AuLiCha: Introductory Challenge

There is nothing like sweet oblivion. That sleep so deep, you don't even dream and when you wake up, you can't believe it's been 8 hours. I truly love it when I can sleep but I love my mom even more. Although, I could have done without the ice water used to wake me up. I came up sputtering. Adrenaline pushed my heart rate to the breaking point. It was the soft flop of a towel tossed at my drenched face that snapped me out of it.

It took a moment before her voice lost its mumble to my sleep fogged brain, “What time do you have to leave?”

"Huh? Um, what time is it?” I could see the frustration in her face and instantly knew that I'd overslept... On the couch. I hadn't even made it to bed it seemed.

“I'll go put your stuff in the car. Wake up Mandy and get ready.”

The clicking of claws on the hardwood floor briefly grabbed my attention. Dragging my vision past the neon blue digits of our DVR's clock, I realized I had maybe twenty minutes before I would be pushing it at the security gate. Bolting off the couch, I hurried upstairs. Of course, in my rush, our dog took to my heels adding his thumping steps to my own.

Mandy, my oldest, had just as bad sleeping habits as I. She was sprawled diagonally across her bed, half hanging off and tangled in blankets with her light still on. I couldn't help but smile. Motioning for Kail to stay at the door, I went the direct route and started tickling my snoring teen's exposed foot. Which, I would probably regret doing later since it caused her jerk and face plant right onto the floor. She growled, grumbled then rolled on her side and fell back asleep. I didn't have time for this. With a pat on my thigh and a point, two hundred pounds of all too happy to please, Great Dane, trotted over and stuck his face right in hers. A few seconds of hot dog breath and some drool was all it took to rouse her from dreamland.

“Ugh, Kail!” floundering against the cocoon of blankets, she tried to push his muzzle out of the way, only to earn a wet nose right in the ear. “Alright, I'm up! MOM! Call the dog!”

“I'm right here,” I was struggling to hold back laughter as she put our pooch into a headlock and sat up, blinking back her shock. “Get up, we've got like fifteen minutes before I've got to leave.”

Another groan rumbled from her throat, “Why didn't you wake me up sooner?”

“Your Nana woke me up.”

“Oh...”

Bleary eyed and stumbling, she disentangle herself and shoved Kail towards the door, where my son had sneaked up on us. Rubbing at his eyes, he didn't see the small horse of a dog coming at him until he was gently pushed out of the way and against the wall. His scowl said it all. Five in the morning was far too early for all of us.

"Alright, no more dawdling, we've got to get going or I'm going to miss my flight. Zac, help Mandy get your sister up and brush your guys' teeth. I've gotta go get changed.” I hurried out of her room to the sounds of sleepy hums of agreement.

From there it was a whirlwind of chaos. Three kids, two bathrooms, two adults trying to contain it in their own ways and one huge dog that worked wonders as a roadblock every time I tried to go into a different part of the house. Somehow though, we managed to get out the door in twenty minutes. Only five minutes late, that wasn't bad. Insomnia had chocked up a tie score for the morning – on the downside; I slept through my alarm. On the upside; I had everything prepared and ready to go, so I wasn't running around looking for anything. Now with three kids, fighting sleep in the back and blinding lights illuminating my face as I tried to apply eye liner in a moving vehicle, we hurried our way to the airport. I got my hugs and kisses at the drop off zone and hurried inside to the lingering promise of gifts upon my return.

With boarding pass in hand, I took a quick detour to Cinnabon, giggling to myself with C.K. Louis commentary in the back of my head. This was such a horrible breakfast treat, but it was hot, fresh and that smell! Cinnamon buns should be listed as a narcotic.

Sweet, gooey, yumminess and the blessing of hot coffee joining my trek to the gate, I was finally ready to fly the friendly skies... In a sardine can. Now, I'm not all that big. I'm definitely not that passenger which no one wants to sit next to. But, my God! The jets these hopper flights use are ridiculous! Two seats to each row, an aisle that only a super model could walk head long down and leg room rivalling a kiddie roller coaster was what I would get to enjoy for the next two and a half hours. At least my seat mate had had little to no interest in striking up a conversation. With a look that screamed, 'just rolled out of bed', he dropped his seat back the moment he could and was out before the flight attendant could offer him a pillow. I envied him for it. While I probably could have slept like the dead for a few more hours at home, I had been woken up, which meant I wouldn't be seeing the blackness of sleep for at least another day or two.

Shrugging off the depressing jealousy, I pulled a thick packet of papers from my bag and settled in to reread the script I had been sent. Ever since I could remember, I wanted to do something with movies. As a child, I was fascinated with Disney. I always wanted to work on drawing the characters or voicing one of them. Later, I got into writing, then editing but I never really got a chance to focus on my true dream – voice acting. There was just never any time. Between raising three kids and having to pay bills, the whimsical fantasy of any full time artistic job seemed improbable. Another reason to love my mom. I'd moved to a new state and gotten back on my feet after a drug out divorce. Living closer to my mom allowed for so much more freedom, from debt. Daycare is just shy of highway robbery.

When I had told her I was going to put myself out there as a voice actor, she had been sceptical. How would I work around my schedule? Was the pay worth it? How much did an agency charge? All of these were perfectly sane questions, which I had reasonable answers to. Truthfully, I hadn't expected much. I took a few jobs reading for the blind on a local radio station. I didn't get paid for it but I got something for my portfolio. Add in some commercial voice overs after that and I was starting to get hopeful.

Then it happened. My agency heard about an audition for a feature length animated film. It wasn't a big part by any means. Think the dresser from Beauty and the Beast compared to Mrs. Pott's role. Small part or not, I was determined to land it. I begged my agent to give me a chance despite being a novice and he finally caved. I was given two hours to prep then it was right into the studio to record my initial audition. I had to give a small singing sample and read a snippet of the script with only the most basic of details given to me about the character. I redid it about five times, seven for the singing. When my agent was showing signs of strangling me, I finally accepted the playback and forced myself to leave. It was all in the hands of the casting director now.

One week. Two weeks. Four weeks! Almost two months later, I finally got the call that I was bumped up to the second round of auditions. The catch? I had to fly to California and audition in person. At my expense. Enter the scales of improbability. Could I afford it? How good were my chances? How many other people would be there? How bad did I want this?

My mom bought the ticket.

I owed her so much for that, and I focused that gratitude into memorizing the script from the moment I got it. Through one plane ride, a lay over and a second flight, I barely lifted my nose from the pages until I stood before the row of taxi's outside of the airport. I was here. My audition was at 3 PM. Sliding into the back seat of an ageing cab and handing him the directions, I looked at the time on my phone; 11:30 AM. I had a few hours to get there, and I was heading straight to the casting office. There was no way I was going to risk a tourist trap and miss my audition.

Traffic in California is a study in overpopulation. I was passing the driver his fee at 2:05 and all but running the last two blocks to the office, so I wouldn't be late. I just hoped that none of the others decided not to show, or I was screwed!

Out of breath, and pretty sure my calves would never cramp free again, I tried my best to steady my appearance as I shakily approached the front desk. With trembling fingers, I signed in, just barely able to chalk up a smile in reply to the receptionist's pleasant greeting. The last thing I remember, as my nerves set in, was stepping into the elevator before I was standing face to face with the door that barricaded my shot at my dream. It was right there. Just beyond layers of veneer and particle board. 2:27. A deep breath and a shivering exhale, I stepped in to the door opposite me opening.

“Jennifer Harms?” A stern faced woman with slim glasses riding the tip of her nose, looked to the other four women left in the waiting room then settled her gaze right on me. She repeated my name, and obviously the blank look on my face told her all she needed to know. “Follow me, please.”

That was it. That was my focus. Clinging to that, I stepped through the doors to a panel of bland eyes and monotonous voices. I would give it my all, because that was all I had left.