Life under a lens... William Jacob Clarington.
What was their focus while they were alive? Were they working? Were they in school? Were they a student? Were they well off, middle class, or poor?
William Clarington was a senior, finishing out his last year of High School.
He had every ounce of drive and ambition in his bones but that didn’t stop him from struggling academically. For that reason he was held back a year to help him catch up. Will was somewhat uncomfortable about that but he found advantages and positives to the situation; just as his mother taught him.
The young man played on the school baseball team and had also been chosen for the school track team. He took both of these sports with great seriousness and dedication. His passion and hobby for baseball seeped into his love for the game and he often worked towards game dates.
He grew up in a poorer family; where the dishwasher only worked if you gave it a hard kick; lights chose when they wanted to work; and they always seemed to be short at the end of the month. His mother often worked night-shifts and while she tried to get sitters for him or the old lady down the corridor to watch him, he was trusted to be on his own from a young age. Will didn’t really know much family outside of his mother in the run down apartment in downtown Vegas. His skateboard saved them money for the bus and he got used to little habits and ways to save money.
He was once pulled up by the principle for selling candy and other unattainable items in school, which in an argument he confessed was to help pay for the rent. Telling her that he felt useless and wanted to contribute than watch her struggle, plus, the fact it meant she could be home more often.
How does your character see their newly ended life right now? How do they see themselves as a person?
Will is confused right now. He’s still trying to process everything going on. His main emotion is fear, he’s afraid of the unknown. He doesn’t have his mother for a comforting hug or to whisper a cliche “it’ll be okay.”
He has anger inside him, he’s angry he was robbed from the opportunity of a life. He never really knew where he was going and what he was going to do but he’s angry he wasn’t given the chance. He had nineteen years of school and that was it. He hadn’t made something of himself yet.
Finally, Will feels guilt. He’s shed tears for his mother and hates the thought of leaving her alone. He doesn’t know of his death for fear of what happened. Nothing ever happens in his plain, little life. He worries how she’s coping on her own and blames himself for leaving her on her own.
What is the truth of what they were like as a person while they were alive?
Will was a good kid. He stood up for what he believed in, which was sometimes disliked by his classmates. Will could be short tempered and quick to jump into fights if someone disgraced his family name or the lack of a father in his life. His mother had tried to get him into a good school, which was where most of their money went. Yet, William felt like he never fitted in. It was like they knew he wasn’t one of them. He was kind and considerate even if he was naive and a little gullible. He could sometimes be careless with his comments and that could mistakenly lead him down a path of trouble,