Kill the Lights

Mason frowned at the feeling of cold rain drops and looked at the Director side. He gets how ready action means to start but has no idea what to do. What was my first line? No, the line only was ‘Amy!’

“Amy….”

Mason said it awkwardly, and the Director shouted “Cut!!!” through the megaphone like he was waiting for it.

“Hey, you didn’t see the script? Can’t you do it well?”

Mason was about to honestly say he wasn’t able to look at it well, but Tony came running with a towel and said, “Please hold it for today. Huh? Today is the last day.” Mason closed his mouth.

“There, we are gonna start right away. Come out.”

Because of the Director’s shout, Tony couldn’t even open the towel and went out carefully.

“He looks stupider today. What’s wrong with him, like a newbie?”

“He was like that whole 10 years why do you care suddenly? He’s the guy who forgets the lines when he wakes up.”

Ah, right. Derisive laughs were coming from everywhere. Simon gave them a sign, and it became quiet soon, but the whispering stares were still there.

A man with a cap came and insincerely said, “Run to that side and shout” and left. Again, Mason got the cold stares from the people and the camera.

The Director gave them a sign, and the water started to pour out.

Ready action! The Director gave him the cue sign, and Mason ran and shouted, “Amy! Amy!” Soon the Director waved his arm and shouted cut.

“Cut! Hey, Haley. Are you looking for a neighbor’s dog? Faster, look around more desperately!”

He stood up and shouted loudly with the megaphone.

“Got it?!”

The voice was asking for an answer, and Mason said, “Yes” and nodded his head.

“….What?”

The Director asked back like he didn’t hear it.

“Uh… I said I will run faster and more desperately.”

Is it something wrong? Mason answered it clearly, and the Director looked at him with a weird expression for a while.

“….Director?”

The Director focused again hearing someone calling for him soon he bit his lips. He had an expression like I won’t leave you alone and called out “Action!”

“Am…”

Even before Mason was able to say the word Amy, the Director shouted “Cut! Cut!!” He shouted at the watering machine that the rain was too weak, and soon a strong rain started to pour out like pouring with a bucket.

The Director saw the pouring rain and looked at Mason triumphantly. His expression was like ‘How is it?’ but Mason calmly asked, “Should I start again?” His expression changed to frowning.

“……”

Mason pretended to touch his face and sighed. He felt the Director’s ill intention from the beginning, but when he was caught off guard on purpose, the Director seemed madder than before. If he tells what he wants, it will be better, but he properly won’t say it.

In the past in Zii, Mason had a superior who didn’t like him like that Director. In Zii superior case, Mason didn’t catch off guard, so the superior applied lead in his gun that Mason was trying to take it to the battle field. Luckily he found it beforehand and after he came back, he beat that bastard, so he can’t get up for six months in the hospital.

After that his colleagues or superiors told themselves not to offend him too much.

But this time, I had no idea how to make him feel better. If I just do whatever they tell me to do, those mercenaries whose heads are filled with muscle will feel better, but when I just nod at what he’s saying, he looked worst.

Actually Mason didn’t get why the Director is making such a triumph face just because he was running in bare feet in the rain. It’s not like pulling out finger nails or toe nails. It’s just walking a few steps under the cold rain.

He did feel like his body temperature was going down, but it wasn’t serious. Many other times when he had to hold his shivering and breath to wait for the target in the rain, compare to those time, ‘shivering from the cold’ is not just a stage direction, and it's something very natural reaction.

No matter how strong the rain drops are, those are not even a bullet there is no way there can be a damage from it.

But the Director thinks the rain is some kind of a great weapon, he waved his arm and made it stronger.

“–Action!”

After the cue sign, Mason started run and shout “Amy! ….Amy!” He pretended to run desperately without knowing who this Amy is. This time a script flew right next to his head. He unconsciously dodged it and looked at the Director. The Director’s face was bright red.

“I’m sorry.”

He quickly bowed, and the filming set became really quiet.

“….Should… I cut?”

Somebody with the camera asked the Director, and the Director shouted “cut!” little bit late. The Director looked mad like something wasn’t going as he planned. Tony came running with a big towel.

“Are you okay? Cold right?”

“Well, it’s not that bad.”

Mason shrugged his shoulders, and Tony twitched like he was shocked.

“What's wrong?”

“No, no. It’s not that bad to lose your memory…. I just go emotional by myself so don’t worry.”

Tony had a crying face and carefully dried Mason’s face and trembled.

“Who is Amy anyway?”

He asked wondering who this Amy is, and Tony said “Hm?” and looked around and pointed “It’s her.” There was a small person behind Simon who's looking at this way with a worried face. It was a small red hair girl.

A little girl? Mason looked at the girl with a curious face and turned his head when the Director called, “Haley!”

“Think about it. Who is Amy? Is it a sex partner you met last night?”

“No.”

That small girl can’t be a sex partner he met last night, so he answered no. The Director screamed, “Yes it’s not! You lost your daughter in this rain where a serial killer is roaming around. How can you act so calm?”

A daughter? –Mason frowned little bit, and the Director was still nagging. Tony was keep saying, “Sorry. It’s gonna be over soon. I don’t know what’s wrong with the Director today.”

Mason looked at the girl with a set expression who was looking at this way behind Simon’s leg.

“Tony. I don’t want to do this…”

“Uh, what, what? –Ah, Director, our actor is ready. Let’s start right away!”

Mason said it with dislike expression. Tony got surprised and pretended he didn’t hear it and hurried the Director. He ran away and hid behind the staffs, and the Director said it like he was warning him again.

“This is your last chance, Haley. How long are you gonna make us film only your part? Can’t you see other actors are waiting?”

Mason took a glance of that little girl named Amy. The girl looked little annoyed because of his stare.

“……”

Mason sighed. That child’s role is… a daughter that I lost… I really wanted to say I don’t want to do it, but before that he heard the Director’s cue sign.

“Action!”

Mason bit his lips and ran in the rain. A camera followed him right behind him, Mason pant as much as he can like the Director asked and shouted, “Amy.” Somehow I felt like my throat was choking. Mason purposely shouted louder.

“Amy!”

Between the rain and the wind, part of his past passed by. He felt like the rain that’s smearing into his lips tasted bitter.