I am Ms. Emily." "No! Who ARE you?" the doctor repeated. "I am Emily.", she responded. Emily instantly realized her mistake. She expected to hear the director yell "Cut!", but this never came. Inwardly, she relaxed. "Emily", came the doctor's voice again, "keep watching yourself in the mirrors. Do not look up nor down nor side to side." The platform began to move a bit faster, intensifying the pattern of the lights. "Emily, spread your legs apart and raise both of your arms so that they are at shoulder height, pointing away from the sides of your body." Emily did as she was told, thinking that the scene would have to be shot again as both of the actresses were no longer using Emily's character's name. "Very good. Now observe yourself in the mirrors. Do you like what you see? Do you want to be forever this young, appearing as you are now?" "Yes." came Emily's reply. "Keep watching yourself. Focus all of your attention on your image in the mirrors." Again, the platform sped up. It wasn't a dizzying speed, but any faster and she would have difficulty concentrating. The tingling sensation she felt earlier was back again, a bit more intense. It seemed to be up to her waste now. It was a mild sensation and she was in the middle of a bizarre scene, so she decided to continue ignoring the sensation. What seemed to be minutes passed. Emily began to feel tired. Her arms dropped a little, but she quickly regained her original stance. "Are you feeling tired?", came the doctor's voice. Emily did not reply. She continued to focus her attention on her image in the mirrors. "Emily, do you want to remain forever young as you are now?" As she had done previously, Emily responded with a 'yes'. "Emily, I am going to blur your vision again. Keep looking into the mirrors." The contact lenses became opaque again. She saw the blurred images of light playing upon her mind. A moment later the lights were gone.

From an unseen panel in the ceiling above, a curtain was lowered around Emily. She was now rotating within the curtain. When the curtains completely surrounded her entire body, a warm glow enveloped her body, relaxing her. This continued for several minutes. Just as she was beginning to feel the slightest tinge of being uncomfortable, a white mist began spraying from the curtain's vertical support rods. The mist cooled Emily's body, relaxing her further. The intensity of the mist slowly increased to almost car wash intensity and then began to diminish. The curtain was slowly raised from around her body. Again, the blurred lights played upon her senses. "Look into the mirrors, Emily.", the doctor's voice said. Emily's vision cleared. She did not see herself at first, but then realized that the image in the mirrors was hers. She was pure white from head to toe! Even her hair was white. Every strand had been turned white. There was another difference, she was now completely naked! "Continue watching the mirrors, Emily." The platform sped up a little more. Emily didn't notice. This helped dry the paint. As it dried, it gave a shine to Emily's coated body. The colored lights were now bouncing off of her, as well. Several minutes later, the platform slowed noticeably. "Emily, you want to remain young like this forever, unblemished by age, unblemished by mortal flesh." This phrase was repeated for several minutes. "Emily, you feel yourself becoming the image in the mirrors. You see a statue. You are a statue." As the phrase was repeated over and over again, the tingling sensation she experienced earlier became stronger. It was now spreading through her torso. The doctor issued a command "Emily, place your left hand on your left breast. Place your right hand against you inner right thigh." Without a thought, Emily did as she was instructed. When the tingling sensation reached her neck, the previous phrase was shortened, "You are a statue."

An hour later the paint was completely dry. The doctor shut off the lights and stopped the platform. With the director at her side, the doctor entered the mirrored room. Emily was still perfectly poised.. She did not blink. If Emily was breathing, the doctor couldn't tell. The doctor knelt in front of the frozen image of Emily and began running her hands up her body. At some level of consciousness, Emily felt the doctor's hands. When they caressed her private parts, she felt surges though her body. The doctor felt the temperature changes in Emily's body. "Emily, you ARE a statue. Statues don't feel. Statues can not feel. You are a statue." Emily's mind finally accepted her new identity and began to shut itself down. The doctor felt Emily's body grow colder. "She's almost ready.", the doctor said to the director, "Get ready to wash off the paint." It took only a few minutes for Emily's body to cool to room temperature. The director poured a paint solvent on Emily's body and hosed it off. Strips of latex flaked from Emily's body and flowed down a drain in the floor. As Emily's last bits of consciousness were slipping away, the doctor removed the contacts from Emily's eyes. "Look into the mirrors, Emily. You have achieved immortality." Emily watched as her still white body began to change in subtle manners. Her skin was becoming shiny with flakes catching the light and reflecting it, causing her body to sparkle. She noticed her eyes changing color... becoming white. Her vision blurred and finally vanished. She had given her first performance this day, but it was not to be her last. Emily was purchased by a private art collector who was immediately captivated by the sheer perfection of the statue. He ran his hands over every curve of the immortalized Emily, the smoothness and coolness of her form exciting him. This sculpture was perfectly detailed down to the individual strands of hair on its head and even its sexual organs. The 'actress' who portrayed Dr. Asudem had given the collector one simple instruction before releasing Emily to him, "Don't touch the area around her private areas, lest you share her fate." The collector contemplated the meaning of these words and almost yielded to temptation. As his hand came closer to the statue's right hand, he felt a tingling sensation and pulled his hand away. Perhaps temptation will get the better of him another day, but not today.

Could be continued...