Congratulations to Andrea W., grade 9, at Varina Area Library! Andrea’s short story was randomly selected as this week’s Summer Stories Teen Writing Contest winner. Andrea will receive a copy of Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith.
Week 2 Prompt:
You find a very old, leather bound book at the library. It’s very worn and stained and has an odd, faintly spicy smell. It also has a lock on it. You ask the librarian about it and she looks at you very carefully and then, after looking to see that there is no one else around, she winks and hands you a very old key…
Andrea’s Winning Story:
Everyday after school I walked home and passed an old library that looked abandoned. One spring day, I decided to go into the library and see for myself how it looked. Walking into the neglected library, I saw nobody there except for a scrawny, elderly woman sitting at the front desk. Peering at me over her book, she dismissed my presence. I skimmed down the aisles as I looked for a booked that sparked my interest and then I saw it. I picked a ragged brown book with a chain that had a lock at the end of it off the dusty shelf. The book smelled of mold and old cheese. I fiddled with the lock to see if it would break, but nothing happened. Scanning the room I saw the librarian peering at me over her book. She quickly returned to reading once she had seen me glancing at her. Trying my best to be brave, I went up to the slender lady and asked her in a timid voice why this was the only book that had a lock on it. Reaching into the drawer, she handed me a small silver key. Anxious to see what was inside I scurried over to a table and hastily opened the book. Inside the book there were individual letters that were highlighted and it seemed to spell out a word. I recognized the letters spelled out my name! “What could this mean?” I asked myself. “Only one way to find out!”
Don’t miss your chance to win! Submit your original story in response to this week’s prompt.
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 
Goodd reading