Death. The final chapter in most people’s lives. An escape for some; the end for all. Well… all… except one Candice Cameron Clarke. Approximately one month ago; Candice Clarke had died… well in all sense of the word except one… the actual death part. Was the truth ever so simple? Especially at Cerulean High? No body found due to an explosion at Bixby Bridge; it was simply a story that worked. That fooled the entire world. But what CC learned over her short life span was that the truth was never so easy… so why would this be?
Flashback;
The worst storm of the century; and here CC was driving slowly down the slick road; almost unable to see the road ahead of her. Perhaps any sane person would have pulled over. She clearly wasn’t in her right mind; tears falling down her eyes with the last note she had left Valerie Wood. The last note she would… ever receive from Candice Clarke. At least that was the plan. But she didn’t; Candice continued down the dark road; pulling over once she had gotten to the designated location on a small pull away near the bridge where she would… well… die. Already there was a limo; awaiting her arrival. Her clock showed that it was 11:55 pm… meaning she was just… a little late. And as she arrived; and stepped out of her car into the pouring rain; though covered by the makeshift cover someone had put up. It was clear that the man in the limo wasn’t exactly happy. She could see it the moment the limo opened, and the man’s features were clear in the moonlight.
“You know this is me doing you a favor, right? Not the other way around?” Daniel Parker muttered stepping out of the car in a fitted tuxedo as he threw Candice a bag of what felt like clothes. “Change and give me your dress. We need to put it on the corpse,” Dan stated, taking her car keys from her and popping her trunk as he did something that was out of view. Candice didn’t know the exact details of how this was working; all she knew was Daniel Parker said he’d take care of it. So leaving him to his means; Candice walked behind his limo for a little privacy; before jumping as she found a body like figure on the floor covered by a tarp-like item. Corpse. Her mind was so focused on everything that had happened; Valerie Wood… the fight…. that she hadn’t even processed what Dan had said. Corpse. There was a f*cking corpse on the floor. CC walked backward; shock filling her body as she found herself falling over a rock – however before she did – she felt someone’s strong arms holding her up. “Candice. Calm down.” Daniel muttered, now standing behind her. “We don’t have a lot of time and if we want this to work you need to change. I just need the dress; I have some sweats and a jacket in there to keep you warm and some shoes too. Get it together.” Dan whispered. And she did. It almost felt as if her movements were robotic – taking the pink dress off; not caring that Daniel was in front of her and throwing it towards him as he went with his… bodyguard? Someone and removed the tarp to show a very pale girl with her stature…. With her features… almost a “CC” look-alike in every way except one. Death. And Dan had already started redressing her.
Candice almost immediately turned around when the corpse was uncovered; her body revolted by it as she changed into what Dan had given her. By the time she turned around; Daniel Parker and the large man who she assumed was either his driver or bodyguard or something had begun moving the corpse to her driver’s seat. Everything was moving so fast her mind was spinning… perhaps it was even the tears in her eyes remanent from Valerie and her fight. In any case, before she knew it; she was standing frozen next to the limo as Dan grabbed her hand and poked a needle through her vein; drawing blood into a vial. She didn’t know what was happening but watched as Daniel took the vial of blood; gloves covering his hands and walked towards the car; splattering the blood in very specific locations inside the car. Though it took her a second to realize that he had begun talking to her.
“If they do find trace elements of DNA; we’re taking precautions to make sure it’s your blood, so the cops think you’re dead. I changed the fingerprints for you in the US database to this course. If they find anything else; I’ll hack into the system and make it come out so only your DNA was found. Trust me Candice; this will work. Breathe”
It was clear that Daniel was trying to calm her down. Perhaps it was the fact that her tears had continued to stream down her eyes. “Candice; Sit down in the limo. I’ll finish this and we’ll leave,” Dan stated and soon there she was. Sitting alone in a limo. Her eyes faltered to her hands. She didn’t know how long she was staring at the paleness of both of them before Dan joined her in the car – sitting right beside her. “Candice. I know you’re upset but I need to ask a few last questions before we’re done. 1. Are you sure you want to do this?”
Candice slowly looked back up to Daniel Parker; meeting his eyes as she processed the question. She could say know – go back to her mother. But the fear that encompassed going back to her toxic life overwhelmed her fear in doing this. So after a moment, she nodded. “Yes,” her cracked voice revealed as Daniel nodded.
“All your stuff; your phone. ID, suitcases; you listened to my instructions and left them in the car?”
“Yes,”
“Alright… well….” Dan started – taking out what looked like a remote-control car controller. His driver had taken the tarp protecting them from the rain down and returned to the limo – moving it back which gave them a different vantage point. “Come on,” Dan said; opening the limo top and plopping his head out… CC hesitantly joining him after a moment. It was also covered so they weren’t getting wet – however as Daniel moved his fingers to the controller, he finished his previous statement. “… and here we go,” Daniel moved the controller and somehow her Mercedes started moving. He had somehow connected his controller to her car. She watched as he moved the car in reverse bringing it far back behind the bridge and then increased the speed of the car. He kept the break on, so the car was almost reeving though soon let it go so she found her car driving at a dangerously high speed towards the bridge. Though at the last moment, instead of going straight, Dan twisted the controller, so the car drove through the metal safety barrier the bridge held; causing her car to go plummeting down the rocks. “Press this,” dan heard him say, pulling her attention away from the… accident. Her heart was beating so fast that she didn’t really know what was happening. Though she did as he asked – pressing a small red button on his controller which instantaneously accompanied a loud explosion – soon followed by a rush of fire that could even be seen from where they were; distance from the explosion.
For a long time; C- just stood there. Looking at the smoke emanating from the broken side of the bridge. She couldn’t see the car, but the smoke was enough to tell her and every car that passed that something had happened. And soon She found Daniel pulling her head down; closing the top and them driving away from… her death.
Candice Clarke no longer existed at that moment. Candice had died; emphasized by the new birth certificate, social security card, and everything else that Daniel had handed her; her new name being Cameron Claire Josephine. Ironically the CC staying – perhaps he had done that for her. And as they drove; he told her the ground rules. What she could do, what she couldn’t and soon dropped her off at his jet which would get her to her new home. Italy.
End of Flashback.
Candice Clarke had no plans of returning. Ever returning. She was content. Saddened by what she had done to those she called her friends but had convinced herself that she did it for them. That they were all better without her.
Until now. Here she was standing in a closed changing room; hyperventilating in a dress that screamed 1920s. Perhaps another irony since she looked like she walked outside of the history books. Why? Why did she return? The f*cking game. A game that found out she was alive and threatened her return. Not her… but her friends. And if there was one thing Candice couldn’t do again… it was hurt them. Dom, Mav, Delilah, Valerie. She couldn’t let the game hurt them because she didn’t follow through.
So, hearing a knock on her door and the statement “You’re on” Candice took a deep breath; walked out the door and onto the runway. Taking a deep breath as she heard the familiar music starting and begin walking.
@BlueRoyalty - I may go hide now idk man