Dream up a secret library. Write a story about an adventurer who discovers it. What’s in the library? Why was it kept secret?

Posted in Adventure on May 17, 2024

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✍️ 97 stories

“The Library” by Naya's A Writer

Submitted to Contest #251

The library. Beth was always oh-so fond of browsing through the books, eyeing the titles on the well-worn spines and finding her smile in spite of herself. The smell of burnt wood seemed to flow through the air and into her nose, accompanied by the lingering scent of paper and ink, the two of which lay heavy in the air. It must've been something about the candles littered about, precariously placed on stacks of even more books, or maybe it's the long window that stretch from floor to ceiling, from which the outside sunshine shares its rays i...

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“Room of Secrets ” by Rachel P. Singleton

Submitted to Contest #251

September 19th, 1852 Rutherfordton, North CarolinaMy Grandma was a wealthy woman. She had inherited family riches passed down four generations over when her great grandfather established his locomotive company way back when. I'm not sure about her exact net worth, but if it was passed down this long it must have been pretty big. Of course she also had investments in most— if not all the valuables that laid about the house.Her house, or shall I say Kleinberg Manor, had many rooms for there were multiple on the bottom floor as well as the top....

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“ETERNAL LIBRARY: THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNIVERSE” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #251

Long before the rise of man when the world was dark there came a great light from the sky. A great ship descended into a dark world. Inside the ship was the greatest race to ever inhabit the universe. They are called the creators. The creators were the first evolution of humanity. They called their new home Avalonia. The creators created the oceans, the trees, plants and animals. Overtime the creators created the second evolution of humanity in their image. The creators built great cities and within those great cities, a great library was bu...

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“The Lost Collection Of Umne. ” by Farai Gotora

Submitted to Contest #251

Eran was tired but had to keep moving. There was no telling if reinforcements were coming for the fallen tribe. Even after being held captive by the Bednaarians as long as he had, he wasn’t fully wise to how they functioned. It was entirely plausible that they were able to channel communication posthumously. So powerful was their mental configuration. He had to get as far away as possible from the site of the massacre lest a fresh wave of the hellish mind manipulators descended into the caves and found him. He held his dim torch out in...

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“Legend of Western Street Library” by Katelynn Seavey

Submitted to Contest #251

Her breathing hitches rapidly as her eyes stare trained on the building in front of her. Madison has been searching for the last couple of years in a desperate search for the building in front of her. The outside of the building is covered in moss, dirt, and grime. The windows are tall, almost resembling a door, and are pitch black, so she can’t see inside them no matter how much she tries. The building itself is made from bricks that have started to decay over time, leaving a rundown appearance. Madison feels her mouth forming a slight grin...

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“The End” by Lark Bailey

Submitted to Contest #251

The End The End. That was the title of the final volume, at the very far side, on the very bottom, of the very back room. It looked like it had never been touched by human hands, and it occurred to me that if I became the first to break the spine and thumb the pages, I would also be the last. But let me start at the beginning: before the hidden back room, before the shelves and shelves of books with green and gold binding, before the library, before I came to this place. I don’t even know what this place is. Before...

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“The Enlightened” by Alex McColm

Submitted to Contest #251

The EnlightenedRyan Gordon , alias , Flyin' Ryan or Flash , leaned back in his gaming chair after the less fun part of his intrepid (mis)adventures , the travel blog. But this time was different - Everest , Angkor Wat , even the Great Wall were all spectacular in their own way , climbing each and learning about their origins were enriching , but there was a feeling about Machu Picchu , altogether more peace........serenity .......calm in the mind.Calm was a rare commodity for Ryan , since childhood , he always buzzed around , running wild , ...

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“The Key” by Sam Dawson

Submitted to Contest #251

Lia wore black well. Her dress was understated yet stylish. The heels of the black stiletto shoes emphasised her slim ankles and calves. Lia had never attended a funeral before. She imagined the weather on such an occasion, would be wet and windy. In contrast, the sun was shining and birds could be heard loudly singing. Her father would have approved, Lia smiled inwardly. Her father had been a Minister in the Cabinet, a close confidant of the Prime Minister, his death was unexpected...

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“The Secret Library” by Becca Christian

Submitted to Contest #251

Storm clouds were rolling in, and Aurora knew she needed to start the trek back to the main park where her car waited. As an experienced hiker she knew to check the weather before hitting the trail. There had been no storms in the forecast, so the ominous looking clouds up ahead were a surprise. “Alright let’s go,” she said to herself, or perhaps the trees. She had come out here to try to ease the pain of her breakup with James. Plus, i...

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“The Old, Abandoned Library” by Patrix D

Submitted to Contest #251

She stood still in the aisle between two very old bookcases. They were built to withstand time and it showed. The small gaps and nooks were filled with cobwebs and their little tenants yet the bookcases seemed untouched by the unforgiving hands of time. Solid they stood guarding the old, musty books of all shapes, colours and sizes. The girl touched the wooden surface, mesmerized by the strength it carried with it. As she touched it she could feel something in the air. As if she was not alone. Her fingers traced the extravagant patter carved...

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“"The Secret Library"” by Domika Stewart

Submitted to Contest #251

"Man, what a dream that was!" I dream I was sitting on the bench eating my favorite hotdogs. I love fried hotdogs with chili, mustard and ketchup. I usually buy a large lemonade with my lunch. I got up after eating my dogs and looked towards the pond. There was a blurred image of a hologram that showed a huge building. The building had the words "ARY," on the front door. I got up from the bench, at the same time waking up from day dreaming. I would daydream after eating a huge lunch. I reach for my backpack and begin to head back to the book...

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“The Library That Saved The Monk” by Rohil Jethmalani

Submitted to Contest #251

Satya woke up tired, sore and disgruntled. His legs were covered in rashes from insect bites, and he was throwing up anything he ate. He thought to himself, “What’s the point of this whole journey?, I just want it to end so I can go back. There’s nothing I’m learning by being here”. A few years ago, Satya’s master had sent him away from the monastery. The young man was a quick learner, and nothing short of genius. This was also his undoing. He knew he was better than the rest of the monks. During his time at the monastery, he often secretly ...

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“The Unfinished Library” by Agnes V

Submitted to Contest #251

When a thing is truly dangerous, one can try to destroy or diminish it, or one can educate and warn against it. One hopes reason will prevail and assumes survival instincts will win over adrenaline rushes, daredevil thoughts, and poor judgments. The alternative is to take that dangerous element and hide it so no one will ever find it. The Unfinished Library could not be destroyed. It was not a building that could be burned or bulldozed. It was not a collection that could be pulled apart, nor a mere room that could be razed. The U...

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“Madman's Knowledge ” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #251

Legend tells of an ancient library, a treasure trove of knowledge, lost to the world in the wake of a near-apocalyptic disaster. This cataclysm, which triggered every natural catastrophe imaginable, left humanity reeling. Six hundred years later, we still struggle to rebuild what was lost. Each race holds theories on what caused these disasters, from enraged gods to prophetic warnings. Wars ravaged the surviving countries, each blaming the other for angering the deities responsible for such devastation. And amidst this chaos, the library of ...

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“Wisdom of an Author” by Hailey Straub

Submitted to Contest #251

I once again was drawn to the library by an invisible thread, to do nothing but pour over the knowledge safeguarded between the covers of its volumes. My favorite game was wandering the library's shelves until I got lost, pretending to hide from the outside. All I wanted was to read and learn from these books with their hidden gems of knowledge in the vast coal mine of the world. And the further away I could get from the world, the better. I am a slow reader, and after meticulously scraping every word of every paragraph, I stop to ponder wha...

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Dream up a secret library. Write a story about an adventurer who discovers it. What’s in the library? Why was it kept secret?

Submissions are closed

✍️ 97 stories

“The Library” by Naya's A Writer

“Room of Secrets ” by Rachel P. Singleton

“ETERNAL LIBRARY: THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNIVERSE” by Melinda Madrigal

“The Lost Collection Of Umne. ” by Farai Gotora

“Legend of Western Street Library” by Katelynn Seavey

“The End” by Lark Bailey

“The Enlightened” by Alex McColm

“The Key” by Sam Dawson

“The Secret Library” by Becca Christian

“The Old, Abandoned Library” by Patrix D

“"The Secret Library"” by Domika Stewart

“The Library That Saved The Monk” by Rohil Jethmalani

“The Unfinished Library” by Agnes V

“Madman's Knowledge ” by J.B. Redel

“Wisdom of an Author” by Hailey Straub

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about discovering a lost manuscript. It can be from a famous (or infamous) author, or an unknown one.

Your protagonist is a writer who discovers a new favorite author. How does their writing, or even their own personality, change as the protagonist falls under the writer’s influence?

Write a story about a future academic (or another influential person) “rediscovering” a book that, in its time, was dismissed. The book can be fictitious or real.

Your protagonist is a voracious reader. Lately, they’ve been noticing odd synchronicities in the books he or she is reading. What does the protagonist discover is happening?

Contest #251

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

234

Contest entries

76

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: