The scent of dinner wafted through the air into my bedroom.

"Dinner, Billy," a soft, sweet voice called.

"I'm coming," I yelled.

The TV was shut off and my feet went pitter-pat as I walked into the dining room. A delicious plate of steaming hot chicken was placed in front of me and I was suddenly aware that I was very hungry. I stabbed a piece of chicken and I chewed. Quickly, I was aware that something green was on my fork. I eyed it suspiciously. Oh No! A vegetable! I slammed the fork down. My mother lifted her head and gave me that 'don't you ever do that again' look.

"Mom, I'm not expected to eat that, right?"

"Yes, you are," she stated very clearly.

I slowly and cautiously lifted the fork to my mouth. Now, I'm not normally supposed to make faces at the dinner table, but my eyes were squinted anyway and my mouth looked like I'd just swallowed something sour.

"Drum role!!!! Wow! Tough crowd!"

My jaw dropped and my eyes bulged. The green vegetable was dancing in front of me as if it were on a stage.

"So, I hear you," he pointed directly at me, "don't like vegetables."

"That's me," I replied.

"Well, vegetable hater, I'll show you a life with no vegetables. Actually, I'll show you a life with no agriculture."

"Sure! That'd be great," I replied.

"Okay," said the vegetable.

I felt a sudden spinning sensation, and everything was a blur. When I could finally see, I realized that my house looked exactly the same.

"Hey, vegetable your spell didn't work!"

There was no reply.

"Vegetable?"

So, his spell really worked after all. Cool! I looked around my house and everything was the same. Except for the fact that there was nothing but a vast wilderness surrounding my house, there were no streets or houses. It was like my house had been cut out of the modern world and placed in an ancient time period. Surrounding my home there were small huts made of mammoth bones and skins. I decided to have a snack when my mother emerged. She was carrying a basket and was dressed in skins. My dad followed right behind her carrying a piece of wood tipped with a bone that was carved so that it formed a point.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To collect and hunt food," they said in unison.

"Couldn't you just go to the supermarket?" I asked them.

They both looked extremely puzzled.

"You know where we get our food."

They just didn't comprehend. So, they just went on with their day.

"Bye!" they shouted as they walked out the front door. My parents never left me alone, this was sweet! I decided to play a video game and watch TV for a while. Then a couple of hours later my mom came back with a couple of roots, wild fruits, and nuts. My dad was gone for a couple of days though and I was beginning to get worried. Finally, he came back with nothing to eat. He said that the men had come very close to catching a bison but it had escaped. The next morning my dad said that late last night there had been a meeting and since food was scarce three of the strongest hunters would go in search of food. He was one of those men so he left the house very abruptly. He was gone for many, many more days. Finally the other two hunters came back. They told my mother that hunting was very dangerous.

"So," I said.

"Well, your father was trampled by a bison when we were hunting. But, we still didn't get the meat."

They said that they had buried my father and marked his grave with a stone. My mother squeezed me against her chest and hot tears slid down my neck. The next day everyone wore grim faces. My father was greatly missed by the whole village.

More men were sent out to hunt. The village was starving and everyone was pale and thin. I tried to work as hard as I could without enough food, but my eyelids were drooping. While the men were hunting, I remembered how full I had been back at home, and how I had complained because I didn't like how something tasted. Now I'd give anything to eat something. I returned to my work and started to chip bones into sharp points like the one on my father's old spear. Finally, the men returned with a couple of fish, but it was not enough to feed the whole village and I only got a small piece. For another week this continued. The men went hunting and brought back nothing or next to nothing.

Then I remembered the green vegetable and my stupid wish, I decided that the next day I would beg the green vegetable to take it back. When bright orange and red light filled the sky, I begged and pleaded for the vegetable to turn things back to normal. Finally he agreed. I became nauseous and I had the spinning sensation again and everything was a blur. When I opened my eyes, everything was back to normal. Streets and other houses, not huts, surrounded my house. Also, my dad was back and my parents were dressed normally. I ran up, hugged them both, and I said, "I love you very much."

Smiles filled their faces and we all hugged. I was so glad that we were all together again; things just weren't the same without a father. Then I told them that I was going to Jack's house, but before I did I ate the entire remains of the snacks in the snack cabinet. I ate the little bags of chips and fruit gummies, granola bars and pretzels until I was moderately full. Then I went over to Jack's house and told him the whole story of my adventures. I told him about starving and my dad being gone and about carving tools, but he thought I was nuts. I said good-bye and I left because it was time for dinner. When my family had dinner I secretly thanked God that there was enough food on the table. I then gobbled up my food so fast (even the vegetables) I spilled peas on the floor and my parents thought that I had been starved. Obviously they didn't remember our adventure and I wasn't about to explain. And to this day I eat all the food that's put on my plate.