The Bibliophagist's Magic Shop

Submitted into Contest #176 in response to: Set your story in a magical bookshop.... view prompt

57 comments

American Bedtime Friendship

Ever since the new Wal-Mart opened by the interstate, there wasn’t much for us to do except throw rocks at the old sock factory. Someone tried to get an Anklebiter football team going, but no adult we knew had the time or inclination to volunteer—since working the night shift at Gas-N-Go takes a toll on a body. 

“Maybe your stepdad could coach?” I asked Marcus.

“Nah. All he does is smoke and fuss at the dogs. Besides, I don’t think he’ll be around much longer.” 

Marcus had been my best friend since I could remember. He’d had several stepfathers, each one meaner than the last. But the latest version was tolerable, and families in our town were flexible that way. 

Marcus and me had an assortment of older siblings who worked fast food, snuck beers from the fridge, and ignored us entirely. We both had sad-eyed mothers whose beauty had faded in high school and cantankerous grandparents who complained that we should be in church. There were many places we wanted to gobut church wasn’t one of them. 

When Marcus and me rode our bikes downtown to Dollar General, we saw a banner along the way, strung across a papered-up storefront. The remaining tenant in the strip mall, Bailey’s Bail Bondsmen, had shuttered, leaving only a small convenience store that had overpriced candy, dented cans of soup, and dirty bathrooms. 

“What’s the second word on that thing? Can you see it?” Marcus asked, pointing to the banner.

“Of course I can see it,” I said, squinting at the huge yellow letters on the sparkly black background. “It says: The Bibliophagist’s Magic Shop — Coming Soon.”

“That sounds like a weed shop. You think it’s gonna be a weed shop?”

“If it is, your sister will be first in line,” I replied. Marcus punched me in the shoulder as hard as he could—deservedly so. 

Bibliophagist! That sounds like devil stuff.”

“I don’t think so. They’ll probably just sell marked decks of cards and loaded dice and sleight-of-hand tricks. Maybe smoke bombs or Chinese finger traps? Definitely not devil stuff.”

“Well, it’s not God stuff. God don’t need magic.”

“What do you think miracles are?” I sped off, the early fall leaves scattering in my wake.

🜋 🜋 🜋

A few weeks later after school, we biked downtown to see if the magic shop had opened. From a distance, it appeared the banner had been taken down, and the storefront now glittered with a dazzling display of lights, illuminating grinning skulls and stuffed crows and large cutouts of playing cards. 

“C’mon!” I yelled to Marcus, as we pedaled faster. 

The strip mall looked spruced up, with curbs newly painted and trash cans lined and upright. We skidded into the alleyway and propped up our bikes against the brick wall. 

At the entrance to the magic shop, we paused, looking at each other.

Was this devil stuff? 

Shaking off the heebie-jeebies, we opened the front door, a tinkling bell announcing our arrival. 

“Gentlemen.” A tall woman appeared. Her hair was stark white, combed back into a tight bun. She wore black clothes and red lipstick. “We’ve been expecting you,” she said evenly. “But then again, we expect everyone.”

We looked around the room and strongly thought about leaving as quickly as we'd come. However, the room was oddly welcoming, in its own unnerving way. Painted a deep scarlet with black trim, the room boasted framed pictures of all sorts of men and women, names etched in gold lettering. There were cozy couches and high-backed chairs and assorted tables, angled to ensure one’s privacy, with cozy lamps on side tables, inviting one to linger longer. 

This is a magic shop?” I cautiously asked. 

“It is,” she replied.

“It don’t look like magic,” Marcus frowned.

The woman turned. “What do you think magic looks like?”

We both pondered her question. 

“Well,” I replied, “magic makes things special. It makes the impossible possible.”

She nodded in full agreement. 

“Come with me.”

The tone in her voice made it impossible to do anything but follow her down a few aisles, stacked with books of all shapes and sizes. When she got to a certain place in the stacks, she spun on her heel and stopped. She held up her hands, high overhead. 

“Right now, pick any place in the world that you would like to be transported to,” she commanded. 

“Egypt!” Marcus cried out. 

Egypt? Of all the dumb places, I thought. If this magic witch was going to send us someplace, he could have picked Disney World or Mars or Acapulco. 

“I want you to close your eyes,” she firmly instructed.

 We did. We heard her rustling around, but we were too nervous to peek.

“Ready? Now open your eyes in one—two—three!”

We opened our eyes to see picture books showing majestic pharaohs, sacred tombs, tightly wrapped mummies—even the Great Sphinx!

“Is that King Tut?” Marcus whispered, outlining the boy king with his finger. He seemed lost in his own reverie, far away from the magic shop, far away from our small town. 

“Yes, it is. This is a translation of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. If you want to read some magic spells, there are lots of them in here. Who knows? They may help you on your own journey through the afterlife.”

Mesmerized, Marcus became lost to me, 6000 miles away in the Valley of the Kings.

“That ain’t magic,” I scoffed. “It’s just a bunch of old books.” 

She arched an eyebrow, and I felt cowed by her disapproving silence. 

She finally spoke. 

“Where do you wish to be right now?”

“Nowhere,” I said, flopping down on an overstuffed chair. 

Arms crossed, rubbing her chin slowly and thoughtfully, she carefully considered me. 

“If I could conjure up someone from the past for you to meet, who would it be?”

“That’s easy,” I said. “Babe Ruth.”

“Ah,” she grinned. “The Great Bambino. The Sultan of Swat. Close your eyes and I’ll see what I can do.”

I did as she asked. 

“Ready? Now open your eyes in one—two—three!”

When I opened my eyes, it was springtime, the sky a dazzling baby blue under a perfect yellow sun. I stood on a baseball mound wearing a New York Yankees uniform. 

“Hey kid, you going to throw me a ball?”

My jaw dropped. Babe Ruth!

When I looked towards the dugout, I saw other ballplayers file out, each coming over to shake my hand. Ty Cobb. Willie Mays. Ted Williams. 

As I turned the pages of one book after another, I listened to my idols banter with each other over slugging percentages, No. 42, The Iron Horse, and Rick Monday rescuing the flag. I sat wide-eyed, as they lamented the end of chew, dip, and snuff on the field.

We played catch for hours while they showed me how to pitch and when to choke up on the bat. 

“Boys,” she announced. “It’s time for the Magic Shop to close.”

In an instant, Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial, and Mickey Mantle disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

I found myself sitting on the floor with a half dozen books around me. 

Dazed, Marcus carefully closed one of his larger books. He’d been staring at the floorplan of the Great Pyramid of Khufu for a good twenty minutes.

“Can we come back tomorrow?” he asked. 

“Of course,” the older woman replied, escorting us to the door. “And bring your friends.” 

🜋 🜋 🜋

On the way out, Marcus and me saw a white van with the logo for “Highland County Public Libraries” on the side. When it pulled in front of the magic shop, two people hopped out to unload bins of books from the back.

“Bibliophagists are librarians?” Marcus wondered. “I thought it was devil stuff.”

“Not devil stuff,” I replied, mounting my bike. “Miracles…”


December 14, 2022 19:16

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57 comments

Daniel R. Hayes
17:52 Dec 16, 2022

Another fantastic story by one of Reedsy's best authors!! You really have a knack for dialogue and I'm really impressed at how you manage to find time to keep writing! Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!!

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18:32 Dec 16, 2022

All the best to your sweethearts during this joyous time. Frosty this week! Stay bundled up. Sending you much love and peace and horrible monsters that eat eyeballs and spit out the retinas. (We really need to write a comedic horror story together...)

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Daniel R. Hayes
21:14 Dec 17, 2022

That sounds awesome! I'm always up for a collaboration...lol. Sending love and warm wishes to you and your family! Hope you have a great holiday season!! Merry Christmas :)

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Suma Jayachandar
05:18 Dec 15, 2022

Loved this! Transported me right back to my childhood.

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15:19 Dec 15, 2022

Suma -- How is life treating you these days? We're going to have to have a longer conversation about educating students in the 21st c. (hoo boy...talk about wish fulfillment in this one.) As always, thanks for the read and your wonderful comment :)

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Suma Jayachandar
07:02 Dec 16, 2022

Hi Deidra, I must say, life's treating me pretty well. Grateful to have known not a day of hunger, homelessness, or abandonment. What more can one ask for? As I grow older, I wish we left kids alone till they turn 10: just give them a pet, and take them out to meet different people and spend time in the wilderness instead of hammering their minds with what is right and what is wrong (which we have no proof of anyways) . And we grown ups quietly fixing up the mess we have made of this planet before they grow old enough to question us. How'...

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18:42 Dec 17, 2022

I am 100% in agreement with the above, except we should leave kids alone until they move out on their own. Generational tyranny must end...(C'mon. Like we did anything right. Sheeze.)

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Wendy Kaminski
00:13 Dec 15, 2022

Your stories always have such an old-style Hollywood "transportive*" quality to them. You know that slightly-fuzzy blur that is so charming and -- especially with the really good classics -- always makes you feel like you are there? I always feel that way when I read your stories. Your work with setting and character dialogue is so enveloping for the reader... and so very relatable. I'll admit I am not that great at critiquing, but I always feel this way every time I read one of your stories, which are great to a one in their own rights, and...

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00:20 Dec 15, 2022

Neologisms are totally welcome here on the Deidra Feed. Thanks for the "It's a Wonderful Life" commentary. (If only we were married to Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed as a mother, and Atticus Finch as a father. And Sally Field as an older sister!) I traffic in wish fulfillment, taking sanitized childhood memories and imbuing them with how I wished things had turned out. (It's an addiction. I don't recommend it. But not bad for some dopamine highs...) Thanks for the encouraging comment. You make me feel seen and not like I'm writing into the vo...

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Michał Przywara
22:29 Dec 14, 2022

Excellent opening! Immediately sets the mood and character :) The story is wholesome. Discarded kids, bored out of their minds, stumble on the magic of books. Or are tricked into it - doesn't really matter, point is, they learned a lesson. The bookshop and the proprietor weren't what they were expecting, just like the books. We can liken that to not judging people by their covers. I think it also digs into why a lot of young people don't like reading, particularly in the world of mandatory assigned readings. Nobody wants to read what t...

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23:40 Dec 14, 2022

Tip of the hat, Michal P. "Not judging people by their covers" -- !!! Great analysis and a pun to boot. I always love to see your comments so I have a good idea of what I've written :) Librarians are heroic, and the one at my school is exceptionally good. She's sorted out all the old stuff and brought in new texts -- gift wrapping books like presents for kids to select and a dozen other "tricks" to pique students' interest. She's doing God's work in getting reluctant readers to read. I thought about how libraries around the world have d...

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07:59 Jan 04, 2023

A wonderful tale! I love the point of view and voice of the protagonist — Marcus' unnamed best friend. Thanks to his voice I could go back half a century to my teen-age years and relate to their story — biking together with your best friend, the enrapturing adventure in the library, guided by a charming librarian-magician who cast the spell of books and reading on the boys. I think it's a well-written story, by one of the most prolific authors on Reedsy Prompts. Congratulations, Deidra!

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15:14 Jan 04, 2023

Welcome to Reedsy, Gerardo!! - and WOW :) What a readership you have for your first story! A few of us are on Discord to talk about writing and other international writing contests. Feel free to join us! https://discord.gg/bxTWQw3HJR Feliz año nuevo (❁´◡`❁)

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16:52 Jan 04, 2023

I shall make a point of visiting the site. Thanks for the welcome and for the kind review! Happy new year 😁

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Ruth Smith
15:45 Dec 31, 2022

This is a wonderful story! Its exactly how I feel when I read a good book. And congratulations on publishing "Medicine Girl". I really liked those characters.

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Wally Schmidt
15:13 Dec 22, 2022

Even before I finished reading your story, I wanted to stop and say how much I love your writing. You take us to a setting which is so vivid.. I mean, come on! "leaving only a small convenience store that had overpriced candy, dented cans of soup, and dirty bathrooms." What is this place if not two kids riding their bikes around what is left of a town on bikes whose tires are slightly flat? I can see it and I can hear them. That is what great writing does. So glad that you were able to bring the magic of books to these two boys. They have ...

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15:48 Dec 22, 2022

Slightly flat tires described every bike I hopped on in grade school. (How did I miss that important detail? Perfect add, Wally. Stealing that when I revise...) Books saved me through childhood. I shudder to think how "TikTok" is shepherding the next generation. But they will have some killer dance moves. :) Thanks for the read. Appreciate (and return) the love. Onward :)

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Wally Schmidt
16:04 Dec 22, 2022

The other quality that weaves its way through all of your writing is that undertone of nostalgia which you somehow manage to capture without being moralizing and preachy. I struggle with that balance. Wondering how you pull it off? Full of admiration.

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Susan Catucci
15:41 Dec 20, 2022

Home run, touchdown, score!!!

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16:09 Dec 20, 2022

Cue Bill Murray from "Caddyshack" . . . "It's In the Hole!"

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Susan Catucci
17:25 Dec 20, 2022

"Looks good on you though."

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17:34 Dec 20, 2022

“So I got that going for me, which is nice.”

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Susan Catucci
17:45 Dec 20, 2022

"You must have been something before electricity." There is no end here, you realize. Shall we call a draw and say we got that going for us?

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17:56 Dec 20, 2022

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Chad Eastwood
14:37 Dec 20, 2022

Excellent story, very nicely matched beginning and end. Beautiful language. I'll read more of your stuff now I reckon. Thanks!

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16:08 Dec 20, 2022

Thanks, Darren. I love your "Author Bio". Definitely a story (or dozen) there :)

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Chad Eastwood
18:55 Dec 20, 2022

Ha ha, yes, must get writing.

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Mike Panasitti
02:47 Dec 18, 2022

Deidra, I was considering writing a story that toyed with various words whose prefix is "biblio-", but you've beaten me to it. "Bibliophage" (the Reedsy spellcheck doesn't even identify it as a word, but a wonderful word it is, a fancy way of saying "bookworm"). I'm glad the magician/librarian made book-eaters of the two kids. I remember turning my youngest nephew into a Dr. Seuss fan when he visited me in prison. The experience was truly magical as was reading this latest story of yours. I've rewritten "Nino" with a new conclusion and a...

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21:28 Dec 18, 2022

Happy Holidays, Mr. P -- I love the idea of you reading Dr. Seuss and sharing the gift of reading with your nephew in the most difficult time period of your life. I hope you write that memory in great detail one day. (If only for me to read :) I can't resist Nino...and Russell and I would love to hear your French accent. The Medicine Woman has 7 more chapters to go before the first draft is done. Off to read Nino now...

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Mike Panasitti
22:16 Dec 18, 2022

I wish I were fortunate enough to call my time in prison the most difficult period in my life. Perhaps it was...but the trials of my present seem to diminish the severity of those of my past. Hopefully it's just my hindsight that fails me, but do I ever feel beat. However, I'm grateful Argentina won the World Cup. My folks are from the Americas' land from down under. It was quite the Christmas gift for them. Take care, Deidra, and I'm rooting for the completion of your sequel.

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Delbert Griffith
15:28 Dec 17, 2022

You just can't help yourself can you, Deidra? Against all odds, you continue to pump out sterling tales in 3k words or less. It's amazing to me that you can do this. The first few paragraphs, where you were setting the setting, felt like 'The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.' An aging town that fed on lost (or no) dreams, populated with denizens of questionable traits. Really fantastic setting. Your love of literature shined through here. It seemed like every other paragraph glistened with your literary love affair. It's remarkable how you imbued...

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18:35 Dec 17, 2022

Del, you are the cream in my coffee. Thanks for the high compliment. I've been working on establishing a strong settings from the start, so I appreciate your kind remarks. I do love libraries. I would love to spend the last quarter of my life just perusing libraries and museums. *sigh* School is winding down this week. I am so looking forward to talking about your novel outline! Tuesday good?

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18:35 Dec 17, 2022

P.S. Never choose to grow up. What fun is that?

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Cindy Strube
02:21 Dec 17, 2022

This one feels — despite the magical element — homey. Your description of the setting brings to mind “Because of Winn Dixie”, but with a very special library. The rundown strip mall is seedy and uninteresting until it’s transformed by the wiles of the librarian, whose motive is to get these kids addicted to… books! I love her! She’s much more amicable than Miss C— of my childhood. Our small town was fortunate to have a Carnegie library, all polished wood, spiral staircase leading to the children’s section upstairs, and magnificent stained g...

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15:50 Dec 22, 2022

Libraries are all forerunners of heaven. My favorite places... "Because of Winn Dixie" belongs in the great pantheon of dog books! Sounder, Where the Red Fern Grows, Shiloh, Call of the Wild, Old Yeller, etc. I think librarians hate all children and people on some level -- just like all good introverts should. Just like we don't deserve animals, we don't deserve books either :)

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Nicole Of 2022
01:08 Dec 16, 2022

Youre such an amazing writer. I could really use youre help with a story if youre down for it. I'll give you collaboration credit.

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20:44 Sep 06, 2023

https://exampledomain.com/?u=XXXXX&o=YYYYY

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Kilroy _
19:56 May 30, 2023

That was amazing!!!!!! I absolutely love this short story and the use of magic.

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14:59 Jun 08, 2023

Thanks, Kilroy. I appreciate the love :)

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Lulu Herbert
03:05 Apr 04, 2023

Amazing! Loved this so much!

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David Drake
20:04 Dec 27, 2022

The setting, tone, dialogue....very good! Like the whole idea of a book bringing one to another world is here in a different way. Maybe this will get the boys to read more. Lol. Really good premise, setting and use of language. Just what I look for in a good story! Thanks for sharing this!

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19:11 Dec 30, 2022

I aim to please. Thanks for the delightful comment, DD. :)

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Starry Skies
02:12 Dec 24, 2022

This is super creative! I love the dialogue, and one of my favorite lines has to be, “We’ve been expecting you,” she said evenly. “But then again, we expect everyone.” That is such a funny twist on those classic creepy words! Thanks for always providing me with something worthwhile to read.

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23:40 Dec 25, 2022

Thanks, SS. I appreciate the warm sentiments on a frosty night. Happy holidays to you and all the Skies :)

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Starry Skies
15:03 Jan 03, 2023

Happy late holidays to you too!

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Lindsay Flo
13:27 Dec 23, 2022

Wonderful :) Anyone who was ever a kid who loved to get lost in books will feel this story on a deep and nostalgic level. I enjoyed it :)

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Amanda Lieser
03:43 Dec 22, 2022

Oh! Deidra! This story had my heart. From the incredibly beautiful language, to the moral you taught at the end. Books did feel like a way to always run away from the the mundane and have a friend with me along for the journey as a kid. I love that you chose children for your main characters. It certainly felt like a story of innocence, youth, and hope-despite, the struggles of their childhood. I really loved so many brilliant lines, but my favorite was: But the latest version was tolerable, and families in our town were flexible that way. N...

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19:54 Dec 22, 2022

Thanks, Amanda -- I appreciate the read and the comment -- and librarians everywhere!! They definitely are attempting to keep the barbarians in check at the gate.

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