Dara Alden is a character in the Scream Roleplay Universe, figuring in the narrative’s backstory.
Dara has been immortalized as a radiant homecoming queen, resplendent in tiara and tulle. Indeed, her coronation at George Washington High’s 1994 Homecoming Dance was the last great achievement of a life cut tragically short.
On Halloween night of that year, only a few days removed from homecoming, Dara and her boyfriend Brett Keener were killed by Brandon James, a classmate who’d been a frequent target of bullying from Brett and his friends.
Dara was survived by her mother, Lettie, and her little sister Becca, both of whom were forever changed by her death. Becca herself died not long after, leaving behind her infant son, Tony.
| CHARACTER | Dara Alden |
| Faceclaim | Neve Campbell |
| Age | 16 |
| Gender | Female |
| DOB | May 22, 1978 |
| DOD | October 31, 1994 |
| Occupation | Student (George Washington High) |
| Family | Lettie Higgs (mother) Bernadette Alden (sister) Joan Higgs (aunt) Tony Higgs (nephew) |
| Friends | Maggie Duval Laura Cossey |
| Love Interests | Brett Keener (boyfriend) |
| Killed By | Brandon James |
History
Once and Future
Dara was born on May 22, 1978. Hers was a simple, suburban life. Doted on by her parents, she doted on her little sister, Bernadette, in turn. Dara was brainy and forthright, unafraid of being the contrary voice in a crowd, an attribute she owed in her to her opinionated mother Lettie.
In high school, she flourished, winning friends and admirers everywhere she went. Her good looks and winning personality made her a lock as the ‘it girl’ of the Class of 1996. A hot commodity, she was courted fiercely by every eligible boy at GW High…and a few of the ineligible ones.
In the end, football player Brett Keener was the lucky suitor. Brett, a studly jock with more muscles in his smile than his cerebellum, treated Dara like a queen, evidently unable to believe his luck. Brett was a stone cold killer on the football field, part of a fearsome foursome that included his friends Kevin Duval, Trent Price, and Mike Vinson. With Dara, however, Brett was a total softie.
Dara was the matchmaker who set Kevin up with her friend Maggie Anderson, a shrinking violet who Dara knew had been admiring Kevin from afar, but hadn’t worked up the nerve to do anything about it.
She had no way of knowing what she was setting in motion.
Off With Her…
Dara was crowned Homecoming Queen in October 1994, winning out with a record-breaking vote share that would remain unbeaten more than 20 years later. As far as Dara was concerned, it was a cutesy affair, nothing really serious…a nice memory to look back on in later years.
She wouldn’t get the chance.
On Halloween night, 1994, Dara was killed by Brandon James, a school outcast who’d been the victim of incessant bullying from Brett, Kevin, Trent, and Mike. They were all targets, along with Trent’s girlfriend, Laura Cossey. Kevin was the only survivor of the rampage, which became an indelible stain on Lakewood history.1
Development
Dara and Brett Keener were the only victims of the 1994 murders to be shown in Scream the TV Series, appearing at the start of the third episode, in a flashback to their final moments. Dara was portrayed in this scene by voice actress Taylor Murphy.
Dara was unique amongst Brandon’s victims for factoring in one the Scream forums prior to the launch of the SRU. The October 2016, Season 3 AU introduced Tony Higgs, a freshman who was Dara’s nephew. This relationship was retained when Tony debuted in the SRU in 2019, appearing in the Big Trouble in Little Lakewood spin-off.
Trivia
Dara’s faceclaim is Neve Campbell, known for portraying final girl Sidney Prescott in the Scream film franchise. Dara is one of four SRU characters to share a faceclaim with a character from the film series. The others are Derek Jackson, Kitty Wright, and Xavier Rivers.
Gallery
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