Set your story in a library, after hours.

Posted in Horror on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 254 stories

“library after hours” by Suchetana Lahiri

Submitted to Contest #91

Amol woke up every morning to live a life for others, to run the errands and chores without feelings, like a robot. Life had made him act in ways he never imagined a year back. But the duty calls and mouths to feed snatched away Amol’s youth silently to everyone’s ignorance. The mundane routine had become his habit and the world had nearly forgotten that he was just a young boy with dreams shattered and responsibilities burdened. Seventeen year old, Amol worked in the shady, dingy two by two grocery store under Parimal Babu who was too old t...

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“The librarian” by Ipshita Majumdar

Submitted to Contest #91

I gripped the book with my sweaty hands and looked about the checkout desk. Organic cocoa butter hand cream greased my spotless palm which always used to be ink-stained, back in college. Without the late afternoon sun streaming through dirty glass panes, the library was eerily quiet and unusually dark. There were no pages rustling, no keyboard clicking away and no silent chatter wafting in from the hidden nooks and corners of shelves. Fidgeting, unsure of what to do with this strange energy crackling through me, I walked towards the first ...

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“Anabelle and the Mouse” by Kristen Robles

Submitted to Contest #91

The librarian shot her a sympathetic smile as she closed the door. This wasn’t the first time Anabelle had been locked in with her studies, and it was unlikely to be the last. There was something both serene and disconcerting about being alone in here. The quiet, the dim lights, the soft hum of the air conditioner when it cycled on – these Anabelle found comforting. But she couldn’t let her thoughts wander, or she would overthink the nook she sat in into a tomb. ...

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“Anniversary” by Laura Villagomez

Submitted to Contest #91

… The dark knight took the enchanted sword after passing the trial of the pyramid. Now he was ready to defeat the demon at the island. Lucas lifted his eyes from the book, no matter how excited he was for the next chapter he knew he would have to leave it for the next day. It was late, later than he was aware of. He got out of his little hiding spot, the only place where could really read alone. He looked around as his heart started bumping faster. The library was completely dark, the chairs were placed above the table and the only...

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“Crystal Mae; Another World” by Eryn 003

Submitted to Contest #91

“Hello?” My voice echoes as I tip-toe into the dark library. There’s no reply so I shut the heavy wooden door, making a loud creaking sound. I wince at the noise.Dark shadows stretch across the walls and bookcases, created by the light of my lantern. I shiver as a breeze comes from the Banned Books section that belongs to Master Edward, his wife isn’t allowed to read the books there, let alone his children. He even dusts and cleans the bookcases himself which is absolutely absurd considering a man of such high status is known to do nothing b...

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“The end of an era and the start of the beginning of it all” by Daniel Harris

Submitted to Contest #91

Thelma typed away at her computer, feeling just as bored as the email she was sending with her reasons. Opening the top drawer of the desk for a sticky note her eyes fell upon a date stamp, a barcode scanner and an ink pad, according to the return date they hadn’t been used for at least ten years. The policy used to be that people could borrow books for up to three weeks and renew them up to five times if they weren’t on the waiting list. Thelma took a sip of her fruit tea and set the mug down, it was true, nobody was really supposed...

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“Blood Upon The Pages” by Nicole Khomenko

Submitted to Contest #91

There was a shuffle of a few pairs of feet as the remaining people left. The old, mahogany coloured door pulled it’s heavy body into the doorway, the protruding metal lock slowly sliding into place with a quiet, greasy thud. A large golden plaque hammered into the crumbling beige slabs outside signified that the birthdate of this place dated far back to almost two hundred years ago. The swift click of a light switch, one for the back of the room, and one for the front. The lights paused a minute, deciding whether or not to leave, before maki...

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“Intellectual Piracy” by A Mehendale

Submitted to Contest #91

Sleep hangs heavy on her eyelids. Outside the wind roars, but she is warm, buried under three layers of duvet and blankets. The Sandman comes for her, and she waits for him in a half stupor. Any second now she will succumb.On her bedside table, her phone chimes three times, loudly. The sound rings through the room, the vibrations reverberate through the wood. Ishita startles awake.Her eyes fly open on refex. The display is dim, but in the dark its light assaults her pupils. She blinks rapidly, once, twice, thrice, and by then her screen has ...

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“Below” by Amy Musselman

Submitted to Contest #91

“Do you think the stories are true? Don’t you want to find out?” She asked. I didn’t but sometimes when you love someone, any semblance of self-preservation goes out the window. The stories started a long time ago, whispers that there was something lurking underneath the town library. A monster? Ghosts? Honestly, it depends on who you ask, but anybody would be foolish to say there wasn’t something weird happening at the library. Sometimes people walk out of th...

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“Sooths From a Library Shelf” by Kees Chan

Submitted to Contest #91

*Note: All the titles and mentioned plots in this story are made up or intended to be used fictitiously. I must have uncanny guessing powers if a matching book and plot mentioned here actually exist in the real world. Though I think that the books I’m describing would be fun to read. WINK WINK*“You’re angry.”The one with long dark hair, Moida, sighed, throwing a glare at her companion but not denying the statement.“How can I not be? My parents are forcing this oh so charitable donation for the library so that I have ‘no excuse to keep wastin...

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“Building B ” by Taylor Viv

Submitted to Contest #91

The scuffing of my shoes against the glass tile only adds to the pressure of sneaking into Building B of the Informational Library. Here in Merryweather, citizens aren’t allowed access to this information. Everyone here has grown used to the restrictions and overabundant rules, except for me. I used to live outside of these walls, or to the citizens here “the dead zone”. This government has gotten everyone to believe that anywhere outside of the barbed, electric fences is dangerous. They have convinced these people that there are no other sa...

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“Midnight Meeting” by Emma Windsor

Submitted to Contest #91

In 7th Grade, when Mrs. Kurdy was on pregnancy leave and our class had a lazy sub who couldn’t care less about what we did, we watched different episodes of The Magic School Bus on the fuzzy box tv. One always caught my attention: Mrs. Frizzle and the gang were going through a tunnel, and, when trying to stay quiet, used the bus to get through without making a sound. I wish I had a noise-canceling, flying school bus right about now. The hall I was carefully tip-...

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“Secret” by Afifah MS

Submitted to Contest #91

“Yes, I will be in the perpustakaan (library) soon, Tok. I just want to make sure that Aisyah has slept for the night. I will be on my way now. I shall arrive just in time for the meeting if nothing happens.” She heard her mother ended the call. She is not fully sleeping yet, that is why she woke up when hearing her mother talking to someone. Who is Tok? Do Ibu’s (mother) grandparents are still alive? If they are, she never meets them. She heard her room’s door opened and closed, signalling her mother had left. She quickly opened her ey...

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“Library Woes” by Kayla Houvenagle

Submitted to Contest #91

Have you ever wandered into the woods you’re not supposed to be in, found a well and a person who really shouldn’t be there, and get dragged back to the library by your friends, who want to find out who the maybe-ghost is? And then get stuck in the library after closing? No? Just me? Well you’re no fun. So, as the one this line up of events has happened to, I’d assume you’d be curious about my fascinating experience. Sit down and get ready to hear an amazing tale- sit down, I don’t care if you’re not interested right now, you w...

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Set your story in a library, after hours.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 254 stories

“library after hours” by Suchetana Lahiri

“The librarian” by Ipshita Majumdar

“Anabelle and the Mouse” by Kristen Robles

“Anniversary” by Laura Villagomez

“Crystal Mae; Another World” by Eryn 003

“The end of an era and the start of the beginning of it all” by Daniel Harris

“Blood Upon The Pages” by Nicole Khomenko

“Intellectual Piracy” by A Mehendale

“Below” by Amy Musselman

“Sooths From a Library Shelf” by Kees Chan

“Building B ” by Taylor Viv

“Midnight Meeting” by Emma Windsor

“Secret” by Afifah MS

“Library Woes” by Kayla Houvenagle

🌟 Similar prompts

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

Start your story with a stern librarian scolding two characters for making noise in the library.

Write about a character who meticulously catalogs everything in their life, until something disrupts their system.

Write about a character stumbling upon a library book that changes the course of their life, for better or worse.

Contest #91

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

770

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: