History of the Trap: April Promises Part 5

SYNOPSIS:  After being visited in prison by Morgan LaDona Tigh, Lance Martin has agreed to Dr. Duncan's request to detail what happened in the time that Lance is calling "the Trap."  Lance begins his journal by describing the morning before the trap fell, where we learn his father was the Principal of Loren High, that Lance is a Junior, and has a sister named Diane who is a sophomore.  After a couple hours at school that morning, where we see how different is relationship with Morgan is, we also meet Lance's best friend, Artie Pentler, and their gang. Just as Lance is ready to ask Ginny Estill out, the Trap falls, and they witness the horrible death of two P. E. students as they are caught in some kind of electrical storm.  After a very rocky, scary day, the students were called to gather in the gym, where some students broke out.  After the rally, Lance and his sister meet with their father and find that he doesn't know much more than they do.  Lance spends his first night in the trap, listening to late night screams and sounds of electric zapping.  When this scene opens, it is now two weeks later, Wednesday April 30th.  

5

Final Jeopardy!

It had come down to three students.  David Yankovich, of course.  And also Lisa Carlson, Sue Boschman's very bright friend.  Finally, there was a surprise freshman, Larry Wiesman.  Larry was a small fellow, skinny with black hair and thick glasses.  He was one of only a handful of Jewish students at our school.

A few days ago two teachers, Mr. Branch and Mrs. Branch (they married last year) organized a nightly contest, tailored after the game show Jeopardy.  Mr. Gary Branch was a Government teacher and Mrs. Lisa Branch was an English teacher.  They were the only married couple to be caught in the trap together.  They were just trying to come up with something that would distract the students for awhile, let them escape into something else.  Participation had grown to be about a couple hundred.  It wasn't for everybody, but for those students of a more academic and less athletic bent, it was a fun way to pass the time.

They started out with a multiple choice question that had four choices to it.  You picked one of the four and went to a section of the cafetorium that corresponded with what you thought was the correct answer.  When the correct choice was announced, anybody who got it wrong had to step aside and just become part of the audience.

These rounds continued until there were only ten or fewer left.  These players then moved to a table in front where things became more intense.  Mr. Branch would give an "answer" and the first one to ring a bell would get to give the question.  Mrs. Branch would determine who rang first.  The first three players to get three right would go on to the next round.

Mr. Franks, our math substitute who picked the wrong day to fill in, and Mr. Bowtin, the popular Sociology and Psychology teacher, helped watch the crowd.  The students who participated in this were relatively well behaved, but there sometimes would be dispute over rules and outcomes.  Tonight there seemed to be a dispute that seemed to get so out of control that Mr. Bowtin had to come in and help Mr. Franks resolve.

But now they were down to three and they were down to final Jeopardy, with David Yankovich holding a slight lead.  The category was US Politics and the answer was....politician most famous for five o'clock shadow.  Larry and David knew the answer, but Lisa incorrectly went too far back in history and named William Henry Harrison.  David correctly bid just enough to stay ahead of Larry Weisman, emerging the tournament winner for the second time.

David Yankovich took his victory smugly, as he felt it was his rightful do.  Mrs. Branch put the medal of victory on him, a necklace with an old band medal on it.  The trumpet shaped medallion was considered the "horn of victory".

It was a night of victory and fun that would soon be forgotten.  As we left, it was the last time we saw Mr. Franks alive.  Except for the murderer, of course.

TO BE CONTINUED!!!