The Call of the 'Siren'

By Di

Lola struggled to hold onto her purse as she fumbled with the keys to Pepe's apartment. Just as she heard the lock click, she lost her grip on the purse and swore under her breath, watching the contents fly in every direction as it hit the floor.

Getting down on her hands and knees, Lola grabbed the empty purse and began picking everything off the floor and tossing it in hurriedly. The last item had come to rest against the door down the hall. As she retrieved the lipstick case, Lola looked up at the door to Marina's old apartment. A lot of things had happened in the six months since Ricky had kidnapped and kept Marina captive in this very building.

A smile crossed Lola's face as she remembered Marina describing the events which eventually made her fall in love with Ricky. Who would have believed that his ill-conceived plan would actually work?!

And here she was again. Pepe was out of town and she had volunteered to water the plants on the terrace and bring in his mail. Kicking open the door, she tossed her purse on a chair and placed the mail on the table before heading for the French doors to the terrace.

"What a beautiful day to be outside," Lola said to the plants as she shook the kinks out of the hose and turned on the water. When no water came out, she gave the hose a mighty yank. This undid the last kink and the water sprayed out in an uncontrolled gush.

Directly below Pepe's terrace, Ricky was working on replacing a faulty lock on the side gate of the fence. Lola had gotten him this job doing maintenance at the apartment building along with several other odd jobs, including some on the movie sets where she worked.

Even with the headphones on, passersby could hear the music coming from the Walkman he had attached to his belt. "Da da da da da da da da da", he sang along and smiled at the people passing by. His smile was so infectious they couldn't help but smile back at him.

The last screw finally out, Ricky removed the old lock and tossed it into the trash can several feet away. The lock he was using to replace it was supposed to be 'burglar proof' but he knew that he could pick this lock just as easily as any other. Good thing normal burglars weren't as good at picking locks as he was!

Ricky knelt next to the gate, lined up the lock and began to turn in the first screw. At that moment, he felt cold water splash down on him from above.

"Hey, hey, hey! Lola! What are you trying to do to me? Drown me?", he yelled in the direction of Pepe's terrace.

Lola glanced over the terrace wall and answered, "Sorry, Ricky!"

"Huh?"

She pointed at the earphones and waited until he had pulled them off before repeating, "Sorry, Ricky! Are you about done with the lock? We need to get going if we are going to be home in time for supper!"

"I'll be done by the time you lock up the apartment and get down here!", Ricky called back as he inserted and tightened another screw in the lock.

He had just thrown away the last of the trash when he saw Lola coming down the front steps and met her by the car. Ricky climbed in the passenger seat as Lola started the car, pushed a cassette into the stereo and pulled away from the curb. Soon they found themselves singing along to the music as Ricky kept the beat using the dashboard as his drum.

*****

Script in hand, Marina was crossing the living room just as the door burst open and Lola and Ricky walked in laughing.

"Hola, Marina!", Lola sang as she dropped her purse on a chair and sauntered into the kitchen. "Mama, what smells so good in here?"

Marina called "Hola" towards her sister's back just as Ricky grabbed her in a bear hug and lifted her off her feet. Covering her mouth with his, he spun around and around until Marina playfully began to pummel his chest with her fists and he set on her feet once more.

"Ricky! I have to study my lines! Supper should be ready soon - why don't you get cleaned up and I'll call you when it's time to eat?"

Kissing her quickly, Ricky smiled, turned on the Walkman and adjusted the headphones once more. As he moved down the hall towards their room, Marina watched him walk away. He had filled out some since they had come to live with her mother and Lola and, if possible, his jeans were even tighter than before. Watching him from this angle was always one of her favorite views.

Ricky turned to look down the hall at Marina once more before entering the bedroom and Marina smiled and waved at him. It seemed impossible that this was the same person who had kidnapped her and held her hostage. Even more impossible was that she had actually fallen in love with him! Everything seemed so right now. Ricky had the family he had always wanted, Lola had gotten him several small jobs that he enjoyed and Marina was getting ready to start shooting a new movie tomorrow. If it weren't for the dreams, everything would be perfect.

The dreams had started two months ago. Although Ricky tried to act like they didn't bother him, it was Marina who saw what they did to him in his sleep. It would start with quiet moaning and would increase until he was tossing and turning and would wake in a cold sweat. When she questioned him about it he would only shake his head and say he didn't remember the dream. They seemed to happen about once a week with no warning.

Although he didn't understand it himself, he finally told Marina that it was as if someone were calling his name and in the dream he couldn't find them. He described it much like the old seafaring stories of the 'sirens' who would call to sailors in the storms, urging them to steer their ships into the rocks along the coastline. In the dream he was afraid to follow the voice through the fog but he felt an overwhelming need to find the source. Afterward Marina would hold him until he fell asleep.

Only once had she suggested that Ricky may need to talk to someone about the dream. Ricky refused, convinced that they would take him away from his new 'family' and put him back in the hospital. Knowing how afraid he was of this, Marina dropped the subject and accepted the dreams as part of her otherwise happy life with Ricky.

*****

There was much bustling about the next morning as Lola, Marina and Ricky all tried to get ready for work at the same time. Today was the first day everyone had to report to the new movie set and Marina had to be there early. Lola had been hired as the director's assistant on the same movie and had been busy for several weeks working with the directors and crew on script rewrites, casting, sets, lighting and all of the things that needed to be in place before the actors and actresses arrived. Lola had gotten Ricky a job as well helping with the scenery and props and he was looking forward to being able to watch Marina and the other actors work.

Coming out of the bathroom, Marina ran into who Ricky kissed her quickly as Lola yelled, "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Let's move!" from the other room. Marina laughed as she watched Ricky disappear into the bathroom and Lola came out of her bedroom with an different outfit in each hand. Marina pointed to the outfit on the left and smiled as Lola retreated back to her room to get dressed. This would be their lives for the next two months.

*****

The studio made a car and driver available to Marina but she preferred to ride in with Lola and Ricky. On the drive this morning, they discussed all that needed to be accomplished before they could actually start shooting scenes for the movie.

As the three of them walked onto the soundstage together, they saw several people heading for them from different directions. Some had questions for Lola, some needed Ricky to help make some last minute changes on the sets and Marina's personal assistant took her by the arm and led her off to her first meeting with the Make-Up and Wardrobe Directors.

The drive home that night was much different than the drive in had been that morning. It had been fourteen hours since they had left the apartment full of excitement. Ricky half-dozed in the backseat while Marina drove and Lola made notes of the various items she needed to check on the next day. After parking the car, the three of them wearily climbed the stairs to the apartment.

Ricky walked into the apartment and straight down the hall to the bathroom. Within seconds Marina and Lola could hear the shower start and they bid each other goodnight and headed for their respective bedrooms. When Marina heard the shower stop, she gathered her things and started down the hall toward the bathroom.

The door opened to release a cloud of steam as Ricky finished wrapping the towel around his hips. He smiled wearily at Marina and made his way to the bedroom.

As Marina closed the door to the bedroom, she turned to see that Ricky was sound asleep on his back in the middle of the bed. Looking down at him, she felt her heart twinge. He was such a handsome man but when he was asleep like this, he looked like a beautiful angel at rest. He was so tired and she silently prayed that the dream would not happen tonight. Unfortunately, that was not to be. Two hours later she awoke as Ricky shot out of bed and began to pace around the room.

"What is it, Ricky? Is it the dream again? Was it different this time?" she questioned as he continued to pace and simply shook his head.

"I don't know! It was 'stronger' somehow! I could hear a woman's voice in the fog calling my name only this time it was clearer than it ever has been before and . . ."

"Ricky, maybe we should find someone you could talk to . . .", Marina started.

"No! They will think I'm not 'normal' and put me back in the hospital! I'm not going back there! I'm not leaving my family!"

"OK, OK, Ricky! Please, just come back to bed. We both have a big day again tomorrow and need to sleep", Marina urged as she gently led Ricky back to the bed and crawled in beside him. Holding him tightly, she gently rocked back and forth until she felt his body relax and heard his breath become slower and deeper in sleep.

*****

For the next month, they followed the same routine of getting up early and driving in to the movie set together. Once on the set they would each head for the different areas of the soundstage to begin their days.

Marina's first stop each morning was at the makeup trailer where she would be attended to by the various hairstylists and makeup artists who fawned over her. She had to admit that this was one of her favorite things about being a 'star'. She loved being the center of attention and being waited on hand and foot. After the hair and makeup she would head for the wardrobe department to get dressed for whatever scene they were shooting that day.

Every day was a different scenario for Lola. One day she might work only with the director outlining the various scenes to be shot that day. The next she may spend with the producers assuring them that everything was happening right on schedule and that they were not going over budget. And the next may be spent soothing the hurt feelings of one of the actors who felt they were not being taken seriously.

Ricky, on the other hand, was just happy to help wherever he could. He moved easily between helping with the sets to adjusting the lighting to moving scaffolding or any other project that required physical strength. Several times he had stepped in to use the skills he had learned at the hospital, helping out with small electrical or plumbing problems which otherwise may have required shutting down the set while they waited for a repairman to show up.

Everyone loved having Ricky on the set. Even at the end of a long day, he always had a quick wave and smile for his fellow crew members. Whenever he took a break, he could always be found off to the side of the set watching Marina as she worked through a scene. It always made Marina happy to look up and see him standing there. Although no one other than Lola knew the circumstances of how it had happened, everyone on the set knew they were a couple and were genuinely happy for both of them.

Things began to change after the first month, however, and no one was able to pinpoint when they saw the changes first begin to occur.

*****

Marina listened for the sound of Ricky and Lola coming up the steps. She hadn't had any scenes in the shooting schedule that day and had been able to spend a rare day at home. Mama had gone to her sister's house early that morning and Marina didn't expect her to return until Sunday night.

Being alone in the house had given Marina time to reflect back on the past few weeks. The dreams were coming more often now, sometimes three and four nights a week. When she asked Ricky about them, all he would say was "Nothing has changed" even though she could tell that they were having a different effect on him than they had before. Instead of being upset after having the dream, Ricky now seemed to accept and almost welcome them.

As he slowly closed Marina out of this part of his life, she felt a distance grow between them. Outwardly, no one would be able to see the difference in their relationship but in her heart, Marina knew he was being lured away from her by the 'siren's call' in his dreams.

*****

It was the last day of shooting and everyone on the set was in a festive mood. It had been a long and difficult shoot and the producers and director were thrilled to have it finish on schedule and within the budget. To show their appreciation, they were throwing a 'wrap party' that evening for the whole cast and crew. A band had been hired and the producer had asked Lola and Marina to work up a little number as a favor to him.

As Marina walked onto the set to film the final scene, she saw Ricky gathered with a group of the cast. He had everyone's attention as he talked and as he finished with a grin, his audience burst into laughter. It been a long time since she had seen him so upbeat and happy.

Things at home had become increasingly strained in the past two weeks. In addition to being tired from the long hours they were working, Ricky seemed uncomfortable being alone with Marina but refused to discuss it whenever she tried to broach the subject.

The only time he seemed truly happy at home was when he was having 'the dream'. They had become a nightly occurrence and Ricky no longer tossed and turned but rather strained to answer the call of the 'siren'. Marina listened and tried to make out the words he would utter. Perhaps if she could hear his answer, they could face this once and for all and get their relationship back to where it had been before the dreams had started. Each night she listened but all she had heard was an unintelligible mumble but she saw the smile on his face as he slept.

The last snap of the clapboard signaled the beginning of the party. Ricky and the rest of the crew quickly moved scenery and equipment to clear a spot for tables and a small dance floor as the band began to assemble on the makeshift stage. As if by magic the room was transformed from a movie soundstage to a scene reminiscent of an outdoor cafe in Paris. As a surprise, the crew had put in some of their own time designing and assembling the scenery for the party as a surprise to the cast, director and producers. Everything was beautiful and people were soon laughing, dancing and generally having a wonderful time.

"Marina! Where's Ricky?" Lola asked as she handed her sister a drink from the bar.

"I'm not sure! I saw him a few minutes ago carrying away one of the lightboxes but I didn't see him come back."

"What's with you two lately, Marina? Something's happened and neither of you seem happy."

Marina set her drink down on a nearby table and, taking her sister's hand, pulled her toward a secluded spot where a few chairs had been set up away from the main party.

"You remember when I told you about those dreams Ricky's been having?", Marina asked. Lola nodded, not offering a reply.

"Well, they come every night now. Ricky told me he hears a woman's voice calling his name but that he doesn't know who she is or what she wants."

Reaching out, Lola took Marina's hands in hers. "Sweet, it's just a dream! She doesn't exist! A woman in a dream can't come between what you and Ricky have!"

"But she has, Lola! She has! Ricky has hardly touched me in weeks. He makes excuses not to be alone with me. It's as if he feels guilty about wanting the woman in the dreams more than me!"

Gathering her sister in a quick hug, Lola whispered, "Just remember she doesn't exist. The movie is done. You and Ricky need to take some time and get away alone together."

Marina began to shake her head but Lola continued, "I'll talk to Ricky and convince him to go. You just pick a place and I'll make all the arrangements."

Satisfied that she had settled the matter, Lola pulled her sister up from the chair, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and together they set off in search of the band leader to make arrangements for their song.

*****

Marina stole a quick glance at Ricky as he consulted the map. Maybe Lola was right. He did seem more relaxed since they had arrived in England on their holiday. After landing in London, they had picked up their rental car and started to drive south through the countryside. They had no set schedule and stopped whenever they felt tired or hungry or if they just wanted to explore the small towns as they passed through.

They had decided to spend some time in the village of Bath and had called ahead to make reservations at a small inn. Leaning over Ricky's shoulder, she could see on the map that they didn't have much farther to drive and looked forward to a leisurely shower before dinner. Climbing back into the car, Ricky hummed along with the car radio as he pulled back onto the road.

***** The inn was everything they had expected, filled with beautiful antiques and run by a very gracious woman in her early 80's. Returning to the room after dinner, Ricky quickly undressed and crawled into the high four-poster bed as Marina walked down the hall to the bathroom.

Returning a few minutes later, Marina found Ricky sound asleep with a smile on his face. Smiling herself, she watched him sleep, silently counting the strokes as she brushed her hair.

Her smile faded quickly, however, as she heard Ricky begin to mumble in his sleep.

"I'm here! I'm here!", she heard him whisper clearly. The excitement in his voice was unmistakable.

Ricky had once drawn a map of his life to show Marina how everything that had happened to him had ultimately led him to her. Now it appeared that his 'map of life' had taken him beyond Marina and brought him to this place.

She felt her world shatter as she heard Ricky whisper joyfully, "Ha...Alien...Alison!!!" and knew he had finally met the woman he truly desired, the "siren" of his dreams.