Letters From The Sky (JoongNine AU)

Chapter 20

Joong

My palms were sweaty. My heartbeats increased rapidly. Not because I was needed to film the fire stunt's scenes. Luckily, the resident stuntman was available, and right now was in preparation with the teams to check the sequence and also to check and recheck the safety measures that had already been in place, just in case. The medical team was also on standby. I walked towards the director that was discussing the layout and camera movements that would be used later on.

The director raised his head from looking at the story board and smiled at me in acknowledgement. He understood my predicament. I had worked in three productions with the same director, the mistake was made by the writers, not him. Usually, there's always gonna be differences in opinions, whether it came from the production house, the writers, the director and also sometimes from the actors. Creative industries worked that way, arguments were not always bad, sometimes it produced a better and more wholesome outcome altogether.

"P'Lek, can I talk to you for a second?", I asked for a little private conversation with the director first. I didn't want to disturb the other crews that were busy preparing. P'Lek walked with me to a secluded area and hold my arm, asking for the reason of the sudden talk.

"Yes, Joong. Why do you look so nervous? It's alright, Torr is getting ready for the scene, so there's no need for you to shoot", P'Lek said to me kindly.

"Yes, I know. But P', could you at least include me in a short scene? Maybe the end of it, where the hero kicks the log that is blocking the door, to escape the warehouse that is on fire?"

"Are you sure, Joong? I don't want you to push yourself for something you definitely are afraid of. It will make the whole team nervous and alert too, not just you. I'm not saying it's a burden, but your safety is our priority".

"I've been working as an actor for 8 years, P', yet it is always a problem when it comes to this. It is limiting me from exploring good offers sometimes".

"Joong, not all actor did their own stunt scene too. It's alright, and it's acceptable too. You've already done most of the scenes by yourself, which is better than many actors that I know, who claimed it, but didn't even lift a pinky to do it", P'Lek face showed his dissatisfaction towards that kind of actors. I tried to smile, but still my nerve had yet to calm down.

"Please, P'...If the scene comes out bad, I will bear the cost for that extra shoot", I said while begging with puppy face to the director. P'Lek just smiled and shook his head. He asked me to wait and went to the stunt's team to discuss the small changes and the precaution needed. After waiting for almost half an hour, the stunt coordinator reached out to me. He explained the sequence and asked me to prepare well, because they'd be using real fire, not graphics. But he also asked me not to worry, because safety measures would be well taken care of.

P'Tha came to me not long after, because he was surprised when the team told him the news.

"Are you really doing this, Joong? Are you sure?". I nodded with a determined face. P'Tha just sighed, and relented. But, it was obvious, the worry that was shown on his face. I left P'Tha when the call for me to be ready to shoot in an hour came in.

*******

The scene would only take 10 minutes, where I needed to fight with several thugs and escaped from the warehouse safely, although with an injured leg. The stunts that involved all the difficult fire sequences were already done by the stuntman.

"Camera ready. Joong, get ready. We will shoot, in 3,2,1...action!". The fighting scene went well. Although there were fire here and there surrounding me, because my focus was into the fight itself, I didn't seem to mind the fire, except from feeling the heat that was escalating as the scene progressed. Only the last act remained; where I had to run towards the door and kicked the log on fire that was blocking it, and then escaped. I had almost reached the door, when suddenly a foggy scene bombarded into my head. 

Of a little child that was me; who was screaming my lungs out looking at my parents who couldn't escaped the fire from a wooden house, when the rooftop collapsed and blocking the front door. Of people falling down one after the other, screaming and crying and chaos. Of me looking at the fire that surrounded the whole village and ran. Dark, everything was dark. Yet I slept.

I woke up and saw light, not a sun, but a child who was so beautiful, holding my hand to comfort me. Why did the child almost look familiar ? But, there's never a friend of mine that I remember as a kid with that sweet look? Of a house full of children, the Orphanage? Yes, the faces were familiar, my dream family! Of the boy who was drenched and standing beside me, holding my hand and smiled, the same sweet face again, the Snow prank? My friend? My friend! He had a face now. I am so happy. A name? What's his name? I tried to focus when the other children were talking rapidly from one to the other in front of the fireplace, if by chance I could hear what they'd call him.

But, we were sitting quite a distance from them, using a thick wool blanket to fight the cold. I laid my head on his small lap, looking at the fire from afar. I closed my eyes and tried to block my view of the fire, that crackling sound and the glow made me nervous. He must had understood, because he then held my hand under the blanket without a word; yet it gave a tremendous sense of comfort, to calm me.

"Joong, God! Thank God!", I could hear a loud relief sigh coming from P'Tha. I looked at the panic face of P'Tha besides me. Another unknown person was monitoring the screen in front of him. I was no longer inside the warehouse, but in an ambulance with an oxygen cup on me, and a little bleeding on the side of my head. I still feel a little disoriented, but couldn't help but feel happy too. At least, my friend had a face now.

"Are you going nuts? Why are you smiling? I almost died, seeing you collapsed so suddenly liked that. P'Lek almost lost his voice screaming to the team to act faster to cut off the fire around, when you fell and bumped your head on the floor, almost near a fire too. Oyyy, Joong, don't ever try anything liked that again. I'll kill you before you even try to kill yourself again".

"Fire, P'", I tried to say a word but my throat felt dried. "Yes! Fire, on the set...", P'Tha answered back. I shook my head. "No, village fire...". P'Tha looked at the paramedic, confused. He must had thought that I had lost my mind.

"Let him rest first, Sir. He is still in shock". I closed my eyes back and tried to digest that new part of the dream. Maybe because I was surrounded by fire, so I dreamed of them. Just liked I dreamed of the other children, to curb my loneliness, just liked I finally put a face, to my dear friend, a face so sweet, because I couldn't help but thought of...my Nine.