(Completed)
❝Wattpad's third annual Halloween Vault is here!❞
Entries for the exciting Halloween Vault 3D (joining from @Fantasy) contest by @UnravelAsha!
Day 1: The Forbidden Lake [Fantasy]
Day 2: I should've left the Porchlights on [Horror]
Day 2:...
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Given Prompt: Off the Record
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It's hard to interview authors.
They mumble, they laugh, they stutter – all traits of humans, of course, but when they mumble and you don't catch the phrase, when they laugh at jokes you didn't quite get, when they stutter on weird questions like "Do you have corpses in you closet?", you may get creeped out, but the frustration is real.
"How do you write such perfect murder-mystery novels?" I ask the last question impatiently, waiting to go back home.
It is an annoying interview of course, but I am well-trained to deal with that, so no issues there. The pressing matter is that the interview was off the record.
Why? Because the author is uncomfortable with anything going outside his Mansion.
Then why was I bothering to interview him? Because this author is a well-renowned man, and our agency was so happy receive a call approving that request of being interviewed, they took on every restriction this man placed without a second thought.
And, obviously, my agency undoubtedly wishes to earn some money by somehow having it published in a magazine, hoping not to get caught and sued.
"O-Oh," he hesitates. "Well, you see, I've spent years of close observation and experience."
...Years of observation of... murders? Pushing back the unsettling thought, I say slowly, "Thank you for your time, sir. I have learnt quite a bit from your vast knowledge. I hope to see you again soon. I shall now take my leave."
I stand up, gather my belongings, and suddenly hear—
—the sharpening of a knife.
"U-Uh," I turn back cautiously, hoping I am imagining the noise, "I think I heard—"
He smiles at me with cold eyes.
The knife... He is really whetting it!
So, he lures in people to believe he was stupid while he was a wolf hiding beneath a sheep's clothing? Did he want to kill me as a reference before writing another thrilling murder book? And he is earning for eradicating everyone who stepped into his cursed Mansion?
Where is that nervous, hesitating man?
"When I said I don't want anything going out of my Mansion," – he is speaking with rather clear speech, unlike the show he put up when he was being interviewed – "I mean I don't want anything going out."
But for some reason, finally seeing something interesting in this dull place, my last thought happens to be – Oh, lucky him. Another corpse to add to his fine collection in his closet.
This interview is off the record, and so am I.
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Total word count: 424 words.
This was a little hard to spin, because initially, I had not quite understood what 'off the record' meant, but when I did, I was glad I made the effort to search it up!
Now imagine all the Murder-Mystery Writers being murderers.
Whilst writing, Agatha Christie especially came to my mind, with her famous 'Murder on the Orient Express' - a classic I love!
This was, very painstakingly, written in Present tense all because of the first line looked cool to me and I didn't want to change it.
Unfortunately, this is the last prompt I will be writing. I wanted to write lots more, but I had exams, and I could barely do anything. All in all, writing these prompts was a beautiful experience, but I hope to write many more next year.
Thank you!
From that author who was too lazy to make a last Author's Note.
