for some context, this is the first chapter to a novel im writing which is about this cast of characters for a murder mystery show but shockingly, the show's original fmc died, resulting in the book's fmc to take over. they say the originl fmc died in an accident, but no one is buying it.
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CHAPTER 1
“This definitely isn’t the best of circumstances, but…” the sound of Ryder Cadell’s voice, who happens to be my producer, quickly gets drowned out by my own thoughts. I got the part. Oh. My. Gosh. The thumping in my heart grew quicker by every passing second as I gripped onto the phone tightly. “Earth to Vivi?” Mr. Cadell inquired quizzically. Okay, I need to calm down.
“Yeah. Hi,” I replied almost exasperatedly as I heard a light chuckle from the other side of the phone.
“It’s nice to know how you can still be excited about this, especially because of what had happened. It was a tragedy, really.”
"Just another… freak accident, I guess." I exhaled slowly, hoping it masked the way my stomach churned. "Let’s see how the media reacts to this one."
The rest of the phone call was a blur, mainly because it was just Mr. Cadell trying to initiate some small talk. But I could tell it was just some sort of distraction for him. Because I know damn well that we were both thinking of what happened to her.
Through the slightly agape door, I saw a cascade of black princess curls, a small stature, a white crop top, and flared sweatpants. “Hey Viv,” Addy—my best friend for years now who also happens to be my co-star—drew out lazily, throwing herself onto my lap as I sat against my bed’s headboard.
“What’re you doing here?” “She came for Matt, duh,” a new voice chimed from the door. Luke and Matt stood outside the room, the door now being completely open. I looked at Addy, her eyes widened, lips parted, and she shot me a look that practically screamed ‘oh my gosh!’ I groaned and rolled my eyes.
“What's new with you two,” Matt asked as he and Luke, my older brothers, approached us and sat on the floor beside my bed.
“Not much, how about you, Matt?” Addy sat up, locking eyes with Matt.
“Oh, well, the company's been doing great—”
“Yeah, make the superior Sinclairs third wheel this conversation,” Luke said in a sarcastic manner as he grabbed onto my hand dramatically. “Are you seeing this? Your best friend's replaced you for some literal nobody,” throwing his hands up dramatically.
“And tell me how this dramatic guy is the oldest Sinclair sibling?” Addy teased as she pointed accusingly at Luke. His shaggy blonde hair swayed as he shook his head in a shocked manner, scrunching his face at her comment.
“As I saw saying, the company's been doing well. Loads of sales recently, thanks to your promotion,” Matt thanked Addy with a soft smile on his face. Maybe the other two didn't notice, but with her being my best friend and all, I suppose only I was able to notice the light blush that stained her face.
“It was no problem.”
“Speaking of, how's that tv show you guys are working on? That murder mystery—” Matt elbowed Luke in his abdomen before he could even finish his sentence. ‘What?’ Luke mouthed, his brows wrinkled, all while my heart started beating a little faster. Before anyone could say anything, I calmed myself and responded,
“Well,” I paused as the three looked at me curiously. “I mean, I got Ame’s role.”
“Wait really? That means you’re the lead character now,” she exclaimed excitedly, leaning into me as the corners of her mouth turned upwards. Luke and Matt gave each other a look that I couldn’t quite interpret, then looked back at me.
“Vi, our baby sister, as happy as we are for you, me and Matt are more… worried than happy.”
“It’s not like we’re not happy for you,” The brunette man defended shakily with an awkward smile. “But it is kind of scary. The girl just died, y’know?”
“Yeah, what happened with Amelie anyways?”
“Well… it’s not really—”
“It’ll be fine, Viv. We’re just concerned, is all,” Luke reasoned, shifting his position as he spoke. I sighed, and I thought they would be more considerate of the situation.
“All I know is… There was an accident.”
A silence fell upon us as they tried to process my response. I glanced at each of them, trying to know what’s going on in their heads. Addy’s brows furrowed. She stared into nothingness, deep in thought. I locked eyes with Luke, as he immediately turned away awkwardly with his lips pursed. Lastly, I look at Matt. And there’s nothing. He’s always been difficult to read…
Addy coughed.
“So what happened exactly?”
***
“Ready, Amelie?” I heard Xander shout from a distance, his hands forming a cup around his mouth in order to amplify his voice. I glanced at him through the car’s tinted windows, forcing a smile onto my lips.
“Ready!”
“Three.” I gripped onto the gear shift, trying to keep my breathing in check as I took a glimpse of what laid beyond the windsheild. It was a dark, gloomy night at a secluded cliff side a couple miles away from set. We’re supposed to shoot a segment of me simply driving as part of the intro for each episode, and when some crew member had suggested this cliffside, we immediately fell in love with it. Although, something doesn’t feel right. Something hasn’t felt right for a while now. And I can’t even exactly pinpoint why or how I feel this way.
“Two.” My foot hovered over the brakes. I kept trying to convince myself that I’m just being paranoid. That it’s just another scene to film, and that it would be over soon enough.
“One.” *So why does it feel like my heart is about to crash?*
“Action!” Mr. Cadell exclaimed from the sidelines as I took in a deep breath, and began to speed across the road. *Mr. Cadell said it makes for a good shot, right?* I’ve raced past multiple cameras already, but I know there’s still a couple more ahead.
The darkness ahead grew closer, so I took this as a sign to press on the brakes since I know I’m supposed to drive in one, straight line. My foot moved on its own as it pressed on the brake.
*Creak.*
Huh?
My heart stopped when I realized that the car continued to run. The pedal sank beneath my foot. Nothing. My heart almost stopped beating, right then and there. I pressed harder. *Still nothing*. A sick, creeping sensation crawled up my spine as realization settled in—*the brakes aren’t working.*
No.
No.
No!
My fingers gripped the wheel until my knuckles ached and turned white. The wind howled past, the road a blur of darkness ahead. The crew. The cameras. Do they even see what’s happening?
"The brakes," I muttered, my voice swallowed by the roar of the engine. I slammed the pedal again, but the car just kept going. I lost control of my breathing, my entire body trembling as I saw the edge of the cliff getting closer and closer.
Am I going to die? No—stop. I can't think like that. Happy thoughts. Stay calm.
But before I knew it, it was too late. Everything became as light as a feather as the car took a swan dive off the cliff. *Am I actually going to die?* No. I can’t. Not yet.
Everything seemed to move in slow-motion. I could feel the cold breeze through the open window. I could see the view, the city lights miles away. Yet that didn’t provide me any comfort. I heard voices—screams. I can't even differentiate whether it's my crew shouting or voices in my head.
My hands began to tremble, tears in my eyes were forming as I saw how close I’m getting to the edge. My chest is getting tighter. Can’t breathe. I put my arms over my head as I could feel my end nearing. A scream escaped from my throat. One that felt more genuine and full of fear compared to any other scream I’ve done throughout my acting career.
My vision blurred. Maybe it was my tears, or the fact that I was crashing down so quickly that my eyes couldn’t even process anything. Until finally, I heard a deafening thud.
***
“All I know is that there was an accident with her scene.” My eyes darted towards a random wall in my room. “Something about driving straight off a cliff.” They weren’t able to say anything. It was just… silent. I looked at each of them, letting the silence fill the room.
“Well that’s definitely one way to go out,” Luke murmured. Nobody laughed. His jaw clenched.
“Okay, is it just me, or did her death not seem like an accident at all?” the noirette questioned suddenly, her eyebrows crinkled. At that, I forced my lips to stay still, even as my fingers began tapping anxiously on the bed.
“Addy,” I uttered, touching my nape. “You should be a little more sensitive to the situation… I mean, she just died, y’know?”
“That’s true, it’s kinda odd for you to blurt that out,” Matt reasoned, getting quieter as he continued.
“Well, don’t you guys think it’s weird that she couldn’t just… use the brakes,” she said, trying to force her tone to be gentler. But I could tell her tone was obviously more like she was stating the obvious. “And besides, did she really just drive off the cliff without a fight?”
“What, so does that mean there’s a murderer on set? I mean—”
“But Viv, don’t you think she kind of has a point?” And before anyone else could respond, Matt quickly followed up with another statement. “I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way, but more like… I feel uneasy knowing that. Like, why wasn’t she able to stop the car?”
“Maybe the brakes were broken?” I thought out loud, then realized that it was a ridiculous idea.
“Or someone made her not stop the car,” Matt said, tapping his pointer finger on his chin whilst looking up.
“Probably,” I said almost eagerly.
“But in the end, Addy’s right. That can’t be it.” He stood up and slowly began to pace around my room. “And if her brakes were broken, why didn’t anyone notice before filming?”
The words hung in the air, unspoken but understood. My stomach churned as the silence lingered, suffocating us.
Then, Addy whispered, “So… that means it wasn’t just an accident.”
The words felt cold, everyone falling quiet. But I couldn't bear to do so. I opened my mouth to counter it, to tell her not to jump to conclusions, but no words came. Because I just knew that she was right. And now, they did too.
Matt immediately sat up, his eyes widened. “Exactly. That means someone wanted her to die.”
A shiver ran down my spine.
But this time, it wasn't because of the cold.
Luke plastered an awkward smile, his expression uneasy. “So what does that mean? Someone sabotaged the car?”
Everything stopped. And although no words were exchanged, we had all accepted the truth. Someone had done this. And I was stepping into her place.
My fingers curled into the fabric of my bed sheets, gripping it like it was the only thing keeping me grounded. My heart pounded the slightest bit quicker. The air in my room was fleeting, or at least it felt like it.
I forced a breath. “So… now what?” My voice came out smaller than I intended.
No one had an answer. But we all knew it.
We weren't talking about Amelie anymore. Or even her death. We were talking about what it meant for my future.
For our future.
If we still have one, I added quietly in my mind.
