Sarah Ghile

Synopsis
Jake (the main character), is a young man with questionable morals in life, he has a
tendency to manipulate and exploit everyone around him for his own pitiful amusement. All
though he seems to conflict with society and somehow feels alienated (or perhaps alienates
others) he is liked, sociable and conforms to many of societies tendencies. Jake is not a
depressed character however he does struggle with processing and accepting that he may
never find the answers to his big questions, such as what is the meaning of life? What does
it all mean? As he struggles to cope with the frustration of not understanding his own
existence, Jake takes to seeing life as one big game, he decides that his struggles are nothing
but a series of challenges that are followed by rewards, and sometimes this reward can be
the grant to continue playing. His unusual outlook on life explains his narcissistic
manipulative behaviour as hes ego leads him to believe that others around him are all
players of his game.
Jakes continual lack of morality and kindness sees him unwillingly committing to the most
mentally and physically straining game yet, only this time he is not in control. It begins as he
ends his usual Friday evenings, after getting ready for bed he turns off the lights and wakes
up in a new setting. His clothes have been torn and his eyes are still adjusting to the
brightness of the outdoors. As his eyes adjust, he looks around to find he has woken up in a
forest. Fear confusion and a mountain of anxiety follows as he absorbs his surroundings. As
he takes a nervous step forward, he steps on a mat that reads welcome as he deliberates
how this may all be a joke or how his life may be in serious danger, a phone placed to his
right rings. He stares at it for a while hoping with each ring that it would disappear and he
would wake up in his bed to find this was all a silly dream. Instead, he picks up the phone.
Youre someone who likes to set people challenges, youve had your chances to change but
youve refused. In your penis is a capsule, you have 60 seconds to remove it or it will blow.
Your challenge begins now. Says a deep, rusty, male voice. Alarm and a longing for reality
hits him hard, sweat beams fall from his forehead and his heart is pounding so heart he feels
it may fall out of his mouth. He glances all over in search of help, instead he finds a bag,
within the bag he finds an X-RAY of his penis showing where the capsule has been placed, a
chisel and a hammer. Realising what he has to do, a small gasp escapes his lisps, his
attempts at steading himself fail as he takes deep breaths but his hands are still shaking
frantically as he places the chisel to where the x-ray indicates the capsule is. 10 seconds
remain before he raises his hand the rest is left to the audiences imagination.
We return to Jake in his home, eyes filled with tears and his head in his hands. His great
distress and the fact that he is still alive is an indication that he did do the unthinkable and
use the chisel to save his life. But for Jake, the game has only just begun and his time of
tribulation is far from over. Jake is to face several more unthinkable challenges until he is
pushed to absolute breaking point.
Later throughout the month, Jake is still haunted by the morning of his own amputation.
Paranoia and anguish are the only emotions he feels capable of and fears greater troubles to
come.
Sarah Ghile
After a while, Jakes fears are confirmed as he entails 5 more challenges of brutal
physiological play and physical torture. By challenge 4, Jake has moved out of home in fear
of his family becoming involved, however its little too late as Jake is sat face to face with his
mother in challenge 4. Jack is sat tied to an electric chair, and across the room, through a
glass window, he can see his mother. She to is tied to a chair but it is unclear why or what
harm will be done to her. As the lights turn on, a voice appearing to come from nowhere
says challenge 4 is simple; you will be electrocuted 13 times, after each time the voltage
will increase. For each squeal or scream you let out because of the electric shock, your
mother will receive one slit to her wrists. Your challenge begins now. The shocks begin and
Jake immediately lets out a scream. After the 2
nd
and 3
rd
time, Jake falls into a hysteric; he is
crying, babbling and repeating how sorry he is. A helpless mother can only watch on and
assures him that it is okay and everything is okay. She is slit 8 times when suddenly the
shocks stop.
Later Jake considers why the perpetrator of these challenges did not stick to his word, and
electrocute him 13 times. He deliberated whether it because he felt compassion or remorse
or whether it was because he didnt want his player to die and his merciless game to be
over. Jake feels overwhelmed with a need to die. He wants nothing more than to put a
bullet between his eyes as he feels no way of escaping the haunting past and the horror of
what else is to come. But he is filled with vengeance. The idea of dying and losing to the
orchestrator of these games repulses him, he has endured too much, lost too much.
The remainder of Jakes time is spent, searching and hunting for the person controlling his
life and forcing him into these challenges. He spends weeks and months obsessively
focused on finding this person. At last, he does. He finds the perpetrator waiting for him in
an abandoned house. The walls are covered in blood written messages and nothing but
candles light the room. Jake pulls out a hand gun and points it to the back of the head of the
perpetrator who is yet to turn around. There are so many questions burning on the inside of
Darren, yet he holds his tongue, afraid if he speaks his voice will shake. He takes a deep
breath in and says the one thing on his mind. You painted an ugly picture, it came with a
twist, the paintbrush was a razor, and the canvas was her wrists. He shouts it, yet still his
voice shakes as the shock and pain of his mothers death has still not passed. Without
thinking he pulls the trigger and the person that has caused his grief is dead.
For Jake, its not enough, he still feels empty and hallow, and the memories of the
challenges cause him more pain than he believes he can live with. He steps outside the
house and the sun is out, it is a cold day but the warmth of the sun makes him let out a sigh.
He puts the gun to his chin, and whispers game over.