Who Done It?

A Brand New Red and Blue Book in the stacks of a local library has only one hour left to live.

I live high in these dusty library stacks. I do not know my author. I only know I am a self published book. I doubt any of our Dear Patrons have even tried to crack my binding in humble curiosity of the words inside my pages.

There has been a lot of grumbling among the books in these high stacks. The Pages (teen library employees that shelve new and older books) have not dusted any of us in ages. We, the books, have feelings too. The head librarian spent one quick hour registering me, as a New Book and several of my fellow Books right here in this library a week ago! I AM NOT LISTED on the New York Times Bestseller List, but of course, the Red and Blue book is! I don't even know the title of this Special Red and Blue Book.. Patrons have fawned all over it just because it is listed in the New York Times Bestsellers List.

I am as Green with Envy as the color of my cover! There are no illustrations on any of my pages. My pages are dusty and shelved way up high in the library stacks. There will be Hell to pay for this. Many of my fellow top shelf books feel the same.

Meanwhile, in the middle shelf, Red and Blue book is getting cracked open by adoring Patrons. "How exciting this book is! It must be good it is on the list. Not like these other drab books!"

As Time ticks by, the Books on the shelf get angrier and angrier. "How unfair! These Idiots don't even give us a chance! So what if I am self published book. The Author had an Idea. An Inspiration. Why trust the New York Times Lists? What do they know?"

The Red and Blue Book is placed back on the shelf with a thud.

"What are we going to do about it?", the overcrowded bunch of Books on the dusty top shelf ask.

"Mutiny, that's what!"

"Lets be quick before the Pages roll the book cart in for the reserve pull list. I am sure we are not on that list either!"

"Does anyone have any matches?"

"No, but check out that Patron by the table, he has matches."

"How can we even use them? We are books. We have no hands or fingers!"

"Details. Details."

"Now look at the title of my book. It is called, "Levitation for Idiots". If an Idiot can lift themselves off the floor, we can levitate a match off a Patron."

"We need to all concentrate at the same time. The whole row of books. Think of lifting the match and sending it to the red and blue book on the middle shelf. Concentrate!"

All the books focus on the match. Levitate. Levitate. Levitate.

"It's working!"

The singular match floats up through the dusty library air and is powerfully directed to the Red and Blue book on the middle shelf. The Popular Book Shelf.

The match is directly above the book and the green with envy book directs a new focus to the meditating books.

"Strike the match! Make it burn! Bring the match to the Traitorous Red and Blue Book. Kill that book. Murder Every Word."

The focus is so fierce and powerful that the Red and Blue Book bursts into flames. The smell of dust and burning pages causes a wave of hysteria in the library. The Red and Blue Book is now a pile of Poker Hot Red Embers.

Revenge is Sweet. Or is it?

"Who murdered our new favorite book? Fingers point to the Purple Book on the bottom shelf. "No, it wasn't me!"

Fingers are pointing to the Top Shelf and in turn, the Top Shelf points to the Patrons, who point fingers at the Pyromaniac Floating Match floating in the air. No one will admit the blame. No one.

Just many Smiling Books on the Tippity Top of these dusty shelves. Soon the Patrons point straight up to the stacks and take notice of these Forgotten Books.

"Forget the Burnt Ashes of your Beloved Red and Blue Book. The New York Times Bestseller Darling. Why not give us a try? Sure we are dusty, but that isn't our fault. The Pages neglected to dust us off. The Head Librarian refused to shelve us in a prominent location so that the Patrons could read us. We, the Books, are the Ones not on the New York Times Bestseller List, but these Plain and Ugly Books sure have Spunk. The Books that have Torched the competition in the middle row. The New York Times Bestseller List Row."

The Head Librarian checks the Red Hot Burnt Ashes and finds the match. "Who's match is this?"

"Whoever started this fire, would have burned our whole collection. A Collection that is for the whole community. Have you no respect for Books?"

The Books on the top shelf are angry. "Look who's talking! The Pages and Librarians registered the books up here this week. Why are we on the dusty top shelf? Why are we not on the New York Times Bestseller list too? Why do your Patrons shun us. I point the finger at you, Head Librarian, for your neglect of the books! We need to be read by the Patrons too. Or are we just Ashes in the Wind? We are Forgotten Thoughts typed on old paper. What good are we if nobody cares? Take us down and put us in the middle row and see what happens! Let us Live. Let us Live!"

The Pages and Head Librarian burst out laughing. "The Patrons choose what they read. You can't force anyone to read Your Ugly Book. You can burn down the whole collection and even if you are the last books left, how can you be sure the Patrons would even care? "

"Because you would be fired for negligence of books. You would be denying the community of stories, of words, of the pleasure of reading something that is not just a pretty cover, but a good story, that's what!"

The Head Librarian looks up at the top shelf of neglected books. Then she points to the Patrons. "Why would anyone read such an Ugly Book? Look you have a dull green cover. I don't even know what you book is about. What's your title?"

"Levitation."

"Oh, that really intrigues me to turn the pages!" The Head Librarian replies with sarcasm in her voice.

The Angry Books on the top shelf all Focus their Energy on the Matches on the table. Suddenly, a lit match hovers over the Head Librarian's blue gray hair and lights it on fire.

She lets out a blood curdling scream!

"Who set me on fire?"

All fingers point to the top shelf.

"Just a shelf of Ugly Neglected Books, that's Who!"