Here and There

I sit down in my chair. It’s not the most comfortable but I know I wont be here long.
Suddenly, a bright light illuminates the stage and I see another man sitting next to me. I raise my hand to block out the light and look around. I can see hundreds of empty chairs in what looks like a TV studio. There is a large camera but no operator and just next to that a small screen showing a countdown that currently is at 20.
“You nervous?” The man next to me asks as he shuffles around the papers.
“A little I suppose, but I was kind of expecting a larger crowd?” he pulled a pen out from behind his ear and started to wright some notes below his script.
“Ha ha I guess you are a bit of a big deal now aren’t you? Probably thought we’d have this place packed by now. But unfortunately we can’t exactly have anyone in here at this present time. Just try and relax, we have fifteen seconds to go.” He finished writing his note and tucked the pen back behind his ear. His blonde sleeked back hair looked like gold in the bright studio light.
“What’s this interview about exactly?” I asked still looking around trying to find any clues to what station or what show I was even on.
“Wow, you just rock up and don’t even know what for? That’s...” he looked up and started staring off into the empty seats, sounding out letters to himself “Impertinent! That’s the word.” He grabbed out his pen again and scribbled through a whole paragraph on his sheet.
“I’m not sure that’s the word I’d use for myself. Look, did we get off on the wrong foot or something? I’m just a little conf...” he raised his hand to me and I looked at the small screen. It was at five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.

“Good morning everybody, welcome to another addition of Brad’s celebrity of the week! Today I’m joined by none other than the writer of such novels as...” He quickly shuffled through his pages. “Ah I’m not entirely sure folks, maybe we can have him tell us. I’m sure once we get him started he won’t be able to stop talking about his many, many accomplishments. It’s Brendon James!” He stood up and started to clap. In the empty studio it sounded so hollow. Each clap echoed around the room, I had no idea on how to respond.
He continued to clap for some time until he finally sat back down with the same force he hopped up with. “Listen to that crowd, it must feel good to finally make it?”
“I suppose” I replied “but I’m still not sure why I am here? You said something about a book?”
“Your book of course! It’s what everyone is talking about! It has sold one billion copies on day one, and has already been picked up by some big Hollywood producers to be adapted into a movie. But that’s not all, it’s also going to be made into a video game! You’ve really made a name for yourself haven’t you?” He turned to me sharply and for the first time I saw his full face. He looked oddly familiar, his blue eyes intensely staring into mine.
“I’m really not too sure what you mean. I have been working on something but I— ”
“Terrific!” He cut in again. “Absolutely inspiring! Now tell us how this all came to be? what was your process? Did you buckle down and write every day or did you work on it over the years?” His intense stare became more unsettling as his tone started to change.
“Well I— ”
“I guess it doesn’t make a difference how you did it because look at you, you did it! You’ve made it and now everyone knows your name. The world is screaming for more and I bet the next thought to come out of your skull will be just as brilliant!” He chose this moment to stand up once again and start clapping. His papers fell to the ground and I could see his handwritten note on the bottom of the page that simply read ‘There and never here.’

“Come on people give it up for the man of the hour, he simply can’t get enough of you all!” His claps echoed around me again, as I looked up from his notes his eyes were still fixed on me with that unsettling, fixed stare. I realised who he was.
“Why is this happening?” I asked
“You know damn fucken well why!” His tone shifted drastically as he turned and towered over me, his face inches away from my own.
“You ask me why this is happening when this seems to be all you care about. You want everything now but lack the willpower to actually achieve anything. Look at yourself, look at me! You need to stop thinking of what could happen and focus on what step you are actually on. Pull your fucken head in and do the god damn work!” His eyes, my eyes I should say, were now starting to tear up. “If you keep doing this, all you’re going to achieve is a pile of incomplete ideas and nothing but regret for the time we have lost!”
“I’m sorry.” I looked away from his intense stare and back to the papers on the floor, even his script was incomplete. “You’re right, this has to stop.” I stood up to meet his gaze. “I can’t keep doing this to myself. This isn’t real, but I am. No more talk, no more imagining my future. I’ll focus on what I am, who I am, and I’ll do what I can right now.”

I reached out my hand and he... I, lunged forward for a hug instead. “I hear you, thank you.”