Olivia Hildebrand drained the bottle of beer. She took a long drag on a cigarette and stubbed it out on her expensive Armani dress.
She tripped, one of her Gucci heels had broken, and landed on the ground. She looked up at the Hollywood sign looming brightly over her.
‘This is how it ends then.’ She stared at her own face. ‘Not even a big enough star for a wax museum anymore.’
Well, it had been an exhilarating ride while it had lasted.
She hurled the head away and watched her younger face smash to pieces on a rock.
Written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).
To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.
Feature photo – © Richard Lund
Iain Kelly 
95 responses to “FADING STAR”
Thrilling
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The interesting thing is, despite the ravages of time and the unfeeling world, she seems quite calm about it
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Drunken acceptance I was going for, she’ll be back on her feet after the alcohol wears off.
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Nicely drawn portrait of bitterness and disillusionment.
Good stuff, Iain.
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Bitterness and disillusionment – we writers have got plenty of experience to fall back on there. 🙂
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I love the link to the prompt! And a nice message in this piece too. Great title!
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Thanks Jessie, very kind.
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Photographs of our younger selves are bad enough – thank God I’m never going to be famous enough for a waxwork.
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Thanks Liz, I always find the waxworks look a bit dead behind the eyes anyway, quite sinister. Speaking of sinister, thanks for the photo prompt this week!
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So poignant. How quickly some stars can fade.
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Some burn brightly and quickly. That’s the fickleness and vanity of society though. Thanks Louise.
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I loved what you saw and where you took us. Nicely done!
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Many thanks!
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A real Sunset Boulevard feel to this Iain. Tragic and yet inevitable too – no one’s star shines forever. Love how you’ve written this.
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Thanks Lynn, nice to be compared to a film classic!
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My total pleasure 🙂
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Dear Iain,
I was thinking of a particular Twilight Zone myself. Stardom is such a fleeting thing. You captured the fading starlet brilliantly.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s such a shame that for a lot of actors, women especially, stardom is related to looks and youth regardless of talent. Thanks, glad you liked it.
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Very well written and poignant, Iain. You’ve captured the feeling well — the feeling of somebody resigning to despair and defeat after a life of striving (and self-destruction). It made me think of that line from Eliot: ‘This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper.’
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Resignation was what I was going for, and there’s not whole lot you can do about getting older. Maybe she’ll get one last hurrah and go out with a bang!
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Sunset Boulevard supreme.
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Thanks 🙂
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Excellent. Made me think of the old Westworld and the Faceless Men in Martin’s books.
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Thanks J Hardy.
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Loved it!
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Thank you!
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Perfect mood for this photo.
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Many thanks.
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Great story full of passion.
My only thoughts would be to re-visit the second paragraph. You have two sentences starting with she and could mix it up a bit.
Liked the reference to the wax museum.
xx Rowena
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Thanks Rowena, and thanks for the suggestion. I like the repetition of ‘She’ as it is, I like to try and keep it plain and simple. Iain 🙂
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If you haven’t seen it already, I highly recommend the 1950 film “Sunset Boulevard starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson. Swanson plays a formerly famous actress who has “aged out” but dreams of a big comeback.
Some of the cast include silent film stars Hedda Hopper, Buster Keaton, Anna Q Nilsson, and H.B. Warner. Your wee tale reminded me of the movie.
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Thanks James, I have a copy of it somewhere, been a while since I watched it, always worth revisiting. Glad my story reminded you of it.
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Excellent take on the photo prompt. It’s same everywhere for female stars especially. beautifully written.
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Thanks Indira, unfortunately no sign of it changing anytime soon.
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That’s true but hoping for the best.
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She doesn’t deserve an Armani dress. Even a drunk lady knows not to use it to stub out a cigarette.
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That’s how low she’s gone! 🙂
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That’s not low, that’s stupid 🙂
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Very Gloria Swanson. Liked it.
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Thanks Sandra
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Nicely written. Acceptance tinged with tragedy
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Cheers Dave.
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I sensed an older actress, unsuccessful auditions, rumours in the tabloids. I felt her resignation alright! Maybe if she had built her career on more than just her looks, she could be Betty White, or Meryl Streep, or my favourite, Helen Mirren.
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Thank you. Sadly I think even talented actresses (and some men too) can be cast aside when their looks fade, maybe she just needs to start auditioning for different kinds of roles.
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To bad society judges people so much on their looks instead of their intelligence and creativity! 🙂 Great story!
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Thank you, and I agree – not just for actors either!
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No, it’s not. I had a good job in sales with an electronics retail store, and after my accident (and facial reconstruction) the District’s GM fired me. Reason given: “You’ve lost the “cute” value.” Had nothing to do with the fact that I was at top sales that earned me $10K @ 2% commission on sales in only fifteen minutes that morning. I haven’t been able to find any steady work since.. That was 21 years ago.
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That’s a horrendous story. Hopefully things have changed in the last 21 years to make sure that doesn’t happen anymore. And the District GM is no longer in a position of power.
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Actually, the entire company has been sent into virtual non-existence, shutting down 98% thereabouts of their stores. Karma bites! She laughs.
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Ha, they got what they deserved definitely 🙂
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Everyone said what I wanted to… excellent portrayal of Hollywood’s cruelty…
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Thanks Dale, always value your feedback 🙂
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The limelight does fade, but the indignity of having your wax figure booted… Nice portrait of yesteryear’s star.
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Yeah, definitely a blow if they return your wax head in the post! Thanks Trent 🙂
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Star today, meteorite tomorrow! Oh well.
Click to read my story!
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Better to have soared brightly through space than have never flown at all. Or something like that. Thanks Keith.
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I must admit I gasped when I read the part about the cigarette being snuffed out on the dress. THAT line, to me, said it all.
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Thanks Alicia, glad a detail like that had an impact!
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I was caught up in this dark tale, then the last line made me smile, until I realized that this is a still a tragedy. Well done.
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A tragedy of sorts. She still might pick herself up from here. Thank you.
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Excellent, Iain. I enjoy the Hollywood scene, but I like the take on the prompt. Super!
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Many thanks
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‘Not even a big enough star for a wax museum anymore’ – great line, but such a sad story.
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Thank you, much appreciated.
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Poor gal. Fame is so fleeting. The public is always looking for something new and fresh.
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Thank you
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It’s a terrible day when even your waxwork gets retired 🙂
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It’s not a good day, that’s for sure!
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Brilliant
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Thank you
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Tonight my to comment won’t flow, but you wrote a fine story.
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Thanks Michael
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it’s definitely one of your best. well done.
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Many thanks.
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Just listened to the story of Peg Entwistle … though she was not old yet, being discarded is harsh in Hollywood…
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Expertly captured dillusionment
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Thanks Michael.
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The pathos of a fading star aptly portrayed. The sadness, the disheartened feeling…loved it
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Thank you, much appreciated
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I love the final line–it tells us a lot about her. Nice take on the prompt!
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Thanks Emily!
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I am taken aback by how some former stars look when they are older. The sad thing is, I think they still see themselves as they once were. Nicely told.
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I think your right Clare, very few grow old gracefully. That might be society’s fault as much as the individual’s. Thanks.
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It’s hard enough aging in my simple world (back pain this week, knee last week), but brutal in Tinsel Town! Very evocative, Lain.
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Thanks Dawn. Better to grow old gracefully out of the limelight 🙂
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Nice. Throwing ones own head away that’s a striking image.
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Thanks, I thought so.
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It must be hard when that adulation moves on to others. It takes a strong personality to cope with fame, and a stronger one to cope without it.
Nicely told
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Thank you.
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Better the wax face shatters than the real one. She seems resiliant despite the disillusion. Great atmosphere.
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Thanks, I think she has the resilience to bounce back once she gets over the set back.
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Good take. I was with her the whole time.
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Thanks Dawn
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Some Hollywood actors less reliant on good looks for stardom, seem to command leading parts right up until the end of their lives.
This story is a wonderful example of how cruel the whole scene can be to those who are no longer useful.
Such a fickle world.
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Fickle indeed, thanks Sarah.
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