I entered the studio where the ‘Fountain of Youth’ set was. I looked around, a little marveled at the fact someone made this. It was so realistic, I touched the walls and it felt like Styrofoam. It was nicely painted, and in the far back stood the fountain. If there was no crew here I just might’ve believed that the fountain was the real one. Does that mean I believe in the Fountain? Do I think it’s real? Well myths have to come from some truth, don’t they? What would make so many different cultures believe it was real? Just like Noah’s Ark, many different religions and cultures before Judaism and after say that a man took all the animals in the world and put them on one big boat. Is this the same? I was walking next to Ian McShane, my costar and character’s Father. I liked my character, although we didn’t share much in common besides the need for adventure. Like Angelica I have traveled many places, mostly for acting jobs though. ¨I’m impressed, I won’t lie.” Ian remarked looking around as well. ¨It is a very well made set.” I noted looking at Ian. “Where’s Johnny?” When Ian said Johnny I knew he was talking about the star of the movie Johnny Depp, who plays Captain Jack Sparrow. Johnny Depp was a character, I loved him. He was so sweet and so kind. He always made me laugh, no matter what. In fact, he made the whole crew and cast laugh. That’s one of the reasons I loved him.
When we got to the fountain, someone in the crew directed me, Ian, and Johnny off to the side. So I did as instructed, but Johnny did not. “Is there anything I could do to help?” he asked. Classic Johnny, always caring about others. “I don’t really know-” the director was interrupted “I’m sure there’s something I can do!” Johnny insisted. “Does anyone need help with anything?” the director announced. Someone flagged him over and Johnny helped bring some cameras and items over. “Want to practice our lines?” I asked Ian. “Sure, why not?” He put his script down and made eye contact with me. I was going to read from the script but I didn’t want to seem like I was incompitent or something. So, I placed mine down right next to him and made eye contact. I must admit in character he is very intimidating. Just the way he looked, all dressed in black, and his voice was a little raspy, and to top it off, he’s also murdered many people. But I had to remember, Angelica is intimidating too. She has morals and goals and she wants to complete them, and she’d do anything to do it. “You take it Father, for your soul.” I tried to display my emotions as best as I could. We skipped Johnny’s lines and proceeded. “This one takes life?....This one has the tear and gives life?” He pretended to hold a cup. He acted like he was drinking from the cup and I tried to incorporate the concern and betrayal in my face. Once again we skipped Johnny’s lines, “Angelica….Save me my child.” I pretended to grab a cup and drink it. “Hey are you guys practicing?” Johnny says budding in. “Yea-” but before I can finish the director calls out “Alright Penélope, Johnny, Ian I need you on stage.” I look at the boys then, jog lightly to the fountain. “Here lay here, you're dying okay?” a random crew member pointed out. “Yes I know, thank you.” I replied laying down, Ian laid down as instructed as well. . Johnny runs off stage so he can run in the beginning of the scene. “Alright, is everyone ready?” the director calls out. “Yes!” I reply, indeed ready as ever. I start to roll around dramatically and so does Ian.
Johnny runs on stage with the cups, “Drink this! This one has the tear.” he tries to hand me the cup...You must drink the other.” He points the other chalice to Ian. “No!” I called out. “I cannot save both of you, one of you must sacrifice.” Johnny puts his head down, I pause looking at Ian trying to picture the thoughts that must be running through Angelica’s head. ‘Do I save myself or my Father?’ “You take it Father, for your soul.” I say looking at him with pain in my eyes. “Captain Teach, she’s dying. You must save your daughter!” Johnny explains. Ian looked at me and as Angelica, I felt the belief that maybe he wouldn’t be such a bad Dad. Maybe he would sacrifice himself…..for me? “This one takes life?” he pointed at the cup next to himself. “This one has the tear and gives life?” his eyes glittered. “Aye hurry!” Jack hurried. My heart spiked as my Father reached out his hand, but he grabbed the cup of youth. ‘How could he?’ I thought to myself. He drank it and I watched with a worried look on my face. He was still my Father, and I loved him but my hopes started to leave me as I watched. Jack looked at him in disbelief. “Angelica...Save me my child.” My Father nodded at the cup. It was too late now to go back, and he was the only family I had. I nodded and snatched the cup from Jack, and drank it all. “No…” Jack said. I looked up at the smirk on my Father’s face. “I love you, Father.” I smiled knowing I was about to die. But he didn’t say it back. We both stood up as Jack walked away, until he stopped midway. “Wait a minute..” he mischievously grinned. He made a weird face and came trotting back towards us. “In fact, it might have been the other way around.” We both looked at Jack in surprise. That meant, I was going to live and my Father would die. ‘Please just be joking Jack!’ I thought. “This cup had the tear, that one had the other bit.” He smirked, I shook my head. “Trickster!” my Father called out. “Devil!” he screamed. “Father!” I called out, my eyes watery. He looked down at his feet, where he started to panic. That’s when I snapped back to reality, I’m not Angelica, the editors of the movie are supposed to edit the death scene. It felt like one big dream, a dream where I’m a fearsome pirate. For an instant I thought I was on some tropical island and about to die for my Father. That’s not my Father though, it’s Ian McShane. But right now I have to pretend that he is, and that he’s also being sucked away into dust. How horrible that must be to see. I looked down at my hand pretending it magically healed. I looked at Ian and started to realize Johnny wasn’t kidding. “You bastard! How could you?!” I shouted. “Your Father saved you!” Jack shrugged. Not on purpose I thought. “Perhaps his soul is now redeemed, eh?” he snickered. Then we looked at a spot the crew had told us to look at and Ian started to shake a bit. They blew wind on him with giant fans that made an annoying screeching noise. My hair flew around, in my face and in my eyes. Ian slowly shook his hand out and I looked sadly as it happened. Tears ran down my face, and then the director called a cut. I got up and dusted myself off. “Good job guys.” Johnny smiled. “I totally zoned out, I actually thought I was Angelica for a second.” I remarked still in a little daze. “That my dear is the beauty of acting.” Johnny was always so poetic, another reason why I love him.