Last week, I shared the first part of my allegorical story. It’s a piece of fiction I wrote alongside my fifth graders. Here’s the second installment. Enjoy!
Milo and Greta continued on their way home, when a voice called to them. “You know, it wasn’t always like this.”
Startled, the pair turned to find Gregorio, the elderly beggar who roamed the streets of the village, telling stories and singing songs for scraps of food or an occasional coin. “We used to run on a different power source way back when. ‘Course, I’m the only one around here who remembers.”
Milo tugged at Greta’s elbow to get her to keep moving, but there was something about the old man’s eyes that told her this wasn’t just another one of his tales. “Hang on,” she said. “Let’s hear him out.”
Gregorio continued. “Long time ago, when I was a small boy, the village ran on different kinds of power than we have today. Coal, gas, we burned that fuel to make this place go.
“But those power sources were too dirty. Everything got polluted. I remember it got so bad you couldn’t go outside or drink the water. All the elders got together to try and solve the problem, and none of them could think of anything.
“One of the elders looked out the window and saw us kids playing. We never ran out of energy, just played our made-up games all day. All of a sudden, that elder got an idea. She shouted, ‘Why not use the kids? They have energy and imagination for days. They can solve our problems for us!’
“From there, it was just a matter of developing the technology. First the helmets were perfected, and then the Imaginarius followed. So, rather than having children waste their brain energy playing or learning at school, we’ve been using kids to take care of things. It’s how things have been done for three generations now.”
He pointed into the distance. “You know, if you were to cross those mountains, you’d see rivers and forests and beaches and oceans. All those things you see in your Imaginarius? They’re real, and they exist beyond the Cogara Mountains.”
Greta was awestruck. Those were…REAL? Those beaches, with the sand and water…those are REAL PLACES? Greta stood motionless for a moment, taking it all in. Milo watched Greta’s face turn from shock to sadness to anger.
“Wait,” Greta said. “Do you mean to tell me that the adults of the town messed everything up with the coal and gas, and they’re using us kids to fix it for them instead of taking care of it themselves?”
“Sounds about right,” came Gregorio’s reply before he shuffled off once again into the shadows.
She remained silent for the rest of the walk home, silent when Milo saw her for the next day’s shift, and silent as she went to her ThinkStation the next day.
After announcements, Greta activated her Imaginarius monitor and tapped a random selection from the WonderList. It didn’t matter anymore what she watched or listened to. Greta’s thoughts were elsewhere. Her mind raced furiously as she recalled Gregorio’s story. For hours, she thought about the way she and her fellow children were being used. As the day wore on, a plan began to form in Greta’s mind, a plan to set things right. She was so immersed, she didn’t realize it was the end of the day until she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Greta!”
She turned to see Mrs. Angorio standing over her. “Congratulations, Greta. You just set a new factory record for power production. Well done!” The supervisor shook her hand and continued. “Whatever your secret is, we’d like you to share. There will be a special shift meeting tomorrow morning, and I’m personally inviting you to lead it. We’ll send our productivity ever upwards and hit all our goals. You could usher in a whole new era for Juventa!”
Soapbox: The Way I see Things 
Lainie, I found the story quit engrossing. I am eager to read the first part and the next installment. I finished #1 and wait patiently for the 34rd part of the story.