73 That Night Will Stay With Them Forever

Anita didn't look like Anita. She had her face, she had her body, but her eyes were somehow different, strange, not hers. Her eyes were dark, absent and sinister.

“Rafal, you're going to come back alone from the set tonight, okay?” She asked in her normal Anita voice and Brylski began to wonder if he was having some kind of delusion. Because Anita sounded like Anita.

“Of course” he announced in a light tone. “No problem. But... is something wrong?”

Anita twitched, but smiled broadly.

“A silly matter I have to take care of. Nothing serious.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course,” she assured him. “Just the sort of thing an assistant deals with.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes. Listen, I have to go now. Don't worry about anything, just relax and get ready for another day of work, okay? I'll come by later and we'll talk...”

And Anita disappeared, just like that, leaving Rafał a bit puzzled, but it wasn't like they always had to be together. His friend also had the right to her private affairs and even about the professional ones she did not tell him everything, because sometimes Rafał got some idiotic proposals and they agreed that Anita would pass them all without even mentioning them to Brylski, who after all now had to concentrate on his role. Probably now they were in just such a situation.

Returning to the hotel alone was not unusual either, although Rafał's heart fluttered at the thought that an opportunity had just opened up for him to make this return in very special company. After all, Damian, the neighbor from the next room, had already driven him to the hotel.

Rafał found Radosz with his eyes. The producer was just talking on the phone and looked as if he was very anxious about the conversation. Was something going on with his mother? Brylski felt anxiety and sympathy. If something happened to Mrs. Janiszek (God forbid) he would be very upset too.

Rafał could not hear Damian's conversation, he could not even observe it for a long time because people were moving in different directions busy with their own affairs obscuring his view and suddenly Różycki appeared in front of him.

“I want to discuss some matters with you," said the director. “Follow me.”

The command surprised Brylski, but not so much that it was suspicious in his eyes. He pressed his lips together as he expected to be reprimanded and followed the director. Probably Różycki after his confrontation with Radosz changed tactics and now intended to criticize him not in public, but in private. So that there would be no witnesses.

Prepared for the worst, the young actor was surprised when, upon entering Różycki's camper trailer, the director kindly asked him to sit down.

It was quite cramped inside, as in any such vehicle, so the men sat quite close together. They could even, if need or desire, touch each other.

“Was my acting unsatisfactory today?” Brylski asked when the silence from the director's side was prolonged.

Rafał did not like Różycki, but he respected him. One cannot like every person in the world, but Różycki was older than him and was his superior, so although his personality and behavior did not quite suit Brylski, the young actor should respect him and be polite to him.

Różycki smiled rather pleasantly, which surprised Rafał and made him feel uncomfortable. He had the impression that this smile was meant to reassure him, to weaken his vigilance against the thunder that would be sprinkled on his head in a moment.

"On the contrary," announced Różycki, "you have made great progress and I am really pleased with you."

Although still suspicious, Brylski felt the satisfaction of the praise. It surprised him, yes, but it really gave him pleasure. I guess everyone likes it when their efforts are finally rewarded.

"Thank you," he replied and smiled too.

"I see you put a lot of dedication and work into this project" Róźycki put a hand on his shoulder. "Your character is getting more and more realistic, more and more real."

Rafał glanced at the director's hand. He didn't like that it was lying there, but there was no aggression in it, so it just lay there... Maybe its presence wasn't pleasant, but it didn't do much harm. Now that Różycki was showing him signs of acceptance, Rafał shouldn't make an issue out of the director touching his arm.

"I also feel a little more confident on the set," he announced. He coughed and at the same time moved so as to take Różycki's hand off of him, however. The director withdrew it with reluctance. "Sorry, something scratched my throat..."

Różycki stood up and took a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

"Here," he handed it to Rafał.

It would be rude not to accept it. Brylski thanked with a nod and moistened his throat.

"I treated you harshly," Różycki explained, returning to his chair, "because I demand excellence from my actors. You are an amateur. You have potential, but I have neither the time nor the patience to teach amateurs. Under pressure you should tense up more, try harder. I can see that my approach was fruitful."

Rafał wasn't so sure about that. He knew himself and thought that if Różycki hadn't stressed him so much, he would have been able to relax and get into the role faster. But the director did not need to know this. He had his own way of working, his own rules of conduct, and he acted according to them. It was up to the actor to adjust.

"I understand," he announced.

Różycki smiled with satisfaction. That smile and the look he gave Rafał caused a very unpleasant feeling in the actor. It was as if something slimy wanted to crawl under his shirt.

Meanwhile, something was crawling onto his knee...

***

The rain was falling as hard as if it wanted to wash away all its filth with its streams. But it couldn't. Rafał ran, feeling as if the thick downpour only added weight to his steps. And he could hardly breathe without it.

He ran ahead, just to get further, not looking where to. He simply ran, as if he were being chased by a pack of demons or... Różycki.

Brylski felt a shudder. He didn't even want to think about this man.

Why did Różycki do this?

Why?!

WHY!!!

He ran splashing the puddles. He ran, not looking ahead.

The screech of tires. Headlights. Someone's scream as Rafał fell to the ground.

Not on the ground. On someone.

"Are you crazy?"

Rafał tried to break free feeling like a prisoner crushed by a guard as he tried to escape.

"Let me go! Let go!"

"Rafał! What happened? Rafał!"

Someone was holding him tight, jerking him. The rain was pouring down on them both. Headlights shone into his eyes. Someone was leaning over them.

"My God, I didn't hit you, did I?"

It was some woman who was hysterical over their heads. Over his head and... Damian, it was Damian Radosz!

"No, no, you didn't hit us," explained Radosz looking at the woman. "My friend is a little shaken up, but you didn't hit him. Please be calm."

"Really? Thank God."

The woman talked for a while longer with Damian not letting go of the strong grip of Rafał's arms. Brylski was slowly coming to his senses now. Yes, it was Damian who was holding him, not wanting to let go, asking with concern, is everything all right.

No, nothing was all right.

The tears that had dripped from Brylski's eyes were lost in the thick streams of rain. It's nonsense that men don't cry. They cry, dammit, if they have a good reason.

"Damian..." groaned Rafał painfully.

Just that word, he didn't have the strength for more.

"Are you okay?" asked Radosz looking at him carefully.

"No."

Rafał closed his eyes. He felt bad. He felt very bad. He felt dizzy. He felt like throwing up.

Radosz helped him to get up. He walked him to a nearby bus stop and sat him down on a bench. The bus stop was empty. The two of them were the only ones who found shelter here.

"Something happened, right?" Damian asked. "It's Różycki, right?"

Rafał didn't confirm. He didn't deny it. He only lifted eyes wet with rain and tears to Damian. He looked into those watchful, concerned eyes and had the feeling that before him was the only person in this world to whom he could say anything.

So he said what lay most on his heart at that moment.

"Is it wrong, is it very wrong to wish for someone to die?"

Rafał’s face, his body immediately drowned in a strong, warm embrace.

The hug was warm, but the words that came out could freeze anyone.

"I will kill that bastard! God is my witness, I will kill him!"

END OF VOLUME ONE