Don't Be Afraid To Ask

*36* Annie

That day I understood the meaning of my strange dream.

— You wanted to meet First, didn't you?  — Perth asked me, sitting on a chair in front of a small screen, on which we had a preview of the currently recorded scene.

We just had a moment off in between two scenes involving Fluke, Perth, Ohm and Zee.  NuNew was absent due to passing important college exams, as was Nat.  Fortunately, we were able to record these shots without them.  Som, our make-up artist, took care of creating artificial wounds on Zee's face.  They should look realistic, as if he really just had a fight with a dangerous demon.  In this scene, the demon took over the body of Ohm's Max Verstappen, a Formula 1 driver who in this story had an older brother, played by Kao Noppakao Dechaphatthanakun.  I've already yelled at our lighting guys for not making the night scene feel like night at all.  They argued that if the lights were turned off, little would be seen.

— Then we'll set up small light sources.  The big lamps just get in the way.  The whole event takes place at night in a dirty, neglected, poorly lit alley.  Viewers are supposed to feel the emotions accompanying our characters, and in this way they will not feel anything.  We will play music, shadows, movement of the characters, then their faces will not have to be so perfectly visible - I said, feeling as if I was the director and all the details were on my head.

So when Perth asked me about First, I was very surprised.

First Kanaphan Puitrakul was another actor I absolutely wanted to have in my series, but neither he nor Khaotung Thanawat Ratanakitpaisan with whom he appeared in "The Eclipse" did not show up for the audition, even though Khao had sent us his application beforehand.

— Yeah, but he didn't show up for the audition, he didn't even submit his application.  I was hoping he would come, I had a special role for him to play.  Eeeeh — I sighed heavily at the end and reached for the thermal mug in which I had prepared coffee earlier.  I took a few sips before Perth answered me.

— I think he had a good reason for it.

— Good reason?  I mean what?  He's already playing in another series and that's why he couldn't find time for us?

— No.  First will probably not play anywhere else.

— What?  Why? —  I abruptly turned my face towards him to see his worried expression.  His eyes had never been so sad.  I had a feeling he had some bad news to tell me, but I wasn't expecting the worst.

—First is dying, Annie, and that's why he asked me to arrange a meeting with you — Perth said it calmly, bluntly, without beating around the bush, without trying to soften the message in any way.  He was as brutally honest as his words were brutal.

—  What did you say?  First... what?  —  I asked to make sure.  I felt like I had been hit on the head.  And also in the belly.  Suddenly it went dark before my eyes.

* * *

— You shouldn't have said it so bluntly —  I heard a familiar deep voice above me.  I haven't dared to open my eyes yet.  It quickly dawned on me that I must have fainted.

— What was I supposed to do? You know I don't like understatements.  Besides, we don't have much time, Khaotung said the doctors aren't optimistic.  They think First has only two months left —  Another voice answered, and I recognized Perth Nakhun.  There was only one thought in my head: "First is dying." First, who played Akk so perfectly in "The Eclipse", First, whom I wanted to meet so much, hoped to work with and whom I wanted to pair with Khaotung.  An indescribable grief squeezed my heart and squeezed tears from my eyes, which were quickly noticed.  — Annie?  are you awake?  Everything's all right?