Chapter 2

HARMONY

She stood up from where she lay on the ground, gathering the hem of her wedding gown with one hand while holding the knife in her hand, the expression on her face was that of satisfaction as she stared at the knife. The blood of her victim was dropping in thick droplets on to the carpeted floor.  

The man writhed on the ground, in a great agony; blood was oozing from his chest. He kept starring at her, desperation to know why she had killed him was visible in her eyes. 

She took another look at him, this time with a cold expression, the hatred was burning through her and it seemed as if even the death which she had punished him with was not enough. Finally, she dropped the knife on his body and then still looking at him as he spat out blood, she pulled out the ring on the fourth finger of her left hand, and she threw it at him.

He spat more blood...

“Wh...why?” He managed to ask but that minute, she dipped a hand into her gown, and pulled out a picture. When the man saw this, his face went white all of a sudden, his lips slack and he took his final breath.

She threw the picture on his lifeless body, her face expressionless as she walked with a blood-stained wedding gown out of the room...

“CUT!”

The director shouted with all his might and everyone in the room began to clap. All of a sudden, the lights came on.

**

“And that was a job well done!” shouted Director Dee (D.D) as he hugged his superstar actress who was now coming back in the bloody wedding gown.

“You did well dear.” He said, kissing her on the cheek.

“Now, let’s clean up this place,” D.D shouted and was surprised to see that Alex was still lying on the ground. “Come on stand up buddy! She’s killed you and you are dead but that’s in the movie, not in real life. If you dare sleep off on that floor, I will be the one who kills you in real life.”

Everyone laughed including Adam who was now standing up, removing his blood-stained costume.

“Come dear, let’s get you out of that costume.” Said Vivian to Harmony, she was her costumier and closest friend.

“You look like you actually killed someone in real life.” She joked as they walked to the bathroom together.

“What time is it?” Harmony asked while her friend pulled out a chair for her, they were in the dressing room.

“It’s some minutes past midnight.” Vivian replied, pulling out the wig from Harmony’s head and brought out a box of facial wipes.

“Where’s my baby?” Harmony asked while her friend dabbed at her face, wiping off the make-up.

“She’s in the other room, she’s sleeping peacefully,” Vivian replied.

“I promised her pizza tonight, too bad I couldn’t give her. She would never forgive me. I need to go home tonight.” 

Vivian stopped and stared at her friend. “Go home? It’s dangerous babe. Look, you are my friend, okay, and you are a grand superstar, we cannot let anything happen to you.”

Harmony sighed, “I have to go home. I move into my new place days ago and I haven’t even spent a night in it. I really need to go home tonight. I can’t go to a hotel tonight.”

“You are so stubborn Harmony! Has anyone told you that before?”

She nodded, “yea, you have, a million times.”

                                   **

An hour later, she was driving on the road while nodding to the music playing in her car. Tracy slept beside her, snoring peacefully. She was just five years old and she was everything to her. Sometimes, Harmony would wonder if there was a greater love than that of a mother to her child, it was amazing how you would love someone even more than you love yourself. She would die if anything happened to her daughter.

She took another look at her before focusing on the road. She should have really stayed back. She had a long day and she was tired but she just wanted to spend at least one night in her house, Tracy had been clamoring for that and she had promised her two things tonight-either pizza or taking her home tonight. She wanted to see the surprised look on her face when she wakes up in the morning, she would be so thrilled. 

Harmony smiled and take another look at her daughter, hardly had she turned back when she realized a trailer was coming straight at her. Quickly she pressed the brakes but for no reason, it failed.

No, no, no no!

She looked at Tracy and then back at the trailer that was still rushing towards her, she couldn’t swerve right or left as they were on a bridge, swerving would be a colossal mistake.

“Oh God! Please!” She prayed, her chest rising and falling, there was only one thing on her mind and that was the safety of her daughter. She let go of the wheels, gathered her arms around her sleepy daughter and shut her eyes......