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"Another thing about rules

They weren't meant to be broken

They were meant for the broken to follow"

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A boy who struggles with feelings of grief and revenge following his brother's death

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People always love people more when they are dead. But if the blood inside you is on the inside of someone else, you never want to see it on the outside of them.

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A boy who goes out of his way to seek revenge for his brother's death.

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Themes

Revenge vs Justice - This was a good theme choice because it helps show how kids in the “hood” have to make these decisions on a regular basis and this can often get them killed. Through gang wars or just getting caught and getting killed. These themes are often relatable and can actually convince kids in the “hood” to maybe not continue the cycle of death.

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But the day before yesterday, when Shawn died, the moon of off. (page. 22)

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A boy who, after his brother's death, takes an elevator ride to seek revenge but encounters ghosts from his past that make him question his decision.

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A boy who deals with grief and tries to make a choice following his brother's death

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finished doc: (none of the drawings are done yet)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QL5WnKhd6yZeZ5HWwfmx_a_9Q0Flzp82NPZDHUmUE1k/edit?usp=sharing

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A boy who is seeking revenge for his brother who passed away.

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"When you're walking into the moonlight, make sure the moonlight ain't walking into you"

Don't let the circle of violence and killing and drugs get into your habit while you're young.

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" the rules aren't meant to be broken, they are meant for the broken"- page 39

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IN the end of the book, I imagine that he goes to Riggs house, then Riggs says he didn't do it, so he has to restart completley

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I imagine Will is left standing in the elevator, torn between the weight of his grief and the lessons he's learned from the ghosts. Will might step off the elevator, go find Riggs to revenge, though the decision is filled with uncertainty and inner conflict.

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Revenge vs. Justice is an excellent theme for this book and it portrays the choice that Will faces. On one hand he can choose to seek revenge and kill Riggs. On the other hand Will can go for justice which leads to him believing that each human's life is valuable and he shouldn’t kill Riggs. This contrasting theme sets an epic cliffhanger for the reader to ponder. The elevator guests give him facts to choose between these two epic themes.

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At the start of the book, Shawn gets shot and dies. William follows the Rules and is ready for revenge. He goes down the elevator meeting many different people influencing his decision.

Level 7- Buck

Level 6- Dani

Level 5- Uncle Mark

Level 4- Will's Father

Level 3- Frick

Level 2- Shawn

He reaches the bottom of the elevator with a decision to make. Will he do it?

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I took a moment to gather my thoughts. Spinning in my head. Like spaghetti. I heard the lift say “Doors are closing”. I stepped out. The world outside ain’t seem real. Like Buck. Like Dani. Like Uncle Mark. Like Dad. Like Shawn. And then I walked. I walked. Seems longer than how long ago Shawn was shot. It be taking forever to get to Riggs’ house. But then I see the building. It be looking so tall. I remember Riggs’ house. I see his window. And a shadow. Scared. The light so dim. I walk up to the elevator. But what if I see Buck again. Or Dani. Or Uncle Mark. Or Dad. Or Shawn. I don’t care. Only care bout the rules. I’ma shoot Riggs. With every bullet in the gun. In every part of his body. “Doors are opening”. I step in the lift and pray I don’t see Buck. Or Dani. Or Uncle Mark. Or Dad. Or Shawn. And I don’t see them. Lucky me. Or maybe not so lucky. I hear a ding. And then stare. “Doors are closing”. And then I step out again. I knock at Riggs’ door. And wait. And wait. And Riggs. He stares at me with an evil twinkle in his eyes. “Shoot me,” he says. And I shoot. With every bullet. At every part.

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It's so hard to think. After all this madness. It has ended. I have gotten my revenge. I just still can’t live with it. Every morning, Every evening, Every night I still can't get rid of the thought of. Shawn’s dead. Shawn’s dead. Shawn’s dead. I am just so fed up with it. It feels like ages since going to Collin’s house and finishing him off.

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i think that after the elevator comes to a stop and will comes out of the elevator he will go to Riggs door and will still be thinking if he should kill him or not. and then he will ring the door bell and when the door opens he will be too nervous to shoot him when will sees him standing in front of him. will will just ask causal questions and leave without doing anything because he was too nervous.

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1) Firstly, the book starts when Will's brother Shawn get's shot. This immediately leads to Will narrating his grief, and how life is without his brother.

2) Will discovers a gun in the middle drawer of his brother's bed side table. This leads to Will sharing the three essential "rules" of his society: Never to cry, Never to tattle and to always revenge someone's death.

3) Will sets off with Shawn's gun to kill the suspected murderer of his brother Shawn; Carson Riggs. Will enters the elevator on the 8th floor.

4) The elevator dings when it reaches the seventh floor. The ghost of his brother's father figure Buck enters. Will and Buck exchange conversation and Buck keeps telling Will that he is not good enough and will not be able to actually go and kill Riggs. This definitely motivates Will to keep going with his decision.

5)

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From Will's perspective -

And finally; it hit me. I was just caught in another cycle. A cycle of violence, where shooting Riggs would just end up with me being shot, my eventual shooter shot, and an endless cycle of people following the Rules.

The rules, though I hate to say it, are wrong, and the only way to move on is to tell others, so many others, who must be feeling the same thing as me.

Revenge is not the same.

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1. A boy who is dead

2. “But if the blood inside of you is on the inside of someone else, you never want to see it on the outside of them

3. (Linked to this)

4. (Linked to this)

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I waited for them to get out. My head was bustling with thoughts. Should I do it or not? The doors were about to close and I stepped out with a mindset to get revenge. I thought to myself "The world is a place where fate is decided or can be decided. I can decide his fate." I got out and walked across the street. I walked. I walked. And I walked. I thought to myself that it ain't too late to back out. Finally, I reached Riggs' house. I stood and stared. I kept on staring in despair. There was ice in my veins as I stood in front of his house. I saw through the window. A shadow appeared. Blood was swimming through my body. I could go back. Leave Riggs alone. Meet Buck again. Meet Dani again. Meet Uncle Mark again. Meet Dad again. Meet Shawn again. My brother broke the rules. He cried. I can break the rules. Doing wrong like Riggs does not make me better than him. I go to the doorstep with my body still considering the decision. I ring the doorbell. He comes up to the door to find no one there. I didn't do it. I ain't like that. I wanna be correct. I walked back. I walked. I walked back to my block. I saw the murder area again. I entered the block. I called the lift. I thought about Shawn and told myself " What is done is done." I stepped in and the doors soon closed. I pressed the button "8" and stood in front of my door. I went in to see my mom still sleeping on the table. I went into my room and lay down. I took a breath in and started a new chapter in my life. One without Shawn. One where I don't have to worry about the rules. One where I can be Myself

The End

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Timeline of Long Way Down

1. The Shooting of Shawn

Before the story starts: Will's older brother, Shawn, is shot and killed in the neighborhood. This incident deeply affects Will and sets the story in motion. Will believes he knows who killed Shawn, based on street rumors.

2. The Rules

Day after Shawn's death: Will reflects on "The Rules" of his world:

No Crying

No Snitching

Always Get Revenge
These rules guide his decisions.

3. Will Finds Shawn’s Gun

Same day: Will retrieves a gun from Shawn's drawer, intending to seek revenge on Riggs, the man he believes shot Shawn.

4. The Elevator Ride Begins

Moment of Decision: Will gets into the elevator from the 8th floor, planning to go down to the street and kill Riggs. The entire story takes place during this elevator ride, which lasts only 60 seconds.

5. Encounter with Buck (7th Floor)

First ghostly encounter: The elevator stops on the 7th floor, and Buck, Shawn's mentor (who was also killed years ago), gets on. He questions Will's plan and indirectly plants seeds of doubt about the cycle of violence.

6. Encounter with Dani (6th Floor)

Second ghostly encounter: The elevator stops again, and Dani, a girl Will knew from childhood who was killed by a stray bullet, enters. Dani asks Will if he’s sure about killing someone and reminds him of their shared past.

7. Encounter with Uncle Mark (5th Floor)

Third ghostly encounter: Uncle Mark, who was also murdered, joins Will in the elevator. He talks to Will about revenge and shows Will how easy it is to get lost in the cycle of violence.

8. Encounter with Will’s Father (4th Floor)

Fourth ghostly encounter: Will's father, who was also killed in street violence, enters. He hugs Will and demonstrates the overwhelming weight of revenge, but also reveals the emptiness of the act by miming his own failed attempt at vengeance.

9. Encounter with Frick (3rd Floor)

Fifth ghostly encounter: Frick, the man who killed Buck, enters the elevator. He forces Will to consider how violence has ripple effects, showing how revenge doesn’t always lead to the expected outcome.

10. Encounter with Shawn (2nd Floor)

Sixth ghostly encounter: Finally, Will's brother Shawn enters the elevator. He doesn’t speak at first, but his presence challenges Will's beliefs. When Shawn finally asks, “You coming?” it’s unclear whether he’s asking if Will will join him in death or in breaking the cycle of violence.

11. The Elevator Door Opens (1st Floor)

Final moment: The elevator reaches the ground floor, but the book ends without revealing if Will chooses to go through with his plan of revenge or break the cycle of violence.

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Epilogue for Long Way Down

The elevator doors slide open, but Will doesn't move. The gun feels heavy in his waistband, reminding him of the choice he has to make. He pictures Riggs—the man who killed Shawn—but then thinks about Shawn, silent and watching him. The rules say he should pull the trigger, but the faces of Buck, Dani, and his dad haunt him. They followed the rules, and look where it got them.

Will steps out of the elevator, ready to go, but something pulls him back. His hand hovers over the gun, but he lets it go. Instead, he presses the button to go back up.

As the elevator rises, Will's anger starts to fade. He doesn’t know what’s next, but for the first time, he’s not letting the rules decide for him. The doors open, and Will steps out, leaving the gun behind. He walks into the morning light, unsure but ready for a new path—one without revenge.