Story[]
"Now Violet, it will be okay," She said, wiping a tear from my face.
"B-but grandma, I'm gonna m-m-miss you!" I sobbed into her hand. My mother put a hand on my shoulder, silent tears falling down her cheeks.
"Violet sweetie, grandma will miss you too, but she has to g-go," my mom said, stuttering that last part.
Grandma looked at me with her dark violet eyes that matched my own. "Please, smile dear, one last time for me..." She said with a slight smile.
I tried to smile. It took a few attempts. Tears streaming down my face, I gulped before giving my grandma my most happiest smile I could muster.
She chuckled, "You have, a beautiful smile dear..."
That's when the doctor pulled the plug, and grandma's eyes lost their light. My world crashed, and I could hardly breathe. My grandma was my best friend, she would stay with me when mom went to work all day. My dad was also a busy man. He was on trips a lot or busy across the state. My mom hugged me from behind, crying into my shoulder. I just sat there, tears falling, my smile breaking.
5 Years Later[]
I'm 18 now, and in these last 5 years, I've been going around my town singing and acting for people. I've always had some much fun. It wasn't much, and I never got paid for it, but I was in love with what I do.
One afternoon, I was singing in my room and was getting dressed after a long day of graduation. I took off my graduation gown and cap, then removed the rest of my clothes. I slipped on a tight black shirt with a white mini skirt. The shirt had long sleeves that were designed covered in dark gray spider webs. I had naturally pale blonde hair and pale skin. My eyes were a deep violet that was a genetic mutation that the doctors couldn't explain. My grandma had the same eyes as me.
I started singing and opening a book. I started drawing black ribbons. They were my favorite kinds of ribbons. I always tied my hair up with one usually to hold up a small ponytail with the rest of my hair being down. It started to rain, so I opened my curtains to let the dark gray sky filled the room. At 5:22 p.m., my phone rang, breaking my concentration. The caller ID was unknown, but I picked up anyway, assuming it was a wrong number.
"Hello, this is Violet Miller, I think you have the wrong-" She was cut off by a raspy voice breathing into the phone.
"Smile, smile as I say, and you might make it through the day, smile, smile, you'll never escape anyway."
And then it hung up.
I was scared at first but pushed the thought in the back of my mind. Another call came, but this time, it was labelled with a name. Still spooked, I answered the phone. I was trembling and sweating but relaxed when someone normally started talking.
"Hello, is this Violet Miller?" The man spoke clear and on point.
"Yes, it is hello!" I said relief flooding through me.
"Are you interested in playing the role in a movie?" He asked.
"Um, what kind of role?" I asked hesitantly.
"The main role for the movie its called "Smile Star." He said in a business tone.
"But how do you know my name? And anything like my acting?" I asked mentally face palming for not being suspicious. But what he said surprised me.
"I saw you perform a play on social media, someone named, "Strawberry Bloom?" I think their name was." I smiled.
"Do you want to become a star? Come to Hollywood and audition for this movie, what do you say?" He asked.
"Yes." I breathed through the phone.
The audition went really well, and I got the part. I was very excited to start performing.
"Just sign the contract, and we'll be all set!" Said, Mr. Andrew cheerfully.
Smile Star was a movie about this girl who had a smile that saved everyone. It seemed somehow magical to people and convinced them. The director said my smile was very pretty and that I would fit the role perfectly. My co-stars were great at acting like even their dazed expressions looked very real. Of course, they are actors, after all.
Soon, I realized that it wasn't just natural talent. The director was very harsh. One little mistake, and there was shouting and sometimes a slap to the face. I remember the first time this happened.
"Okay, so in this scene, Violet I want you to walk towards the roof and gently step a foot on the balance beam just gently; and turn your head about 45 degrees then turn and look at the camera." He said with precision.
Of course, I knew this because it was in the script. I'm not ready because I have a fear of walking on thin lines and falling off. It was very tall too. I gulped and staggered over to the beam. My vision went blurry around my peripheral vision. The beam started dancing and sliding back and forth as I cautiously hung my foot over it. I was breathing heavily and started sweating, I turned my head and slowly looked back. My hands [sweaty and shaking] slipped off the bars. I lost my balance and fell from the tall height. I couldn't scream. I just let myself fall. The air left my lungs, and I closed my eyes, ready to hit the ground.
I hit the ground with a loud thump. My back and tailbone felt like they were shattered. I remember thinking, shouldn't there be something to land on. I struggled to breathe for a minute, and my co-worker, Andy, came over and pulled me up.
"Can you sit up? Do you require medical services?" He said, studying face and pupils. "Both the same size," he muttered before inspecting me for more injuries.
"How do you know what to do?" I breathed barely able to feel.
He smiled. "I was playing a doctor for a school play once and decided to get into character. I may have gone overboard in research. This was like what 8th grade?" He chuckled.
I let out a soft laugh before wincing in pain. The side of my mouth bled a little, since my head was turned awkwardly I got so scrape on the side of my mouth and sat their horrified as my smile could be ruined...the smile grandma loved so much. Tears pickled my eyes, and I tried to wipe the blood. Andy grabbed his sleeve and helped it there.
"It will be okay, we'll protect that pretty little smile of yours." He told me before calling over to the director, who was already on his way.
"Thank you," I told him weakly.
He looked into my eyes and smiled, "Anything for my co-worker? " He winked. I felt my face heat up and wondered if this was going to be a problem.
"What the hell was that!" Demanded Mr. Andrew.
"Sir, please, she needs some help, I found a few brusies and-"
SLAP
He slapped me across the face, hard. Anger danced across his face.
"Hey, why did you-" Andy started, but Mr. Andrew looked at him with a look of such anger that Andy stopped short and pulled me slightly away from him.
"You should have been more careful!" He said angrily.
He yanked my face and saw my slightly torn lip. His face was furious, and his grip got painfully stronger.
"I'm sorry I'm scared of heights and- Ow!" His grip tightened again.
To my surprise, Andy grabbed on to Mr. Andrew's wrist, and he softly said two words. 'Let go.' Mr. Andrew's face contorted with rage.
"You dare tell me what to do, boy!" He said voice thick with rage.
"Let...go." He said, his voice lowering in tone but still sounding stern. Mr. Andrew caved.
He let go of my face forcefully. He stood up and fixed the buttons on his sleeve. He turned away, straightening his tightly fit clothes over his slender figure.
"I apologize, Ms. Miller, that was too far," he said, turning his face to look back at me. "You should have told me about your fear of heights." He said, his usual smile returning. His brown hair, usually in its small neat ponytail, was sticking out and frizzy.
He turned away and clapped his hands. "Take 10, everyone!" He said in his usual cheery tone.
I let out a sigh of relief, and Andrew hugged me. I let him hug me but did not return it, I was in too much shock.
"It's okay, I understand," He said consolingly in my ear.
"You mean to tell me he..." I said, and Andy nodded, his face darkened as he pulled away and stared at me.
"He will beat us sometimes." Andy explained.
"W-we we have to report him!" I stuttered stupidly.
He shook his head gently, "No use, he said he can ruin our careers."
"But this is illegal!" I said, horrified.
"I know, but no one will believe us." He said sadly.
"Have you tried?!" I said slightly agitated.
"No..." He muttered sheepishly, rubbing his neck.
"Then how do you-" I tried to say, but Andy shushed me.
"Listen, Violet, you need to do whatever you can to not upset Mr. Andrew, finish the movie, escape his grasp, okay?" He said, grabbing my shoulders and making me face him. I stared into his eyes, a dark, rich brown.
"B-but what about, what about you! And everyone else!" I spoke, finally finding the words.
"He has a contract with us, so we're legally bound. He isn't your manager like he is ours. You still have a chance." He said, slightly shaking me.
"He's a director AND a manager?" I questioned.
"Yes, he is good at his job, but he also is very abusive towards his clients because-"
"My what a lovely conversation, Mr. Thompson!" Mr. Andrew said, coming over. "Surely, you're not revealing anything you ought not to?" He said smiling, but the smile did not reach his eyes.
"No, sir!" He said quietly.
"Hm, what?" Mr. Andrew said a little, annoyed.
"No, sir!" Andy said a little louder.
"Good." Mr. Andrew said in satisfaction. "Alright, time to get back to work!" He said, clapping a hand on Andy's shoulder.
Andy hesitantly stood up, and Mr. Andrew used his eyes to tell Andy to go. He whispered in my ear two more words - be careful - and he walked away.
Mr. Andrew turned to me. "Well, Ms. Miller... he didn't say anything weird, did he?" He questioned, eyeing me suspiciously.
"No!" I quickly answered.
Mr. Andrew sighed in relief. "Good, you don't want anything to happen to him, right?" Mr. Andrew smirked. I sat there horrified as he walked away.
It was not easy to work with him. I tried very hard not to upset him, but well, slip ups happened. We were still filming when there were interviews and photo shoots. Apparently, "Smile Star" was a very popular book, yet I was ignorant of it. Mr. Andrew forced us to smile and lie right through our teeth, and we could do nothing about it. Frustration and sadness made it hard to keep doing scenes. I decided to get a cat to ease the stress. I named her Ginger not because she's orange but because I caught her face first in my bottle of ginger when I first brought her home.
We all always got yelled at. At least he didn't slap anymore unless he got like super angry. Just a few months left. It was too much. He yelled and insulted us! I decided to tell someone. I was planning my speech in my dressing room, pacing back and forth. I kept messing up what I was gonna say when their was a knock on my door.
"Hello?" I shouted.
"It's me, Ms. Miller, walk with me." The voice said.
I froze. Did he hear me?! I thought panicked. I slowly opened the door, and Mr. Andrew stood outside. I couldn't tell what he was thinking or his expression.
"Where are we going?" I asked suspiciously.
"To my office." He said his voice unreadable.
The walk was silent, and he closed the door behind us.
"Please sit," he said casually. I cautiously lowered into the chair across from him. "I hope you know I can ruin your whole career, right?" He said sharply.
"Y-yes!" I squeaked nervously.
"You don't exactly as I tell you, I'm the director, and you're the actor. If I say smile, you smile, if I say dance, haha, you dance, if I say keep your mouth shut for tomorrow's interview you will do so correct?" He explained.
"Of co- wait, we have an interview tomorrow?" I asked, startled.
He turned to me, "Oh yes, yes, we do, and you will answer all her questions exactly how I would want you to." He took a seat in front of me at his desk.
"But, but don't they want us to be, to be, you know, honest?" I say pulse quickening.
"They don't give a damn about your actual feelings, this is the entertainment industry!" he looked me in the eyes. "As long as you give them whatever content or gossip they want, they. Don't. Care. About. You!" He said, chuckling to himself.
"That's...that's a lie!" I said, standing up my chair toppling over.
"Sit. Down." He said quietly.
"That's a lie! You can't force us to just sit here and make it up!" I said furiously.
"Ms. Miller!" He said louder.
"I-im done i quit!" I start going on a rant.
"Ms Miller!" He shouted at me. I stopped and looked at him.
"Sit. Down. Now, " he said slowly but angrily. I picked up my chair and sat angrily.
"Calm down, you can't quit." He said, taking off his glasses.
"I can too! I just did!" I told him very sternly. He got up and pulled out the paper I signed when I was hired.
"You see this wonderful piece of paper? Want to know why it's wonderful?" He said, smiling like a crazy person. "It's a contract, I own you and everything you do for this whole filming process. So watch what you say." He saud dangerously.
"Oh yeah!? I'll go to the police!" I said threateningly.
"You try, and you'll regret it. I wonder what would happen to your boyfriend, hm?" He says mockingly.
"What? I don't have a-" I sat horrified. He's talking about Andy again. "You can't, you wouldn't!" I saud thinking he's bluffing.
He started to get angry. He's perfect ponytail falling out of place.
"Try. Me," he said, a devious smile spread over his pale face. He opened his drawer and grabbed something gray. It was a gun. I eyed it nervously.
"Ok, ok! You win!" I saud trembling.
He smirked. "Good, now be on your way, little brat." He said before walking me to the door and closing it behind me.
I swallowed hard and didn't get much sleep at all tonight. I was practically a zombie for the interview.
Andy nudged me in the car, "Hey, sleepy star." He muttered.
I awoke, I was leaning on Andy's shoulder while waiting for the interviewer. I yawned and looked at him.
"Where is she..." I stifle yet another yawn.
"Not here yet." A voice behind me says. It was Matt, black hair, green highlights, and pasty skin.
Andy was the best friend, and Matt was the love interest in the show. It's not like Matt and I actually like each other, though. That'd be weird. The girl next to him, Alice, long brown hair, bright brown eyes, played the sister to me in the movie.
"I don't know, but I hear it's Mrs. Eleanor Rosà!" She said excitedly, who was a popular news writer. A bright, cheery voice came booming through the room.
"Hello loves, welcome to the studio. I'm Eleanor Rosà, your host for today!" She said into the camera.
"W-wait, we already started?!" Matt panicked. "How's my hair?!" He said, turning to me.
"It looks fine." I told him. He sighed, relieved.
"Wish I could say the same for you." He said eyeing my hair. I sat up frantically, trying to paste it down.
Andy chuckled and reached over my head.
"Let me," He said, smiling. He patted my hair down and even used his bracelet to tie my hair up. Don't ask me how i don't even know. "There, picture perfect!" He said, smiling wider. He's got a lovely smile, I thought to myself.
The interview started, so my thoughts were interrupted.
"Alright, time to ask someone questions!" Mrs. Rosà said, turning to us.
"How you start is off about Mr. Matt Turner?" She said, and the camera zoomed to him. "Whats it like acting as the slightly nerdy love interest?" She asked, eager for details.
"Im well, uh, it's quite fun!" He chuckled sort of nervously.
"How do you play him so well? What's your secret!" She asked, craving his answer.
"Y-you see I'm uh. I'm just really, really talented! It's its notice I'm like him in real life that would be - phew, who else is sweating over here?!" Matt said breathlessly, tugging his collar. Mr. Andrew cleared his throat, and Matt quickly stopped.
"How about you? Ms. Alice Kennedy?" She said quickly, changing course. "W-well, it's um very, uh fun! Like Matt said!" She said, adding a nervous giggle.
Mrs. Rosà looked crestfallen but regained quickly, turing to Andy.
"And you, sir?" She said. Oh, she was getting desperate. He looked at me and looked away again before answering quietly.
"It's fun..." he muttered, turning away sheepishly. Mrs. Rosà was determined.
"And you, young lady?" She asked me practically begging. I froze, do I answer honestly? Do I lie!? Mr. Andrew looked at me mockingly. I took a deep breath.
"Well, it's um really, uh, interesting." I said nervously.
"Interesting? Interesting how?!" She pressed on.
"Yes, interesting." I continued shyly.
"My dear! Continue!" She said like she was losing gold.
"Um, I don't feel like going on?" I said, starting to sweat.
"Why not?" She said aggressively. Instead of letting it go, she only kept going like she struck a gem. "Silly girl!" She said furiously. "About your success, explain!" She went on.
"I um i-" I started breathing heavily again and chanced a glance at Mr. Andrew. He looked deadly and furious. I decided to end it right then and there. "That's all, no more questions, please!" I said, standing up and waking off set.
In the car back, Mr. Andrew requested us all to meet at his office. When we got there, he slammed his hands down and started getting angry. He rubbed the bridge of his nose before turning to us.
"You all were too suspicious." He said, breathing out, trying to calm down.
"W-we're sorry." I whispered quietly. This was strange his face softened a bit?
"Just be more ready next time." He sighed.
Yeah, well, I only had a day, I thought miserably. Of course, rehearsals were bad enough, but the shooting was unusual exhausting today.
When I brought it up to Mr. Andrew he said, "Look, we have a deadline, and we're running behind schedule, so please, everyone, try your hardest, I know you can do it!" He said, trying to rekindle our fires for acting.
A week later, after our interview aired, people made a whole bunch of crap up. Half the media thought something was wrong. The other half thought we were attention seekers. The movie had dropped its official trailer, and there was endless buzz about it, so we went to get our pictures taken again with fans this time. I was tired, and in pain from last night, Mr. Andrew kept us past midnight, which I'm sure is illegal, but anyway, I decided to ask him to let us bail and take a break, but this was not a good idea.
"No! Absolutely not! We would have to reschedule!" He saud absolutely furious.
"Then...why can't we?" I said, trying not to lose my patience. He took off his glasses and wiped the lenses.
"Because I'm not sure when their available and the ratings will go down, we could lose a huge profit for this!" Mr. Andrew walked to the desk and pulled out his pen, and started signing papers.
"They'll understand!" I tried to say reassuringly.
"My answer is final, now please leave."
And with that, I was kicked out. The photos and questions were draining. It turned to a whole meet n' greet instead. We ended up doing signings, photos, questions, and more. I was very angry because I was about ready to faint.
But when I brought this up, Mr. Andrew said, "These things happen." And left.
After seeing us, the media's rumors went down a bit, but some remained in people's minds like 'what's really going on?' And 'They're faking it for fame!' Kinda things.
My actor on screen was a very peppy girl. I have a more darker theme, alternative subculture. I wanted to go back to doing my makeup and waiting for that style, so I decided I wanted to add black streaks to my hair, but Mr. Andrew laughed at me.
"What's so funny!" I said defensively. "Haha, it's oh hahaha, you can't. You're going to keep your hair bright blonde." He saud practically wheezing from laughter. I scowled, and he said, "The fans would be annoyed if the actor changed her hair, so run along ingot things to do!" He said shooing me away.
It's not fair I couldn't eat what I wanted, dress how I want or anything. I really wanted to try this new cake but it had way too many calories Mr. Andrew saud and turned down the idea. I couldn't do anything that could jeopardize my role. Being fake makes an actor great after all. It's so frustrating I can't do anything I want. I miss acting for my town, I didn't get money, but at least I could do whatever I wanted to some extent. I had to change my whole image just for a role! Why can't I even be a little honest? It's always 'smile! You're happy! Stop complaining!'
Months later, the movie was finally released, and I sought freedom. I couldn't stand the torture anymore I was going to crack soon.Luckily, I'm free from this hell, and so was everyone else. The paparazzi was constantly on our backs. We all kept in touch, and we're annoyed at all the unwanted attention. Interviews and media kept nagging us about everything. The interviews I did do, I tried to be honest, every time I did Mr. Andrew's voice kept coming back into my head, shouting at me again. I always panicked, and the media kept filming me for views. I broke down a lot, having multiple panic attacks, and I'm very nervous to tell the truth.
I stayed in Hollywood and got cast for a new role. The role of a woman who creates a clothing line but uncovers a dark secret about the clothes, the thread she uses is haunted. I had a few months preparation, and my anxiety and panic attacks got worse. People streamed it online, calling me 'fake' or 'attention seeker' again. Others pitied me, and some laughed. I was so overwhelmed, and people kept doing it. All the paparazzi, interviewers, and fans who caught glimpses of me when ht happened. They wouldn't stop, and I grew sick of it. All I could hear was Mr. Andrew told me to smile. Even though I didn't want to. I decided to come clean about him, and I told the press what they wanted to hear. Mr. Andrew got charged and was put on trial for arrest. Going to court was exhausting, but I felt safe knowing he was behind bars.
But that changed one night. I was rehearsing my lines for my new movie when I heard a loud bang on my upstairs window. I moved back into my grandma's old home temporarily. It had woods behind it a bit, 3 bedrooms, an attic, a living room, a kitchen, and 3 spare rooms. I remember visiting it all the time when I was younger, and I started tearing up. Grandma's smile, her flowery scent, her lovely games. I had a shock of nostalgia about a time when I visited her house.
10 Years Ago[]
"Grandma, I don't like school it's frustrating!" I saud pouting.
Grandma laughed, "Oh sweetie, it's okay to feel frustrated. Remember to try and see the positive in the situation and smile a lot! But don't block out other feelings completely. After all, you're human, don't hide your true emotions to please others." She said, patting my head.
Present Day[]
I wish I had remembered her words then during my first Hollywood experience. Another loud banging awoke me from my trance.
"Ginger, is that you?" I said, peering at the top of the steps, but Ginger just walked by me in and met me on the stairs. Confused, I walked upstairs after another loud bang. It came from the attic, I carefully walked upstairs and twisted the doorknob to see a figure standing by my attic window. The moonlight shined through, and I saw....Mr. Andrew stared at me with loathing and disgust. I swiftly picked up Ginger and slowly backed up.
"What do YOU want?" I asked harshly.
He looked at me dead in the eyes, "Look at me! This is all your fault!" He said, stomping over to me. I turned around him, and we swapped places.
"How did you get here!" I said, trying to remain rational.
A sneer curled on his face, "That's the thing about money, I had a friend of mine but me out." He answered, taking a step closer.
My mind went blank, and he walked closer.
"Didn't I warn you?" He said softly as I pulled the sewing needle out of my pocket from when I was rehearsing.
I held it in my palm that became more and more sweaty.
"Didn't I warn you?" He said, walking even closer.
I swung the needle, but he grabbed it wrist and impaled my eye. I shouted and dropped Ginger. She hissed and attacked whatever she fell on, which happened to be Mr. Andrew's left foot. She clawed at it, and he howled. Blind with rage and pain, he forcefully grabbed my lips and pointed them to smile, his grip increased, and he snapped my jaw. I let out a scream so loud he jumped a little. He regained his composure, and he knocked me out.
I raised my head and saw an unfamiliar place. My mouth was gagged, not like it mattered. My jaw was broken.
"Good morning, Ms. Miller!" Said, Mr. Andrew with a pained expression. I struggled, and he smiled.
"Oh dear, you don't recognize this place? It was the studio we filmed at and the studio you were going to use again for that movie."
I watch in horror as Mr. Andrew pointed his gun at me. But Ginger, out of nowhere, clawed his leg again, and he slipped. Quickly, I used my sewing needle and cut myself free. I ran to the top floor. Oh boy, was I glad I had two on me. I reached the top, and it was a dead end. I opened the window but felt dizzy looking down because of my fear of heights. Ginger came running up, followed by Mr. Andrew.
"Get back here!" He said forcefully, and luckily, he left his gun.
"No!" I shouted.
He froze, "No?" He said in a daze.
"No!" I repeated. He stepped closer and closer, laughing, and he did so with each step he said a word. Ginger jumped on the windowsill behind us and then my shoulder. I grabbed her and held her.
Mr. Andrew pushed my face up and said, "Just. Smile. My. Dear." I tried to swing my sewing needle but missed, and he pushed me out the window.
I was falling and screaming, and I held Ginger close with my last remaining strength. I saw a tall figure in the trees nearby but couldn't see its face. Perhaps it didn't have one. Was it the creature we see before death? I finally hit the ground. Blood pooling around me, and I saw the figure standing over me before I breathed no more.
Standing fixated at the window, Mr. Andrew watched as she fell in satisfaction. He turned to face the room and was walking away when he heard raspy breathes. His hand hovered over the doorknob. Sweat falling, he dared to turn around, and he saw nothing. Relieved, he decided to peek over the window just to be safe. Surely she couldn't survive a fall like that? But his face went pale when a creature was climbing the building. He fell back and screamed in horror as the blonde hair, ragged dressed creature crawled closer. The cat had lenses for eyes suddenly, with a scarred body, and the creature looked up at him with a stitched smile. Her body was mutilated in horrifying ways, but when she stood up, her body looked relatively normal. Violet's eye was all disfigured, scars across her face, and torn bloody black dress. She dragged herself over, and Mr. Andrew backed away.
"Is this what you wanted?" Asked violet in a voice that sounded very sweet, like an angel. "Smile, smile as I say, and you might make it through the day, smile, smile, you'll never escape anyway."
She sang as she slowly walked the cat following at her heel. She looked at him with her crazy new face and said, "Smile dear!" And her eyes glew, and the cat snapped a picture after a loud piercing scream emitted from the studio.