This is an entry to the #writingchallenge (to be found here).

The Review

The Mexican gang wars are still a big topic that we all should know about. The team around the world famous screenplay author Amory Quinn has tried the impossible, bringing these disputes onto a live stage. As this was the first play ever for Quinn, critics were very skeptical at the beginning. But luckily, the beautifully crafted stage props and the overwhelming artists were able to stun the audience right away.

Sadly, since the play was meant for about 2-3 hours, the complex entanglements about different gangs and the war on drugs had to be broken down to a crucial level, but Quinn still managed to create this special feeling in the room, which he also used to transport in his movies.

The main story was taking part in a poor, socially weak area, where two different gangs, "Los Zetas" and the "Sureños" were fighting for the supremacy of the drug market. They were having severe shootings almost every day, and on one tragic day, Carlos, the father of a 13-year-old girl, Lea, dies while protecting a package of heroin.

Fast forward to a few years later. Lea's family had grown a deep hate on the Sureños since they were still missing Leas father. On her 17th birthday, while everyone was celebrating, suddenly there was an explosion, and there was the sound of shots everywhere.

Lea was seeking shelter in a dark spot, where another boy was already hiding. He introduced himself as Ramon, and they got to know each other. At some point, Lea spotted a tattoo on Ramon's right arm, which identified him as a Sureño. She was disgusted and ran away to her home as soon as there were no more explosions.

A few days later, they met again, on the local market, while buying some salad. They were both kinda shy, but eventually, they started talking again. They started liking each other more and more, and Lea decided to introduce Ramon to her mother. That turned out to be a bad idea since her mother couldn't overcome the hate for the gang that killed her husband. She threw Lea out and told her she wouldn't want to see her ever again.

Together, Lea and Ramon hid under a bridge for a few days, since Ramon didn't have another place to live. After about a week, they decided to move from their hometown and start over in a different place. Without money and without any means of help, they traveled across the country, taking every opportunity to earn some cash. They then rented a very small flat in a near city, where they wanted to live for a few weeks, in order to collect enough money to move any further.

On one day, the door was smashed and a group of armed men came in, with the typical gang tattoos of Leas family's gang, Los Zetas. Lea and Ramon hid in the bathroom, but the men found them nevertheless. They didn't hesitate for a single second to shoot Ramon. Severely wounded, he whispered his last words to Lea, who was then kidnapped by the Zetas. She was brought home, where she was then forced to work as a maid, and she was basically held as a slave for the rest of her life.