High-concept storytelling in Gone 6: Ending big, promising bigger

Ending big, but promising bigger

The school was dangerous now

The Hero senses danger.

Again, we see the world through Sam’s eyes.

This school was dangerous now. Scared people did scary things sometimes, even kids. Sam knew that from personal experience. Fear could be dangerous. Fear could get people hurt. And there was nothing but fear running crazy through the school.

GoneMichael GrantSource

Sam may be scared, but he’s different from the mob of school kids - he doesn’t submit to blind panic, thinks about past experiences, and rationally decides on a different course of action.

Can you find the same pattern in these examples?

There was no point in hanging around the supermarket. The shoppers were getting panicky. Noah knew, without their sight, it would only get worse. Panicky people were dangerous, especially when they twigged to why they couldn’t see. They were bad enough now thinking it was just a problem with the lights.

This was a disaster. The dinosaurs weren’t even the biggest danger. Trix had been in disasters before. She knew that the real danger was the everyday stuff. Empty supermarkets. Dry taps. Toilets that don’t flush. She could see the system that kept everyone alive breaking down in front of them.

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