Life of an Inanimate Object: Part VII: Storytime

Post date: Mar 17, 2017 3:33:29 PM

By: Megan Cichon, Entertainment Editor

Posted, March 17th, 2017

Part VII: Storytime

The boy’s mother burst into the room, and I was dropped back onto the desk.

“Galen, did you feed the dog dinner yet?” She asked.

“Shoot!” Galen cried, scrambling out of the desk chair and bolting out of the room.

His mother followed him out of the room, smiling and shaking her head. I could hear a dog yapping in the distance.

“Galen?” Another pencil echoed, “What kind of a name is that?”

A voice from the other end of the room piped up.

“Galen is his name,” they began, “It means calm or gentle.”

“Who are you?” I inquired, “Where are you?”

I saw a small line of yellow roll into the light. This pencil was old...chewed up and so short that his graphite end was barely a half inch from the metal on his head. He had no eraser left.

“I am Aaron,” he began, “I’m five years old. I was the first pencil Galen used for serious writing. It would appear you're the second.”

I glanced back towards the door. Galen still hadn't returned.

“Serious writing?”

“His story,” Aaron clarified, “I started it. Now you'll finish it.”

“What's it about?” I asked.

“The main character is a man who has lived his entire life completely colorblind until doctors performed an experimental operation on him. Now that he can see in color, he experiences everything in color--love, anger, sadness.”

I could see Aaron's smile, even though I was on the other side of the room.

“I'm not sure where Galen got the idea for that one...but I think it's written ingeniously. That kid's going places.”

“Don't worry Mom!” I heard Galen shout, “I'll be down when you call!”

Galen burst through the door again and raced towards the desk. He sat down eagerly and picked me up.

“Where was I...,” he muttered.

His eyes lit up and he set me on the paper.

Her hair was the color of copper, her eyes the color of oceans. I asked her what her favorite season was, and she told me it's fall. I looked up at bright green leaves and wished they'd turn crimson and start falling for her. Falling for her...just like me…”

“GALEN!” His mother screamed, “Dinner! Wash your hands!”

Galen frowned in annoyance, clearly having thought he'd have more time to write with me.

“Coming,” he sighed, setting me back on the desk and rising to his feet. He turned and walked out of his room.

“Now that you know what it's about...how is it?” Aaron called.

“Interesting,” I replied, “but gosh...where'd he get the idea...?”