(Page 1 of 2) For Immediate Release by Christopher Alen F.
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SUMMARY: For the March Flash Fiction Contest, "The Tournament" WARNING: Graphic Content."I AM HERE FOR THE TRUTH."
THOUSANDS DISTRAUGHT IN WAKE OF CHILD SUICIDE
NEW JERSEY -- The fabric of North American society was stained yesterday with the blood of an 11 year old girl. The Super Bowl was indefinitely halted following the public suicide of Sophie Davidson.
Sophie, a citizen of Toronto, Canada, had traveled with her father to New Jersey for the New York Giants vs. Chicago Bears Super Bowl. A terminally ill patient at Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital, Sophie was supported by the Children's Wish Foundation (CWF). Her dying wish was to perform her mother's favorite song, "The Star Spangled Banner," to open the Super Bowl.
"We are shocked beyond words," stated a CWF representative, concluding, "We are frankly unable to make any further comment. This is simply too much."
More than 90,000 Super Bowl fans were in attendance at the Giant's Stadium when Sophie took the stage. The Stadium, recently rebuilt as part of the ongoing Public Works efforts of the Economic Stimulus Plan, captured the event from its state-of-the-art media room. Television audiences watched as Sophie opened with a brief speech about her struggle with her illness and peace in the world.
"I know my life will be short, yet all of our lives are hard," she said sagaciously. "But we deserve to live in a world where truth overcomes our fictions. I am here for the truth."
The television feed was suddenly cut-off as she began, "O! say ca-."
Some at-home family members were notified by the attendees, but the wireless networks soon crashed in the sudden influx of calls (full service has yet to be restored throughout much of the Tri-State area). Video of the suicide was shortly leaked onto the popular internet site, YouTube, which was quickly overcome by a massive influx of traffic.
At time of press, the site is still down, but copies of the video are being widely distributed through peer-to-peer and social networks.
The video shows that Sophie continued to sing to the last word of the first verse of the anthem, "Does that star-spangled banner yet wave / O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"
She then produced a service sidearm, later discovered to have belonged to her mother, and shot herself through the mouth.
Event security officials have not, as yet, made comment.
The audience sat in stunned silence for more than 15 minutes before officials declared the Super Bowl was to be delayed. 10 minutes later officials announced cancellation of the game.
NFL Spokesperson Rich Matriak broadcast from the stadium's media-room, saying, "The Super Bowl is canceled today and will be rescheduled. We don't know when. We ask you to please remain in your seats. We will evacuate the stadium by section, which will start shortly. We don't want any one else being hurt, and ask that you please remain calm. Counselors have been called and will be on site shortly."
SHOCKING REVELATIONS
At 4 am today, as audience members continued to depart in an orderly but shocked fashion, a media panel convened at the Giant's Stadium made up of representatives from the stadium, state and local police, FBI, clergy members, the CWF, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Illinois, and the Premier of Ontario.
FBI Spokesperson Colette DeVille soberly applauded the stadium's staff for their prompt response to the incident.
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