The Boy Who Stayed Awake At Night
T. D. Green
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2012
Smashwords Edition Licence Notes
Thank you for downloading this free eBook. You are welcome to share it with your friends and family. This eBook may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided this eBook remains in its complete and original form. If you have enjoyed reading this eBook, please mention it to others for their consideration. Thank you for your support, it's welcomed and highly appreciated.
The Story Begins …
In a distant galaxy there was a planet called Enthia, a world where a single ocean of sparkling blue water separated two continents. Every day was illuminated by a sun that shone with a fiery, golden glow. Each night the clear sky was filled with the twinkling of countless stars, and an orange-coloured moon. The people of Enthia were tall and slim, with two legs and two arms, and three fingers to each hand. It was a world where no cars, planes and trains existed as technology hadn't yet begun to rise. A world in which society was at peace with itself, and no wars had ever been fought.
Yuli Kadin, a boy in his eighth year of life, was as usual unable to fall asleep because of the imaginary tales his thoughts kept bringing forth each night. The images of stories he knew he wanted to write one day, would stream through his mind one by one. Each single story idea was his favourite, and choosing a single one to write down seemed to be a decision he just couldn't make, and this frustrated him greatly. And so he lay there, staring up at the ceiling, considering each story in turn, which as usual would frustrate him even more as he could never decide!
"Yuli, which story do you think people would like the most?" asked a softly spoken voice from within the bedroom.
Yuli quickly sat up in his bed, a little startled and not believing what he'd just heard a strange voice ask him.
"Who said that?" he called out as he looked about the bedroom, which was lit up by the glow of orange moonlight flooding in through the window.
"I did!" replied the softly spoken voice. "It's me, your favourite toy on top of the chest of drawers."
Yuli peered over to the chest of drawers and stared at his favourite toy, a model of an Enthian Star Gazer.
"But it's not possible! Toys can't speak!" And he was right, toys can't speak.
"Who said so?" the Star Gazer calmly enquired.
"Everybody says so … that's who!"
There was a moment's silence.
"You talk to me all the time, Yuli. And you answer back for me. I think it's just a bit one-sided and unfair, is that. Don't you?"
Young Yuli considered the question for a long moment before replying.
"Yes but … all children talk to their toys. It's what children do!"
"Exactly. The reason why children talk to toys is because they believe in them and get the answers they wish for, which are innocent and truthful answers. Only children have the ability to do that."
Yuli rested back against the pillow, much calmer now. "Ah, of course, you aren't really talking to me, it's my imagination that's talking to me. I understand now." And he did. Well almost …
"Okay, if that's the answer you're happy with, then it's fine with me," replied the Star Gazer. And in that instant, a very special friendship was born.
Yuli needed an answer to the problem that had frustrated and alluded him for quite some time – which story should he write?
"Star Gazer, which story do you think I should write?"
"The story which interests you most, Yuli. And a story that's new and unique, one that nobody has ever written before."
"I'd like to write a story about space. You know, a story with lots of new planets in it and different types of people living on them. With strange-looking creatures too!"
"And what's stopping you from doing that?" Star Gazer asked.
"For a start, I'm not sure what you'd call such a story. What do you think?"
Star Gazer thought to himself for a moment before replying.
"Well, Yuli, my work requires me to learn about the surrounding heavens, and chart the movement of the stars as I watch them. This is what we call a scientific study. A science of space."
"But I don't know anything about the heavens, apart from what they teach us in school."
"That's where your imagination comes in handy, make something up and stick with it throughout the whole of the story. Some people may like your new story ideas, and some may not. You're a boy with a great imagination, so use it."
"That sounds easy," uttered Yuli, "but I'm not sure what you'd call a story like that?"
"The story is about space and the things within it, so you can call it – science. And then you're going to make a story with new planets and different types of people and life forms living on those worlds, so let's call this – fiction. Now put those two words together and what do you have?"
Yuli beamed as he'd discovered the answer to what had frustrated him for such a long time. "Science Fiction!" he excitedly called out.
"That's right, young Yuli … a Science Fiction story."
"I'll start working on my new story tomorrow! Thank you, Star Gazer! Thank you very much indeed!"
Yuli and Star Gazer continued talking some more.
The very next morning Yuli woke refreshed and bright, after having the best sleep in ages. He stared at the Star Gazer toy on top of the chest of drawers and wondered if he had really been talking to it, or had it been a dream? He truly didn't know …
Yuli had worked on his new story every spare moment he had, and duly completed it in time for the short story period in class at school.
The teacher pointed at Yuli's desk. "It's your turn, Yuli. Come read to the class."
Yuli grabbed his pages and made his way to the front of the classroom. He stood there facing his audience, with a very proud expression on his face. After a moment, he spoke.
"What I'm about to read to you, is what I call Science Fiction. It's a story about space and new worlds, with different-looking people and strange-looking creatures living on those worlds." And he began to read aloud.
He read out how a metallic ship of space had come to visit his world, and described how the people of that ship looked so different to Enthian people, for those people were from a planet called Earth, and they were human beings. These human beings had two legs and two arms, with four fingers and a thumb on each hand. And human beings came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and colours. They were also peaceful people, and were of great help to Enthian people.
These human beings helped cure the sick and disabled people of Enthia, by showing his people how to make medicines from native shrubs and wild herbs. They also helped in teaching his people how to create machines that made working the fields easier. The human beings created a system where Enthian's could earn coins from any work they had done, then trade those coins for food and machines. This created great joy for those who worked hardest.
Yuli ended his story by telling the class that the human beings had left his world a much better place to live upon after they had left Enthia in their metallic ships of space, and returned to Earth.
The classroom echoed with the cheering and applauding of very happy children at hearing this story, which filled Yuli with even greater pride and joy. He'd succeeded in creating the very first science fiction story in Enthian writing history!
Yuli Kadin continued writing his science fiction stories, growing wealthier year by year as he exchanged his stories for coins. He duly married and was blessed with the birth of two beautiful daughters and a handsome son.
Indeed, life on Enthia had been much improved, and all the people had prospered in one way or another, the invention of money being the leading factor. Where once there was no such thing as money, there now was, and the human visitors from Earth took all the praise for this.
As Yuli aged, he couldn't believe the news that filtered in from the opposite continent which stated that a dispute between the people over who owned a large section of fertile land had grown into a serious matter. As the weeks rolled by, Yuli learned that a war had broken out between the people, and as his continent tried to negotiate a peaceful end to the matter, it too got embroiled in the conflict.
Sadly, Yuli Kadin and his entire family were killed in the first months of a war which had spread worldwide. Enthia's first world war.
The End.