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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

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✍️ 131 stories

“The Returned” by Borris Robert

Submitted to Contest #91

The library book sat quietly among my rations, a silent passenger in the new world. All the same, it screamed at me. I tried to gently remind myself that no one could possibly care if the book went overdue, because there was no one left alive to care. Such norms had died out with humanity. That proved a futile effort when I was immediately struck by the obvious retort. I was alive. I would care.Introspection didn't help.Although I was perfectly comfortable scavenging from the carrion of pharmacies and supermarkets, the book had somehow morph...

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“The Ears Have It” by Debbie Teague

Submitted to Contest #91

Janet was determined to have a relaxing cup of tea while sorting through the mail. She made it a point to toss, file, or place the mail in a created “response needed” folder. The practice kept the paper tiger (clutter) at bay; manageable instead of having piles of paper everywhere. She cringed to think that only a year ago that was the image that greeted her when she walked into her house. The weekend was just starting – aah. Pure happiness. Her favorite pizza was in the oven and there would be just enough time to so...

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“Overdue-ing It” by Elize Volschenk

Submitted to Contest #91

Overdue-ing It 1 Day Overdue I like things to be in their place. Always. At all times. I like things to happen on time. Never late. Never. Naturally, when I received an email from the library saying I had a book overdue, I freaked out. The book had been borrowed on my behalf, by the root cause of all my neurotic behavior, who also worked at said library. Hence the reason I forgot about the book, and the reason for my instant and immense panic. And, naturally, like the coward that I am, I merely asked my friend to return the book for me....

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“Meaning of Life” by Jay Montano

Submitted to Contest #91

I will return this library book, Tom thought to himself. No, I am returning this book today. Today, I am returning this book. Today, I am returning this book. He repeated the phase in his mind as he worked shampoo onto his scalp for the first time this week. It wasn’t so bad. The week starts on Sunday, so having a full shower today meant he was off to a great start. Perfect day to return a library book. Start the week out right. He seemed to have picked a good therapist this time, and she was doing wonders for him. He wished he’d heard about...

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“Chasing the Ring Thief” by Hill De Guarde

Submitted to Contest #91

He has a penchant for collecting rare items. But I never thought he'd be after me.I wake up, catching my breath. The neon red digits show it is already 7:15 A.M, Friday, April 30, 2021. I am shaking my head, trying to force out sleepiness in my systems.A myriad of books is cluttering up the corner of the room. But I do not pay attention to most of them. My eyes are only glued to that upended, ancient-looking book a few inches next to me.I mentally calculated the days passed since I was gone. The night I was reading that book was after hell w...

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“Unsuccessful Installments” by George Davis

Submitted to Contest #91

Unsuccessful Installments—George Davis  What excuse can I use? My library book is overdue by sixty-four days. Five cents times sixty-four is three dollars and twenty cents. If it cost a nickel to go around the world. I couldn’t get out of my dooryard. I am flat broke, and my father won’t lend me any more money. He says I haven’t paid him back since I was five.    I called my very best friend, Salvatore Pignetti. Maybe he can lend me enough money to pay for my delinquent book. “Hi, Sal, how’s it going?”   &nbsp...

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“Late Fees” by Marvin Koyo

Submitted to Contest #91

A twenty-three years old African American graduate student chuckled as he heard the barista calling him Baldwin. Twinkling from his seat to the library coffee shop counter, he glared at the worker while wondering how she could mistake his name Godwin for Baldwin. Yet, as soon as he took his hot drink, Godwin had forgotten the barista’s mistake. From the warmth of his cup and the smell of the caramel flavor coming through the steam, he closed his eyes. Godwin fell in love once again while he took his bag of bagels. Around him, the sound ...

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“Against all odds” by Milena Furtado

Submitted to Contest #91

The day dawned bright and sunny as Julie got out of bed and walked to the window. The weather seemed to hold a lot of promise as she needed to go into town. She had numerous errands to run; among them was an overdue library book that she had been meaning to return. She had her breakfast and decided to go into town to return the book. She went about her household chores and then decided to get ready. However, she was in for a rude awakening when she glanced out of the window. The weather which had looked so promising had suddenly taken a turn...

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“Gone with the Wind” by Rebecca Shapiro

Submitted to Contest #91

“Out of the way! Out of the way!” Jack called out through cupped hands around his lips, his voice echoing through the trees and across the light ripples of the lake. It was a balmy Sunday afternoon, the sun high in the sky, and it felt as though every person in the city had gathered in the park and decided to stand in their path. Jack, a towering string bean of a person, was leading the way, followed closely by his considerably shorter girlfriend Sarah, who was clutching a well-loved copy of Gone with the Wind to her chest. They were hurryin...

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“Overdue” by Jennifer Berg

Submitted to Contest #91

Juliet's alarm always went off too early.Actually, her alarm was her kids, but still it was regularly the one thing that forced her to drag herself out of bed in the mornings. This morning though, was going to be different than the others.Today was the day to de-clutter the dreaded junk covered corner table and surrounding area. Which by itself was already pretty bad, but the lockdowns from the pandemic had exacerbated it more than she or her husband cared to admit. It seemed to be a magnet for junk mail, the occasional holiday or thank you...

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“Ten Months Overdue” by Ellie Saunders

Submitted to Contest #91

It truly wasn’t that important. This is what she told herself as she strode towards the library steps. The August heat sifted languidly through the small Californian town, the pavement warm enough to wince at even though the sun had only risen hours ago. The palms of her hands felt slick against the laminated spine of the book. Far off, a siren wailed down the highway. East of Eden. She had read Steinbeck in high school for an English class, and never again thereafter. It made her eyes hurt. She resented the weight of the pages in her s...

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“Franken-Time to rush” by Kayla Michelle

Submitted to Contest #91

Nadia opened her eyes to the mid morning sun gleaming through her bedroom window. She didn’t realize how childish her room seemed with the violet paint colour, posters on the wall mixed with art from her many phases of watching different shows- cartoons, fanart commissioned by local artists tacked up next to her high school band medals. The instruments she had tried sitting long and forgotten under her bed. The look of it made her cringe. She wasn’t used to being here. The past four years at Marauder University had her living in dorms and ap...

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“The Library Beyond the Border” by Ellen Faraco

Submitted to Contest #91

The doors creak and move with the weight of the world, my palms hard pressed against the wood to spread them apart, slowly slamming each segment against the wall so as to announce my presence. Dust kicks up, mildly irritating my eyes, though hardly enough to take me away from the moment. Finally, I get to witness the locale that two months of travel led me to. A purple hue like an aurora covers the interior, courtesy of its stained glass windows that stretch up high towards the tall ceiling. A yawn escapes my mouth, for the dark, serene atm...

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“Topics In Modern Imprisonment” by David Zasloff

Submitted to Contest #91

Jude stumbled across the book while cleaning out his attic. Checked out by his mom. Due fifteen years before. The name of the library branch on the spine and the title page were both worn away and unreadable. Hoo boy. It wasn't enough that he had to clear out the whole house right after his mom's funeral before he could sell the place – now he had to return a book to God knows what library branch and pay God knows how much in fines? Great. But at least it was an excuse to get out of that dust-filled attic. He climbed down the ladder and ...

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“Cling” by Eric S

Submitted to Contest #91

It was another packed house in the gym on a cold Friday night.  The vibrations from the screams could be felt no matter where you were sitting in the gym.  Especially if you were sitting on the end of the bench where Dante was sitting.  That’s where he always sat... at the edge of the bench with a towel over his head wishing it was an invisibility cloak.  He never got in the game.  He didn’t care.  Why would he.  At 5’9” with a scrawny build, why would he get to play?  Surely nobody else cared about hi...

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