"And the Best Actor of the Decade award goes to...." Morgan stared at his audience, maintaining a mysterious smile on his face. Almost all the celebrities present in the hall knew who the award belonged to. However, the audience before the television didn't and he waited for the drum sounds to stop before staring at the card in his hand.
"Archer Brooks."
Thunderous applause erupted in the hall and everyone stood up. It was the last award of the ceremony and Archer's achievements over the years started to play on the screen while the host mentioned his notable works.
Morgan smiled widely and stared at Archer as he welcomed him to the stage. "Looks like he seems to have gone into a trance. Someone pinch him," he remarked as he noticed Archer still sitting in his seat.
"What are you doing? Get up. Go, go, go." Cade pulled him up and Brenden pushed him towards the stairs.
Archer was still in shock. Even though he already knew he was the winner, he still felt it all to be a dream. His legs felt heavy and only he knew how he had managed to reach Morgan without stumbling and falling on his face.
"Congratulations." Morgan held the award before him and Archer stretched his hand, his face radiating immense joy.
However, just when he was about to touch the award, he felt suffocated. His chest felt constricted and he couldn't breathe. It was as if he was drowning, not in water but in flames.
Archer opened his eyes with great difficulty, breaking out of his dream instantly, and noticed the strangeness in the room. However, what caught his eye were the red charcoal briquettes placed in the corner, just beside the door. It was impossible to ignore, especially in the darkness.
Coughing heavily, he opened his wardrobe and pulled the item his hand first touched - a t-shirt. Covering his nose, he ran towards the door. But to his horror, the door remained closed. It didn't budge even after trying for a long time.
Archer's heart dropped and his mind started to swirl. The fumes were getting in on him and he escaped to the only place he had access to - his bathroom.
'I need water. I need to stop the charcoal briquettes from burning.' With that, he rushed inside. However, none of the taps were working. The water supply had been cut off.
If he was skeptical at first, he was now damn sure. It was a pre-planned murder and if not all, at least some of his staff were involved in it as well. Otherwise, there was no way in hell the fire alarm wouldn't have gone off by now.
Archer didn't lose hope. He still had his phone. He could call for help. But his last hope dwindled when he noticed his phone was missing. Even the water jug which was usually placed on the table beside his bed was gone.
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Archer started choking. Even the t-shirt couldn't stop the fumes from getting to him and he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. If this continued, he wouldn't survive for more than twenty minutes.
'The windows. Yes, the windows,' Archer thought and rushed towards the window. He didn't care that it was the second floor. He wouldn't at least fall to his death. With this thought, he opened the windows and tried to climb out.
But the moment he did so, he felt an electric shock pass through him, and he collapsed to the ground instantly. Archer felt his eyelids weighing down and he couldn't breathe anymore. The entire world spun as sweat coated his body. It wasn't long before his lungs constricted in pain and the darkness consumed him.
"Archie...Archie wake up." Archer felt someone shake him and he frowned in discomfort. "Archie, can you hear me? Wake up."
An unfamiliar voice fell on his ears and his frown deepened as he tried to wake up. A numbing pain exploded from his shoulder, making him groan as he moved slightly.
"Don't move, Archie. You seemed to have dislocated your shoulder." The man continued.
Archer had no idea where he was. He was yet to open his eyes and the first thought that entered his mind was, 'Did I survive the mishap?'
As soon as the thought entered his mind, his eyes shot open. 'Did I not die? I thought I died.'
Elated and relieved, he grinned as his eyes welled up.
"Archie, are you alright? Did you hit your head? Why are you smiling like a creep?" He heard the unfamiliar voice again and turned towards the source.
Squatting beside him was a man who seemed to be in his early twenties. He had brown hair that reached his shoulders, giving him a roguish look. He looked like Christian Bale in his younger days, only that the man before him was shorter by a few inches but more muscular.
"Who are you?" Archer tilted his head, trying to recall if he knew the man before him. But came short.
"Archie, you're scaring me. Did you really hit your head? Don't tell me you forgot everything?" The man panicked and looked around for help.
"Look, I think there is a mistake...I don't think..."
"Doctor, doctor, take a look at him. There is some problem with him."
Archer squinted his eyes when he heard his shout. 'Man, his shouts can give headaches,' he thought and looked around him for the first time, only to be surprised to see unfamiliar faces.
"Where am I and who are you?"
"Archie, do you really not remember me? I'm Logan."
Archer was about to shake his head when a head-splitting pain hit him. Closing his eyes tight, he clutched his head in agony.
"Archie, are you alright?" Logan scooted closer to him and observed him worriedly.
Memories that didn't belong to him bombarded him instantly. Archer saw the life of another man flash through his mind. When he opened his eyes next, his face had lost all its color and his sweat dripped down his forehead and cheeks. His entire shirt was drenched and he was perspiring profusely.
"Archie, what happened to you? Where the hell is the doctor? Ain't he here yet?" Logan was close to losing his mind. The other people around him too were worried. But they could do nothing but wait. The doctor was on the way and they couldn't move Archer lest they caused more complications.
"What happened to Archer Brooks?" Archer suddenly questioned Logan, rendering the man speechless for a moment.
"What?" Logan gawked at him as if he was looking at a fool.
"What happened to Archer Brooks? Is he alright? Tell me he is alright."
"Archie." Logan was taken aback and he couldn't comprehend why his friend was asking about the superstar.
"Oh my God! Did you see the news?" Someone in the crowd screamed and Archer and Logan looked at the woman who had gone bonkers all of a sudden.
"Archer Brooks is dead. He committed suicide this morning in his apartment. He was found dead by the time help reached him."