THE DENTIST and OTHER SHORT TERRIFYING TALES

The Director: Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The Director

"Great read through, everyone."

The faces of eager actors nodded in agreement and smiled broadly.

"We'll begin shooting in the morning. You'll have the rest of the night to prepare. Remember, we're on a tight timeline and we need to get a lot done over the next few days. Understood?"

"Yes," they said in agreement.

I stood up from the table and walked back to my trailer.

"Sir?"

I spun around. "Yes?"

"I just had a quick question," asked Benjie.

"Shoot," I responded.

Benjie ran his hand through his dark locks. "I was just wondering about the final scene."

A smile played on the corner of my lips. "Yes?"

Benjie frowned. "It's, well, there's going to be a lot of..."

"Blood?" I said with a chuckle.

"Blood and then some," said Benjie.

I looked down at the worn copy of the script in my hands. I knew it by heart. Every last terrifying word.

"How will the special effects work?" asked Benjie. "I know there's a makeup team here, but it seems like there's going to need to be a small army to create that scene."

"Oh, we'll have a whole host of people joining us for the last day of shooting. It's really going to be a team effort," I said with a wink.

***

Three Days Later

"Benjie, you've really done a great job."

"Thank you so much," he said with a grin. "Filming this movie has been absolutely amazing!"

Giving the young actor a pat on the back, I smiled. "Your contribution to this film will be one that is never forgotten."

Benjie scrunched up his nose and gave me a strange look.

"It's the role of a lifetime."

The young man nodded. "When did you say the additional crew are coming in?"

I looked at my watch. "They should arrive just before dusk. Why don't you go get some rest? It's going to be a long night."

"See you in a few hours," said Benjie.

I watched as he walked back to his trailer. His role tonight would be critical. I needed him to be on top of his game.

Heading back to a large tent, I pulled out my laptop and connected to a hot spot. Internet was spotty at best, but I needed to get a message out.

We're on for tonight. See you in two hours.

***

As the sun began to set, I turned to the west. Just like clockwork, a large bus pulled up with twenty people.

I held my megaphone in the air. "All actors and makeup artists needed at the main tent now."

As the crew filled the tent, I welcomed the guests off the bus. "Thank you for coming," I greeted each person as they got off the bus. Most were familiar faces, but there were a few new ones.

Once everyone had exited the bus, I thanked them all again and then invited them to the tent."

"Everyone, please welcome ours guests," I said to the cast and crew.