37 comments

Coming of Age

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 it is happening? What if you could see what will happen next at the same Time? And what if you could see your life running from your fingertips and you couldn’t do anything about it? What if you could see it all at once?

How would you react if everything in this Time apocalypse was reality?

Hana had been running for hours, each hour only took a second. Hana was feeling all emotions at once. With every step she took she would be yanked back to where she had started, the creepy bit was she had a birds eye view of herself. Nothing made sense; she was running through the past and future at the same time. She could also see others' thoughts floating past her, a few forgotten dreams floating past too. Cast out things from the past were no longer unknown to the world. What was happening?

Suddenly it was like Time had decided for some more fun, with a big tug, it launched Hana into nowhere. Hana drifted around, she could still see everything. As far as the eye could see, the world was blank and empty. Now every second seemed to take years, Hana’s watch was going crazy. By now the book was ancient, you could hardly read the cover. Hana had forgotten the story’s name but at the same time she remembered it clearly. Why did Time do this to her? Wait was the book glowing now?

“Out of time! Out of time!” Words rushed out of the book. “What do you mean out by of time?” Hana cried desperately. “You have failed to return the book!” The book chanted. “For that you have been banished to the time realm!” By now Hana was beginning to feel worried. She would be stuck here for of time, she would never die in this time error. There was still that flicker of hope, she couldn’t give up. “I will return the book! I promise,” she begged. A second later (or a year) Hana found herself back in the future. She had to go to the library, fast. She raced to the library, but when she got there all that remained of it was a pile of rubble. She was probably 673855634278675624378394 years in the future.

Still Hana knew the punishment if she didn’t return the book. She would have to return it, somehow. “How am I going to do this?” She asked Time. Time replied “Go back in time, to the day you were returning the book," ok so now she knew what to do. WAIT, HOW COULD SHE GO BACK IN TIME WITHOUT TIME? “Now I’ve done it!” She screamed. She should never have gone to the library in the first place. How would she go back in time? Wait! That’s it, she could rebuild the library. Then she would be able to return the book. The only problem was, where would she get all the money?

Hana so found herself on a gameshow called Money Go Round. You would be given ten questions to answer. If you got all 10 questions correct you would win a million. However, if you got one wrong, you would lose a one hundred thousand dollars. All of the questions were very difficult, so not many had succeeded. In order to be able to enter you had to have one hundred thousand dollars, to be sure that they were going to not pay. Hana had just shown them the ancient book and they thought that was worth enough. Hana had to win though, If she lost she would lose the book and Time would catch her.

“Today's questions are going to be very difficult, they will be about the future back 673855634278675624378394 years ago.” Said the game master. Hana felt a wave of relief wash on her, she had existed 673855634278675624378394 years ago. The questions were so easy, no one could believe it when Hana left with 1 million dollars.

Soon the library was back in construction, now Hana just needed to buy the books. By the end of the month all the books were ordered and it was now the waiting game. ‘The library has to be built soon’ Hana thought anxiously, remembering how much money the fine would be.

2 years later…

It was built, the library was now finished. But Hana’s smile was turned upside down when she saw the fine, there were millions of numbers sitting on that small piece of paper. How would she pay the fine. With time, she could do it. Wait! With Time! “Time!” She screamed  “I knead you to find me some money." “How?” Asked Time, Hana thought for a moment. People wouldn’t miss a dollar, would they? “Take one dollar from anyone that has ever lived, change Time.” A second later, a gold coin landed on her head. Wait? What? It was raining coins. Billions of coins were flying through the air, each meant one human that had existed. Hana had more than enough money now, she could pay the fine and not get captured by Time.

Still something didn’t feel right, she was being pulled away. Time was taking her away, but where? Hana found herself sitting outside her house, her Mum and Dad walked by her. “You returned that book quickly,” they said. Hana’s mind was beginning to spin, “Mum, Dad, I don’t think I want to go to the library again,” then they walked inside, but to normal times.

April 26, 2021 20:33

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

37 comments

Ed .
20:48 Apr 26, 2021

Great story! Love it so much keep it up

Reply

Show 0 replies
03:37 Apr 28, 2021

Great Story!

Reply

Ed .
01:33 Apr 29, 2021

Good job!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Ed .
01:33 Apr 29, 2021

Good job!

Reply

Ed .
01:33 Apr 29, 2021

Love it!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Ed .
01:33 Apr 29, 2021

Good job!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 3 replies
Angel {Readsy}
03:15 Apr 28, 2021

I am nightingale I read and sing your stories in the flowering garden and all birds, firefly, fairy and flowers are smiling and very thankful to you for writing such an excellent story.

Reply

Chase .
07:06 Apr 28, 2021

Thanks! What was your favourite part?

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Chase .
21:23 Apr 26, 2021

Thanks :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
J Sagar
14:50 Jan 14, 2022

Very imaginative!

Reply

Chase .
03:04 Jan 17, 2022

Thanks!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Ryan LmColli
14:23 May 11, 2021

Great story: Pls join this link... https://www.guilded.gg/i/6pR8goy2

Reply

Chase .
03:13 May 12, 2021

Thanks! I will join the link soon 👍

Reply

Ryan LmColli
14:24 May 12, 2021

Thanks

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Valerie June
21:29 Apr 29, 2021

This story made me question time. Boy those were extreme measures to return that library book. Speaking of which, I wonder what WAS the title of the book? You really have a knack for fantasy! :D The only thing I’d suggest is rereading this over to catch some misspelled words.

Reply

Chase .
04:45 Apr 30, 2021

Thanks! I will read through to find them :)

Reply

Valerie June
04:48 Apr 30, 2021

:)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply

oh my gosh, chase. THIS IS AMAZING!!! Let me know if you need any writing tips or just someone to talk to. Welcome to Reedsy!!

Reply

Chase .
04:47 Apr 30, 2021

Thanks so much! :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
02:03 Apr 29, 2021

i didn't know it had sent. my apology's

Reply

Show 0 replies
02:02 Apr 29, 2021

sorry, slow computer

Reply

Show 0 replies
02:02 Apr 29, 2021

well done

Reply

Show 0 replies
02:02 Apr 29, 2021

well done

Reply

Show 0 replies
02:01 Apr 29, 2021

well done

Reply

Show 0 replies
02:01 Apr 29, 2021

well done

Reply

Show 0 replies
02:01 Apr 29, 2021

well done

Reply

Show 0 replies
Angel {Readsy}
07:42 Apr 28, 2021

Billions of coins were flying through the air; (•̀ᴗ•́): ⋆。゚☁︎。⋆。 ゚☾ ゚。 o(〃^▽^〃), ✺◟(∗*❛ัᴗ❛ั∗)◞✺ what a prestigious , glorious and triumphant sentence.

Reply

Chase .
04:47 Apr 30, 2021

Thanks :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Arwen Dove
21:07 Apr 27, 2021

This is a very creative story! I loved the idea of time travelling to deliver a book to the library! Great job!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Ryan LmColli
12:36 May 07, 2021

Please Join This: https://www.guilded.gg/i/LExWwMwp

Reply

Show 0 replies
Blue Green
21:06 May 06, 2021

Great story, very original take on the prompt, well done!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Angel {Readsy}
07:32 Apr 28, 2021

Desolate and gloomy sentence ; "As far as the eye could see, the world was blank and empty"

Reply

Show 0 replies
RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in Reedsy Studio. 100% free.