Back at school, Catherine decided to tell Lily about it.
After all, she had written the script for Lily.
A script that a few college students could write and film back then shouldn't be impossible for them to complete—especially since Catherine's mental age was almost that of an adult.
"Lily, do you want to make a movie?"
That was the first question Catherine asked her.
"Make a movie? What?"
Catherine briefly explained the plot.
"I'm still working on the story. Ida has already agreed to star in it, and I want to as well. But we don't know who to choose for the male lead…"
That was a problem.
Maybe because of her own experiences, Catherine had always thought, I don't need boys. I can do it myself.
"I don't need guys! I can do it myself!" Lily said with a smile.
"Look, the cinematographer can also be the main character—doesn't that sound interesting?"
"Uh…"
But the original story did have a guy, didn't it?
Should she change it?
Catherine thought about it and decided it didn't really matter.
The main plot might need some minor adjustments, but it wouldn't be a big issue. After all, in this movie, the protagonist mainly served to link the different story threads together. Acting was important—very important—but what truly made it a success was the hype.
Of course, that didn't mean acting was useless. If the actors couldn't convey a frightening atmosphere, the movie would fall flat.
"Even though I prefer taking photos, using a video camera won't be a problem for me. My dad is a photographer. Maybe I can ask the photography club for help. What do you think?" Lily said excitedly.
In any case, the story was just a concept for now; she hadn't officially started writing it yet.
And honestly, it didn't cause much of a stir. Lots of people make student films. Even nowadays, countless movies are made with budgets of just a few thousand dollars, but only one in ten thousand ever becomes famous. Most of them are screened only in school auditoriums, either for personal viewing or as reference material.
December arrived.
The manuscript for The Blair Witch Project was still unfinished.
After all, it was a screenplay, not a novel, and it required extreme care. The original story had already been revised, and even Catherine herself wasn't completely sure about it yet.
But more importantly, there was a proposal from the paperback publisher.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was scheduled to be released on December 10, and Catherine had been invited to do a book signing.
It was probably a promotional strategy. After all, Catherine was only twelve years old, and the fact that a girl that young had written such a successful book would naturally spark curiosity—even among people who hadn't read it. As for Harry Potter, Catherine had also revised it, making it more appealing to American tastes. Having lived in the United States for twelve years, she naturally understood what people liked. This blend of fantasy and reality attracted not only children, but adults as well.
And coincidentally, the holidays were approaching.
In the United States, winter break overlaps with Christmas and the New Year, making it fairly short compared to the three-month summer vacation.
Finally, December 10 arrived.
"Harry Potter was written by Kate?! Oh my God…! I didn't even ask for an autograph!" Lily complained.
"Maybe we should treat her to a nice dinner or throw a party?" Lisa laughed.
Everything was ready, but Catherine hadn't expected her classmates to show up at that time.
What surprised her even more was that all of them were Harry Potter fans.
Good heavens! When had she ever seen them reading her books?
"I thought it was just a name coincidence, but it really is our Kate!"
Many names are repeated in Europe and America, and there are fewer common surnames than in China. Although there are plenty of creative names, most are meant to stand out.
Fortunately, perhaps sensing how important the day was to Catherine, her classmates simply smiled and handed her their books without saying much.
However, even if her classmates didn't cause any trouble, the other fans couldn't contain their curiosity.
"I didn't expect you to be so young… Oh dear, my grandson really loves your book…"
"Thank you."
That was an elderly woman holding Catherine's hand.
"Will you go out with me, big sister?"
"No."
That was a boy about nine years old.
"What a lovely young lady… Oh, forgive me. Your book is so good I'm completely absorbed in it."
"Sir, don't forget the real world."
That was a middle-aged man in his forties—probably a World War II survivor, and likely also a poor poet and an escapist.
In short, the book signing was a success. Even though her hands ached, Catherine finally let out a sigh of relief.
After all, even Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings had once been criticized for "escaping from reality," sparking major controversy. It had only been fifteen years since the end of World War II, and the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union was steadily intensifying. No one knew whether a Third World War would break out. In the face of negative emotions surrounding war, public opinion tended to be critical.
Even if criticized, the overall trend wouldn't change—but Catherine still hoped to leave a good impression on the media. The media might not have much influence, but they could certainly be annoying.
After everything was over, Lily and the others gathered together.
That was when they realized that the script Catherine had come up with for The Blair Witch Project actually seemed pretty good—but they weren't thinking about that at the moment.
They were like Columbus discovering a new continent, excitedly bragging about their classmate of the past six months, while Catherine's parents quietly drove away. (Catherine was only twelve, and a guardian had to be present for such an event; otherwise, U.S. law could become very troublesome. But with her classmates there, there was no fear of any issues.)
"Oh my God, Kate—you wrote Harry Potter! You know, I've always wanted to know who the author was."
Lily was holding a $15 hardcover edition and a $50 collector's edition—the full-color version with countless illustrations.
Those illustrations had also been drawn by Catherine herself. She had never formally studied art; she jumped straight into digital drawing, even sketching her line art on a computer. It was just a hobby she did in her spare time. Still, she had picked it back up. While it wasn't exceptional, it was definitely above average.
Interestingly, since her rebirth, Catherine had found that she learned everything very quickly, sometimes without much effort at all—which was incredibly convenient.
However, she had only illustrated the first three books. As for the remaining four, she simply didn't have the energy.
"Maybe we should celebrate Christmas this year~" Lisa smiled.
"Uh… maybe not," Catherine suddenly said.
"My dad's taking us to Seattle for Christmas… my mom's always wanted to go there."