"Book of All Answers"

The title of the book on the shelf was ‘Book of All Answers’ and Amy laughed when she spied it. “If only it were."

She dusted the book along with its companions on the shelf but, even as she moved on, her eyes kept drifting back to that book. Although she was sure it was some kind of trivia compilation, her imagination had sped into high gear at the possibility it was magic.

“That’s ridiculous,” she mumbled moving down the row of books to dust the other shelves in the Greenwood library, where she was apprenticing as an intern librarian for the summer.

Amy dreamed of being a writer; she loved books and loved making up stories but she had to be practical. Writing a book, completing a story, did not follow suit that you’d be published, or that you could make a living out of your imagination.

That’s when she’d decided on Library Science as a major. She could surround herself with books all day and dream of her own book being on the shelf someday.

“Amy, we’ve a delivery of new books; would you mind unpacking them?” Mrs. Braithwaite, the head librarian, asked when she stepped over to her.

‘Of course; I love seeing the new titles,” she told her with a smile.

Amy unpacked the new delivery and after placing the correct barcodes and Dewey decimal number sticker on each book, placed them on a rolling book cart. 

She wheeled the cart filled with books out of the delivery area and into the library to put them in their proper place of honor on the shelves.

The last book she’d placed was near the book she’d spotted earlier, the one that had intrigued her with its imaginative title.

“Book of all answers indeed,” she scoffed, but she lingered in front of it and found her hand moving up to take it off the shelf.

She chided herself as being foolish even as she opened the book's cover.

Amy stared in confusion at the blank page where the first chapter should have been and she looked back at its cover and realized there was no author listed there, but what happened next….she was totally unprepared for.

Slowly words began to appear on the page, one letter at a time, and they typed out….

Amy opened the book….

 

Amy stared at the words on the otherwise blank page, unable to make sense of what she was seeing.

"Oh that's a great book of trivial information," Mrs. Braithwaite said walking by her to place a returned book on the shelf across from where Amy stood.

Amy turned eyes filled with disbelief her way. "You've read this book?"

"Oh yes, and the chapter on Pop Culture was very informative."

"Can you show me it?" Amy asked holding the book out to her.

Mrs. Braithwaite gave her an odd look but took the book from her and flipped through the pages.

"Here it is," she said turning the book around and showing Amy.

Sure enough, there were fully formed paragraphs of questions and answers under the chapter heading of Pop Culture.

Amy was baffled and began to doubt what she thought she’d seen in that book.

"Oh I see, I'll have to read that chapter. Thank you," she mumbled, taking the book back from Mrs. Braithwaite.

"I recommend it, especially if you're going to a trivia night," she added with a smile then walked away, heading back to the check out desk.

 

Amy went to place the book back on the shelf but was too curious; she had to look back inside, had to be sure it was going to have those questions and answers in it if she opened it. She opened the book again to the first page.

No trivia was found and here is what she read.

 

Amy opened the book.

She stared at the words until Mrs. Braithwaite came by and noticed the book she held. Mrs. Braithwaite told her she'd read that trivia book and it was very informative, especially on Pop Culture. Amy handed the book to Mrs. Braithwaite and asked if she’d show her the Pop Culture Chapter.

Sure enough, when Mrs. Braithwaite opened the book, it was indeed filled with trivia questions and answers. Mrs. Braithwaite handed the book back to Amy and walked away.

Amy wanted to put the book back on the shelf but instead, opened the book again, curious to know if she would see those trivia questions inside.

She did not.

 

Amy swallowed a scream and nearly dropped the book, afraid of what might be happening to her.

How was she seeing this? How was the book doing that?

"What are you?" she asked out loud.

 

One by one letters appeared on the blank page.

 

Amy asked the book, "What are you?"

The book replied, "A book, awaiting your story."