Kill the Lights-Chapter 2.4

***

Simon’s eyes turned red like he was going to cry. Mason questioned back “Pardon?” with surprised, and Simon pressed his eyes with his hand and said it angrily.

“If that’s not it, then what is it?”

“What?”

“You cried for an ambulance when you just got a scratch on your hand while filming, and now you said you are okay! Don’t you remember you fainted because your few strands of hair got cut? You were in the hospital for a month because of your broken finger nail… And you said you were okay. What must be it if it’s not a deadly illness?”

“….”

Mason wasn’t sure if this man was offending him, or if Haley was actually mentally ill. He just stayed quietly. Simon thought about something how Mason was acting and covered his mouth and cried, “Oh, god, god, god.”

“How long do you have? Three months?”

“No, I’m really ok… No, well, I do feel little weak, but it’s not that serio….”

“Wait, you don’t even have three…!”

Simon screamed, and Mason blocked his mouth. The director screamed with annoyance, “Don’t you know we’re filming?!” People were glaring, and Mason bow his head.

Mason blocked Simon’s mouth, and he felt something wet and looked at him.

“Seriously, I’m okay. Ah, why are you crying?”

“Mmmm, mm…!”

Mason took his hand off right away seeing Simon crying with his mouth blocked.

Tony and this guy. They cry so well. He couldn’t get used to it because usually he lived with very tough and stiff men that even have brains made out of muscles.

“It’s not like I liked you, no, I didn’t like you. Still we saw each other for 10 years…. Oh my god, you look like my son.”

I didn’t like you more because you resemble that weak, childish, and stupid guy. Simon confessed out of nowhere and covered his eyes with his hand. People were looking at this place. Mason slightly put him into the corner to cover him crying and tried to stop him from crying.

“…I’m not gonna die.”

“Then you will be alive after three months?”

“No that…”

Mason stuttered. He should’ve sure that he is going to be alive after three months, but suddenly he came in thought ‘No, I’m not sure if my eyes are gonna open right tomorrow.’

“Well, of course I will be alive right?”

Mason said it little late, but Simon pressed his eyes again and bit his lips to hold his tears. Mason touched his forehead.

“Liz? Liz, wait I…”

Mason was wondering how to calm him down but heard someone calling for Haley. Tony was standing pale holding the script. Mason talked to him brightly.

“Good that you are here, Tony. Can you tell him that I’m not going to die?”

“No, you are gonna die.”

Tony said it like he was going to burst out tears and replied coincidentally, and Simon leaned his head on the wall taking a deep breath saying “of course….” Mason looked at Tony confused.

“Tony?”

“Simon, I have something to say to our actor…”

Tony pulled Mason and said it with a sad tone, and Simon shook his hand like he understood and bit his lips like he was holding his tears. Tony’s head was facing the ground and took Mason to the corner of the filming set.

“Tony. What death? Why did you say that? He was already misunderstanding… He’s crying, that man.”

Mason said it like he was complaining, but when Tony put his head up Mason stopped. Tony’s wrinkled eyes were filled with tears and tip of his nose was red.

“….What?”

Mason asked with hesitation, and Tony suddenly hand him the script that he was holding.

“What is this?”

“Look. –That , Dan is your role.”

Mason looked at sobbing Tony and looked at the script uncomfortably. The name Dan didn’t come out for a while, so Tony had to turn the page for him to see the scene.

# 42. Behind the building (N)

There was a gun sound, and Dan ran in the rain with bare feet.

Dan (shiver with coldness and shout) Amy! Amy! (finds Amy’s shoe on the ground. Dan is painful) Amy…! (picks up the shoe and looks up)

(Gun sound)

(Dan looks up with tears all over his face and looks at Alfred)

Alfred (smiles dirty) My, I’m sorry about this. This time I was faster.

Dan (looks at Alfred with surprise and looks down his smoking chest. Covers the spot and it starts to bleed. Coughs out blood.) Where is Amy…? (Collapse forward)

“…It’s a dying scene.”

Mason indifferently looked at the script and said it. This is what he was talking about minute ago about dying. Tony felt sadder because of what Mason said. He bit his lips and held his tears.

“Mmm… I think the writers decided to cut you off.”

Tony was shivering like the world was ending and said last month present Chanel bag payment didn’t even start yet how can they do this to us. Mason sparked his eyes saying “Really?”

“This is the only work these days... How are we gonna live without even this…”

“I can just quit being an actor and do something else.”

Like working in a company or opening a shop. Like normal jobs. Mason smiled lightly. He was actually thinking of quitting and just in time the job drops. Continuing from where he came back alive, it was a perfect timing like god is helping him.

“Working in a company? Opening a shop like a normal job?”

Tony said, “Like you will able to do it” with the tone of amnesia is such a scary illness and sighed. He was a precious body who never even bought a single water bottle with his own hand. Working in a company? Opening a shop? It suited more if he said he’ll film AV. (Adult Video aka porn)

“….”

Tony sighed quietly looking at Haley just smiling like he doesn’t have anything in his head. If he had his memory, when he gets this script he will, ‘they are gonna kill Dan? And what is this? Running in bare feet? What if I get hurt? I’m not doing it! Not doing it! Not doing it! Fuck Cougar bastard, I’m gonna kill him!’ It’s good that he is not jumping in anger and just smiling calmly, but he felt bitter thinking he was stupid but got stupider.

“But if I’m gonna die like this, can’t I just say I have amnesia and quit?”

“No. Never. Who’s gonna believe that? It’s not like there was something wrong with the MRI image.”

Nobody even believes that he had a heart attack. It was not like he committed a crime, but he wasn’t brave enough to say that in front of the reporters. He freaked out imagining the situation where he announce Haley has an amnesia. His image was already on the ground. Few days ago he flirted with Raynoah and got dragged out and went to the ER right after and surprised people but now amnesia. Can’t add images of liar or mentally ill on top of slut and druggie.

Mason scratched his cheek looking at Tony trembling thinking about something.

“But it’s true. I can’t hide it forever. You said I filmed this for 10 years. I probably have many people close… Won’t they know right away?”

Won’t they know within a few word? Mason asked, “Isn’t it weirder if I get find out later?” Tony sighed like his head hurts.

“You don’t have close people.”

Tony said it with the tone of ‘you actually have amnesia’ and sobbed.

“You usually don’t remember people and ignore them well. Those people… think you are just being fickle whenever you talk. Don’t mind them.”

“……”

They won’t even notice that I lost memory. I was think if that really made sense, but Tony didn’t seemed like he cared about that. He looked more worried about something else and looked at the script.

“What?”

“No…nothing.”

He shook his head like something wasn’t clear. Mason was about to ask what happened, but assistant director annoyingly shouted, “Haley, are you done getting ready? I told you we are gonna film the next scene right away.”

“Get ready. –Kelly! Can you fix his hair?”

“Since you are gonna get wet, hair is fine, but you need to change your clothes.”

A woman who looked like a staff looked at Mason. Mason panicked and said, “No, I didn’t even memorize the lines yet….” But Tony and Kelly stripped him and gave him new clothes and took away his shoes. It was so fast.

“We are ready!”

Kelly shouted to the director. Mason shout back, “No, no, not yet!” but Tony carried him straight up and took him in front of the camera.

“Sorry, Liz.”

Tony whispered. What are you talking about, what are you doing, why are you sorry, when he was about to say these, he was already in front of the camera.

He looked around, but unlike few minutes ago, the area was very quiet, and everyone had their eyes on him. They are like we will criticize you for whatever you do.

Gray hair old director was sitting on the chair just staring indifferently.

He moved his finger and soon cold icy water started to fall on my head. One staff came and closed the slate to announce the scene was starting and walked away.

Mason fidgeted his body feeling the cold water on his head and frowned. The director opened his mouth.

“Ready, action!”

Cold cue sign was sent. The red light meant the film started and the black lens was pointing at him like a gun prepared to shoot him.