"Lorenzo, you bastard! How could you do this to me? To my La Familia! He treated you like you were the only son he had," Selina Torez said as she pounded her fist into the muscular chest of Lorenzo Sindacca, her lover, her fiance, and now a murderer! Lorenzo held her onto her wrist, squeezing them tightly. "Treated me like a son? He never treated me like a son! He treated me like I could be like Sal! He wanted me to be just like Sal! Go to college to get a business degree. Be able to afford some fancy house that you could have cared less about! He wanted me to be able to throw money around like it could solve everything, cure the world of disease, and feed every hungry person on the planet! That was how your father was, and Sal would have been just like him. Well, I am not Sal! I am a man with a camera who likes to take pictures. Who wants to make you happy? I was never going to be good enough for him! I was never going to be Sal! Every time I saw how disappointed he was in me, it just reminded me of that! When I asked for his blessing to marry his sweet Selina, you know what he did? He spat in my face with this disgusted look and told me I would never be good enough to get his blessing. Your father was an infuriating man who never thought anyone was good enough for his daughter!" "Why did you have to go and kill him!" Selina cried out. Lorenzo turned his head away from Selina. He could not even bother to look her in the eyes anymore. He did not need to explain his actions because he had done it all for her! "I never asked much of him. I tried to make him proud. I was the nicest, most loving man to him, and I was never good enough. So when he refused to give me his blessing, something in me just snapped. I wanted his blessing so badly, Selina. I thought you would understand." "What am I supposed to understand? That my fiancee is a killer, an el diablo!" Lorenzo looked at Selina. The face of her kind-hearted lover was replaced by coldness and anger. "You have pined after the old man's approval for years. Has he ever given you any of it!" Lorenzo moved forward, pushing Selina backward with every step he took. Selina felt like his grip was intended to crush her wrist. "Yes, I wanted my father's approval! Yes, I never got it, but you know what he said to me as he took his last breath of life. He said he was proud of me, proud of me for the woman I have become! Proud of me for starting my own business instead of deciding to take up the family business! He admitted to being too stubborn and wished that he had told me how proud he was of me more often! The bad thing about it was that I was getting his approval, but it was on his deathbed! I would immediately take back every mean thing I ever said to him if I knew he would live. I would never have killed the man over his approval. You, you are a psycho!" Selina tried to break away from Lorenzo, but Lorenzo was much stronger than she was. Lorenzo just stared at Selina. "That is what you say I am! I did what was right!" Lorenzo let go of Selina's wrists and wrapped his strong hands around her throat. Selina gazed into her fiancee's brown eyes as he began to strangle her. All she did was make gasping sounds and struggle to push him away. "That's a wrap! We'll continue filming in an hour. For right now, take a break and grab some lunch." Tony Ashwood, the director, barked loudly into his megaphone. Ash Fletchin, the actor who played Lorenzo, released his hands from Nina Papez's throat. "Your acting was pretty sub-par today. Better than it normally is," Ash commented condescendingly. As he walked away, Nina mocked him in a whiny-sounding voice, "Your acting was pretty sub-par today." She then blew a quick raspberry at him. If her acting was so sub-par, why was her character in Roses of Love much more popular than his? She had been reading the online twitter reviews. While people have been rooting for Selina Torez's character, everyone wondered if it was time for Lorenzo, Ash Fletching himself, to go. Yet Ash acted like he was one of the most important people on the entire set. Nina mingled with a few of the other set members before making her way down to the crafts and services table. Gale, a girl with black-framed glasses and short brown hair, was already in front of her. She was wearing a green turtleneck that matched her eyes. "You were great up there," Gale complimented as Nina got in line behind her. Nina and Gale had been friends ever since Gale first started applying Nina's makeup for the pilot episode of Roses of Love. "Thanks, apparently Ash thinks I am subpar," Nina said using air quotations. The line started to move forward. Gail grabbed one of the small finger sandwiches off the crafts table, "I don't know why they even bother with that guy. From what I heard, his character popularity is declining. People are getting tired of macho Lorenzo and his habit of acting like Selina is always in some sort of distress, and their love for each other can help them get through anything. Characters like him are just lazy writing. Who wants to listen to a guy who acts like his love solves every problem in the universe? I prefer a character that sulks a bit from time to time, not one that has a superiority complex." "That is what people get when they watch this show and any other soap opera. Characters who think love solves everything," Nina said. The line kept on moving. Nina looked over the spread in front of her. There were many foods to choose from, ranging from Mexican, Chinese, and classic American burgers and fries. She picked up a hamburger and put some salad on the side of her plate. "So, how are things going between you and that guy you found online. You said his name was Craig, right? What was he, a dentist for the B list stars?" Nina asked. "Yeah, and oh, things have never been better. Craig took me out to this Italian place. Unlike some guys I have dated, Craig gets that I am not all into going to fancy and hip places. I like to go someplace casual, where I don't have to overdress. I mean, why should I have to go through the trouble of finding the perfect dress for some fancy place when I can dress like I dress for a day out with my friends and get by with it? Fancy can be nice for a date, but it doesn't mean I want every date to be like that," Gale explained. "I hear you on that," Nina agreed. She had guys who would always treat her to some fancy restaurant. Before moving to Los Angeles, she had grown up in Frederick, Maryland. Back then, her dates mostly involved her going to bars or an occasional hike into the mountains. Both activities were just casual. However, when she moved to L.A., guys insisted on taking her to these fancy restaurants, places she did not like that much. It just wasn't her type of scene. Just as they had gotten through the line, Nina heard Tony shouting, "Hey Nina, wait up!" The director's black hair flew behind him as he came jogging up to Nina. Nina wrinkled her nose, Tony’s breath reeked of tuna. Why did Tony like to eat tuna? "I just wanted to tell you I thought you have been doing an amazing job on the set," Tony complimented. "Thanks," Nina said. It meant a lot whenever Tony showed her some gratitude. He was a known film director and writer who had worked on a variety of projects. Someone with his experience telling her she was doing a good job made her feel encouraged. "No, really, I mean, if you haven't noticed, this is not the best soap opera out there. I don't think we're even in the top twenty. Unlike that pompous jerk Ash Fletchlin, if it weren't for you and your performance as Selina, I don't think we would have made it past season one." Roses of Love was nothing more than a Hispanic soap opera with a B-list cast. It had just got done wrapping up its season 3 finale. Nina knew the show ratings were not the best, but they were not floundering either. She was pretty sure that the show would have had a shot at making it past at least season one without her. Not that she would have told Tony that. Her character Selina Torez did have a bit of a cult following. Single, Hispanic women loved the character. Often, reviews claimed that she brought flair to the show. Not to mention Selina was a nurse who was also a single mother trying to provide for her kid. There were people out there who could relate to her. Tony reached into his blue, pink flower-patterned shirt's pocket and pulled out a small rectangular-shaped card. "Listen, a buddy of mine loves the show. Well, his mother-in-law does. He saw your work, and he wanted me to give you this," he said. Nina took the card. It was a business card that read Tyler Kosch, Executive Producer. Below the name was a phone number and address. "He is working on this new show. A mid-budget crime drama. I don't remember its name, but he would like you to play the main character. You would be playing a female detective. From what he told me, she works for the Chicago PD, and she is looking into all these gangland killings. That is all I know, but the show would be filming between seasons of Roses of Love, so there would not be any scheduling conflicts," Tony explained. Nina felt so thrilled that she gave Tony one big hug. This could be the big break she had been waiting for! When she first got to Los Angeles, she started out doing nothing more but small commercials. Then, after two years of acting and working as a clerk on the side, she got her role on Roses of Love. Now, she was beginning to spread her wings. It was like she had just won the million-dollar jackpot. "Thank you, Tony, thank you!" She squealed. Other people stared at her outburst. Once she calmed down, everyone went back to their own business. "Alright, ok, I am not promising this is going anywhere. I'm just being a good messenger for a friend," Tony said. He gently pushed Nina back, giving himself some space. "Seriously though, good for you. I wanted to say congratulations," Tony said. The song "Who Let the Dog Out" started to play. Tony took out his iPhone. "What's up?" He asked, walking away from the crafts table. Nina turned to Gail. Both girls had these giddy smiles on their faces. "I can't believe I am being offered a role! Do you know how long it has been since I have been offered a role for anything," Nina immediately imagined herself walking down a red carpet. Reporters would be swarming around her. She would be strutting down the red carpet in some expensive dress. Even though she already had occasional fans ask for her autograph, she would have more fans asking for her signature! "I can see you playing the role of a detective. You always had a tough girl type of style to you," Gale complimented. "I had to. When I first met up with Ash, he thought I was his new assistant. For the first week, he would always try to order me around. Tell me to go and get his food or to go and give his mother a mother's day card," Nina said. "Not to mention you have such smooth, caramel skin and that pretty face with those soft-looking, chestnut-colored eyes and long raven hair. You could pull off just about any female role with your looks alone," Gail told Nina. Tony came back. He had this distraught look on his face. "I just got word from the big bosses. Our producers are pulling out of the project,”he said sadly. The news astonished Nina, "Why! The show was doing ok for itself." "Yea, I don't know what you've been reading, but the show was not doing as good as it should have," Tony explained. "We have an ok following," Nina pointed out. "That is all we had. As you might know, the show ratings have been going down. They went down even further this season. Like I was telling you, Nina, you were the only thing holding this show up." "What is going to happen to us?" Gale asked. Tony took off his net hat that had the word Movietastic on it, "We are being shut down. Everyone will still get paid for this season's work." "They cannot seriously be doing this!" Nina said. She knew the show was not exactly award-worthy, but it was an ok show that did not deserve to get canceled yet. It still had a few good seasons in it. Tony sighed, "Well, they're, now if you excuse me, I got to make a few calls. See if anyone is looking for a new director," He put his hat back on and walked off. His finger tapped furiously at the screen on his phone. Nina looked at Gail. She sympathized with Tony. Roses of Love had been something she worked hard on too. The show brought her acting career to a different level. One that didn't involve selling lingerie. "So, do you have any backup plans?" Nina asked Gail. "No one has to worry about me, sweetie. I got other projects lined up. I planned on moving on from this show a month ago. It was just a matter of when. I'll be fine," Gail said confidently. Nina took the business card out of her pocket, "We are both moving on today."

Rural Maryland Papez Sheep Farm Saturday, 7:00 pm

Hector Papez sat on his folding chair on top of a hillside overlooking his rolling green pasture . The sky was starting to turn a rosy pink type of color. The sun began to set and soon would disappear behind the distant mountains. Finally, it was time to bring the sheep into the corral for the night. From where he sat, the sheep looked like giant white cotton balls grazing on the grass. Some of them had little lambs that looked like little cotton balls following them around. Hector breathed in the fresh air that came with living in the countryside. Ever since he was little, he had always been a farm kid. He would often work on his parents' farm when he was a kid in the 1960. The farm had many different types of animals, such as goats, pigs, and cattle. What Hector preferred to work with was the sheep. He often helped shave them, bottle feed lambs, and get the animal's fleece ready to be sold on the market. When he was twenty years old, he dropped out of college. The academics were not for him. He went back to being a farmworker, and for the next twenty years of his life, he saved up enough money until he could buy the plot of land he owned today. Unlike his parents' farm, he had decided to stick solely with raising sheep. Textile companies paid him a hefty sum to sell them fleece. Some of the sheep raised their white faces and made this "baa" sound. It sounded like they were communicating amongst one another in some secret language only sheep understood. Hector looked at the silver watch his late wife Essa had given him for his 50th birthday. Right now, it is 7:00. He slowly stood up, a few of his old bones crackled. He got older and slower each year. He folded up the small, blue folding chair. Suddenly, there was a loud "baa!" that came out like a cry for help. Hector looked out at his sheep in the pastor. His eyes went wide, and he dropped the chair. A massive creature swooped down from the sky. It picked up one of his sheep with its own feet. The sheep kept on crying out as it was lifted into the air. Its legs kicked around in the air as it tried to escape the clutches of the creature. The rest of the sheep ran away from the monster. The creature flew high above the trees. It headed toward the surrounding forest and dived headfirst into the trees like a bird diving for fish. Hector stood there, his heart beating at a hundred miles a minute. If it went any faster, his old body might not be able to take it. How was it possible for that thing to be alive after all this time?