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The Library

I was slapped by the warm heat as I entered the library. Sitting on the desk was the librarian - her grey hair was held up in a tight bun and her gold rimmed glasses rested on her wrinkly nose. She looked at my face and squinted in confusion.

"You here to return or borrow books?" the librarian croaked. "Are you new?"

"No, I'm in year 10. I just don't come to the library as much," I laughed in awkwardness.

"Wouldn't blame ya. There's only 4 people in the book club and one of them is a teacher," she snickered. I let out another awkward laugh and walked past. I scanned the room and it was eerily quite. All I could hear was the constant clicking of the mouse made by the librarian.

On the computers would be the sneaky Year 8's, trying to get away with playing video games in the midst of the inspecting teachers. On the tables would be Year 11's, silently cheering as they win their game of cards. At the bookshelves would be the Year 7's, mischievously messing up the books the library monitors helplessly alphabetise.

I walked around the library as I saw the books lying on the bookshelves, sadly collecting dusts by themselves. The covers were tattered by the students and graffiti was painted all over time, layered by the smudged inks. It was my dream, having a book lying on the bookshelf. Maybe someone devouring it in one sitting or a class reading it collectively, not wanting to get to the ending before anyone else does. Signing books, meeting fans. Being allowed to express myself freely, for everyone else to see. Like an exposure of the real me, only people would start to appreciate it. As I scanned the library, on the peeling wallpaper, lied a poster. 

*SHORT STORY CONTEST! WILL YOU BE THE NEW AUTHOR OF OUR SCHOOL? DO YOU THINK YOU ARE CAPABLE OF DOING SO? IF YES, COMPETE NOW! YOU CAN ADMIT YOUR STORIES ONLINE OR VIA ANY TEACHERS FROM THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT. GOOD LUCK, AND HOPE YOU GET WRITING!

I grabbed the poster and shoved it in my bag. If I was planning to become an author for everyone in the world, I should start by becoming an author for my very own community. Before anyone else, my school should be the one that is aware of what I really want to be. My ambition. My dream. And with that mentality, I spent the rest of the day plotting for possible story ideas. The early jump start to the career of my dreams. The test that can show whether I have the potential or not.