The Flames of Freedom (standard:science fiction, 0 words)
Author: Jordana	Added: Jun 07 2001	Views/Reads: 3460/2172	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A man's struggle against a society of conformity not too far in the future. This story does not have over-bearing sci-fi elements (i.e. aliens, spaceships, or an abundance of technical mumbo-jumbo).

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

his face as he neared it. His skin began to flush, but only when the 
sweat rose off him as steam did he step back. The townspeople had seen 
much that day, but to watch the library burn, the book's pages curling 
and dying like fallen leaves was too much and many wept openly. 

Quietly Jakob approached a young girl he knew as Leigh who was standing
so close to the fire that her whole body was covered in ash. He took 
her arm and led her away. 

"Leigh, what happened here?!" Jakob screamed and several people looked
at him with emotionless curiosity. 

"Under PUP code it says," she drew her small correspondence machine from
her pocket, "...it is illegal to own or read books. It goes on to say 
that our library violates the code and that we are to confiscate all 
books and give them to the PUP offices.We never had a chance to even 
plead our case, people came from the surrounding cities and set the 
whole place...," she choked back a sob and guestured her arms around. 

Jakob could see that the hopes of all of these people were crushed and
he had an idea. Herding all of the people in the center of town 
together he began to walk toward the park gathering others as he 
walked. Once he reached the park, which was remarkably unscathed, he 
sought the shade of a tree. When Jakob sat down a soft gray cat leapt 
from the tree and curled in his lap, those who saw this smiled.The 
people gathered around him on him the grass. Reaching into his bag and 
he pulled out The Complete Works, cleared his throat and began reading 
to the tired multitude. 

"How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame, which, like a canker in
the fragrant rose, doth spot the beauty of thy budding name..."


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