Enjoy Evan’s gripping rendition of “Jack and the Beanstalk.”
Jack and the Mysterious World
Jack was raised with almost nothing, each meal at most being a stale piece of bread, and most days even nothing. His father was no more extended home, forced away by the Great War many months ago. Since his father left, Jack’s mother was a wreck. Her caring personality left; looking at Jack would remind her of his father. His mother simply existed next to Jack, neither providing nor nursing a son like a mother would. Jack always wanted to run away, leaving his mother alone just like she did to him. However, he never did.
One morning, the sun was covered in a cloud that almost seemed to suffocate the air. No good news would come today, pondered Jack. Hunger, greed, ambition. What makes people do things? What makes people do things that they know they will regret? Jack’s mother would ask Jack to sell his family’s one valuable possession. A watch, his father's, something that he wished Jack would be able to wear when he grew old. Sadly, with the most recent meal being bread from a fortnight, that day may never come.
Jack went to the market, and on the way, he thought, “Why is mom making me sell Dad’s watch? Do I have to get rid of the one thing left of him? I just want to see him again.”
Walking about on the road, he met a man who wanted to buy his watch. This man was different; his eyes reeked with fear. His face was as if somehow his hills were placed throughout. There was once a story within the town about a man who would appear and disappear depending on your anxiety. However, Jack never believed that fairy tale lies. The man walked with a cane in one hand and a basket in the other. Jack asked, “What will you give me for my watch?” With a voice that said he hadn’t spoken for many years, the man answered, “I will give you five magic beans!” Bewildered by the strange price and the man himself, he stopped.
Abruptly a rush of emotions filled his head; He felt joy, fear, and sadness all in one moment. He was no longer on the gravel road but feeling as if floating in the air. His thoughts were no longer his own. Each idea comes and goes without his permission. Without a second thought, Jack took the magic beans and gave the man the watch. The man’s freezing hands sent chills throughout Jack's already numb body. He stood there emotionless, alone, but somehow perplexed. Finally, however, snapping out of his trance, he realized his mistake and turned around, screaming, “WAIT…”.
But the man was already gone, not a trace of him, leaving the trash-filled road with more dust. Jack was mortified at what he had just done. “What did I just do? Mom is gonna kill me.” Even if she wanted me to sell the watch, she would have wanted something more. What would his mother say? Would she let him live? All of these thoughts flooded Jack’s head. It was her husband’s prized possession; Jack only waited for the worst. Even in her depressed state, his father was the only thing keeping her alive. He could only imagine the burning red eyes he hadn’t seen since he left.
But those eyes never appeared.
When his mother heard the news, it was quiet. The house was not shaking. But instead, it was calm, so calm that even a bucket of water wouldn’t ripple. Jack was only told one thing,” Go to your room,” Jack, mad at himself, could only do one thing with his anger and pain. He threw all five beans deep into the yard, and as they slowly became invisible in the muddy grass, he hoped never to see them again. Yet, he would see the beans again just one day later. His eyes slowly drifted away, and his heart went with it.
He woke up with the sun shining in his eyes, piercing through his malnourished gaze. When looking through the window, something was different. The ground was still muddy beyond belief. The grass was all dead and weeping with pain. But in the middle, something beautiful appeared; A giant beanstalk appeared in front, its height reaching above the sky. Its roots stuck in the ground, almost ripping the earth. Not wanting to bother his mother, Jack slipped through his window. His feet soaked in each puddle to its fullest. His vision, still entirely dazed by the bright lights, caused him to stumble, barely keeping his feet. The sheer weight of the beanstalk around them crushed the trees around him. As he slowly inched towards the beanstalk, the branches whispered through the wind. Touching the beanstalk, Jack felt something he never imagined he would feel again. Hope.
After his shock and excitement, his hunger overtook him again. He realized that this day would be his last unless he did anything different. So, even with the pain rising in his chest, he started to climb. Each step on the beanstalk stabbed his feet and hands, both beginning to bleed from the pain. His arms were shaking beyond belief, unable to hold the sheer weight of his frail body. He didn't know if he could continue for more than another step. But he couldn’t see anything due to the shining white light above him. He could sense something else, not just hope, not just the warmth, but most importantly, he heard something. He listened to large thuds shaking the beanstalk, a whispering sound flying through the air, and finally, the sizzling of meat overtaking his body with glee. With all these newfound ambitions, he would rush up the vine, no longer caring about the pain in his legs or hands. Reaching the top, all that blocked his way was a thin but obstructing cloud, enough that nothing above the clouds was visible.
All those intense dreams were confirmed as he slowly popped his head through. Gigantic men, clothed bare, walked around, causing pebbles to jump across the clouds. Large red birds flew through the air spewing bright red flames. The sky looked like his dreary town but rather happy and larger. Most importantly, through all this wonder, he smelled something special. He heard the sizzling of something across the city, But as his wonder grew, his conscience began to fade away. Each blink flickered between the clouds and the darkness until only darkness remained.
Then he woke again in his room to a loud grumbling noise coming from himself.