36
Years before Alex was born, people were told to get rid of their
extra stuff because the planet was too crowded. Actually it wasn't a
suggestion. It was an order. Books were among the first objects to
banned. Grandpa didn't approve. Alex could hear Grandpa's crackly
voice. “When I was your age, I was a bookworm. I walked down to the
library on Saturdays, checked out a pile of books, and read every
one.” Alex always imagined a wiggling worm carrying books on its
back.
Grandpa loved to talk about books. “Books are full of action and
adventure!” he'd tell Alex, waving his arms. “You could take them
anywhere. Lend them to your friends. Read them in bed.” Alex never
paid much attention when Grandpa ranted on. All the Old Timers
talked as if the world was better back in the Old Time. Everybody
knew that wasn’t true. These days, people lived longer because of
the new medicines. No one went hungry like in the Old Time.
Stepping out of the old red shed, Alex looked at the book in the
sunlight. Greek Myths was the title. Opening the cover, he began
reading about Zeus, a Greek god who lived on Mount Olympus. Alex
had never heard of the Greek gods or Mount Olympus. He sat down
under Grandpa's red oak tree—the last one in the neighborhood that
hadn't been cut down—and kept turning the pages.
Before he knew it, Alex felt the wind on Mount Olympus and heard
Zeus’ booming voice. He smelled sweet ambrosia, the gods’ favorite food.
He cringed when Zeus threw a lightening bolt, afraid of who it might hurt.