“What is the crux of emotion we want here?”
He looked at her. “He’s lost his queen and the baby princess is sick, perhaps dying. He’s devastated and feels totally alone.”
“Okay. Good. Now, what do you see when you’re up there in front of the camera? What is going through your mind as you speak these words?”
He shrugged. “I see...the crew...the director...the fake forest painted behind the castle. And what is going through my mind? The only thing going through my mind is getting through this speech without losing my way.”
“Okay. Let’s try this. You’re going to go back to your mark. You’re going to ask Betty for a moment. In that moment, you’re going to close your eyes. Your baby princess is April, your beloved April. I want you toseeApril. I want you to see her sick, in bed, feverish, eyes glazed over, her brow wet with sweat. April is sick and dying and you risk losing her. What does your heart say?”
His eyes misted over at the thought.
“There you go,” Sonya said, pointing to his teary eyes. “You’ve got it. Now go do that in front of the camera.”
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
He returned to the set, took his mark and asked Betty for a moment to get centered. After a moment, he raised a single finger and opened his eyes.
“Action,” Betty called out.
“I’ve been a wretched king. I’ve always done as I pleased. I discarded those who no longer served me and never once considered my actions.” He looked out of the window.
“But now. Please, Lord. Leave me my precious daughter. I am a man of few words, and my connection with you, Lord, has been weak, even non-existent at times, but I beg of you now. This kingdom means nothing to me if I don’t have my little princess. The loss of my queen is devastating enough.”
The king bowed his head low and gripped the edge of the window. A painfilled growl emanated from deep in his belly and came forth with such conviction, startling those watching. “God!”he cried out. He opened his eyes, now filled with tears. “Do not punish me so. I am an imperfect man, but my daughter...my baby girl...this princess...”
He fell to his knees, holding his head in his hands as he wept.
Betty was so moved, she forgot to yell ‘cut’ and the cameraman had to nudge her.
“Cut. That was fabulous. I don’t know what Sonya told you, but it worked.”She turned to the few cast members still on set. “Okay. That’s it for today. Good job, everyone.”
The cast and crew dispersed with Sonya watching every one of them. Nothing was out of the usual, just tired workers eager to get home.
The sun had gone down well over an hour earlier. Sonya looked at Dr.Ang who gave her a silent nod. She headed out into the darkness, out to her bungalow. Not far behind her, Dr.Ang headed out to his new home. April, as planned, headed to the cafeteria.
On reaching the corner to her house, Sonya circled around and returned to follow April from afar.
Just as she was about to enter the cafeteria, Dr.Ang shouted from a distance. Sonya bolted, running as fast as she could to find Dr.Ang in the arms of a woman fighting hard to bite into his neck.
Sneaking up from behind, Sonya gave the woman a swift kick, forcing her to release Dr.Ang. The woman, pale and angry, turned to face Sonya.
“You?”Sonya said, her gut twisting.
Connie, the beautiful and regal queen, stood there, her fangs looking for flesh to dig into.
“This can’t be,” Sonya muttered. “Connie. I’ve known you for weeks. This...this isn’t who you are.”
Connie’s mouth cracked into a wicked grin and she nodded.
“But, you can’t be the Bat, can you?”
“The Bat? Silly, misguided Songbird. I may be a bloodsucker, but I am no Bat.”
Sonya tried to make sense of the queen before her. Had Connie always been a vampire or had she recently turned?
“The Bat is of ancient times. I am still a novice...a baby in the vampire world. Perhaps in a thousand years or so I will have the Bat’s abilities. But for now...”
“Then it can only be Zwick. You are his subordinate. Zwick controls you, right?”
