They weren't meant to be broken

They were meant for the broken to follow"

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.

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

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

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?

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)

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.

The End

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.

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.