Narrative

Narrative

Exposition.
The two boys Christopher and Derek are two normal young schoolboys who are best friends and spend the majority of their afternoons playing football outside and aspire to become footballers when they are older and hope to escape the life of struggle and poverty. They both have working class parents and although financially stable, they cannot afford luxuries.

Agents of Change
The kidnapper. A sad, mentally unstable, middle-aged man. Isn't evil but enjoys the company of kids since he does not have his own, hence the reason he abducts a young boy. Doesn't seem to see anything wrong with his actions and in fact thinks he can provide the abducted child with things his parents could not have given him.

Conflict
Christopher and Derek are playing outside, on the grass nearby their houses one afternoon as they usually would most days after school. They kick around a ball whilst talking, laughing, joking and messing around behaving like typical young schoolboys. It is evident that they are very close and share a strong bond. Derek kicks the ball to hard and it rolls out of sight into a bush not that far away. They argue but eventually Derek goes to fetch the ball whilst Christopher waits around for him. Seconds pass and a man who's face is unseen has been watching the two boys play ball, as soon as he spots Christopher is alone, he drives his car to near where he is standing. Violently, he grabs Christopher and aggressively throws him into the backseat of his car, shuts the door and drives away in a hurry. Derek returns with their lost football and realizing Christopher is no longer there, he begins to search for him. Hours pass, and as Christopher is no where to be seen, Derek informs his parents who later inform the police.

Elaboration:
Days and weeks pass and Christopher's whereabouts are still unclear. His parents are distraught. They already are struggling financially and they are now finding it impossible to cope without their little boy. Christopher's mother desperately tries to hide her feelings in order to keep her family together but soon finds herself falling into depression as a result of her devastation. Christopher's father begins to become increasingly aggressive and easily angered and spends most of his time outside home still struggling to come to terms with reality.
Derek lives his days filled with regret. He tries to continue playing football but is clearly traumatized and doesn't find joy in playing ball if he cannot do it with his close friend. He begins to feel desperate and completely lonely, he doesn't spend as much time with anyone else anymore is heartbroken. In his own time, he does continue to conduct his own private search, playing detective hoping and praying that Christopher makes a return but it all seems hopeless. He desperately tries to recall those last moments with him, wondering what would've happened if he didn't run to fetch the ball or how and why he disappeared in such a short space of time.

As for Christopher, he lives in a basement with his kidnapper. He is upset, distraught and confused and more than anything wants to return back home to his family and friends. However, his kidnapper refuses and Christopher has a great amount of hatred for him. However as time passes, he begins to feel sorry for him, realizing his kidnapper has numerous underlying issues from his childhood and although he abuses Christopher and has deprived him of his family, Christopher pities him because he is completely alone and misunderstood.

Climax and Resolution:
Things start to look better for Christopher's family, they begin to attend family counseling sessions and his mother finds herself a new job. But somehow, all their efforts are wasted as the hole in their lives cannot seemed to be filled. Until one day, they get a phone call from the police telling them that Christopher has been found. The family are amazed and overjoyed, and Derek feels relieved.

Coda:
However upon his return home, they realize that Christopher is nowhere near the same young boy he was before. He has lost his sense of vulnerability, spends less days with Derek and isolates himself more. He is no longer bright and bubbly but timid and quiet and rarely ever speaks of what happened to him whilst he was abducted.