Create-a-Show: Death Day
This morning, there were almost seven billion people in the world…
Today, there is around two billion…and dropping, if the calculations of the world’s remaining population are correct.
On the morning of August 12, 2012, sixteen-year-old Jake Conrad woke up twenty minutes late for school. The bus had come and gone. He scrambled to dress and gather his books and yelled to his grandfather to see if he could borrow the truck for today. When neither his grandfather or grandmother answered, Jake snagged the keys and headed to school. The usually well-traveled roads of his neighborhood were strangely empty, and in a moment of confusion, the boy pulled his phone from his phone, revealing a new text from his best friend.
“My parents are dead.”
The high school parking lot was speckled with cars of the few students who either came to school anyway, didn’t live with their parents, and whose parents left early for work. Several had received similar texts, phone calls, or had been awaken by the screams of a sibling. Others tried to call home, tried to contact older siblings, other family members, and family friends, but to no avail. Although the automated school bell rung, the small amount of students piled together in the parking lot, trying to figure out what was going on. Few were able to keep calm, and the vast majority had turned into sobbing kids.
Almost two years later, Jake’s eighteenth birthday is quickly approaching. The Death Day, they’d nicknamed it. For nearly two years, those “left behind” tried their best to rebuild civilization. To live, to govern, to learn, to move on. But prospects were slim, as day after day, more of them were found dead in their beds. On their eighteenth birthday, every time.
This new civilization was made of seven groups. The Reporters, who gathered information from different camps and areas, since most communication lines worked only briefly. The Geeks, who sifted through all the information to try and develop some idea of what was going on in the world and how to stop the Death Day curse. The Electrics, who worked to keep electricity going. The Teachers, who were in charge of the smaller children and tried to keep life as normal as possible. The Cooks, who were in charge of food production, preparation, and regulation. The Healers, who were the closest things to doctors and nurses. The Others, the vast majority of the population, who picked up odds and ends around the camps.
In two months, Jake will be dead. As a Geek, he knew they were no closer to finding a way to end the Death Day curse, or to figuring out why this all occurred. In two years, they were no closer. More than that, though, in just a month, his best friend would turn eighteen. Kara Conn, his childhood best friend, had been assigned to the Teachers. Her boyfriend, Alex Rogers, was a Reporter, and spent most of his time moving from camp to camp. Her younger brother, Jason, an Other, begged Jake to find a cure.
It isn’t until a Transfer, a girl Other from another camp, comes into their camp that Jake has any hope at all. She brings more knowledge, more hope, and a secret that she tells only Jake. This girl had passed her eighteenth birthday, and had lived. However, she had to escape her other camp to get away from the constant tests and trials. “I wasn’t really an Other there,” she tells him, “I was a live-in Lab Rat. But you know about those, don’t you?” Jake does know. The Geeks had to test their ideas on someone, and those people were the Lab Rats…the other groups didn’t know about them, most of them living quiet lives as Others. But some…the ones that showed real potential, were called Live-Ins, and when Lindy shows him her scars, he knows that things are getting worse.
Played by Alexander Gould
Jake: Nearly 18 years of age. Smart, slim, quiet. Spends a lot of his time writing notes in his journal, trying to make connections. Enjoys spending time alone or with his best friend (Kara). Logically oriented. Driven by his desire to find a cure not only for himself but for his best friend. Does not believe in God. Believes The Big Death Day was part of a terrorist attack gone wrong. Lives alone; later takes in Lindy. Parents died when he was young, lived with his grandparents up until The Big Death Day. Only child. Relatives in camp: two second-cousins, twins. Group status: Geek.
Played by Alyson Stoner
Kara: Nearly 18 years of age. Smart, very caring, kind-hearted. Self-proclaimed “mother.” Enjoys spending time with others. Loves small children. Works to try to make things normal for the smaller children. Driven by faith, by justice. Believes in God. Also believes The Big Death Day was a terrorist attack gone wrong. Is secretly terrified of dying, does not reveal this to others. Tries to be the “strong one” in situations. Lives with boyfriend (Alex) and younger brother (Jason); takes in two of the smaller children and the camp’s only infant. Lived with parents and younger brother up until The Big Death Day. Relatives in camp: younger brother. Group status: Teacher.
Played by Cameron Bright
Alex: 17 years of age. Athletic, talkative, energetic. Spends a fair amount of time in other camps. Enjoys talking with others, loves analyzing information. Does not like children, and thus spends as much time as possible away from his own house/camp. Driven by the desire to find new information. Claims to believe in God. Believes The Big Death Day was a mistake of the Unite State’s own government. Pushes Kara away because he believes she will be dead soon. Lives with girlfriend (Kara) and her younger brother (Jason) and Kara’s Fosters. Lived with parents and older sister (perished on The Big Death Day). Relatives in camp: cousins. Group status: Reporter
Played by Max Records
Jason: 12 years of age. Aspiring Geek. Smart, serious, loner. Spends the majority of his time alone or on the outskirts of children his age. Mature. Is often considered older than he really is. Driven by dedication to his sister, the only family member he has remaining. Wants to be a Geek to help find the cure, but he is not yet old enough to be sorted. Does not know if he believes in God. Has no theories as to the reason of The Big Death Day and believes all focus should be put on the present. Lives with girlfriend (Kara), her boyfriend (Jason), and Kara’s fosters, who greatly annoy him. Lived with parents and older sister. Relatives in camp: older sister (Kara). Group status: Other, un-sorted
Played by Anna Sophia Robb
Lindy: 18 years of age. Transfer from another camp. Quiet, bright, quirky. Spends the majority of her time with Jake or in the Geek lab. Is terrified of becoming a Lab Rat again, but wants to help find the cure for the Death Day. Driven by fear of being left alone. Believes in God. Believes the Big Death Day was a mistake of the US government, brings evidence of this with Alex revels in. Lived with two younger sisters in other camp. Lives with Jake. Lived with parents and younger sisters before The Big Death Day. Relatives in camp: None, two younger sisters in other camp. Group status: Other (Lab-Rat)
Today, there is around two billion…and dropping, if the calculations of the world’s remaining population are correct.
On the morning of August 12, 2012, sixteen-year-old Jake Conrad woke up twenty minutes late for school. The bus had come and gone. He scrambled to dress and gather his books and yelled to his grandfather to see if he could borrow the truck for today. When neither his grandfather or grandmother answered, Jake snagged the keys and headed to school. The usually well-traveled roads of his neighborhood were strangely empty, and in a moment of confusion, the boy pulled his phone from his phone, revealing a new text from his best friend.
“My parents are dead.”
The high school parking lot was speckled with cars of the few students who either came to school anyway, didn’t live with their parents, and whose parents left early for work. Several had received similar texts, phone calls, or had been awaken by the screams of a sibling. Others tried to call home, tried to contact older siblings, other family members, and family friends, but to no avail. Although the automated school bell rung, the small amount of students piled together in the parking lot, trying to figure out what was going on. Few were able to keep calm, and the vast majority had turned into sobbing kids.
Almost two years later, Jake’s eighteenth birthday is quickly approaching. The Death Day, they’d nicknamed it. For nearly two years, those “left behind” tried their best to rebuild civilization. To live, to govern, to learn, to move on. But prospects were slim, as day after day, more of them were found dead in their beds. On their eighteenth birthday, every time.
This new civilization was made of seven groups. The Reporters, who gathered information from different camps and areas, since most communication lines worked only briefly. The Geeks, who sifted through all the information to try and develop some idea of what was going on in the world and how to stop the Death Day curse. The Electrics, who worked to keep electricity going. The Teachers, who were in charge of the smaller children and tried to keep life as normal as possible. The Cooks, who were in charge of food production, preparation, and regulation. The Healers, who were the closest things to doctors and nurses. The Others, the vast majority of the population, who picked up odds and ends around the camps.
In two months, Jake will be dead. As a Geek, he knew they were no closer to finding a way to end the Death Day curse, or to figuring out why this all occurred. In two years, they were no closer. More than that, though, in just a month, his best friend would turn eighteen. Kara Conn, his childhood best friend, had been assigned to the Teachers. Her boyfriend, Alex Rogers, was a Reporter, and spent most of his time moving from camp to camp. Her younger brother, Jason, an Other, begged Jake to find a cure.
It isn’t until a Transfer, a girl Other from another camp, comes into their camp that Jake has any hope at all. She brings more knowledge, more hope, and a secret that she tells only Jake. This girl had passed her eighteenth birthday, and had lived. However, she had to escape her other camp to get away from the constant tests and trials. “I wasn’t really an Other there,” she tells him, “I was a live-in Lab Rat. But you know about those, don’t you?” Jake does know. The Geeks had to test their ideas on someone, and those people were the Lab Rats…the other groups didn’t know about them, most of them living quiet lives as Others. But some…the ones that showed real potential, were called Live-Ins, and when Lindy shows him her scars, he knows that things are getting worse.
Played by Alexander Gould
Jake: Nearly 18 years of age. Smart, slim, quiet. Spends a lot of his time writing notes in his journal, trying to make connections. Enjoys spending time alone or with his best friend (Kara). Logically oriented. Driven by his desire to find a cure not only for himself but for his best friend. Does not believe in God. Believes The Big Death Day was part of a terrorist attack gone wrong. Lives alone; later takes in Lindy. Parents died when he was young, lived with his grandparents up until The Big Death Day. Only child. Relatives in camp: two second-cousins, twins. Group status: Geek.
Played by Alyson Stoner
Kara: Nearly 18 years of age. Smart, very caring, kind-hearted. Self-proclaimed “mother.” Enjoys spending time with others. Loves small children. Works to try to make things normal for the smaller children. Driven by faith, by justice. Believes in God. Also believes The Big Death Day was a terrorist attack gone wrong. Is secretly terrified of dying, does not reveal this to others. Tries to be the “strong one” in situations. Lives with boyfriend (Alex) and younger brother (Jason); takes in two of the smaller children and the camp’s only infant. Lived with parents and younger brother up until The Big Death Day. Relatives in camp: younger brother. Group status: Teacher.
Played by Cameron Bright
Alex: 17 years of age. Athletic, talkative, energetic. Spends a fair amount of time in other camps. Enjoys talking with others, loves analyzing information. Does not like children, and thus spends as much time as possible away from his own house/camp. Driven by the desire to find new information. Claims to believe in God. Believes The Big Death Day was a mistake of the Unite State’s own government. Pushes Kara away because he believes she will be dead soon. Lives with girlfriend (Kara) and her younger brother (Jason) and Kara’s Fosters. Lived with parents and older sister (perished on The Big Death Day). Relatives in camp: cousins. Group status: Reporter
Played by Max Records
Jason: 12 years of age. Aspiring Geek. Smart, serious, loner. Spends the majority of his time alone or on the outskirts of children his age. Mature. Is often considered older than he really is. Driven by dedication to his sister, the only family member he has remaining. Wants to be a Geek to help find the cure, but he is not yet old enough to be sorted. Does not know if he believes in God. Has no theories as to the reason of The Big Death Day and believes all focus should be put on the present. Lives with girlfriend (Kara), her boyfriend (Jason), and Kara’s fosters, who greatly annoy him. Lived with parents and older sister. Relatives in camp: older sister (Kara). Group status: Other, un-sorted
Played by Anna Sophia Robb
Lindy: 18 years of age. Transfer from another camp. Quiet, bright, quirky. Spends the majority of her time with Jake or in the Geek lab. Is terrified of becoming a Lab Rat again, but wants to help find the cure for the Death Day. Driven by fear of being left alone. Believes in God. Believes the Big Death Day was a mistake of the US government, brings evidence of this with Alex revels in. Lived with two younger sisters in other camp. Lives with Jake. Lived with parents and younger sisters before The Big Death Day. Relatives in camp: None, two younger sisters in other camp. Group status: Other (Lab-Rat)