A family harvests crops in an autumn village. An older man and boy sort gourds, while women work near a hut and basket of greens.

The Search for Eternal Youth It was a sunny, cheerful fall day in a peaceful, secluded village deep in the mountains, far away from civilization. Even though the town didn’t have the most advanced tools or culture, the inhabitants of the village were mirthful, happy people. The scene was particularly picturesque with the golden brown leaves, cozy atmosphere, and the cool, crisp air. However, Augustus and his family couldn’t afford to waste any time when it was harvest season. At dawn, Augustus’s quaint little thatch hut was already buzzing with activity. Augustus’s mom, Gertrude, was busy preparing the materials needed for the day’s food, and his sister was tasked with gathering the kindling and firewood from the storage shack in the back. The men (Augustus and his father) were almost always toiling in the fields, especially in the harvest season, like everyone else in the village. Side by side, Augustus and his father, Atticus, started gathering the crops from their farm. He couldn’t help noticing all the overripe, rotten tomatoes, worm-infested apples, and the poor lettuce pockmarked with bug bites. With each spoiled crop, his father’s face grew more drawn, his brows pressed together in concern. Finally, after an entire morning of sifting through the failed crops, picking the still edible ones, they only had two sacks of produce when they needed twenty to pass the year. Dejected, Augustus’s father ordered him to go muck out the pig’s stalls as it was reeking of waste, with See more