“Thank you. I’ve been working on my regal stance. This king is a little lofty, isn’t he? Haughty even.”
“You’ve had a regal stance from the very first moment I saw you.” And it certainly explained how April was so exceptionally poised and graceful. No doubt the young girl emulated the distinguished steps of her adoptive father.
“As for lofty and haughty, you bring much humanity to this noble man.”
He laughed and Sonya marveled at how easy it all was. Her time with April was precious and always engaging, and her moments with Dr.Ang were easy and comfortable. Anyone walking into her bungalow would have thought they’d all lived together for years like a family. It pained her to think that it would end in a day or two. If she’d had things her way, they would have stayed with her until the end of the shoot.
Then again, she could understand Dr.Ang’s eagerness to find a real bed.
“Dinner’s ready,” April called out.
Sonya set the script down and turned to her. “What do you mean, dinner’s ready? Did you make dinner?”
“Of course. You’ve been working with Dad for two hours now. Someone had to think of what to eat,” she said with an amused laugh.“I made my specialty. Macaroni and cheese...and not the boxed kind.”
As with every other meal they’d shared, the conversation leapt from the script, to Hollywood, to Zwick and to vampires. Fortunately, April and Dr.Ang knew that Sonya was a vampire.April, herself, had a blood disorder, which Dr.Ang had been trying to cure for years.It helped Dr.Ang to study vampires to understand April’s disorder, which made him a specialist in this area as well as being a scientist and inventor in technology.Although a far cry from the spacious country home Dr.Ang and April shared on a vineyard in California, here in this cozy bungalow on a studio set, they shared acting tips, spoke of the oddities of Hollywood and the dangers of this new wave of vampires. Throughout it all, the small house was filled with laughter and mutual affection for one another.
To anyone watching, they were a family; plain and simple.
“Tomorrow’s the big day,” Sonya said. “Are you two ready? Any last-minute questions.”
April finished her last bite of macaroni and clasped her hands together. “I’m ready. I can’t wait.”
*****
MARION HAD BEEN REPLACEDwith a young man, Lionel. His peroxide bleached hair was as straight as straw and looked just about as dry. He had an earring in one ear and rings on every finger.
But beyond that, there was something familiar in the eyes, the turn of the lips. Sonya immediately noticed a resemblance and said so.
“Marion was my cousin,” Lionel said.
Sonya sat down, instantly going back to when she’d found Eddie in the very same chair. Chills ran up her spine, and she tried to push the sense of discomfort away.
But as Lionel did her makeup, a growing sense of foreboding gripped her. Soon April would sit in the same chair. Would she be safe? Was the Bat still roaming about?The thought shook Sonya and she gripped the arms of the chair, her nails digging into the vinyl.
Stop being so paranoid, she told herself.
Lionel worked quickly, much faster than Marion ever had, but it felt rushed and imperfect. Looking at her reflection, the effect was the same at a distance, but the small, feathery details were missing.
“Next!”Lionel called out as he spun the chair around.
Kitty came in as April took the chair. “Betty is ready for you, Sonya”
“In just a minute,” Sonya said, unwilling to leave April alone. Being with Lionel didn’t count. If anything were to happen, she felt certain he would be of no help.
Kitty didn’t question her. She simply nodded and walked away.
No way, Sonya thought. No way was she going to walk out and leave April in the very same place Eddie was drained. Whatever had gotten to Eddie and Marion was still out there; still haunting the cast and crew.
“Your nervous energy is making me nervous,” Lionel said with a touch of annoyance. “Why don’t you come back in an hour or so?”
“Has anyone told you what happened here?”
“In a manner of speaking,” he said with disinterest. “Someone died. The king, I think.Another one went missing.” He shrugged, unmoved by the events. “Crap happens.”
Sonya glared at him. “The ‘other one’ who went missing was your cousin, Marion.”
He looked at her, a dumb look on his face. “Oh, yeah. Right. Marion has always been a little flighty. She probably just got fed up and left this place.”
