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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write about someone going to extreme lengths to return an overdue library book.

Posted in High School on Oct 26, 2022

Submissions are closed

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✍️ 131 stories

“Momo's Adventure” by Alyson Ackman

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #91

Casey’s eyes were glued on the ferocious animal in front of her, heart beating wildly as she lay frozen in the tall, dry grass. From between the blades she watched the beautiful leopard placidly groom itself in the sun rays. Casey wished she was close enough to feel the deep throated purring, but didn’t dare move. “Look, Momo,” she whispered to her friend laying next to her.  After a pause she huffed, “Of course it’s not a cheetah, silly. They have solid spots. Look at its coat. Hollow spots, not solid.” The stuffed lemur made no reply....

33 comments 33
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“Raw Sienna” by Nina Chyll

Submitted to Contest #91

Different day, same nurse with a stump where her empathy should be. ‘And you’re absolutely sure you fell down the stairs again?’Sienna nodded and the nurse rolled her eyes. ‘You sure are a klutz,’ she commented and licked her finger to turn the page on the form she’d filled out last time. ‘Still no family history of inner ear disorders? Strokes? Brain tumours?’Some nurses at the emergency department tried to coax the truth out with words dripping like honey, but Sienna was allergic to honey. Some raised their eyebrows so high they looked lik...

40 comments 40
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“Ecklesville's Beloved Librarian” by Kristin Neubauer

Submitted to Contest #91

In her final moments of existence, just milliseconds before “Biographies, N-S” snuffs out her life forever, Librarian Boughton manages one final cry.“Murder!”Her two assistants, slogging through the daily shelving over in Fiction, look at each other.“Did you hear something?” asks Matt.Emma glances over her shoulder toward “Biographies”.“I don’t think so. It was probably just the construction.”Matt slides two books into their proper spaces before saying, “Should we go see? Just to make sure?”“She doesn’t like anyone in Biographies. ...

63 comments 63
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“An Overdue Library Book That Costs A Vacation” by 𝔹𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕒 𝕁𝕒𝕕𝕖

Submitted to Contest #91

A tiny, slimy sand flea dug its way up from the shell filled sand and crawled back under the cloud white coral before a big wave came crashing down. I dug my feet in the warm white sand and plopped down on my frilled blue towel. A gust of wind blew sand in my face so I put on my sunglasses and pushed my blond curls out of my sky blue eyes. My oversized black backpack that was surprisingly full, overflowed as I tried to pry my book out of the bottom of the backpack. The cover was damaged from being under all the beach towels, sunscreen, wa...

3 comments 3
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“Dangerous books” by Keerththan 😀

Submitted to Contest #91

I thought Jason was mad. But I was wrong. I was mad! Mad to get imprisoned in this library. It started like this... TRING! TRING! TRING! My phone was ringing! With sleepy eyes, I turned back and took a look at the clock. Damn! It was 11 PM! I attended the call. The voice shouted, "Hey, it's me, Jason." "Why did you call now?" I asked him sleepily. He answered, "I have to submit the library book, Drake. Its due date is today." "Are you mad? At 11 PM?"  "Please, Drake." And that sentence did something to me. "Ok, I'll come to your house...

18 comments 18
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“recess odyssey” by Frances Reine

Submitted to Contest #91

   Hypothetically, if Peter gave A Wrinkle in Time back to Joyce face-to-face, he’d die. All the blood in his body would squeeze and compact right there in his cheeks. There’d be nothing left for his arms, his legs, his spine, his feet. And his heart would sputter, all parched while excess blood would leak from his ears.    Peter plotted wedging the book into her desk but Joyce was always there, muddy tennis shoes tapping the wobbly desk leg, sitting on top like a crow. Her friends perched near enough to ma...

24 comments 24
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“Running Through Time” by Chase .

Submitted to Contest #91

Imagine, you are in a crowded city and you pass millions of people on your way to the library. But everyone and everything you pass is exactly the same. Your book is overdue and you will have to pay a fine if it is not returned soon. Everyday from now, the fine will increase by a dollar. The library is just a kilometre away and you could run it in a minute. But every second that passes is a day and every minute that passes is a year. What if Time was dragging you back with every chance? What if you could see yourself going through this while...

37 comments 37
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“A Long overdue unreturned books” by Opher 51 2022 REYES

Submitted to Contest #91

A Texas man who was captured for neglecting to return a late library book touched off an online whirlwind of snarky remarks and features about the Lone Star State broadening its extreme on-wrongdoing swagger to books. Yet, such cases aren't incomprehensible, and many networks confronted with contracting spending plans and increasing expenses have mandates calling for fines or even capturing warrants when library property isn't returned.  In Texas alone, the issue has cost libraries an expected $18 million.  Jory Enck discovered...

5 comments 5
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“Do Not Bring The Book” by Ed .

Submitted to Contest #91

  I am sitting on a chair reading a book.I like just sitting here relaxing not caring about all the fighting of my siblings. It makes me feel peaceful knowing anytime I feel stressed I can just rest on the couch, Forget about the problems and just, you know, just make me feel calm. But this is not the day. Splash! I get up and wipe off the tomatoes on my Tee-shirt that was thrown by my sister, Roxie. I know you may not believe this but I am the youngest of the family like literally. My mother is 46. My dad is 43. My older brother i...

8 comments 8
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“Rose Waters Saves the Book! ” by Kiki Shanae

Submitted to Contest #91

“ Her heart was a secret garden and the walls were very high” Rose had just borrowed her very first book from the newly built library across her house owned by her bookworm of an aunt yesterday.  Her Aunt suggested that little girls her age should read “The Secret Garden” for many girls could be as sour as Mary Lennox and they could learn from her, but Rose Waters was quite the contrary. Rose is a very responsible girl, an older sister to Mary Waters. Rose knew when to crack a joke or when to shut her mouth and she is known to the vil...

6 comments 6
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“Henry Can Help” by Jillian Charlet

Submitted to Contest #91

“Darla,” my roommate Mary struts to the living room of our suite where I am sitting, studying for my final that is coming up. She holds up a novel that I had finished a week or two ago. “This was due last week.” I look straight up at her losing my train of thought. “Last week? I say indigenously. “No way it could be overdue, I remember turning in books…” I let my sentence trail off as I try to remember how many books I turned in. “Dar- you know what that return policy is like, you have to go. Now.” Mary was right. At our university, the re...

2 comments 2
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“The Innocent Warrior” by Aileen Andrews

Submitted to Contest #91

Their hand, an unworthy sack of fleshy scum. Each bulbous vein throbbed beneath the partially concealed skin, rough and calloused. She knew those scars were born out of the torment of others rather than this person’s own expense. The material weaved upon their knuckles rubbed against her smooth and innocent cheeks like sandpaper, muffling any thought of crying out. Muffling any thought bar one.  The ebony room lit up in a blaze, lights refracting off of the once darkened silhouette. A man, broad and muscled, but nothing significant. H...

2 comments 2
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“Borrowed Time ” by Jay Howard

Submitted to Contest #91

Ordinarily, the smiling couples, small crowds of laughing families and touring strangers would have looked twice at James as he shuffled hurriedly down the broad sidewalk in an awkward half run. The partly sunny day had become completely overcast with threatening grey clouds so that everyone rationally assumed he had been trying to reach his destination before the incoming downpour. In reality, James was praying the rain would provide the distraction and cover that he needed desperately. He was currently being pursued by two of his old clien...

11 comments 11
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“Take Me Home” by Sjan Evardsson

Submitted to Contest #91

Martin was the opposite of every stereotypical thing one might think on first glance. He was not the curious, inventive, clever, gregarious, outgoing gnome that most people expected. He was shy, unimaginative, more at home buried in a book than any social situation, and he was painfully lonely. As much as he desired friends, no one he’d ever met gave him the chance to open up, expecting too much too soon. University was meant to be his chance to make a friend or two. After three years with no success, he decided to learn mixology. At least ...

2 comments 2
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“I Object!” by Frank DiLuzio

Submitted to Contest #91

Shane Carpenter felt on top of the world. He was on the fast track to becoming Valedictorian of his graduating class — he had a beautiful girlfriend, Maria Starmino, and his father had set him up with an internship at his law firm after Shane graduates. One of Shane Carpenter’s most prominent traits was that he was always on time. That was until three days ago. “One more exam, and I am done with Law School,” Shane felt a plethora of stress roll down his spine.  Maria spun around, and her flowery patterned dress followed suit, “That’...

7 comments 7
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