Story pitch— Hannah

1. In a village that sits upon water, an isolated family of a boy and his grandmother live. The boys parents were sacrificed a few years prior to the supposed great God of the ocean— a superstition living within the village people about the need for an annual sacrifice to the God in order to save the people from flood and famine. To be sacrificed is to bring great pride to one’s family, and it is thought that the afterlife of the sacrificed is one of prosperity and wealth.

2. Every year, the village chooses one to be sacrificed by random poll. This year the boy is chosen, and he accepts his fate with a fake pride as his sacrifice will bring his grandmother the utmost respect.

3. At the last minute, the boy realizes his fear in this sacrifice as both his parents had gone through this experience and he remembers the inner sadness he felt when his parents died. He thinks about what will happen after he will die—would he see his parents? Would his grandmother be able to care for herself? The fear overtakes his courage and pride and he runs away, abandoning his duty to ensure safety for his village.

4. In the middle of the ocean after the boy left, the “god” follows him, and consumes him. All of his conflicts about his fate flash before his eyes and he decides to accept his fear as he knows despite the worry he has for his grandmothers and his future, he knows he is doing what’s best for his village.

5. With this realization, the God releases him as he was the only person to solely care about others rather than the comfortable afterlife that awaits, and the boy is free to stay with his grandmother. The village is good too.