Don't Be Sad | Teen Ink

Don't Be Sad

April 17, 2012
By CassandraC GOLD, New York, New York
CassandraC GOLD, New York, New York
12 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
“A philosopher once asked, “Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?” Pointless, really…”Do the stars gaze back?” Now that’s a question.”

Neil Gaiman, Stardust.


Fade in scene.
Room comes into focus in black and white.
Plain walls, a soft gray, a single chair, and hand movements just out of the camera's lens. Finally, a woman appears from the side. Black sweater, blonde hair put down and in full view. No makeup on she sits seldomly on the fold up chair in the middle of the screen. It's black and white so we can barely the tears rimming her eyes. But we can see the quiet expression o her face. As if she's been holding something back, as if she has spend her whole life in hiding and dosen't know how to begin.
Deep Breathing.

Woman: Im not going to tell you my name.

Voice From Behind Camera: Tell them Your name.

Woman: head down
My name is June. June Sunset. I live in California.

Voice: They didn't need to know that.

June: Shut up, Steve. Unless, you want to do this, instead.

Steve: You're the one –

June: Shut up, why don't you just leave ?

Steve: Fine, I don't need this s***.

A dark figure passes by the edge of the screen. And a door is heard slammed shut. June is staring intently at the screen. Finally she gets what she needs to say.

June:
Deep breathing.
Let me start at the beginning, and don't fast forward, you need to hear this:
This story is not about me. I stood soaking the car with foamy soap studs, with Steve out in the yard. The silence was booming. Like a truck full of dynamics that pressed against us as we moved and cleaned the car a sparkling blue.
I tell you this because as we washed the car, we both knew that the world was going to end.
Like I said this is not my story.
It is your past.
And for some of you, your future. Where people ignore it all. Their feelings, their family, their health. All for entertainment sake. Because it's easier to pretend to people aren't dying every second. Because it's easier to simply sit and watch TV, listen to music and ignore life, until your next routine plastic surgery . And even then you simply sit and think of the next icon you want to look exactly like, while everything you knew to be true was drilled away.
I should know.
I had 3 of those on my legs alone. What I'm trying to say is that life sucks here. It really does. It doesn't get better, until people make it better. As I say this most of the world has been destroyed, how do I know this? Because I finally saw the truth a few hours ago, ash and ruin. That all it was. No bodies, no survivors. Our children have already been taken for us years ago, as a treatment of a new "space program." Our government knew what was going to happen, they tried to tell us, but when you are cold for so long. You wake up and realize you suddenly don't care. After wasting your life, and doing s*** just because. You have nothing to lose.
Your life isn't worth s*** anymore.
That's sad.
And that's me.
Sad.
Don't be sad.
Don't end up like me.
I want you to be happy.
Don't hold grunges.
Don't be so sad.
And good luck.

Leans in.
Turns off camera.
Screen goes black.
Slowly.



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This article has 5 comments.


Luminous_ GOLD said...
on Apr. 15 2018 at 8:01 pm
Luminous_ GOLD, Auburn, California
12 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
Welcome to Trench

Oh my gosh this is amazing

Cizag said...
on Mar. 22 2018 at 8:27 pm
Cizag, Lake Mary, Florida
0 articles 0 photos 6 comments
Powerful. Within it, somewhat nostalgic.

on Oct. 13 2014 at 10:53 am
Anyuhhhh BRONZE, Las Vegas, Nevada
4 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
It's hard to beat someone who never gives up

This story somewhat confused me at first, I still don't get the camera part and why she was crying. This story however had a good message in it in a way where it tells us to live life and that you have to be happy to live how you want. I liked the dialogue and how you used it. The script was good in a way where it showed us that we could die any day.

megbug5 BRONZE said...
on Oct. 4 2013 at 10:59 pm
megbug5 BRONZE, Hinsdale, Illinois
4 articles 3 photos 3 comments
This peice made me fall in love with teen ink.  My friends and I were wondering if we could record ot and produce it. would that be ok with you?  

villain123 said...
on Aug. 28 2012 at 9:18 am
villain123, Bridgewater, New Jersey
0 articles 0 photos 41 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I'm okay with war as long as nobody gets hurt."

I'm not sure exactly what this is about, it seems to be in a futuristic dystopia setting, but I really like it. They way she keeps on repeating that the story is not about her and the ending when she asks the reader to not be sad. I wish it was longer. I want to learn more of the backstory and what happened.