Narrator 1
When Jesus woke up this morning, he
knew this would be a day full of uncertainty, fear and risk. He also
knew that without these things, he would never fulfil his destiny as
a brave leader amongst his peers. As he sat in the lunchroom after
his arduous day of labor in the fields, aching and sleepy, he dreaded
the imminent moment approaching.
Jody
Are we ever going back to school?
NARRATOR 2
Jody
was the youngest of the group, with energy to spare even after a 14
hour day of backbreaking work. Having been separated from the rest of
her family when she was abducted from her Phoenix school for failing
her 3rd
grade standardized reading test, she naturally fell in with people
from her own school.
NaRRATOR 1
When Jody first arrived at the
Pearsons Gates Academy she knew no one. Her siblings had been
separated from her for several months and she knew not what had
become of them. Jesus and Danna took her under their wing and looked
out for her. This was her surrogate family.
Jesus
The only way we'll ever get back to
school and our parents is if we take our fate into our own hands.
Jody
I want to see my brothers and sisters
again too. I miss them.
JESUS
We'll get to see everyone, we just
have to be brave.
JODY
How do we do brave, Jesus?
JesUS
When things get scary and we don't
know what will happen next, we stay calm and stick to the plan. We
trust our faith in ourselves, no matter what everyone else tells us
what we're supposed to do or who we're supposed to be.
JODY
How do we do that?
NaRRATOR 1
Jody was always full of questions, and
she asked them all when they entered her skull. She was Autistic and
had a real knack for learning and exploring the strange or bizarre.
It was her greatest asset and her Achilles heel. She was overtly
intelligent because of all the nontraditional knowledge she sought to
obtain, but also ostracized by many because she was so outspoken on
improving everyone else, and herself, she was perfect.
Narrator 2
Jody had passion, creativity and love
for her special interests. She dreamt of becoming the greatest mind
in her field of robotics. This was opposed by many as they felt she
should only be learning the common core as everyone else. It resulted
in her being bullied by her peers and even teachers in her school.
She believed trying to please the teachers, administrators, or
politicians who were passing ill thought laws was a poor use of her
time.
Danna
At 10pm tonight, our lookouts in all
four corners of the cafeteria will make their final surveillance of
the guards and if it's all clear, we will overpower them and march
out the front doors
Danna (Cont’d)
of the Pearsons Gates Academy as free
as we were the day we were born!
NARRATOR 1
Danna wasn't Jesus' girlfriend by any
means, but what many called a kindred spirit. She was a natural born
leader, gifted with vigor and passion on completing goals and moving
the world forward. She learned not by asking questions like Jody, but
by doing.
Narrator 2
Her hands on experience made indelible
imprints on her thought processes. Something her teachers knew when
they taught her in classes, helping her to grasp mathematical
concepts and applications. The very same creative teaching techniques
that were lost when laws mandated that all students would learn one
way. These new teaching methods were determined only by lawmakers and
the educational businesses that created the standardized tests.
Jody
I can't wait to learn new things
again. We haven't learned anything new since the second day we were
here. My mom once told me about this place, they said on the news
that the Pearsons Gates Academy was a high technology learning
retreat. The only thing I learned was how to dig and teach new kids
how to dig. The same thing gets boring every time.
DaNNA
I agree with you Jody. Some of the
things we learned in school was hard but something new everyday made
life an adventure. When they first started the standardized testing I
learned pretty much the same things in every grade.
NaRRATOR
While the two girls bantered back and
forth about ideas and hope, Jesus sat stirring his grey mashed
potatoes as his heavy eyes struggled to stay laser focused on the
clock. Every moment the second hand ticked closer to 10pm made it
more and more difficult for him to stay awake and brave. He was tired
now, but the moment the revolution began, his energy would need to be
on point.
Narrator 2
Another thing to fear was if he
failed, the guards would no doubt raise security protocols to prevent
another incident. It was Jesus' gift to know that preparation was
always a key to success. Studying and focus was key to accomplishing
goals. Jesus was always able to do very good on tests from his
teachers because they were well in tune with the content they were
teaching, making after school study sessions and homework geared
towards educating the students to understanding problem solving,
instead of temporarily memorizing patterns.
DANNA
Jesus, is it time?
JeSUS
Almost.
JodY
What do I do?
Jesus
If I give you the go ahead you're
going to help get everyone out of the cafe. I'll need you to hold
open the doors so everyone will run and then you lead them to the
front of the school.
JODY
What if someone tries to stop us?
JESUS
You just keep running, ok? You leave
the fighting to the bigger kids.
DANNA
I'll be right there with you, Jody,
ok?
JodY
Ok.
NaRRATOR
Jesus took a breath as the second hand
was coming up on 10pm. The moment was finally at hand.
Jesus
Everyone ready?
DANNA
Ready.
JodY
Ready.
NarRATOR 1
Jesus rose from his seat and looked to
corner one. His first lookout nodded yes. Corner two. Yes. As the
moment grew, Jody uncrossed her legs under the table and Danna dabbed
the remaining food from the corners of her mouths before setting her
food to rest. Jesus moved to corner three and got a hesitant nod.
Jesus looked deeper into the hesitancy to understand it, realizing
one of the guards was watching and just now caught on. RIOT! He
screamed as several other guards looked up from their meals, mouths
full of mashed potatoes.
JesUS
Go!
DANNA
Let's go, Jody, come on!
NARRATOR 2
Jesus and the rest of the big kids
quickly mobbed the unexpecting guards. Jody and Danna lead droves of
other children through the doors, down the grimy looking and cramped
corridors with colossal humiliating columns; drab plain walls and
small holes for windows that would keep electric costs down. Finally
to the front gates they arrived, where the stormy weather outside
washed away the dirt and ash from their bodies.
DANNA
Has anyone seen Jesus?
JeSUS
I'm here!
Jody
Now what do we do?
JESUS
We have to find the train line. I'm
sure it's off in that direction there. Let's go!
NaRRATOR
As Jesus led the mass of freed
students through the fields and into the nearby woods, all of them
would take a moment of their time to glance back and keep sure of the
burning structure that once housed them was crumbling to it's demise.
DanNA
How far do you suppose the train line
is?
Jesus
Not far. A days walk or so. We must
keep moving. I know they will come for us. If we don't succeed now,
we may never.
NaRRATOR
Just then a voice spoke up from the
mass behind Jesus. It was Gordy, a longtime troublemaker at school
and then again at the factory.
Gordy
Why should you be the leader? I
already don't think this is the right idea. We should just go back
and do what they say. It's safer that way.
JesUS
I'm not going to stop you, because if
there's one thing I've learned from all of this is that there isn't
just one way to do things, one goal to be met. Each person has to get
to their destination by their own means. Mine is to see my family
again and return to school and learn new and exciting things. If I
have to face the storm; wild animals, toxic plants and harsh terrain
to get there, I'm going to. If you want to keep working the fields
because it's what's safe, then go on.
NarRATOR 1
Jesus and the group waited, the mass
all looking at Gordy to see what he'd do. After a moment of
contemplation, Gordy lowered his eyes to the ground in shame and
submitted his loss of the argument.
JESUS
Alright then. Let's go everyone!
JodY
I love that we're outside in the rain.
They never let us go outside in the rain! It's actually kind of fun!
NarraTOR 2
Jody was correct, it was a fun
endeavour to be doing something different. Good fortune smiled upon
the students as they ventured for over a day's time, making their
arrival at the train depot early the next morning. It was a long,
hard earned respite for them as they snuck on to empty car trains to
gain passage back over the boarder and return home. Many of them
slept the whole ride, others were too excited at the prospects that
awaited them.
Narrator 1
Nothing compared to the thoughts of
their own beds; dogs and cats that would comfort them in wet sloppy
kisses and the smell of a home made dinner cooked with love. As they
finally arrived back in Phoenix, the exhaustion took a back seat in
their minds. Energy surged from every child's legs as they raced
around corners and bends in their neighborhood roads to get the
chance to wake their parents
JODY
Mom!? Dad!? We're home!
Jody's mom
Jody!? Oh my goodness, sweetheart we
thought we'd never see you again!
NarraTOR 2
Jody's parents near fell flat faced to
the ground, tangled up in the morning blankets as they rushed to
embrace their little girl.
GorDY
Dad?
NaRRATOR 1
Gordy's dad was dressed in a business
suit; carrying a briefcase and adjusting a small United States
Flagpin when he noticed his son coming up the suburban street.
GORDY
Dad I'm home!
NARRATOR 2
Gordy's father said nothing, as he
pointed towards the house and continued into his limo with the police
escort waiting to take him back to the state senate.
DanNA
Oh, Max! I missed you beyond compare!
NARRATOR 1
Danna hugged her red Doberman dog as
she fell onto the couch in her living room. Her parents almost
trampled one another to reach her first as they both sandwiched her
into the middle of a hug that could only be explained as a vice grip.
Jesus
Hello? Is anyone home?
NaRRATOR 2
Jesus was slow and unsure of his house
as it sat quietly. A creak arose from the back of the kitchen. His
father emerged from the basement, overwhelmed with joy.
JESUS
Dad! Where's mom?
Jesus' dad
She's not here Buddy. Your mother
found out about all the terrible things that they were doing to you
and the others at the factory. She set out two weeks ago to try and
find it and gather evidence to shut it down.
JESUS
We burned it down. But I stole one of
the guard's phones when he wasn't looking and took all of these
pictures.
NaRRATOR 1
As Jesus and his father thumbed
through the pictures on the phone, the front door opened and Jesus'
mother came exclaiming through the room until she was reunited with
her son. She was overjoyed that her son was finally home.
Narrator 2
In the days that followed, Jesus and
his parents brought the evidence to the U.S. District Attorney. She
brought charges against all of the politicians and corrupt business
owners that tried to limit and control the education of students to
their own advantage.
NarRATOR 1
The laws of standardized testing where
repealed and students started growing as teachers were allowed to
embrace different teaching methods for different students. Test
scores rose and students grew into successful adults who were
passionate about their work and capable of problem solving with their
own minds, pushing knowledge of the human race even further than it
already had reached.
THE END.
