The Perception of Reality

Lester hadn’t seen Oscar in months. He didn’t have the strength to find and confront
him. He wanted to tell him he was sorry, he knew he had too. That day, he went to the
underpass that they had camped out at when they were on their own. He wasn't there. “Hey,
have you seen a kid named Oscar? He kind of short, glasses?” Lester asked one of the other
homeless residents. “He wandered into the city a few days ago chasing some ad trying to earn
money? I'm not too sure, he said it was near the train station I think.” Lester rushed to the train
station. Oscar wasn’t there, he went into almost every building asking everyone he saw
describing Oscar to them. Nobody knew anything. They were all absorbed into their screens.
Nobody ever really seemed to notice the world around them anymore. Just as Lester was about
to give up, he noticed an ad spread across the glass doors of a building. “Your perception is
your reality, test subjects needed, $1000 reward” it read. Lester snuck into the building,
checking every room for Oscar. Finally he found him. He was just laying there, motionless, drool
running down the side of his mouth. His eyes rolled in the back of his head, pearly white.​ “Oh
jesus shit man h-h-how, oh god oh god man we gotta get you out of here..”

Oscar was an orphan. He lost his parents when he was fifteen in a freak accident and
has been bouncing from orphanage to orphanage without ever being adopted. He hated the
foster homes. Oscar ran away with his friend Lester at the age of sixteen. They survived on their
own for a while but eventually, just like his parents, Lester left. Lester had cracked, he realized
the illusion of surviving on their own was unrealistic. It was fun at first, but he couldn't handle it.
He didn’t know how to tell Oscar. Se he just disappeared back to the orphanage. Oscar
completely lost himself after that. He no longer smiled or laughed or enjoyed his existence. He
didn’t want to be alive. He wanted his parents back. He wanted to smile again...

Lester watched over the still life draining body of Oscar. The room was well lit,
everything was white. Oscar was laying down in an oval shaped chamber encased in a sleek
glass cover. The only remaining evidence of Oscar’s existence was the slow consistent beeps
of the heart rate monitor.

Oscar was livid. Everything in his life felt perfect. He was ten years old, out on a hike
with his mom and dad just outside of New York. He was an only child, but he didn’t mind. He
loved spending time with his parents. They were his world. He had trouble maintaining
friendships. But his parents understood him. They loved him for who he was. Every weekend
they would hike the same trail. Oscar loved that trail. The end would come to a peak overlooking
the horizon. They woke up extra early that morning to catch the sunrise. They made it to the
peak just in time. “Hey buddy, check it out,” his dad said. Oscar ducked under the overgrown
vines and looked up. The rays of sunlight broke free from the cracks of the horizon. His parents
wrapped their arms around him as the sun emerged. This moment and feeling was familiar to
Oscar. He was happy.

“Can I help you?”

“Stay back man, what the --- did you do to him??!” Lester said.
Lester positioned himself in front of Oscar, to protect him.
“Please relax, there is no harm being done to your friend.”
“Wh-wh-what's wrong with him?? Why is he here?!” Lester said.
The doctor looked at Lester. He was calm and concise.
“Oscar came to me a few days ago. He came looking for money.. Guess he might have
saw the ad we put out. He had a very bleak personality. Polite however, saying please and
thank you, but with little emotion. I started to tell him about what experimental process we
wanted to perform on human subjects. And he just looked at me, with dead eyes, he said...
Okay.”

“So what is happening to him! What is the experiment???”

“He is experiencing an alternate life. One that was designed based off of his memories and
‘absent’ healthy brain activity. It is meant to help those who have lost their way in life, to allow
them to live another rather than taking their own. Right now he is unaware of his current state.
Unaware of the tragedy, unaware of this life were are in right now. He is in a state of tranquility.”

“Tranquility?? Look at him, he’s dead!”

“Understand Lester, what he is experiencing seems real to him. It's not like a dream, he is living.
He is happy.”

The sun was just above the horizon now. The air was crisp. Oscar looked up at his
parents, they looked back down at him and just smiled. A tear formed in Oscar’s eye, this
feeling felt to familiar to him. As if he’s lived this exact moment before. But he shook that
thought, he just enjoyed the moment.

Lester paused, taking in everything the doctor had said. He didn't know what to do. His instinct
was to save Oscar. Part of him didn’t believe the doctor. But doubt creeped into his mind. He
look down at Oscar again, he saw the side of Oscar’s lip twitch a couple times. Then it slowly,
subtly, curled into a soft smile. Lester sighed. Maybe the doc was right. Maybe Oscar was better
off this way. Maybe Lester had no right in meddling. He just couldn’t shake this feeling, he didn’t
feel right about leaving Oscar. He couldn’t do it again.

“Turn off the machine, let him out. Now.” Lester said
“I’m afraid it does not work that way son, the consequences could be dire. His entire world will
be crushed. He has no recollection of this world at the moment. There are complications that we
have yet to figure out, again, this is all experimental.”
“Turn off the machine.” Lester repeated impatiently.
“I'm sorry, I just can't do tha-” The doctor hit the ground. Out cold. Lester had punched the
doctor in the face.
“Don't worry, buddy, we're gonna get you out of here,” Lester said to Oscar as he started
unhooking all of the wires. Lester unplugged the last cord. The glass window slowly retracted.
Oscar’s eyes fluttered. “Its okay man I’m here,” Lester said softly. Oscar looked at Lester. He
had a paranoid look on his face. “Where are my parents, where am I who are you wh-wh-what is
happening?!!!?” Oscar started to freak out, he got up aggressively and started coming at Lester.
“Buddy, calm down your safe,” Lester exclaimed. Oscar attacked Lester, beat him bloody. Then
fell to the floor, his eyes rolled to the back of his head as his body shook violently. Lester lay
their half conscious. Mumbling, “I’m sorry Oscar, I'm sorry…” The alarms were blaring, security
rushed into the room, Lester faded out of consciousness.

Lester woke in a hospital bed. His mind was fuzzy and he felt groggy. He looked out the
window, it was dark out, the hospital was empty, and lonely. A nurse came in, “How are you
feeling?” “I’m having trouble remembering-- wait where is Oscar?!” Lester said. The nurse
sighed, “he's in isolation. We put him under medication to help with the seizures. But he is not
well. You may see him if you like?” Lester got up and followed the nurse. “Now keep in mind, he
is not the same as you remember,” the nurse said to Lester before opening the blue metal
doors. Inside Lester saw Oscar through the one way glass. He was in a straight jacket in a room
with white padded walls. Stationed at the middle, Oscar rocked slowly, back and forth. He had
that same curled smile on his face as he did when he was hooked up to the machine, his eyes
were lifeless. A tear formed in Lester’s eye, he pressed his hand up to the glass, “I’m so sorry
Oscar..”

The sun was starting to illuminate the sky as it transitioned from dawn to day. “We Love
you Oscar,” his parents said.

Now, Inside the cold, lonely, unforgiving padded cell, “I love you too,” Oscar whispered.

Workshop questions and suggestions:

- I need help maybe displaying why Lester is involved how he got there why he's there,
etc.
- Do I need more description
- Is the story hard to follow? Can the reader understand when its Lesters perspective vs
Oscars.
- Is it too slow?
- Need better words in some areas (refer to comments)
- I need to build up the anger Lester starts to feel (angry at himself) but lashes out at the
doctor.
 I notice Questions I wonder

● The description was ● Can you elaborate ● If you want to cut it

really good, and gave
you an idea of where
Lester was and where
Oscar was in the
setting
● The switching POV
really added to the
story - was not
confusing at all and it
really worked well with
switching
● The ending left the
reader in awe and it
satisfied the MDQ
● I noticed that the
dialogue really helps
the reader understand
the story more -Lili
more on the
experience of Oscar
and what Lester is
witnessing with cutting
down dialogue and
background ● You can cut down on
information at first
● Why is Lester coming
back for him if Lester
left him when they ran
away?
● Why does Lester feel
so close to him -
enough to risk his life
by coming into this
unknown building to ● I think the background
save Oscar?
down you can take
out a little of the
background info
because some of it is
unneeded -Lili
the beginning
description and
dialogue to make it
more concise, and to
not leave questions
unanswered about
Lester’s and Oscar’s
relationship (which I
have right now)
information at the
beginning makes the
story more convoluted
than it needs to be

Rubric rating submitted on: 2/12/2018, 11:25:51 AM by kherzog@westportps.org

Does Not Meet Approaches Meets Masters
Expectations Expectations Expectations Expectations

Critical and The writing does The writing has a The writing The writing
Creative Thinking: not present a theme and some connects to presents an
Theme & theme or clear kind of purpose, universal themes engaging,
Dramatic purpose, as as showcased and conflicts to creative, and
Question showcased through the which others can unique
Masters through the dramatic question. relate, as perspective on a
Expectations dramatic question. showcased complex universal
through the conflict or theme,
dramatic question. as showcased
through the
dramatic question.

Development of The writing The writing The writing The writing

Ideas: Technique demonstrates few inconsistently or effectively thoroughly and
Approaches appropriate ineffectively employs narrative creatively
Expectations narrative employs narrative techniques to developscharacter
techniques and techniques, so develop character, , crisis, conflict,
little development character, crisis, crisis, conflict, consequences or
of character, conflict, consequences or theme.with
crisis, conflict, consequences or theme.. well-chosen
consequences or theme. lack full techniques, like
theme. development. engaging
dialogue, complex
pacing, vivid
description, deep
reflection, or
multiple plotlines,
all employed in a
sophisticated way.

Development of The closure is The closure is The closure The closure

Ideas: Closure missing or ambiguous or relates to what artfully follows
Approaches incomplete. lacks a clear was experienced, from and adds
Expectations relationship to observed, or substantial depth
was what resolved. to what was
experienced, experienced,
observed, or observed, or
resolved over the resolved over the
course of the course of the
narrative. narrative, adding
substantial depth
to the narrative's
theme.

Organization of The writing uses The writing The writing The writing
Ideas: Sequence few or no effective inconsistently or employs some seamlessly
and Coherence storytelling ineffectively storytelling sequences
Meets techniques to employs techniques to experiences or
Expectations create a coherent storytelling create a coherent events using
story. techniques to story. multiple
create a coherent techniques—such
story. as chronology,
 flashback,
foreshadowing,
and suspense—all
employed in a
sophisticated and
nuanced way to
create a tightly
coherent whole.

Comments:
low B