=================BEGINNING OF CHAPTER 2=========================

Nothin' like the great outdoors

Daisy could think of only one thing, to get away from the room Mason was in. She went to the small bedroom, which was the only one in the trailer with a lock on the door. She quickly turned the key around, rushed to a corner and wrapped her hands around her knees.

"Go to fucking sleep." She whispered to herself in a begging whailing tone. It was aimed at Mason, but he couldn't hear it.

She finally cried herself to sleep while she heard Mason sitting down in the couch and turning on the tv.

The following morning, George woke up on a couch. She didn't remember falling asleep, let alone next to a porn DVD and several bottles of beer. Once she had put her thoughts straight, she remembered her conversation with Mason and went on to her own trailer.

She was surprised to find the door of the trailer open. She looked around the peremisis and saw no one. Than she looked inside the trailer and saw Mason sleeping in the couch.

George quietly entered the trailer and used her own key to the trailer to open the bedroom door where Daisy had been hiding. She was shocked to see Daisy in the corner of the room, nothing more than a shadow of herself.

"Psst, Daisy"

No answer.

"Daisy, are you alright?"

The blonde shook up. She had obviously been sleeping badly and quivered as George helped her up.

"Daisy, what the hell happened here?"

Daisy looked at George, her eyes still red from crying and lack of sleep. She sighed to regain her composure. "Nothing Georgia. I'm fine." She exclaimed while looking at Mason with a scared look in her eyes. "What bout him?"

"I think he's still drunk." Georgia sighed as they both went outside. "Daisy, what happened?"

"Like I said. It's nothing. Mason just had more alcohol than he can handle, as per usual."

George looked at Daisy penetratively. "'More alcohol than Mason can handle" does not usually make you hide out in a corner of a bedroom rolled up in a freaking ball."

Daisy didn't say anything in reply. She stredded away from George while in- and exhailing deeply. "Its a wonderful morning, don't you think Georgia?"

George began to feel aggravated. She knew something was wrong but Daisy wouldn't tell her. "Yeah, that's right. Pretend like nothing happened." She thought to herself as she distanced herself from her friend.

SAME DAY...AT NIGHT

It was nice, in the woods, close to a river. The trees breezed softly in the wind, small animals where slowly coming out of hiding. One could only imagine what it would be like, having to live like that for your entire life. It was starting to become a little cold, but it was one of those cosey colds which can easily be fixed with a scarf and an extra layer of clothing.

No one told anyone that there was going to be a camp fire, one just kinda happened after dinner. The reapers sat next to eachother in a circle, the only thing keeping them apart being a big bonfire which they had used to have themselves a barbecque.

"This kinda looks like a miniature-jamborree." George could hear herself say, right in time before she realised the stupidity of her own remark.

Rube smiled and looked up towards the stars. "When I was young, we used to do these kinds of things all the time."

He looked around the group fatherlike and continued. "We'd just go out and build ourselves a fire, just like this one. We'd tell stories and talk about things we did. Kids these days don't do that anymore. Gets in the way of their precious tv-time."

George stared at the sandy soil and reminised. "We used to go to this lake-cabin once every year. I told everyone who wanted to listen how much I hated the fucking place. In fact, I loved it. It was one of those places where you could feel like yourself without anyone pulling on you to do this or telling you to say that." A small tear appeared in the corner of her eye. "I miss those kinds of things, you know?"

Rube, who was sitting next to George looked at his pupil. He would never say it, but he was proud of her. He was proud of every single one of "his" reapers.

Roxy, who was always able to assess a situation and stay cool under the gravest of circomstances.

Mason, eventhough he called Mason a "fuck-up", he still saw him as the son he never had. He liked, nay, loved the way Mason was so boyish even in situations where a serious response was needed.

He loved Daisy for being Daisy, for her straight-forwardness and for being who she was. That she would never admit to it, but that she was glad with Rube as her mentor and that she had cleaned up her act and became a valuable member of the team.

... and than there was George-Peanut-Mildred-Hagen-L.-Lass. Rubes youngest. Their relationship had known hights and lows but he had learned to appreciate her directness and her willingness to learn and move on in unlife. He saw a little bit of his daughter in George and loved how she had evolved throughout the months, going from an insecure girl to a more matured young lady who did her job well and with confidence.

George couldn't help but notice how Daisy was frantically avoiding Mason.

Rube looked around one last time before getting up. "I think we could all use some sleep." He warmed his hands on the fire and slowly backed up and retrieved in his trailer.

Roxy followed Rube's example and went inside her trailer as well. A short while later, her lights went out.

Daisy distanced herself from Mason and George. She went to a bench near the water and looked around. Not for a surtain purpose or goal, she just glanced over the water over and over again, thoughts turned inward.

Mason left George alone at the fire and went after Daisy. "Daisy?" She shook up and looked at Mason. The once so lovely blue features of the blonde now only looked at him coldly. "Daisy, can we talk?"

Daisy didn't reply. She didn't react to his question.

"I'm sorry."

He came closer to her and looked right in her eyes as he repeated his sentence. "I'm sorry."

It was only than that he realised that Daisy's eyes didn't look cold at all. They looked worried, scared. It became even more eminent after she pushed him away from her when he tried to give her a hug.

"Daisy, what's going on?"

She looked at the ground and squinted her eyes. Everything to prevent Mason from seeing her cry.

She screamed at him, used all the power in her hands and arms to fend him off. More screaming. She kicked him and pounded on his chest as if she was defending herself for dear life. When she noticed her strenght slowly dripping away, she used whatever she could to keep him away.

In the end, she fell. Down to the floor – face down, into the muddy soil still fighting, still scratching, still pounding.

Then ... she stopped.

All she did was regaining her breath, hollowly staring and giving in.

Mason could do nothing to stop her. All he could do was to take her into his arms.

She froze when he did.

Than it seemed as though reality had kicked in. She looked at him and tears slowly began streaming down her cheeks. All he could do was wait it out.

She had finally given in. Years and years of belated anger and grief over what had happened to her on that movie set in Marietta, Georgia on the 10th of december 1938.

After several minutes she looked him in his eyes. The softness in hers had returned, eventhough they were still red. "Its not you." She muttered quietly as she took him closer.

The next day

George woke up to another beautiful morning. It would be their last at the camping grounds and probably their last vacation in a while.

She stretched and sniffed in some of the cool morning air as Rube came closer to her. He was muttering something.

"Hey Rube. Nice morning huh?"

The slightly older man looked up from his mutter. "Hey Peanut. Good night?"

George smiled slightly. "Yeah, good night. Been a while since I slept this good. We need to take a vacation more often."

Roxy joined George and Rube.

"Good morning everyone." She said with a tone in her voice that was a little to exiting to come out of Roxy.

"Somebody's in a good mood today. Are we gonna get more balloons?" George joked.

Roxy only looked at George. She felt in such a good mood that she didn't want to spoil it by replying.

Suddenly Rube looked up. "Hey, has anyone seen Daisy and Mason?"

Both George and Roxy looked around, than at eachother. "Not since I went to bed yesterday." Roxy said.

George looked around again. "Last time I saw them was yesterday night. Mason went to talk to Daisy about something bad he'd said about her. Didn't see or hear anything after that."

Rube was beginning to feel slightly anxious over the two reapers that had gone missing overnight. "Where the hell are those two?"

"George, you look around on the southside of the campside, Roxy, you take north and I'll do east."

George was confused. "But Rube I..."

"No time to linger around peanut. We'll talk after we've found those two."

George looked around, even more confused now. When Rube had left, she softly pulled on Roxy's shirt to get her attention.

"What?"

"Roxy, I've got a problem."

Roxy turned her eyes. "Oh boy, what is it this time."

George pulled Roxy closer to her. "I don't know where south is", she whispered.

"What?" Roxy said aloud. "Girl, where were you in Geography class huh?"

George's cheeks turned red. "Not around?" she said with a hint of hesitation in her voice.

Roxy rolled her eyes once again and pointed. "South. That way"

As George, Rube and Roxy where looking around on the premisis, Mason and Daisy suddenly popped up from the woods. They weren't speaking to eachother, just walking.

George arrived back at the center point and saw Daisy and Mason sitting on the logs where the campfire had been yesterday.

"Mason? Daisy? Where the fuck have you been? We've been looking all over for you!"

Mason looked up. He gestured George to stay calm. "I'll explain you later." He whispered. Then, he helped Daisy to her feet and brought her to her trailer.

When he came out, both Roxy and Rube had joined George. They were eagerly awaiting Mason's explenation for going missing. Rube was slightly aggravated.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Rube add-lipped George's earlier question.

Once again, Mason gestured to stay calm, he walked them to the campfire and motioned them to sit down.

Before Rube could object, Mason started to speak. "Look, guys. I'm fine, Daisy's relatively fine."

He sighed and sat himself down as well.

"Daisy's just been having some ...emotional difficulties in the past couple of days, something that none of us could've prevented or could've helped her with."

"What was the problem?" George inquired.

Mason looked at the trailer where Daisy was currently sleeping in. "Lets just keep it at: 'something in her past came back to haunt her'".

George looked surprised. "Haunt? As in, a ghost or some shit?"

"Not really. Something from when she was still living-living."

"Oh." Was all George could say.

IN THE TRAILER

In the comfort of her own trailer, Daisy felt secure enough to let it all out, the pain and the tears.

[FLASHBACK]

December 11, 1938, The day after Daisy gets raped by her co-player Edward.

Daisy quietly walks into the studio. She doesn't want anyone to notice the bruises on her face before the make-up department thouroughly covered it up.

Once arrived, she sits herself down in front of a big mirror with fluorescent lights around it. "Do your thing."

The make-up artist looks at Daisy through the mirror, surprised and shocked as to what she sees. "Ms. Adair, what happened to you?"

"Oh, its nothing. Just a rough scene yesterday that went a little awry. Can you just patch it up?"

The make-up artist looked at Daisy with a concerned look in her eyes. "Ms. Adair? If I may be so rude to ask. Who did this to you?"

Daisy looked through the mirror, into the eyes of the make-up artist. "You may not."

The make-up artists glanced at Daisy's bruises one more time, than began covering them up with several layers of skin-toned make-up.

When the make-up artist was finished, Daisy left her chair and went to her dressing room.

As she opened the door, she noticed that nothing had changed in the room. No one cleaned it up, the bottle was still lying on the floor, partially broken.
She only noticed her own blood on the floor when she started picking up the mess. She looked away in disgust and ran outside, towards the ladies room, locked herself in and only came out minutes later.

By the time she got to the set, Edward had already arrived. She smiled at him nervously, as to show him that he wouldn't win. She glanced over her script several times while withholding her tears.

Cameras started rolling and scene after scene was added to the role of film.

[Back to present]

Daisy shook up. Eventhough she had had another nightmare, she was glad to have slept for just a little while.

As she stepped out of the trailer, she knew that Mason had told the others everything.

"Oh come on now, no sad faces." She smiled as she stepped towards the group. "So, tell me. When are we fínally gonna get out of this jungle-hellhole?"

Rube rubbed his hands against eachother to warm them. "Now." He said while going towards his trailer. "Pack your things, crew."

A couple of moments later, while George and Daisy where packing their stuff, George looked at the blonde. "Daisy, I..."

"Don't. I don't want you to feel sorry for me, I don't want to talk about it. Its done, its happened, He's dead...me, not so much. Time to move on." Daisy replied as she threw some of her clothes in a sportsbag.

About half an hour later, everyone came out of their trailer. Ready to go back home.

George was the last person to load her stuff into the van. She got in and sat next to Roxy once again, on the second row. Rube was driving. Mason and Daisy where sitting in the third row.

Daisy pulled Mason's ear closer to her mouth. "Thank you." She whispered as she put her head on his shoulder and dozed off deeper and deeper.

=====================END OF CHAPTER 2===========================