Garmar discovers books. Chap 1.

"Mommy, what is this?"

Mom took the thin magazine from Gary's hand and said, "Smokey the Bear. Would you like me to read it to you?"

"Yes! Read it, read it!" he cried, clapping his hands.

Mom began to read with her finger following the words as she spoke them. Soon, as days went by with Mom reading the story every morning, he started reading the words along with her.

One morning, Mom read one of the words wrong.

"No, that word is forest! Not woods!"

Mom smiled and handed the now ragged around-the-edges magazine to him, "You read it to me then."

"Okay."

From then on he was hooked. Soon, he was reading Dr Seuss. Wrinkling his nose at the idea of eating green eggs and ham. Then Ralph Mouse and his little motorcycle held him enchanted as the little mouse had many exciting adventures, with Gary riding right there with him. Solving mysteries with The Hardy Boys as they escaped from one predicament after another.

One day, when he was eight, Gary drifted away from the kids section to the adults. Something that sent fireworks off in his brain had caught his attention over there. On a stand lay a book with a picture of a snarling, blood drenched dog on its cover. Above that, a sign with "Horror" written on it.

With a thrill, he grabbed the book and read the cover. Cujo by Stephen King.

He flipped it over in his hands. On the back were the words 'sleeping evil' and 'unholy red eyes'. Heart pounding. Will mom let me read this? Gary slipped it in with some other books--one of them from Beverly Cleary's 'Ramona' series. Hoping against hope mom wouldn't notice!

She didn't, and Gary read Cujo until the early morning hours after he went to bed. His flashlight growing too dim to read by in his shaking hands. Scared half out of his wits and loving every delicious moment!



(Later--the next night actually--I got busted with that book. I kinda got in trouble for reading when I was supposed to be sleeping, but I think Mom was impressed that I could read an adult book. So she let me read it. God, the nightmares I had from reading that one!)

gar

Gary, this was great! You were a little genius child with a flare for good literature.
Do you still remember everything you've ever read?
Awesome insight into your life! Thank you for sharing this. :)

Thanks for the compliment, but I was far from a genius child. I did have a rabid interest in books from the first time I discovered them. Funny enough--I was in remedial English for years, even though my reading comprehension was much higher than the other kids that were acing the class. Always had a hard time naming the parts--and still do.

Many of the books I read back then really stuck with me, but I don't remember them all of course. And I can hardly remember the details of any of them. Smoky the Bear was the first one I ever read. One that sticks with me is the dog stories by Albert Payson Terhune. Another author I was really into back then was James Harriot. I wanted to be a veterinarian for years because of his stories.

And I've been a fan of Stephen King, forever it seems. Too bad he didn't get better as he progressed as a writer. I either grew up or he got worse... I'm not sure which, but I still really like his earlier work. So, who knows?

And I've been a fan of Stephen King, forever it seems. Too bad he didn't get better as he progressed as a writer. I either grew up or he got worse... I'm not sure which, but I still really like his earlier work. So, who knows?

Bwah haha...
Thanks for saying that. :D

Is something wrong with this forum? Are the "new topic" buttons not working or is it really that no one else wants to take the challenge?

I think it's more that most everyone here is busy... school, work, etc. I'm going to try to write my jumble story soon. I've been trying to get my business to flourish again as well as working a temporary evening job... and I am about to break ground on a new house.

And try to get new members to this site. As well as improvements to the site.

Yikes! I'm getting tired just writing all that.

I think later, as the site grows, there will be a lot more action in here.