Scene 1:Introduction
*interior, morning* With the birds gleefully chirping in the outside of the house, and the sun starting to peak it's glorious rays through the semi-closed blinds of the room, the alarm rings it's loud cry awakening our beloved Hakiko.
Hakiko is 18 years old, she is tall and not very slim. She has dyed hair and small gauges in her ears. Her grandfather had thought her so much of the alternative culture that she didn't care about not being like the other girls. She did, however, care about waking up early. Rubbing her eyes and turning on her little tv in the room she proceeds to get up yawning and stretching while complaining that her body is stiff. She then starts to get ready for another normal day at school… or so she thought.
*camera focusing on the tv while there are clothes flying around and noises from her doing her bathroom routine* TV Reporter:
-...And that's the story of the little dog that saved the lives of all those precious kittens.
News Anchor:
-Thank you very much Kona-sama I guess you could say he had a woof day*fake laughter from the audience and cuts immediately to next story*. And now on more serious news, the disappearance rate of young adults, ages 18 through 25, have increased yet again. Police investigators are clueless as to what is happening since these victims seem to just drop off the face of the earth not leaving any trace of existence behind. And this just in tor the first time someone over 30 has disappeared and the investigators do believe that this disappearance is indeed linked to this mysterious case. What was thought before as something just selective towards young adults might be bigger than what we thought. Let's go live to the scene with Reporter Tanjo Leo!
*tv volume gets obscured by Hakiko's roommate* Hajo Naya(a young slender woman with dark brown hair, green eyes and the attitude of a sailor):
-Hakiko! You are not gonna make me late again! I swear I will kick your ass! Or I'll just make you walk the 15km to school! How about that miss wake up at the last second?
Yoi Hakiko(as she runs down the stairs and you see all of her for the first time; she is wearing her school uniform which was modified to show her belly piercing and her 20 sided die tattoo):
-Coming! I'm Sorry Naya-chan. I'll buy you some treats on the way to school okay? *Hakiko smiles blissfully as she rubs the back of her head and it lights up the room*
Scene 2: School and Terrible News!
*interior of classroom* ●note: in the back of the classroom there are missing person fliers of several students● It is now Autumn in Hakiko's small tall Sorokay. The cherry blossoms shed their beautiful pink flowers leaving a street of colors outside the school and a sad reminder that winter is coming with the trees becoming bare. *We see our hero gazing into the autumn colored day lost in her own world whilst holding her head in her hand absentmindedly dragging her pencil around while the teacher lectures* A loud voice breaks Hakiko's daydream.
Prof. Umichi Nao (a teacher who looks as if she hasn't slept in years and has little to no effort put into her looks, messy hair, no make up and even coffee stains on her blouse):
-Mrs. Hakiko I know your own world is so much more interesting than ours but pay attention or I will have to send you to see the principal and your grandfather will not be pleased at all! *clears throat as some students snicker at Hakiko* Now were in the world was I…? Ah...Yes! Students, today I will teaching you a bit of probability. Now, since I know you are all already uninterested I thought about making it a bit interesting… are you all familiar with Dungeons and Dragons?
Some kid with one earbud in:
-Duh! It's just like our life right now! Everyone who's anyone is playing it… *inaudible* loser. *rolling his eyes as far as they can go backward*
Hakiko's eyes glimmer with this conversation. It's her time to shine!
Prof. Umichi:
-Yes quite right. I'm glad we are all on the same page! So I will use the D&D set of dices or as you youngins call it "dies" to teach you about probability. *unloading a little box with one die of each type. 4 sided, 6 sided, 8 sided, 10 sided(both normal and percentile), 12 sided and of course 20 sided. They scatter across her desk*
Collective students:
-Whooa!
Prof. Umichi:
-I thought that might get your attention… finally you are all listening... For once. Now let's start with the basics… On any given die the probability of it landing on any of it sides equals to 1 in how many sides the die has. For example: any given number on a 20 sided die has a probability of 1 in 20 of landing. It doesn't matter if you want a 6, a 15 or a 20 they all have a 1 in 20 chance of landing…
Hakiko was shining at this moment but also she was confused so she raised her hand.
Prof. Umichi:
-Ah Mrs. Hakiko so good to see you participating. What is your question?
Hakiko:
-I understand the concept Umichi-sama. But, why does it feel like a 20 is harder to role than let's say a 10? If you say they are equally probable shouldn't they be equally difficult to role?
Prof. Umichi:
-Excellent question Hakiko. That is because there is a difference between pure probability and probability with statistics….
The lecture went on for about 45 mins and when the bell rang the students got up talking, excited that they now felt like they would have an advantage in their following D&D games. Hakiko was staring at her own dies smiling. She gripped them firmly and stared into the distance with the determination of a champion.
She left after the others… however at the door principal Geru was waiting and it was for her.
Principal Geru Fuji(an old grumpy looking guy with eyebrows large enough that his dead eyes are barely visible) :
-Yoi Hakiko? Come with me… I have terrible news. It's your grandfather…
Scene 3: Don't go Grandpa!
*Interior of a black car* The ride is as silent as the wind. The tension could be cut by a knife. And Hakiko is trying her best to remain calm after the news the principal gave her. The driver, a slim handsome man, looks at Hakiko through the rearview mirror in solidarity.
The driver:
-I'm terribly sorry Hakiko-sama. We have arrived.
Hakiko leaves the car struggling to say thank you with her voice quaking. She runs towards what we now see is a huge hospital with her hand over her mouth and tears falling from her eyes.
Hakiko:
-Grandpa don't go. Please be okay… please be okay.
She goes into the hospital and asks for directions. Running up the stairs and hallway Hakiko makes her way to Room 20 aisle D. Hakiko doesn't even notice the irony of her grandfather's room but rushes in with tears rushing down her face.
Hakiko:
-Grandpa?... grandpa?!
She sees him… lying in that horrible stiff and cold hospital bed. A tiny old man with hairs only on the sides of his head… suffering. Plugged up to a machine that is helping him breathe. His breathing sounds painful. His chest rises but it's almost as if no air has gone in. There is a doctor reading his chart. A middle aged woman with a caring smile and beautiful eyes behind her thick glasses.
The Doctor:
-Ah you must be Mrs.Hakiko. Very nice to meet you… Even tho the circumstances are not the best. Your grandfather has told me a great deal about you young lady over the past year. But it's unfortunate we meet in these circumstances. *her caring smile disappears and her eyes water* I… I'm afraid your grandfather is not going to make it. His condition has gotten a lot worse… It's only a matter of time before…
The old man coughs and starts to blink open his eyes struggling to breathe.
The doctor:
-Well speak of the devil *trying to lighten the mood* Mr. Yoi guess who is here to see you?! I will give the both of you some privacy. Just ring the nurse button if you need help.
The doctor starts to walk out with her high heels tapping lightly on the floor. She stops briefly for a second and puts her hand on Hakiko's shoulder. The doctor's eyes glimmered with tears and they seemed to say "I'm sorry". She exists
Yoi Hiro:
-H...Hakiko-chan… is that you? Come here and give this old fart a hug.
He wheezes out a laugh. And Hakiko does so with care as to not hurt the old man.
Hakiko(barely able to speak):
-G…G...Grand...pa. Please… Don't leave me! *tears burst out of her eyes*
Granpa Yoi*extending his hand and caressing her tear soaked face*:
-You have become such a beautiful young lady Hakiko. I'm so proud to have been your grandfather… and your friend. And I know this will be hard. But we both knew this day would come… sooner or later *coughs violently*. Truth is I'm running out of Hit Points dear *chuckles softly* but I'm so proud that I was able to pass on some EXP to such a wonderful young girl.
He wheezes wildly trying to catch his breath with snot coming out of his nose. He wipes himself and continues:
-Hakiko there is so much I have left to teach you about my little nerd world… but more importantly I never got to show you… Well you will see soon enough. Once you go home today there will be a box awaiting you. Take it and do what I told you to in my instructions or I will come back and haunt you! *Hakiko smiles trying not to laugh at the morbid joke*And do me a favor okay? Promise me?
Hakiko*still struggling to talk*:
-Y… yes grandpa… anything
Grandpa Yoi:
-hmm good. You might not understand this now… but you will soon… Find a way to defeat the game without harming people. Do not give in to the rules…. You are a Good Soul now after all. And… And… An…
Monitors go flatline.
Hakiko presses the nurses button repeatedly as she is crying and screaming for help.
Hakiko:
-GRANDPA NO!! I… I don't understand! I don't know what that means! What game? Don't go Grandpa please!
Nurses drag Hakiko out of the room as we hear defibrillators charging up and a voice inside yelling "Clear!" and the sudden thud that the defibrillators give out.
Hakiko:
-Get your hands off me! That's my grandpa! GRANDPA DON'T LEAVE ME!
Tears stream down her face as she is being held back against her will while she kicks and punches until she gives up and is on the floor on her knees crying and whispering:
-D...don't leave me.
Scene 4: Welcome to Soul World
*Interior of Hakiko's room* the room is dark, the tv is on but its only static. It is night outside and all is quiet all you can hear is the cries of a heartbroken girl.
Hakiko cries curled up underneath the covers while holding a box beautiful wrapped that says "from your favorite old man".
She holds it shaking not wanting to open it thinking "I don't want a present… I want my grandpa back!", but she knows it's what her grandpa would have wanted.
She tears the wrapping while her eyes are still blurry from all the crying.
Inside the box we see a few items: 2 letters, one picture of her and her grandfather (when she was younger) where they are making silly faces to the camera, and a second smaller box.
One of the letters says "open me first". She obeys and opens it reading each letter as if they were the most important letters ever put on a piece of paper. Her eyes glazed across the letter and it read:
"Dear Hakiko, if you are reading this it means I finally kicked the bucket. I'm sorry to leave you all alone in this world but this old man has lived plenty, and the best part is that I that I had the privilege of raising you and seeing the beautiful and kind young woman you became. You make me proud Hakiko. I wish your parents could have seen you turn in to the perfect adult you have become. I guess I will just have to tell them all about it when I see them after I pass… I love you my granddaughter so I want to give you my prized possessions.
My favorite picture of us, a letter that you can only read after opening the smaller box and in that box is the most valuable item I have… my legacy.
I want you to open it and wear what's inside on your neck. But put the 2nd letter in your pocket before you do so!
I love you Hakiko and don't worry where you are going is wonderful and I know you will be able to finish what I started.
Be careful. Be safe. Stay cute! And live long and prosper *with a drawing of the Spock symbol*."
Hakiko turned the page wanting more of the letter but there wasn't. So she laid down and read it again. And again. And again. Until she had the letter memorized. Even tho she didn't understand what her grandfather was talking about she trusted him with her life. So she followed his instructions.
She put the second letter in the back of her pajamas *that were clearly male and had no pockets so she just tucked it in between her skin and her panties* and opened the smaller box. It contained… a 20 sided die?! But not just any die. This was different she could tell. It was white and gold… it also emitted a small glow.
It had a cord attached to it to make a necklace, so she put it around her neck picturing it was her grandpa doing it and a tear rolled down her face.
She closed her eyes to wipe the tears away. There is a sound of rushing wind. The room is now empty. No Hakiko in sight.
She opens her eyes…
Hakiko:
-.....WHERE IN THE WORLD AM I??!
She rubs her eyes. She's still there. She pinches herself. She's still there. *the camera pans to see the world from a 3rd person perspective*
Hakiko:
-I...I...It's beautiful!
We see a world full of different creatures all of which she can name from her times playing D&D; we also see shops selling items and potions; signs for quests in exchange for gold; and people lots and lots of people… and she is still in her pajamas. She realizes and tries to cover herself with her hands turning red.
A figure pops over her head. It says DM above its head. It's a floating green blob that has glasses and a tiny mouth.
DM(it's voice is a little robotic):
-What is your character name player?
Hakiko:
-Where am I? Who are you?
DM:
-What is your character name player?
Hakiko:
-Ughhhh! Hakiko! My name is Hakiko
DM:
-Character name HAKIKO registered! I am one of the many DMs in this world. Me or one of the other DMs are always available to help. But I would like to be the first to welcome you to… SOUL WORLD! *confetti pops from behind him and hakiko just looks confused*
Hakiko:
-Soul World?...
To be continued