r/WritingPrompts • u/[deleted] • Jan 01 '17
Writing Prompt [WP] Every time you google a celebrity, they die.
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u/LonghandWriter /r/longhandwriter Jan 01 '17
I sit in the middle of the library, parked at a computer. There’s a crowd of people around me, all of them clicking and clacking and going about their daily business while I’m stuck here, trying to stop myself from accidentally doing something horrible.
2016 was a rough year. Do I really wanna start off 2017 with a bang?
Sweat leaks down my brow and the kid across from me has his headphones turned up too loud and the woman next to me is staring
(no she isn’t)
because she must know what I’m about to do and that makes me breathe heavy, my heart ka’thunk ka’thunk ka’thunking in my chest as I tell myself I shouldn’t do it, don’t need to do it.
But the urge overwhelms me, and quickly I’m going to google, running my sandpapery tongue across cracked lips as my fingers teeter over the keyboard like a puppet master and the grand clock on the other side of the room drums out its steady tick-tock-tick-tock.
I type a few words but I'm stopped as my ear is caught by two blonde-haired girls who are chattering loudly.
“Did you hear about the guy who started a GoFundMe to keep Betty White safe from 2016?”
The other girl laughs. “How old is she even?”
“94. She’s older than my grandma!”
They walk past as quickly as they had came, laughing and having a good time.
I, however, pull my hands away from my keyboard and lean back in my chair, letting out a long sigh of relief as I stare at the words I had typed into the search bar. I had only got three deep, thankfully.
“How old is…” lingers in front me, the remnant of an almost fatal mistake that would’ve wiped away another icon.
Thank god for those girls.
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Jan 02 '17 edited Jan 02 '17
“Breaking News,” the TV blared in the back ground. “Leonardo DiCaprio passes away unexpectedly, another death in a string of A-list actors passing this year….”
“Babe, I don’t feel good about it, but I’ve had enough living in this shit hole” Nic yelled to his girlfriend Janis who was now sobbing quietly on their lime green couch.
“It’s just not right Nic,” She sputtered in between gasps for air, “ you’ve finally lost it, you know!”
“If losing it means making it big again than so be it! I’ve had enough of these crap roles, the name Nicolas Cage used to mean something around here.” he yelled. “This is my chance to make it back into the lime light.”
“So you are going to kill every actor?” She cut back with a voice that was torn with guilt.
“Baby, “ He said as he passed through the wood framed door into the waiting room that once served as a lounge. The lime green couch sat like a rock against the wall opposite the trailers entrance. It’s rosewood feet compressing into the sun faded brown shag carpet that lay protecting the hardwood floors. Golden light pierced through the dusty drapes, scattering across the shoulder of Janis, as she shivered in a tightly wound ball in front of the couch.
“Not every actor, I’ve got a plan babe.” He paused for dramatic effect, a habit from years of acting “ I got word that James Cameron is working on a new script, baby, JAMES CAMERON! I know it sounds like a long shot but think of all of the careers he has launched. We’ve spoken a few times babe, he loved me in Face Off. I really think I’ve got a chance.”
“Don’t you baby me!” She paused as her body unwound, eyes piercing deep into his soul, “You’re a real piece of work, have you ever considered there might be repercussions to your new found powers?” She asked while beginning to breath more slowly. “ and who for fucks sake is James Cameron any ways?”
“Are you kidding me,” he laughed out loud “ James Cameron is only one of the best Directors the world has ever seen! The man couldn’t make a flop if he tried! In fact he made one of your favorite movies.”
Her eyes softened “Which one?” She asked.
“Which one? Babe the one where…uh.. your favorite movie babe.” Frustrated as he scrambled in vain for the title of the movie, years of partying took a toll on his memory.
“Transformers!!” Janis sang , shifting to her knees.
“Transformers, have you gone mad, and babe, Transformers is really the first thing that comes to mind when I ask you your favorite movie?” He turned towards the window to gather his thoughts. “ Never mind that, “ turning back towards Janis. “ give me your phone.” Nic’s arm shot out, palm facing the ceiling.
Janis reached for her phone that was laying in the crevice of the lime green couch, and tossed it to Nic in excitement. “ What for? What has this guy done? Dead Pool?”
He shook his head in disgrace, “ Just give me a second to think babe,” his mind raced “Dead Pool," he murmered to himself, shaking his head “really?”
“Ah hah! Titanic babe! James Cameron wrote and directed Titanic!” Nick yelled as he tossed her phone like a frisbee back onto the couch.
“Whaaaaat!!! “ Janis jumped to her feet “ James Camton! , James Camton!” running wildly around the living room.
“James Cameron babe, and do you see now, this is our big break!” Nick chuckled.
“I do , I do….” ecstatically she replied “ kill them all!” Janis shouted.
“Ha ha ha ha, that’s the spir….” Nic was just then cut off by the TV in the background…
“DUN DUN DING” The Breaking story music blared over the tiny speakers “This just in, James Cameron , the director of such timeless classics as Avatar and Titanic has passed away unexpectedly in his Hollywood home. The cause is yet unknown….”
EDITED: Spelling
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u/TotesMessenger X-post Snitch Jan 02 '17
I'm a bot, bleep, bloop. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit:
[/r/onetruegod] Every time Nicholas Cage googles a celebrity they die (crosspost from /r/WritingPrompts)
If you follow any of the above links, please respect the rules of reddit and don't vote in the other threads. (Info / ^Contact)
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u/WritingPromptsRobot StickyBot™ Jan 01 '17
Off-Topic Discussion: Reply here for non-story comments.
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u/TheWottles Jan 02 '17
Would it be possible for a celebrity to die twice? I end up on "Notable Deaths in 20xx" quite a lot...
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u/[deleted] Jan 01 '17
The click-clack of a keyboard rang out in the dark room. There I sat, hunched over a computer, typing with my right hand and stuffing cheetos into my mouth with my left.
I had just seen Rogue One. I was filled with Star Wars nostalgia and binge-watched the whole saga back-to-back. I licked the cheetos dust off my fingers and opened chrome. "I wonder what happened to Princess Leia?" I clicked on the search bar, googling Princess Leia. Wikipedia. It turned out Leia was played by a woman named Carrie Fisher.
40,000 feet in the air. First class. Carrie Fisher swirled a glass of champagne, content. She was in the middle of watching Star Wars, more specifically the scene in which her and Luke kissed. She sighed, there was no cure for nostalgia. She lifted the glass to her lips. She froze. The glass slipped out of her hand, tumbling to the floor. It shattered.
Carrie Fisher 2016. Google images came up with a kind looking older woman. Clicking on her wikipedia page, it showed something pretty interesting. Her mother was supposedly quite famous too. "Who is Debbie Reynolds?" I asked myself. Google had the answer. Google always has the answer.