The swansong

It will be my swansong.

'This movie is going to be my swansong, my last achievement' I thought to myself with determination.

And this scene is what they will talk about after I am gone. With awe-struck expressions on their faces and respect in their voices, they will speak about it. It has been going on for a long time, the derision and the mocking of my recent roles. They say that I am too old, that I have lost my touch.

'What do they know about me!' The thought almost escaped as a growl from my lips.

All around me were the crew, busying themselves in getting ready for the take. The assistants scurried around while the director was animatedly explaining to the cameraman how he wanted the scene to be shot.

I looked around, and saw a young man getting made up. He was an upcoming star, and was being touted as the next superstar. The one who would inherit the mantle from me.

'Ha! Nothing more than an amateur', I thought bitterly. A few of my films had flopped and the media was quick to denounce me, and announce the end of the road for me.

I will show them all, especially this young star, what acting is really about.

The scene, that we are going to shoot, is the opening scene of the movie where I am killed by a man wielding a gun. Why it happens forms the story. The upcoming star, my successor, was going to wield the gun and 'finish' me off.

Ironic.

It was time for the take. The crew assembled at their respective places. The young man walks up to me and says that his dream as a teenager was to work with me, and he is happy that it has finally come true.

Maybe he isn't such a bad sort after all.

The director bellowed at us to get ready for the shot. The clapper announced the start of the take and we began.

This was going to be a perfect take. I could feel it in my bones.

As I finished my line, he raised his gun and shot me. I was ready with the right facial expression to show that right mix of surprise, hurt, anger and pain. I felt blood splatter on my shirt and found myself collapsing.

Yes, it is a perfect take.

* * * * *

The media announced the tragic death of one of the finest actors that the country had produced. The actor was shooting a scene with the country's upcoming star when he was shot using a gun that had real bullets in it.

'The performance was so realistic that we stood there transfixed before bursting into applause. No one realised that he was actually shot' the director said.

The police are investigating the case as that of negligence but have not ruled out murder as yet.