WRIT201-B03_ Short-Short Fiction Story (Rough Draft): The Misadventures of Stan and His Spectacular Spectacles

The Misadventures of Stan and His Spectacular Spectacles

Stan was a good boy who always did what he was told. He helped his neighbors, listened to his teachers, and obeyed his parents. Everyone praised him for being kind and responsible. But sometimes, Stan grew weary of always following orders. One rainy evening, his parents were arguing again. His father was stressed from work, and his mother was worried about money.

Their voices filled the house.

"Go to your room, Stan," his father snapped.

Upset, Stan grabbed his raincoat and ran outside. He rushed through the storm to his

favorite place in town— the library. As he wandered through the building, Stan made his way to the end of the library. He discovered a giant door hidden behind rows of dusty books. Curious, he pushed it open. Inside was a forgotten room filled with ancient structures and old texts appearing to be falling apart. The center sat a pair of strange luminous spectacles. Stan picked up the spectacles and placed them on his face.

Nothing seemed any different.

Puzzled, he left the secret room and returned to the front desk. Then he noticed

something strange. The librarian stood exactly where he did before, but behind him appeared a towering tree. Its roots stretched deep into the floor— its branches reached toward the ceiling. Though the old man looked lonely, the tree stood strong and steady. Stan blinked and removed the spectacles.

The tree had vanished.

The librarian had been staring at him with a large grin the whole time. “Knowledge is

easy to carry young Stan,” he said, “how we use this knowledge will determine the person you set out to be.”

Over the next few weeks, Stan discovered the spectacles revealed hidden things about

people. He saw the adversity behind his parents’ reactions back at home. The more Stan saw, the more he realized that people carried burdens nobody else could see.

Then one day he crossed paths with a stranger along a lonely road that wore glasses much like his. The man looked familiar— too familiar.

Stan stood in shock.

"I've seen the truth about people," Future Stan said. "They’re selfish and nobody can be

trusted."

Young Stan shook his head.

"No," he replied. "These glasses only show parts of the truth."

Future Stan scoffed.

"They show fears and faults," young Stan continued. "But they also show love, hope, and strength." For the first time, Stan understood. Truth without understanding made Future Stan bitter and lonesome. Stan then removed the spectacles.

"I don't need these to think for myself."

Suddenly, Future Stan faded away into a dark mist.

Years later, these spectacular spectacles still rested in the secret room of the library. Stan never forgot what they taught him:

To know the truth can be dangerous. Understanding what we do with what we know can save us.