Assignment 2: Background Story

Back story: Laura

She is the Robin Hood of the frozen badlands, the bringer of goods to the people who need them. She is the protector of the innocent, slayer of bandits and raiders alike. She rides her trusty steed, Bernard, into the snow-swept wastelands of Sinai. He name is Laura, and she has saved Sinai on countless occasions before bedtime.

Laura is a child with a big imagination. She, her Saint Bernard, and her thieving post-apocalyptic alter ego are usually roaming around the neighborhood, “stealing treasure” (sweets, small toys, etc. that usually get returned later) and getting into fights with the bullies that reside there. As many times as she gets pushed down, she has gotten back up to face them again another day. The innocent she protects is a sickly boy that cannot come outside, but she tries her best to make him happy and tells him of her adventures in the wastelands.

Her parents, who hail from geek culture and show her the finer points, spur her imagination on. She aspires to be like the heroes they show her. To protect the innocent like her favorite superheroes and going on adventures like explorers in the 1950’s are her passion.

Laura may look innocent, but she is the master thief of the neighborhood, and usually gets away with it with Bernard by her side. She is a firecracker that is hard to keep up with, especially on Bernard’s back. Although it is unknown how she managed it, she rides Bernard like a champion jockey. Bareback!

Attribute List:

-Mischievous

+ Caring

- Cunning

- Stubborn

+ Imaginative

+ Persistent

- Trouble

- Curious

+ Geeky

+ Firecracker

+ Agile

+ Smart

+ Extrovert

+ Graceful

- Loud

- Naughty

- Quick-Tempered

- Sneaky

- Silly

+ Adaptable

Tollbooth Exercise:

While out exploring the neighborhood with Bernard, Laura comes up on an unmanned Tollbooth. It was guarding a fenced off area, the booth itself was attached to a sliding fence, like the ones you typically see in gated communities. After stealing cookies from Ms. Nesbitt, her parents had revoked her allowance for the week. Despite that, she was still curious to get to the other side. What cool adventures awaited her on the other side?

Looking around, she tried to spot any holes in the fence. None. However, not too far away, the fence went off onto some grass. She grinned, walking over, nearly toughing the fence. She felt weird being so close. Her hair stood on end when she hovered her hand near it. It tingled, Bernard whimpering and grabbing the back of her collar. There was no going through this fence. It was too risky to go under. But…

What about over?

Laura hovered her hand over the tollbooth itself, walking around it as much as she could. Scaling it should be easy enough, jumping onto the panel the operator would normally use; she shifted herself in a better position to climb up on the roof. The blaring wail of a klaxon startled her out of her thoughts. She looked down to see she had tripped the alarm. As Bernard barked at her, she jumped off the controls.

With a quick hop, she had mounted Bernard’s back and both partners high-tailed it out of the area. Laura looked back to see a guard shouting at them, who disengaged the alarm and stayed in the booth. What was so important in there that it needed to be surrounded by an electric fence? Her curiosity burned inside her as the duo made their way to the hospital.

Maybe next time.