Unmasked - Stage & Screen

I was bored and stuck with trying to work out some holes in a plot I had written earlier and needed a break. In order to clear my head, I picked this back up and gave it a short little ending I had thought of. Just something to clear out the cobwebs of my mind. I hope you at least find it somewhat entertaining.

If not, then please write your own ending to it. All I ask is to please message me so I can read it as well when it gets posted. Take it and run with it. This is my permission for you to have a go at it.

Also, there is no sex in this story. Maybe in later versions though.

Usual disclaimer: All characters are fictional and any resemblance to actual persons is coincidentally and unintentional.

D_U

Unmasked - Stage and Screen

The coffee shop was fairly quiet for this late in the morning as the door swung open and an unassuming man stepped in and gazed around. There was nothing special which stood out about the man. He appeared normal in appearance and dress. To the average individual he was just a normal middle aged business man coming in for a late morning pick me up. Most of the tables were empty by this time of the day, just a couple of college students working on their computers, a couple of housewives at another discussing God only knew what and a lone man looking at his phone oblivious to the world around him.

The newest customer stepped up to the counter and ordered a plain black coffee and a piece of coffee cake. He didn't want or need the sugary treat but it made him a little less memorable if someone asked. He grabbed his purchases and sat at a table next to the man who had his head buried into his phone.

When he pulled his chair back, he made just enough noise to roust the stranger's attention without being overly obvious.

Just as the man was about to lose himself once again in his phone, the newcomer started up a conversation.

"If I was to ask you what you fear the most, what would you say?" He asked. Making sure he had the man's attention he continued on in his pleasant friendly tone. "Oh, I know most people would answer that question with some fear of the dark, or maybe high places or public speaking. After all, we all have fears."

The man with the phone looked at the person sitting at the next table with annoyance and was about to dismiss him and his questions but there was a look in the stranger's eyes which sent a strange tingle of something up and down his spine. He wasn't sure if it was fear or dread or something far worse. "Not sure. Never really thought about it much." He finally replied hoping the stranger and his even stranger conversation was over.

"That's a pity really." The stranger replied. "You see, most people would think mine is somewhat dark by normal standards. First, you have to understand, I am a student of human behavior. I study people and what makes them do the things they do. Take those two college students over there. I can tell you with absolute certainty the one on the left is actually trying to study in order to pass an upcoming test while the one on the right is trying to figure out what it will take to get into her pants. Or the two housewives there. The cute blond is worried her husband is sleeping with someone and confiding it to her friend. Sadly, what she doesn't know is it's her friend who her husband is sleeping with."

The man sat there in shock looking at stranger as if he was insane.

"Ahh, there is the look I was expecting. The "just how crazy is this guy" look." The stranger said while chuckling softly.

"I see how this conversation can be a little unsettling so how about a different one? What sort of pet peeves do you have? Me, I hate clichés and stupid sayings like "I found it in the last place I looked." Seriously? You're going to keep looking after you found it?

"But the one I hate the worst of all is, "The husband is the last to know."" He said as the smile disappeared from his face. "He's not really. Just the last one of importance to find out. But once he does, it's at this point he begins to decide how to deal with the fallout as he sees his world start to crash and burn and all Hell breaks loose.

"The players in these little dramas are sadly almost always the same. You have the slut of a wife, the walking dildo she's screwing, at least one of her friends usually covering for her or at least being a sounding board for her and finally the ignorant husband.

"The set-up is also mostly the same as well. The wife's attitude changes, either becoming more attentive in the bedroom or all attention dropping off. The husband coming home early to "discover" them or an overheard comment. Rarely is it ever a "friend" stepping up and delivering the bad news. After all, who wants to be the one remembered as destroying a friend's perception of their perfect life? Well, let me help you try to understand a little better. As a friend, you aren't the one destroying the marriage. The selfish, cheating, bitch of the wife is the one who has destroyed the marriage. You, a friend delivering the news, are the one stepping up and letting the poor sucker of a husband know he has at least one true friend who has his back. For arguments sake, if the roles were reversed, would you be begging someone to step up and stand beside you as well?

"Sadly, I've found out I neither have nor had any such friends. I thought I had. Fuck all those so call "acquaintances" she and I had forged over the years. They let me know just how much I meant to them after they needed my help with their personal problems.

I guess I need to explain a couple of things which will help you understand why I am telling you any of this in the first place. My name isn't important but for the sake of time and to pull you into my trust so to speak, you can call me Tom.

"At the time of the ending of my former life as I knew it, my wife, June, and I had been married for ten years. We met at church and sort of hit it off. She had grown up in the church while I was a sinner or heathen, according to the good upstanding people of the church, who was just trying to find his way in this new life. If only they knew just how close to the truth they really were. This will become important later." He whispered this last part. "A new life meant I could allow God to rewrite me. Follow His teaching and live for Him. Sounds simple until you actually try and live it. There is a saying in the church, "While we may be IN the world, we are not OF the world". Short translation: Good luck thinking you can live life in this world like God says you are supposed to without a lot of help and support from others. In my case I needed to think long and hard before I reacted and blood was spilled. Lots of blood.

"Of all the so-called friends I had thought I had, I had made an error and failed to see the change in their behavior. I had assumed we were tight enough I could trust them. How foolish of me, right? We had started out as part of a Men's bible study group. Being a 'Man' yourself, you know how hard it is to open up about personal things in your life until you have shared some sort of life altering experience with others. Soldiers are a prime example of this. Warriors who have survived battle together feel a connection with each other that outsiders can never experience. But once you survive you know anything you share with these men will be held in complete confidence.

"Ted was the first in our group to open himself up to us. He had a son who had gotten wrapped up in drugs and needed help. As men we stepped up and stepped in, each in our own way. Three of the group stepped in financially to help with rehab. Two others stepped up and gave him the shoulders needed to help carry him. Me? I just visited his son while in rehab.

"His son didn't know me and thought I was either a doctor or another volunteer helping addicts. When I told him I wanted the name of his dealer, I could tell he was scared. He asked why? Imagine his surprise when I told him this wasn't his most pressing problem at the moment. I told him his most pressing issue was whether or not he was going to still be breathing on his own by the time I left. As soon as I walked in the door for our third visit, he gave me the name I needed. I took it and walked out of the room.

"A week later, I walked back into his room with a newspaper tucked under my arm. The color drained from his face as he read the news article I had indicated. It reported of a house in an upscale neighborhood exploding and burning to the ground with all occupants perishing in the fire. I gave him a warning that I would be keeping an eye on his recovery and let him know I would take it as a personal insult if he relapsed back into using again."

Tom stopped his tale just long enough to take a sip of his coffee. The man who had originally had his head in his phone was visibly worried. "Wh... Why are you telling me all this?"

Setting his coffee down after taking another sip he began, "I guess that might be a fair question. It might be fair but when you decide to chase after another man's wife you might want to find out all you can about him first." The stranger said boring his stare straight through the other man. "I told you at the beginning my fear is what normal or polite society would call... dark. My fear is simple. I fear my wife will see me without my mask. The mask of civility I wear. Before I decided to go to church, I was a cold-blooded killer. I'm not proud of it but I also won't deny it. You see, I'm somewhat...bent, I guess would be the right choice to describe me. I am a predator and like all good apex predators, I need to use stealth and cunning in order to capture my prey. Take the lion for example. Everyone recognizes the big alpha male with the full mane of hair but what people don't recognize is that it's actually the females who are the more lethal of the pride. They stalk their prey and get into position behind the herd and once they are ready, the big male would make his presence known driving the herd straight into the females where they would take down the weak ones. But maybe that isn't such a good example as we are talking about apex predators. The solo hunters like the bear which uses its great strength, it's sense of smell. Sharks use their senses, as well as speed to attack lightning fast, picking off the slow, the weak, or stupid." The last was said with a glance back at the first man.

"But the true apex. The most lethal predator kills without the prey ever knowing he's already dead." Tom said as he took another sip of his coffee loudly sipping it this time.

The man looked back and forth between the man talking to him and his half empty cup of coffee.

"CUT!!!" shouted out the director as he stormed up to me. "What the hell was that shit!" He screamed out while the coloring on his face kept turning an unhealthier shade of red with each passing heartbeat. Steve Collins was the director of this movie and had a notorious reputation for being a complete and absolute control freak.

"No shit, Tom. Where the hell did that come from? We all know you're probably the most talented person on the set but that... that shit wasn't funny." Yelled Don Templeton. He was the so-called star of the picture but also a complete pain in the ass when it came to work. You've heard of Prima Donna's before; well Don was the male version. Some days we wondered how his head was able to fit through the door off the sound stage his ego was so inflated.

I just smiled and looked back at Steve as he thought over what my fellow thespian had just said. Slowly. Very slowly, his color started to return and a smile started to edge across his face. I knew right then I had him and I wasn't about to let the opportunity slip by. "Steve, we both know what I just ad lib'd here is better than anything that hack writer we have has turned out so far. This film is going to bomb even with Don's name above the title unless we can turn it around. We've both heard the Producers screaming about pulling the plug on this project. I think the entire crew heard them three days ago. Show them this scene we just did. If they don't like it and pull the plug now, we've at least saved ourselves three more months of wasted effort."

I wasn't finished though. "If they really do hate it and pull the plug, I want a copy of today's shoot. I'll hire my own writers and rewrite this entire movie, then using my own money I'll produce it myself. With you as the director of course.

"Fuck the producers. The scene is yours." Steve declared. "You're going to have to rewrite the entire story in order to avoid a plagiarism lawsuit. I mean everything. If there is anything even closely related, it's going to come back and bite both of us in the ass."

I just laughed, "You do remember where we are right? Everything here is a stolen idea off of something else. Besides, a lawsuit would only be free press." I replied

"Fine, but I expect something in six months. And it had better be good. Now, go talk to Donald. I'm sure wardrobe is mad as hell as it is. If he's actually pissed his pants, then you're dealing with them. Not me." He then turned and stormed off yelling at the lighting guys over something only he seemed to be able to see.

"Don, are you ok?" I asked trying to put real concern into my voice.

"NO!" he barked. "No, I'm not ok. What the hell was that, Tom?"

My name is Tom Parker and I've been acting for several years and became established as a solid character actor early on. By that, I mean I get roles not meant for the so-called big money leads. My job is to play off their lead and make them look better than they really are.

I leaned in real close as if I was trying to relay a secret. "That was your one and only warning. I know what you have planned and if you think I'm going to sit back and let you make a cuck out of me, you have another thing coming. Just so you understand, if there has to be a next time, I'm positive it won't be Ex-lax in your coffee. How's your gut feeling by the way?" It was then a pained look crossed his face just before he ran off towards the bathrooms.

During Don's last two movie shoots, he had earned a rather dubious reputation by seducing the wives of the other actors he worked with. One of my closest friends had unfortunately been victim to Don's antics and was in the middle of a nasty divorce because of it. He let me know and being the only married male cast member on this project, I thought it was in his best interest for me to let him know I didn't appreciate him or his reputation.

Steve saw Don running for the bathroom and just shook his head then yelled out, "Lunch. One hour." As he walked up to me. "How was my acting? Think he might have gotten the message not to mess with anyone's' spouses anymore?"

"One can only hope." I replied.

"Look. Right now, we all have to work with him but I can promise you, if he tries to pull anything like he did on the last two movies he was involved in, I'll fire him on the spot, reshoot every scene he was involved in and make it my life's mission to see he never works again."

"Thanks, but then I'm afraid my marriage will be over as well."

"If your wife falls for his line of bullshit then it's on her. We both know word has circulated through town about him. Why the gossip rags haven't picked up on it yet is anybody's guess. If your wife is in anyway connected to the rumor mill, she'll know to either be on the lookout for him in order to avoid him or she's going to seek him out."

"That's the part I hate the most." I added. "I trust her and all after eleven years of marriage but it only takes once."

"I know, Tom." Then changing the subject like he does, "By the way, I know a couple of writers I'd like to introduce you to. If you can deliver the actual lines this time with the same intensity you did earlier, we might have something worthy to actually be watched." We both turned and headed outside to the food trucks when Steve asked, "Just how much Ex-lax was in his coffee?"

"None." I answered. "At least none that I know of. Now as for the rest of the crew?" I trailed off laughing.

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I'm tagging this in the BTB category even if it was preemptive. Nothing like letting your enemies feel the consequences of their actions before they did something stupid.