Scene 1: An eighteen year old male high school soccer star is on top of the world. He's just set a high school record for goals in a season and total goals through his four years as a player. His team will play in the championship for a fourth straight year. He's set to graduate with honors with a love of literature, however his future is his choice of where to play professional soccer. One of the most well known clubs in the world, England's Manchester United, offers him a contract to move and play right out of high school.
Scene 2: The championship game goes down to the wire. The score is tied at 0-0. The boy has created some chances for scores, but has ben contained overall. Late in the second half, he has the ball one on one with a last defender. He beats his man leaving him versus the goalie on a breakaway fifteen yards from the goal. The star forward peeks up. The goalie charges. He just lifts the ball up in the air as the goalie slide tackles the boy. The boy flips up and around to land flat on his back. He is writhing in pain on the wet grassy field. The soccer ball drops in front of the goal and rolls into the net for the championship winning goal. The boy is left lying motionless until the paramedics attend to him.
Scene 3: The boy lies in a hospital bed as if sleeping with open eyes. He's been here for three months. His mother sits with him in the room. A nurse comes by to help him into a wheelchair. His mother rolls him to the hospital cafeteria. They both have food at their table, but only the mother eats. He stares at his food with sad eyes and no apetite.
He is now paralyzed from the waist down because the injury suffered in his last soccer game. He suffers from depression. He reads books in his lengthy spare time at the hospital. It gives him some comfort, but he can't stand the fact that he won't be able to play the game he loves anymore, let alone stand. He's not sure what to live for. He comtemplates commiting suicide, with a stolen knife from surgery in his hand, lying in bed, but does nothing.
Scene 4: His mother visits her son in the hospital. He's sleeping in his wheelchair. She excitedy wakes him up. She hands him a letter. The boy opens his eyes to look around. He's confused and groggy. He looks down at the letter on his lap. It's from a nearby university. He opens it up and takes the folded papers out. His eyes scan the letter in front of his anxious mother. It's an academic scholarship. The boy looks up at his mother. They both smile.
If there was one scene I'd suggest readers to reread, I would say Scene 3 because it gives readers a better sense of what the boy is battling. This makes for a better sentimental conclusion.
Reflection: These four scenes came out spontaneously. I enjoy writing with spontaneity because it reflects what's real in the moment. I probably thought of this type of character because I played soccer. I didn't set records, but I was a great player until the end of high school. I didn't get seriously injured, but soccer was my goal until I realized I wasn't good enough. The challenge of not being able to do what we love is tough. I've suffered from depression before. Sometimes we need to find a new love. Literature was that for this character and he didn't even notice what it could do for him. The main thing is that he didn't quit. Neither did I. Hope keeps opportunity alive. That's the central reflection and layer of myself through these four scenes.
No comments:
Post a Comment