Begin your story with a librarian searching for something.

Posted in Fiction on Aug 11, 2023

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✍️ 70 stories

“Do Flamethrowers Belong In The Library?” by Kenz Ross

🏆 Winner of Contest #211

We lose people all the time. It’s just the nature of the job. What can you expect from a place full of nooks and crannies people intentionally go to get lost in? I usually don’t worry when I don’t see someone for a while, but when it’s been days since someone’s checked out, it’s usually a sign that I need to step in. I’m not doing this alone, thankfully. No Librarian is ever truly alone, are they? I have help from the Watchers and Listeners of the shelves. Thanks to them, it usually doesn’t take long to get the scent, if you know what I m...

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“The Miracle of the Damaged Jesus” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #211

Marilyn and Beatrice arrived at work early, as usual. Beatrice opened the door and held it open for Marilyn, as usual. The ladies took off their coats and put on their sweaters, as usual. They started re-stocking the books that had been checked in the evening before, as usual.The body of the head librarian lay in the Historical Fiction aisle, her lifeless eyes and bluish tint signifying that she was well and truly dead.Marilyn wiped her glasses, the grim expression on her face softened somewhat by the absence of eyewear. When she spoke, the ...

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“Field Trip Love Story” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #211

My class is going on our very first real life, big boy field trip. Mama tucked me in real tight for sleep, but when I closed my eyes all I could see were dinosaurs around me. So I opened them. I slowly untucked my real tight blankies. I climbed out of bed, feeling suddenly cold in the dark. Mama turned on my night light and I use its green glow to find my way to my book case. Mama and Daddy used to read one story to me together before bed. I’m the librarian ‘cause I always pick the book.But now….now it’s just Mama or Daddy at night. ‘Cause n...

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“The Librarian” by Heather Blank

Submitted to Contest #211

“I need to print something from my phone,” the nervous person in front of me stated. I smiled. I always smile, no matter how many times a day I hear this request. “No problem,” I say, and hand them our printout of instructions for mobile printing. They take it without a word, and I say, “If you need any help, feel free to come back. The printer is right here in front of us, sometimes it can take ten minutes or so to go through, and the machine only takes coins, ones, and fives. No cards.” They nod and wander off. The person behind them saunt...

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“The Bryant Library at Roslyn Harbor” by Jonathan Page

Submitted to Contest #211

'Twas in that season of the year,When all things gay and sweet appear,That Colin, with the morning ray,Arose and sung his rural lay.Of Nannie's charms the shepherd sung:The hills and dales with Nannie rung:While Roslin Castle heard the swain,And echoed back his cheerful strain.--Roslyn’s Castle, 1776 (Scot’s Tunes)"We the undersigned, inhabitants of Hempstead Harbor, Queens County, Long Island, State of New York, finding a serious inconvenience in our village, particularly in our Post Office arrangements, from the similarity of names… do the...

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“A Dangerous Spot for a Library” by A. R. Bledsoe

Submitted to Contest #211

"A library doesn't just up and walk away," the short, stumpy dwarf grumbled. Stubby fingers removed oval specs from his plump, gnarled nose, wiped the thick glass against his cloak, and then placed them promptly back into place. "Dear, me," he muttered as he blinked through his specs. The view had not gotten any better. The surrounding ancient forest, thick with grizzly birch trees and viny oaks, had become considerably darker in the rapidly approaching night. There was no moon nor even a twinkling star to light the formidable darkness. A...

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“Overdue” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #211

OverdueThe small, snuggly town was named Life Magazine’s #1 Place to Live in America a stunning seven years in a row. Maple Grove defined quaint, rural, and rustic. Its streets weren’t tree-lined; its trees were street-lined. Happy smiley faces everywhere, children and adults, a Ward, June, Wally, and Beaver behind every door.Everyone knew everyone. The barber was the butcher’s uncle, the fireman was the baker’s brother, and the teacher was the student’s aunt. The children all played together in cheery harmony, the men tossed horseshoes behi...

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“Dandelion ” by Veronica Ruiz

Submitted to Contest #211

The timing was uncertain. An elderly librarian was currently scouring the library, trying to find a certain book. “Ah, here it is.” The librarian grabbed the short book, marveling at its cover before flipping its pages. There a familiar name greeted their eyes, and a smile of recognition graced their lips.The old librarian smiled and took a seat. The library was quiet, perfect for the librarian to read the book. Adjusting their glasses, they began to read the story. “Life is the only gift that most people don’t appreciate. When things go w...

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“Estelle’s Book Club ” by Chelsey B

Submitted to Contest #211

Estelle Anderson tore through every drawer in her desk, desperately searching for her notes. In 15 minutes, she was due to lead a book club discussion for parents of young children. They had all read a book that explained how children were designed to learn through play. This was the first meeting of the book club, and as the newest librarian at the Mercyville Public Library, she’d had to fight hard to convince her coworkers that the book club was needed. She couldn’t let it fall apart before it even had a chance to really begin.Estelle rumm...

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“Love's Magic” by Anthony Carello

Submitted to Contest #211

When Erika Simons stepped into her job at the library nestled in her small town, an idea sparked in her mind like the flicker of an old, forgotten tale. As a child, her grandmother's captivating stories had woven a tapestry of girls infatuated with princes far beyond their social status. These stories, though timeless, held an air of whimsical impossibility. The notion that nothing these girls did could capture the prince's attention, until the moment they chanced upon a hidden love spell...

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“Beam Me Up” by LeeAnn Hively-Insalaco

Submitted to Contest #211

I clasped my hands in front of me like a good little boy and watched Not-Naughty-Librarian thumb through the book looking for something that seemed mighty important to her. I couldn’t tell you what she was so intent on finding that she couldn’t even spare me a passing glance seeing as how I was dead and hadn’t had orientation yet. All I knew was I didn’t seem to be in hell since there was a considerable lack of hellfire and brimstone. I don’t remember the exact moment I died. O...

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“THE AGE OF INNOCENCE” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #211

THE AGE OF INNOCENCEThey sat on the grass outside the village library awaiting Toby’s return; he having been sent to scope out the building. They watched as he walked back towards them, a mournful look on his face.“It’s the old battle-axe on duty. She absolutely loathes me so I daren’t ask her. What do we do now?’Miss Aznavour, the librarian, at the age of 36, hardly qualified for Toby’s description of being old. Nor was she a battle-axe. Rather, in her usual twin set and pearls, she was the epitome of a woman who had long given up hope of f...

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“How a Unicorn Lives” by Angel Thompson

Submitted to Contest #211

Dana pushed her cart of books along the empty aisles of the children’s section. With all its brightly colored cushions and pretty teddy bears, the space felt wasted when it was deserted like this. Dana tucked a book into its proper place on the shelf, where it would likely remain for eons to come. It would probably still be there when Dana lay stiff in a coffin, at peace from a world where children no longer did the things that she once liked to do. Then Dana lifted another book from the cart. It was a muted yet inviting shade of blu...

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“The Lost Flower ” by M. M.

Submitted to Contest #211

Eunice Mondel pushed her hair back tying it with her favourite green scrunge preparing herself for another late night of searching. She locked the main door of the library, moving quickly to check the other entrances and dimming lights inside. Silent steps in her sneakers made their way around until finally she was upstairs where her search would resume. Pulling out a protein bar and a bottle of water from her pack, tired fingers began combing the backs of old leathered books. Buzzzz her cell phone sat on top of her backpack. 'ANY LUCK YET?"...

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“The Book of Sins” by Aaron Kohlhoff

Submitted to Contest #211

Elizabeth Parris had only been working at the Anton LeVay Memorial Library for about 300 years and she knew there was a lot she needed to learn but still, any volume of The Book of Sins should have been easy to find. There was a whole damn floor dedicated to the series. Every day, part of her job was to pick one out and she’d never seen them out of order. This was the one area of the library that was meticulously organized. The books were always where the Library of Congress Classification system said they should be. Elizabeth looked down at...

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Title: Do Flamethrowers Belong In The Library?

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Begin your story with a librarian searching for something.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 70 stories

“Do Flamethrowers Belong In The Library?” by Kenz Ross

“The Miracle of the Damaged Jesus” by Delbert Griffith

“Field Trip Love Story” by Amanda Lieser

“The Librarian” by Heather Blank

“The Bryant Library at Roslyn Harbor” by Jonathan Page

“A Dangerous Spot for a Library” by A. R. Bledsoe

“Overdue” by Murray Burns

“Dandelion ” by Veronica Ruiz

“Estelle’s Book Club ” by Chelsey B

“Love's Magic” by Anthony Carello

“Beam Me Up” by LeeAnn Hively-Insalaco

“THE AGE OF INNOCENCE” by Charles Corkery

“How a Unicorn Lives” by Angel Thompson

“The Lost Flower ” by M. M.

“The Book of Sins” by Aaron Kohlhoff

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story starring an octogenarian who’s more than meets the eye.

Write a story involving a friendship with an adorable animal.

Set or begin your story in a room lit by the flickering flames of the fireplace.

End your story with two characters reconciling.

Contest #211

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

308

Contest entries

107

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: