Like all of our other projects, our journey begins in English. Here we crafted a short story from characters that we made in our english class. We wrote and revised this story over the course of multiple weeks and had multiple editors including a peer editor. This story is the same one retold in our Audio book.

Headline News

 

Henry held his left arm close with his right, shyly hiding his hand behind his back. His back was slightly hunched, draping his long black business coat over him. His scruffy shirt hung itself from his small frame and his spindly arms. He wore a pair of dark jeans that were rolled unevenly. With slightly sunken eyes Henry stared at his feet intently.  The marble floor beneath him complemented the dark brown leather that covered his shoes. Admiring his newly shined penny loafers, he spoke to the composed blonde haired lady.

“So Linda, do you think tonight’s a good night to go out?”

Linda stayed locked into the computer screen, her desk laden with organized office supplies and various trinkets from trips she had gone on with friends. Her blonde hair fell smoothly over her shoulders and along the outside of her kempt dark blue blazer. Her eyebrows raised and lips pursed as Henry talked.

“Any night’s a goodnight,” she said.

“It just depends who’s asking.” Linda smiled  “Well… I’m asking,” Henry said.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did you have a question, Henry?” Linda said, raising her head from the keyboard.  

“Yah I did…. Do y-you-” He stopped himself before he could finish his sentence.  Henry coughed, “um.. do you know if there’s any new files for me today?”

Linda rolled her eyes. “For the millionth time Henry, new files come in to the Archives dropbox. I really don’t have time for this right now.”

Henry looked at the floor, “I’m sorry I didn’t know you-”

“My poor Pugsley is having tummy aches right now and the vet I’m taking him to doesn’t offer gluten free doggy biscuits. Ugh, I have too much going on right now for this.”

Henry let her words linger in the air for a little longer before thanking her and walking away. On his way down to Archives he grabbed the new files that had come in today. He knew where they were all along.

Once in his small office he relaxed and made himself a small coffee from the French press he kept in the corner of his desk. He situated his pens, put a couple sticky notes away, shuffled a couple of newspapers to the floor and got started on the fresh ones.

He reached into his dress pants, pulled out his glasses and tucked in his elbows as he brought them to his face. His knees rested tightly under the bottom of his desk, his frame was small and his back hunched as he began inspecting the black and white images and gray paper.

Let’s see here… Wow, a murder on Triage Street.

He examined the photos and the vivid descriptions of the crime scene. It was all very familiar seeing that the library he currently worked at was directly off of this street.

Wow, that car must have really been ahead of its time… Looks like a 2000s model… God, this is all really familiar, what’s the date?

Henry slid his finger across the page and to the corner where he could find the author and publishing date. His eyes followed his finger closely, pulling the paper closer as he searched.

Wait a minute. Isn’t today Dec 17?

Henry took a sip of his coffee as he sat back with furrowed brows. He scratched his head, squeezing his eyes shut and opening them wide, testing their functionality. He was in disbelief that the paper published had a date so clearly labeled wrong.

I should probably tell Paul about this. I think he’ll know what to do.

Henry began to slowly trudge up the stairs.

This is probably just going to end up in the trash. Maybe I can talk to Linda while I’m upstairs. I get so nervous around her. God, I really hope I don’t start stuttering again.

Henry started to wring his hands thinking of seeing Linda as he climbed the steps. When he opened the door he found Paul over at the reception desk already talking to Linda. His stomach dropped as he approached him.

His shoulders were broad and masculine like he wished his were. Paul’s arms fit snugly in his jacket sleeves. His left leg was crossed over his right as he leaned onto Linda’s desk, flirting with her like he usually did. His posture was erect with confidence and his hair was neatly groomed like it was every morning.

“Oh hey look its Henry!” Paul’s voice dropped at the start of his name.

“Hey Paul… H-How’s it going?” Henry looked away as his tongue stumbled its way through his mouth.

“Well, just peachy now that your here!” You could hear the sarcasm in Paul’s voice from a mile away.

Linda laughed quietly with her hand over her mouth as if she were eating food. “Paul!” Linda whispered, “be nice!” She continued to chuckle to herself.

Paul rolled his eyes at Linda with a sly grin. He faced Henry with his eyes lazily peering into him. “So what’s up?”

Henry debated whether or not to say anything. “Well.. You see there’s this file I just got today–”

“So file it already, chronological and alphabetical order,” Paul dropped his head slightly as if explaining to a child, “I really don’t see whats so hard–”

“That’s not it Paul,” Henry backed away and looked at his penny loafers, “The Newspapers just really… irregular.”  

“What do you mean irregular?” said Paul.

“The papers date isn’t right. It says it’s for tomorrow but there’s no way.”

Paul smiled as he avoided eye contact with Henry. Linda tried to hide a laugh behind her perfectly manicured hands but failed as her chuckles broke through her grasp.

“Alright let’s see what the damage is then,” said Paul.

When they had both gotten to the bottom of the stairs Henry started trifling through his desk to find the paper. He became frustrated as he searched frantically for the paper.

Paul slowly walked towards him to assess the situation as Henry searched with vigor. Paul stopped within a foot of Henry and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he squinted hard. Finally, he yelled.

“Henry!”

“Yeah?”

“Next time you bring me down here at least have your stuff organized. It can’t possibly be this hard to file newspapers.” Paul turned and began to walk towards the stairs. He stopped briefly at the bottom. “And you’d think that by the 21st century we would have had a better system than just filing newspapers by hand.”

Henry sat behind his desk, frozen in silence. He turned in his chair to stand up when he noticed a mop only a couple feet away.

The janitor probably moved it. How could I be so stupid, of course the janitor moved it.

Henry got up and went to where the janitor usually moved any lose articles, right on top of the shelf in the back left corner of the basement. Henry grabbed the newspaper, brought it to his desk and sat in his squeaky foam padded chair. He sat frozen and listened to the footsteps of people up stairs as he wondered.

So what am I gonna do about this paper?

****

Henry decided to go back upstairs after lunch to consult Paul about the newspaper one last time. Only seconds after he had arrived, Paul’s phone went off. His piercing ringtone cut through Henry’s voice like the whir of a paper cutter. Within a moment’s notice Paul took the phone call, excused himself and began walking away.

“Hello?” Answered Paul, “Oh god not you again.. I really don’t have time for this right now.” He looked worried as he listened to the man on the other end. Henry watched.

“Listen I just don’t have the money right now,” Paul said with a hushed tone. “I might be able to get it to you in a couple days but I can’t right now. Just give me more time!” Paul hung up the phone and looked at the black screen. His face grew anxious the longer he stared at it. He began dialing another number.

Henry turned to Linda longingly, hoping for an answer as to what to do. He watched her as she stared at Paul briefly. Her pampered countenance played with the idea of being with Paul. Of course her dog Fitto could never handle it, he was in dire need of gluten free doggy biscuits.   

Linda turned and made eye contact with Henry. She quickly smiled and turned to her computer screen again as if dodging a bullet. “He’ll probably be a while.” She exhaled audibly and continued working. She was really not in the mood to talk with Henry.

“Um.. I’m gonna go outside then.” He’d heard enough to know that he was no longer wanted there.

Once he got outside he sat down on the marble stairs and held his head in his hands. He sighed as he  closed his sunken eyes.

A pair of footsteps began to come up behind him and slipped as it approached the stairs. Henry heard the clatter and looked up to see a plethora of papers and books fly down the staircase of the library’s entrance. As he retraced the path of the papers he found a young woman with medium length red hair on her knees.

Henry immediately began picking up papers and books and organizing them as he saw fit. He handed everything back to the woman as she began to get up, fixing her crooked glasses. “Oh thank you, thank you so much. I was in such a rush and just tripped over my new heels, I’m really not used to wearing these,” she pointed to her sleek black three inch heels. They did look rather new. “I don’t know what I would have done if I lost anything.”

“What are all these papers anyways?” asked Henry.

“It’s a manuscript. I’ve been working on it for the past two years.” She paused a bit as she re adjusted the papers in her hands. “My grandfather started writing it before he passed away and I’ve been trying to finish it ever since…”

There was a brief awkward pause in the conversation as Henry looked away. The lady solemnly sighed and pressed the thick stack of papers into her chest. “Well I should get going… Thanks again.”   

“Sure thing.” Henry’s voice trailed off as the lady scurried down the steps and across the street. His eyes followed her, hoping she would turn to make eye contact. She was attractive and it wasn’t often Henry made decent conversation with a women.

Henry sat back down on the marble staircase and put his chin between his skimpy knees. He crossed his arms around his shins and held his feet as he stared at the bottom of the staircase. The cuffs of his shirt traveled up the length of his forearm as he reached down towards his shoes. The tall stature that once was Henry was reduced to a condensed ball of skin and bones as he spoke to himself quietly, “I think I know what to do about the newspaper now.”

He quickly sprang back up and grabbed his phone from his pocket as he leaped towards the revolving doors of the library. He dialed his best friends number and held the phone up to his ear. “Hey Howard, do you think you could meet me tomorrow morning at the library? I think I might have something your gonna want to see.”

****

The smell of freshly brewed coffee hung in the air as Henry and Howard stayed staked out in front of the library. Howard’s undercover police vehicle was conveniently parked five cars down the street so they stayed hidden and could still see the white marble steps of the building. There were small crumbs of donuts and other pastries sparsely hidden throughout the car along with gym bags, handcuffs, and a flashlight or two. The seats were leaned back far enough so that only there heads could be seen above the card door.

Howard was sitting in the driver’s seat closest to the road. His plaid shirt hugged his bulky stomach as he leaned back, and his light brown mustache fell over his lips as though they were curtains. He ate the last of his donut freely, licking his fingers as he spoke, “mmm.. So what is it again with this newspaper?”

Henry stayed glued to his binoculars. “It’s telling the future.”

“The future?”

“Yes,” said Henry, “the future. I mean I know it sounds crazy but the date on this newspaper is for today.”

“Big deal! What’s the newspaper say anyways?”

“It’s a murder.”

Howard ripped the donut from his mouth and muttered through his bite, “Wait a minute so we’re supposed to stop a murder today?”

“Yes the front line news is of a murder okay.” Henry turned towards Howard, “I just have a feeling it’s going to happen.”

“Okay,” Howard sipped his coffee.

“So how long are we here for?”

Henry pointed his binoculars out the window, “Not much longer.”

A couple blocks down the street a sleek BMW raced towards the library and backed up into a parking spot next to the library. When the door opened out came Paul.

“Come on Howard lets go check this out”

“Wait what?” Said Howard in the middle of another donut.

Henry opened the door and lept out of the car towards Paul with Howard in pursuit. They walked up to Paul while he was closing his car door and pulled him around.

“What are you doing here so early?” said Henry.

“I’m here to open up the library! I always come in this early! I set an alarm every day for 6:00 so I can get here before anyone else can mess anything up, specifically you!”

“B-b-but the newspaper…”

“I made the newspaper up with Linda! We thought it would be a funny little prank. Had I known you were going to completely disrupt my morning I wouldn’t have participated.”

Henry was completely frozen at this point. His hands wrung themselves red.

“I’m s-sorry.”

Out of the alley next to the library came a dark figure in a long coat and hat. From the opening of his coat flashed a gun. “Give me your wa- wait a minute who are you guys?”

Howard was quick to side step and swipe the gun from his grasp. He caught the tall man within seconds and placed him on the floor

“Your under arrest sir!”

Paul turned white. “Oh my god! He… he almost killed me!” Paul was grasping his coat as he trembled.

Henry helped Howard and managed to fit cuffs on the tall man’s wrists. “Paul do you know this guy?” The man grunted as he was manhandled.

“yah… I owe him money actually. I was going to pay him by the end of the month… I told him to wait till then but I guess he didn’t think that was soon enough.” Paul leaned back and stumbled into the stairs of the library.

“Well you don’t owe him anything now. Come on sir you have a lot of explaining to do.” Howard pushed the man by the back of his neck towards the car as Henry helped.

***

Henry was coming back from lunch with Howard. Howard was still finishing his second sandwich as they were walking in. Henry was tired from the morning’s excitement so he had a large coffee in his gray thermos. They strolled through the revolving doors of the library.

“You know it’s kind of crazy to think that we actually saved Paul. I mean, just think what would have happened if we hadn’t been there.”

Howard spoke through a sandwich bite, “Yah well it’s a good thing you called me. That guy’s been known for being particularly dangerous. The departments actually been looking for him for quite a while.”

As they walked, Linda called out to Henry from the receptionist desk. She had half of the library’s staff around her desk.

“Hey Henry! I was just telling everyone what a hero you were this morning! I can’t believe you stopped that guy all yourself!”

“I didn’t,” Henry said, “I just helped Howard with the arrest. He kind of did everything. You know he’s been in the police force for-”

“Oh details!” Linda exclaimed, “you did a lot of it yourself I’m sure!” Linda turned to the crowd, “Isn’t he so humble! Won’t even take credit for his own work.” Linda laughed as the crowd praised Henry. Howard stayed far to the side still eating his sandwich.

“You know Henry, it was really something what you did this morning…” Linda looked down and fiddled with her pens. “Uhmm if your still interested at all I’m free tonight”

Henry furrowed his brows as he thought about the offer intently.

“We could go watch a movie or go out to that new Thai restaurant across the street. Although it is new so I don’t know how packed it might be.”

“Thank you but I’ll have to pass. Today’s already been kind of long.” Henry tried his best to keep a smile as he spoke.

“Oh come on, it’ll be fun! I heard there showing that new movie next door! It was something about this girl and how she leaves her house at night for some guy. I think it’ll be great.” Linda spoke persistently.

Henry gave it one last thought. He opened his mouth as if to speak but closed it again. “You know Linda, I’d love to but I’ve got files to manage downstairs. See ya around.”

Henry walked off towards Howard as he was licking whatever was left of his sandwich from his fingers. He placed his arm around his shoulder as they took towards the archives box. He knew exactly where it was.

“Hey Henry, I never got the chance to say anything, but I think you did a great thing, coming in and saving your boss like that.”

“Thank you,” said Henry. “I know.”