It didn’t take long to finish the last scene of the day. “Alright, let’s wrap it up,” Director Tim clapped, standing up from his chair.
“I stink,” Anna muttered. She was covered in mud, same with Ivy as it was a joint scene. She fixed her gaze on Ivy and smiled mockingly. “You look dashing in slime.”
The sarcasm again, she had been doing this the whole day. “While you look like a goddess of mud,” Ivy returned the sarcasm.
Anna looked down at her body, then raised her head.
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“You’re welcome.” They were growing closer in friendship. Ivy initially thought they wouldn’t get along, but here they were bantering.
Ivy did a small stretch, then yawned widely, moving towards the trailer to change out of her costume. While she took off the clothes, she staggered slightly before regaining her footing. She shook her head as her vision felt blurry. The day’s shoot took a toll on her, and she couldn’t wait to get some rest.
She sluggishly wore her dress and grabbed her purse to leave.
Just then, Susan arrived. “I came to check up on you…”
Ivy seemed lost, rehanging her purse on her shoulder.
“Ivy, you look tired,” Susan pointed out and peered closer. “Are you alright?”
“Hmm…” She jolted out of her subconsciousness. “What?”
“Are you alright?” Susan repeated.
“Yeah, I just feel tired. The day was hectic, and I need rest,” she let out a sigh.
“The tight schedule, isn’t it? I’ll plead with Director Tim to give you tomorrow off.”
Ivy shrugged. “Nah, I’ll be fine in the morning.”
“Ivy, you look exhausted,” one of the crew noticed her sluggish movement. “Acting can really be arduous. Please rest well.”
Ivy smiled. “Thank you.”
As they left the set, Susan remembered a certain someone wasn’t present.
“Where is Mr. Black? I don’t see him anywhere.”
Ivy totally forgot about him. He was supposed to have come to chauffeur her back to the hotel by now. “Maybe Za… I don’t know… Let’s just go, I feel sleepy.”
“Alright.” Susan hopped into her car, waiting for Ivy to do the same. “Aren’t you getting in?”
Ivy was struggling to get the door to open. “It wouldn’t budge. Maybe it’s locked from the inside,” she said, dragging the door handle.
Susan got out and helped her open the door. She didn’t use much force to get the door to open. “It isn’t locked, you’re just too tired. Are you sure you’re okay…”
Ivy nodded and slumped in the back seat.
“I’ll tell the director you need a break.” She shut the door and started the car. “Ivy.”
“Hm um…” She responded with a yawn.
Susan chuckled, “To be honest, you look cute when tired.” She turned to look at her and began to laugh out loud.
Ivy smiled tersely and rested on the headrest.
—-
“Hey, I need my phone back!” Edmond kept yelling in the dark alley. They had been playing the game of cat and mouse, and it didn’t look like it was ending soon.
“Shit,” he cursed silently, striding ahead. He needed his phone back; there were so many important things inside that he wasn’t willing to let go.
His heart picked a sound behind him. He veered backward, but there was no sight of the figure. ‘What the hell is going on?’ he began to question his decision of chasing after the stranger. He was supposed to drive Ivy to the hotel.
He turned back to leave the alley, but it was too late. A heavy object was slammed on his head. He staggered, blood trickled down his face. He lifted his face to see his attacker, but he wasn’t given the chance to do so. Another object landed on his head again.
He was at the verge of falling before he felt a heavy punch on his stomach, making him slump to the ground.
“I think he is out.” A low voice sounded.
“This guy is tough, I never knew he would take so much to stun him,” another one said.
“He is a bodyguard, what did you expect?” The other replied, kicking him to the side, showing the state he was in. His face was covered in blood, tinting the strands of his blonde hair strewn all over his face.
“This guy looks hot…”
“Carry him, you fool.” The other argued. “We have no time; be quick.”
The other swung into action, lifting him over his shoulder. “This guy is heavy.”
“Stop complaining and move fast.” He kicked his ankle to get him to move.
Edmond’s hands dangled as he was being carried to an abandoned area. The door creaked as it was pushed open. The smell of dust reeked into his nose.
They let him collapse on the ground with a loud thud.
“Tie him up quickly.”
That voice was distant in Edmond’s head. He tried getting his eyes to open, but his vision was blurred. As he was placed down, he caught a glimpse of a small star constellation tattoo before drifting into the abyss.
“Make it tighter.”
The other began to fasten the rope, pulling more force into retying it. “Done.”
“Let go.”
They locked the door with a large padlock and left the area.
—
Soft music was playing in the background while she drove on the dark road.
“Oh, I love you baby… don’t wanna let you go… hmm… Hm…” She sang and hummed the part she didn’t know, dancing with her shoulders, her hand firm on the steering wheel. “Don’t I have a wonderful voice… Ivy…”
She snorted when she didn’t get a reply. “You never admit that…”
Ivy finally responded with a “Hm.”
She chuckled and shifted her gaze from the windscreen to look at Ivy, but her eyes fell on the rearview mirror. An incoming car was approaching with full speed. “What the hell.” She quickly averted to her right to prevent the car from hitting hers. Thinking she had avoided it, she continued humming her song. “Hmmm… um… um..”
THUD
The car she thought she avoided bumped into hers. “What was that? Is the driver drunk?” She complained, still driving. She didn’t have time for queries because she needed to get Ivy to the hotel so she could rest.
She glanced at the rearview mirror again, sensing something was off. It seemed the driver was intentionally trying to hit her.
He bumped into her again, making Susan step on the accelerator to get a good distance away from him. All of a sudden, her car squeaked and abruptly halted.
She tried starting the car again, but it squeaked again. “Oh my God.” A realization hit her. Her tires were completely flat, she knew that was the main reason the car couldn’t drive smoothly.
As she was about to get out of the car, her eyes fell on the foreboding pair of sinister eyes looming through the rearview mirror.
She didn’t need anyone to tell her what was coming; she instantly knew it was danger.