He sees the basketball coming.
Right at him.
He catches the ball, the team is down by 2, 5 seconds left.
The game is on the line, and his team counting on him to win it for them.
The whole world is watching this very moment
He eyes up the hoop as the crowd looks on in awe.
Only a vise could pressure him more.
He takes the shot, his whole life depending on this very moment.
The ball hangs in the air, floating above the ground.
After an eternity, it makes its decision, as it falls towards the net.
It heads for the backboard, bouncing at a precise 35 degree angle.
It hits the rim, circling the net like a shark.
It drops! The crowd goes wild!
They storm the court, lifting him higher than the clouds.
“We’re on top of the world!” He shouts!
All of this, he has worked for his entire life, starting out from the str...

“CUT!!!!” Screams a man from behind the hoop.
Everyone is silent. The lights dim down and cameramen are revealed
“The line is ‘We finally did it!’ Come on, I thought you knew this!
“Alright back to your places, people, let’s retry!
“This is scene 95, take 13, and... ACTION!”

He sees the basketball coming.
Right at him.
He reaches out, trying to grab 30 MPH of leather coming towards his hands
The ball slips through his grasp like soap, and hits him in the lungs.
The balloon pops, as he loses his breath.
He falls to the floor, his back cracks under the hardwood.
He tries to cry a scream of pain, but there is no breath left.
The man tells him to get up, and take 5.
It is difficult, but he gets back up.
He sits down, gasping for the elusive air. He starts to think.
Think about why he would choose a profession like this.
Maybe it was the money.
Maybe it was the setting, Hollywood is a great place to live in.
And yet, he didn’t live there.
Every time he sat down, he was asked to get back up.
Maybe it was the immaturity.
But he thought it would be fun.
Maybe, just maybe, it was the makeup that it applies to itself.
It was the mascara of all the money you could have.
The lip gloss of the Hollywood streets and store fronts. But underneath, it is scary to look at.
When she uses up all your money, you need to make more.
Her eyes become baggy and wrinkled.
Hollywood is so overrated, it hurts to live there.
And yet, it keeps putting on the lip gloss.
But it needs lip balm, because when you try to kiss it,
you feel the cold, dry lips touch against yours.

It treats you like a caged animal.
Once you are in, you can’t get out.
You can’t do anything else.
People will try to help you out, but once you run out of fuel,
You will plummet down to earth.
Crashing down, crushing all those that surround it.
And you, the lonely astronaut, takes fault for it all.

Is that what I want with my life?
Is it worth it to pretend to be the hero?
I could have been someone who saves lives,
Not someone that acts like it.
Sure, I make people happier,
but at what cost?
People will want to be just like me,
with all my money and fame,
but the real message should be to stay out of it.
Sure it starts out innocent, but it can consume you whole.

I don’t want anyone to be me.

I don’t want it to consume me.

And there is only one way to stop it all.

He sees the basketball coming.
Right at him.
Cut.