The Unfound Book

It was like any other normal, boring day for Samantha. School had gone well enough and now she was on her way to the library to get a head start on her newly assigned history report. The library was busy and Samantha had a hard time getting to the nonfiction section on the other side of the library.

When she got to where she needed to be, Samantha pulled out her list of books she can use in her report and started looking. As she found each book on her list, she flipped through and skimmed some pages to determine if it would be helpful or hindering. When she got near the bottom of her list, she had chosen two books to keep.

“What’s the topic of your next report, Sam?”

Samantha looked up to see the librarian only a couple of feet away trying to put books away. “It’s on fairytale legends. I’ve got a list of books I can choose from but I’m not sure which books would be best. Do you have a minute to help?”

The librarian took Samantha’s list and looked it over. “The two books you have are excellent books,” she said after a minute. “And this last book is a great one, too. Probably my favorite one. It’s over in that section over there.” She pointed to the next aisle over.

“Thank you so much!” Samantha said before pushing her way through the crowd.

After being shoved and dodging as much as she could, she finally made it over to the ancient mythology section. As Samantha scratched her head in wonder, she started looking for the recommended book. She knew how the filing system worked and she knew exactly where the book should be, but it wasn't there.

Samantha turned around and found the librarian. “Ms. Mathews, the book isn’t here. Do you know if it’s been checked out already?”

“No, hon,” the librarian said. “I just put it back on the shelf. It should be there.”

Samantha looked again and again but the book wasn’t there. As she started looking all around the suggested section of books, all of the people in the library started panicking and running toward the exits. Samantha got shoved out of the aisle and saw a boy she goes to school with standing on a table. He was wearing a big fluffy coat that hid whatever was creating such chaos. Samantha pushed her way back into the aisle to find the book when the boy cried out, “This library has lost all meaning of what a library truly is!”

Ms. Mathews ran into Samantha as Samantha was trying to make her way back up the aisle. “Oh, sorry dear. But I think it would be best if we leave. Don’t worry about the books. Take them with you and bring them back when you are done. Go!” And Ms. Mathews ran to the back room.

Samantha was so disoriented by what all happened in such little time and had to sit down. The library had gotten very quiet and there was no one else around. The screaming boy had even calmed down.

The next thing Samantha knew, she was waking up after the sun had gone down in the kids section in the library. She didn’t remember how she had gotten there and she didn’t care. All she wanted was to get home. She got up, gathered her bags and books, and made her way to the front doors to leave. On her way, she found the boy in the big fluffy coat sitting in an arm chair in the quiet reading area. He didn’t look up or say anything as Samantha walked past. He just sat in the chair with his arms on the armrests, his head leaned back with his eyes closed, and his coat opened. Samantha now saw that there was a bomb strapped to his chest and understood why there was such chaos, but didn’t understand why she was still alive.

Without a second thought, she raced out of the library toward home. As soon as she was across the street and one block away, she heard a very loud boom behind her. Without turning around, Samantha knew it came from the library. She pushed herself harder to run home faster. 

No More Fruity Tootsie Rolls Before Bed

***SET UP: Present time. Present ages. Our story starts when I’m being picked up for a first date that I don’t remember agreeing to. Oh! And I’m sleeping over. Pete, my date, and I are joining Kiara and her date at the movies.***

Pete knocks on my door, I answer it, he grabs my over-night bag, and walks back to his van... which is being driven by his mom. We go to the arcade/movie theater/bowling alley/events complex. That’s where we meet up with Kiara and her date (I didn't catch his name) and make our way through the events complex to get to our movie theater. But it’s not your typical theater setting. There aren’t any enclosed rooms for one movie. There are about three 3-walled open areas all next to each other all showing the same move so that the dialogs don’t overlap. Each movie that was being shown had its own “section” throughout the complex. The five of us make our way to our movie section to see the latest Disney/Pixar movie and get settled in; Pete’s mom staying near the back to give us “couples” some privacy and the rest of us going towards the left-most wall to claim some bean bag type beds. They were giant bean bags but at the “top” of the bag there was a raised part that was extra stuffed to serve as a pillow. So we get settled in and the movie starts. We are sitting (from left to right one next to each other on the same bean bag bed) Pete, Kiara’s date, Kiara, and me, because Kiara and I were talking about something as we were settling in and didn’t pay attention to who was sitting where. So, the movie starts and after a while, I get up to go find the bathroom. Someone else in our section also gets up to leave. I get out of the area first and started to wander. I ran into my 10-year-old sister Rhea, who was there on a date as well. We start arguing about how she’s not old enough to date yet and that mom was going to be furious when she finds out and dad was going to be even madder... Rhea kept pointing out that I was on a date with someone I didn’t even like and that it wasn’t fair to Pete to lead him on like that... The arguing went on for a long time. Anyway, I finally had enough of the arguing and turned to go back to my movie. The guy who had left the movie area with me was standing there fuming and glaring at me. I had never seen this guy before. I didn’t know what his problem was. He pulled out a knife of sorts (it was more like a comb of very fine needles, but all the needles were right next to each other so it looks like a ragged blade) and started running at me. Pete was there to block the attack before I even understood what was happening. Pete’s block sent the knife flying but it didn’t stop my assailant. He kept charging towards me and ended up tackling me onto the floor. As he as pinned me down, sitting on top of me, and raised his arm ready to strike me, Pete tackled him from behind and took care of everything. I didn’t see how Pete took care of him because people had crowded around me as a wall of protection. I stood up after a little while and waited for the crowd to disperse. Pete walked towards me but there were 4 of him coming. I fell and the next thing I knew I was back at my movie, lying on a different bean bag bed than before with Pete lying next to me. When I had “come to,” Pete rolled over, made sure I was okay (I was just dazed and confused by all of what had just transpired), and then he kissed me, if you can even call it a kiss. It was the worse kiss I have ever experienced in my life! His lips were dry, hard, and small. He seemed to be hesitating while he kissed me and then he lingered a lot longer than he should have. But when he pulled away and laid back down, I was even more dazed and confused (mostly confused). After a few minutes of watching the movie, I remembered that he had knocked the knife out of my attacker’s hand and I asked if he was okay. He showed me where the knife had managed to cut into his fingers, tiny pin-pricks slowly oozing blood. I grabbed his hand and his fingers immediately looked better (somehow I had the power to heal wounds). It was at that time that Pete’s mom announced that she had gotten a room upstairs and that we “kids” shouldn’t do anything stupid or regretful. I left to change into my pajamas, came back, and curled up next to Pete, completely exhausted and ready for sleep, when the next movie started.

The End