A cluster of alligators, each over ten feet long, sprawled lazily in the sun.

  Some lurked in the water, only their dark heads visible, golden, reptilian eyes coldly scanning for prey.

  Dozens more basked on the banks, soaking up the sun.

  This scene of raw power was something they'd only ever witnessed on TV. Now, here it was, in real life.

  A wave of icy dread washed over everyone.

  "Director, should we call them back? These are real alligators, not just props. Someone could get seriously hurt!"

  A member of the film crew shouted.

  "Hold on!"

  The director had been about to order them back, but a thought struck him.

  Hadn't the actors been complaining about not feeling the survival vibe, unable to get into character?

  Well, a face-off with these gators ought to do the trick!

  "Director, what do we do?" another film crew member asked urgently. "They're about to run right into those alligators!"

  "You focus on your jobs. Don't worry about anything else!" the director barked.

  Then, his voice crackled in the actors' earpieces on the raft.

  "Alright, team, the 'props' are in place. Give us your best performance!"

  "Props are ready?"

  "That was fast!"

  Hayden and Leon exchanged surprised glances.

  "Who cares if they're ready?" Ava yawned. "It's just a rehearsal. We're just going through the motions. Why bother trying so hard?"

  "True."

  "Yeah, but we can't half-ass it too much."

  The three actors started trying to look worried, widening their eyes, furrowing their brows.

  The director was fuming!

  This was acting?

  A toddler could pull off a better performance!

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  He forced down his rage, a cruel smile twisting his lips.

  He'd see if they could keep up this nonchalant attitude when they came face to face with the real deal!

  The raft drifted with the current, easing around the bend into a smoother stretch of the river.

  "Alright, everyone, focus!"

  "The show's about to begin!"

  The director barked orders at his crew.

  As the drones found their positions and the cameras rolled, the raft floated closer to the alligators.

  Hayden stood on tiptoe, peering ahead. "I think I see the props!"

  "Let me see!"

  "Move over!"

  The three of them gaped at the massive alligators.

  Each one was pitch black, their armored scales like forged steel, reflecting the dim light.

  Leon said in disbelief, "The director's really splashing out! These props look so real!"

  "Yeah, if I didn't know better, I'd think they were the real deal!" Hayden agreed.

  Ava rubbed her eyes. "Am I seeing things, or is one of those alligators moving?"

  "Moving?"

  "You're kidding, right? Those are just props!"

  Hayden and Leon laughed.

  Before the words were even out of their mouths, they heard heavy splashes.

  They turned to see the "props" lumbering off the banks and into the water, heading straight for them.

  Beneath the surface, even more alligators churned, their powerful tails propelling them silently toward the raft.

  "They're real! They're all real!" Ava's face was ashen, her voice trembling.

  Hayden and Leon scrambled back, their legs like jelly, collapsing onto the raft.

  "Director! Director, explain this!"

  "You said they were props! What... what's going on?"

  Their voices, laced with panic, crackled through their earpieces as they desperately tried to reach the film crew.

  The director, however, seemed deaf to their pleas. Lost in the footage, he was in ecstasy, roaring with delight.

  "Yes! That's gold!"

  "Leon, Hayden, Ava, are you kidding me with this performance? This is some Oscar-worthy stuff!"

  "I've been in this industry for years and have never seen such realistic acting. Even those Oscar winners can't hold a candle to you right now!"

  The actors were stunned.

  Hayden shouted in fury, "Director, have you lost your mind? You said they were props, now they're actual alligators!"

  "Forget about acting, think of a way to save us!" Leon screamed.

  "Help! Someone help us! Wah..." Ava sobbed into the microphone.

  "Hold on, I will find a way to save you after I finish filming this segment!"

  "Hang in there. Just a little longer!"

  The director couldn't pass up this opportunity.

  For a rookie director, a good piece of work was more important than anything.

  He knew, if he could just finish this scene, the explosive acting of the three leads would be praised by everyone, making the whole project famous!

  "I..." Before Hayden could launch into a tirade, he felt the raft buck violently.

  Alligators had reached them and were attacking.

  Their massive bodies, weighing tons, crashed against the raft with the force of a battering ram. Every impact sent shockwaves through their bodies and souls.

  The raft was a mere leaf caught in a storm at sea.

  The god of storms unleashed his fury upon it.

  The raft creaked and groaned like a death knell, each sound sending their hearts racing.

  "Roar!"

  The alligators' roars boomed like thunder, echoing in their ears.

  The three of them began to crumble under the combined assault on their bodies and minds.

  Tears streamed down Ava's face as she clung to Hayden like an octopus, embodying the sentiment, "If we can't live together, we'll die together."

  "Get off me!" Hayden flailed wildly, trying to shake her off.

  Leon curled into a ball in the center of the raft.

  Their desperate struggles for survival, their terror, their utter breakdown...

  The director's eyes welled up with tears.

  This was the acting he'd been searching for!

  "Director, look! There's something behind us!" someone shouted.

  "What? More?" The director's heart leaped.