In
Camelot
by Michael Kiesow Moore
excerpt
You cannot stay in the
library all day. You cannot hide in the corner long past the school bell
rings reading stories of Camelot. The librarian, Miss Hartong, is going
to tell you it is time to go home. She is not going to understand. Adults
never understand. No one is going to save you. Miss Hartong is going to
find you reading stories of Camelot and she is going to think that you
are only reading stories of Camelot. She does not know what waits for
you when you leave the library and walk outside. No one is going to save
you. Miss Hartong is not going to save you, Lancelot and King Arthur are
not going to save you, nor all the Knights of the Round Table. You are
going to put the book of Camelot stories back on the shelf and you are
going to leave the safe library that smells of books and Miss Hartong
is going to lock the door behind you. No one is going to save you. You
are going to walk down the hall alone and you are going to open that big
metal door that leads to the back playground lot. The late afternoon light
is going to be so bright it hurts. Then the door will shut with a slam
that is final and you will be locked out and you won’t be able to
go back to where the stories of Camelot are and no one will save you.
© 2008 Michael Kiesow Moore
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