The Great Book Escape

Chapter 1

“Eesh... get off me, all of you, I’m getting squashed!”

“What was that?”

“Who was that?”

“It came from down there, right at the bottom of the box.”

“Well it’ll have to wait its turn, we’re on the top, if anyone is going anywhere, we’ll be the first.”

Rustle, crumple – Rip! A box of books burst open and grumbling books came tumbling out, and some of them got creased!

“What is the meaning of this?” shouted a stern looking book with a fresh rip across its cover. Books in various states of dishevelment shuffled to one side, leaving a defiant looking picture book stood all alone in front of the empty box.

“It was me,” came a small voice, hoping for support from everyone... anyone. “It was me,” it said again, in a voice that sounded stronger than it felt. “I was at the bottom, and I couldn’t get out.”

       “And what gives you the right to get out?” boomed the TopBook.

       “I’m a book, and I need to be read to come alive, if I stay at the bottom of a box I’ll eventually be forgotten, and no one will ever read me. I couldn’t just lie there at the bottom with all of you stacked on top like a load of dead wood,” said BottomBook, looking around accusingly at the other books. There was some muttering and shuffling of bindings.

“We will be read, you just have to be patient,” said TopBook, in a far from patient tone of voice.

       “Being patient isn’t going to get us out of here. We’ve been left here and forgotten about.”

       “Hmm,” muttered TopBook, fidgeting with its ripped cover. “Well look what your impatience has done to me – what chance do I stand now...?”

       “There are worse things than a ripped cover,” said BottomBook turning to face the others from its box, and almost every book had turned to face it, all except one. “We all need to work together on this TopBook.” TopBook nodded, the rip on its cover rubbing one edge against the other, the edges already softening.

©Anne M Stephenson