16 Jan Photo Story, Week 2

The Price is Always Right

Fear gripped Ashley’s heart as she felt her feet leave the ground and her body begin to move out of control. With a crash, she landed against the metal back door of the truck. Pain shot up her side where the hard metal had met her soft tissue.

“OKAY CUT, CUT,” the director’s shrill voice issued across the set as the jostling ensemble in the background fell still and looked over at him for further instruction.

“Ashley, baby, are you alright? Jesus fucking Christ Bobby it’s a lift and twirl not a goddamn rugby tackle!”

Bobby was already helping Ashley to her feet alongside her costar Cassandra. Ashley winced and thanked them. Bobby sheepishly rubbed his hands and apologized, but she did not hear him. Her mind was far too concerned with what felt like a knife wound in her back.

“Landon, let’s…let’s take five, can we? I need a minute.”

“Oh my fucking God do we HAVE to? Ashley, it’s art, this,” the director waved his hands wildly at the surroundings, “is all art. And everyone,” he was addressing the whole cast now, “art is SUFFERING. Ashley, sweetie, if you’re genuinely in pain then sweet Jesus let’s do the scene now, because lord knows I’ve been in AGONY watching this for the last three hours and we may have just found our only chance to put on something worthy of being called “a passable shit” in the Times next summer mkay?” He turned back to the ensemble, “It’s A Street Car Called Dance you clumsy dolts, at least try to look like you’re dancing and not caught in a strong electrical current! Who has my Fresca?”

Landon walked off in a huff, making a beeline for his production assistant who had been trying to look as small as possible beside the water cooler. Ashley leaned against the truck and took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she did so. A production assistant tapped her on the shoulder and offered her water, which she accepted gladly.

“What a shit show,” said Bobby. “I’m really sorry Ashley. I know being thrown into a metal door can’t have made dealing with the world’s tightest human asshole any easier.”

“You know what Bobby, it’s okay,” said Ashley. “I was actually in so much pain for all of that, I couldn’t even really hear what he was saying, so thank you for throwing me into that metal door.”

“Any time!” he laughed awkwardly.

“Let’s not get carried away.”

The director of photography suddenly appeared next to them, red-faced and sweating. “Guys!” he turned to the entire cast, half of whom had meandered off set and were partaking of the complimentary sandwich platter, “Everyone! We’re calling it quits for today okay, the director just bit one of the extras and there’s some, er, stuff of a sensitive nature to take care of now. Go home, yes, you’ll be paid for today, and no, no one is seriously injured, okay, so let’s all just get some rest and we’ll pick it back up Friday alright! Great work everybody!” Then he turned to Ashley, “Someone is seriously injured and I need you to come with me right now.”

She looked at him in shock, “Are we getting paid for today?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, of course not, now come on there isn’t much time!”

Ashley looked at Cassandra and Bobby, both of whom were standing there, mouths agape, looking back and forth between Ashley and the DP. She shrugged her shoulders and straightened up.

“Alright, let’s go.”

The DP led her off the set and behind one of the makeup trailers where she was met with a gruesome sight. A young man was lying on the ground, shivering, blood gushing from a huge wound in his side.

“What the hell happened?” she cried, instinctively putting a hand over her mouth to staunch the old familiar queasiness.

“It’s like I said, the director bit him, chewed straight through to his liver from the looks of it. He’s a mean bastard, Landon is, but shit can he choreograph a film-adapted musical. It’s the only reason the industry puts up with this nonsense I think.”

Ashley sputtered, “Wha- this nonsense? A man is dying! And I’m sorry do you mean to tell me this has happened before?”

“At least seven times, yes. But listen, this isn’t about Landon, we didn’t have the budget to hire on duty medical staff and this guy is going to die soon. I know you were an ER doctor in several different hospitals before you gave up that pipe dream for acting. We have a basic medical kit here, please do whatever you can.”

“Are you insane!” blurted Ashley, “Call 911!”

“No, if we do that Landon will get in trouble. It’s better if you fix him up here.”

“You’re fucking insane, you know that. Fine, if it’s death or my best effort, I’ll give it my best effort.”

She took the small white box bedecked with a red cross and knelt down by the man. His skin was turning blue and he gasped with every breath. Little time remained. She opened the box and found a needle and wire. Then, she took a pair of tweezers and lifted up the skin by the wound to see inside. The DP was right, flesh had been torn away right up to the man’s liver, but mercifully the organ appeared undamaged. It would be a matter of stopping the bleeding then. She went to work as quickly and carefully as she could, trying to remember the skills she had learned all those years ago.

Minutes trickled by, and as each passed, the flow of blood became thinner and thinner. Sweat dripped down Ashley’s brow as she worked, racing death itself to save this man. Finally, she sat back, exhausted.

“Okay,” she breathed, “Okay I stopped the blood. He’ll live for now, but we have to get him a blood transfusion as soon as possible.”

“Perfect! We’ll have a production assistant dump him in the park and spray him with some dog piss, should get the authorities off our trail. Really well done Ashley. Even if this movie is shit, you’re a hero now.”

“You’re a madman. Do you really think I’ll keep quiet about this? Do you really think I’ll allow this movie to be made after what I’ve seen? Landon is going to a goddamn loony bin and you’re going to jail you piece of shit!”

The DP smiled and let out a soft chuckle as he looked down at his feet and flipped over a stone with the toe of his shoe. “No, no Ashley I think this movie will be made and I think all of us here are going to go on with our lives just fine. You won’t tell anyone and you’ll be paid well for it.”

“That’s…wait…you’ll pay me to be quiet about this?”

“That’s right. You can have all the money we were going to pay to the cast and crew today, if you just keep quiet.”

“How much is that?” she asked, eyes widening.

“One thousand dollars,” the DP said with a Cheshire Cat smile.

“Sold. Give it to me now.”

“It’ll be wired to your account, don’t worry. Remember, we have a stake in this too.”

Ashley gave him a curt nod and turned on her heel. The DP watched her go, still chuckling. Landon appeared at his side, mouth still dripping blood.

“Think she’ll really keep quiet?” he said, turning to the DP.

“They always keep quiet Landon. Always.”