Shelf Awareness Novels & Stories

“…is worth more than any bank on Earth.” Marcus swept his flashlight across the shelves. “The alarm isn’t protecting the documents.” “It’s protecting whoever entered.” ⸻ Amelia stepped cautiously into the vault. The air was cool and perfectly dry. Someone had designed the room to preserve its contents for centuries. On the nearest shelf lay a brass plaque. Shelf One – The Founding Farther ahead… Shelf Five – The Covenant Shelf Nine – The Blackwood Archives Then… At the end of the central aisle… She stopped.

The shelves were tall and packed tightly with all manner of goods, from canned food to fresh produce, and every nook and cranny was utilized for some essential item. I walked through the maze of aisles, keeping my head down and avoiding eye contact with the few customers who were scattered throughout the store. The sound of my footsteps echoed on the wooden floorboards, and I felt like I was walking on eggshells, afraid that any misstep would betray my identity.

The Luna is a walking box of wonderments—many catastrophic. Scanning around, I parse the scheme of the shop's settings. Rows of provisions are stacked in an 'L' and surround the entire store. Under the rash gleam of the overhead bulbs, wrappers of products shimmer and shine alongside wooden crafts like they'd been oiled. It would be no surprise if they somehow were.

There were several tall shelves casually scattered around in the room, but one hardly notices the messy layout because EVERYTHING on the shelves is an eye catcher! There were ancient rings, bracelets and all kinds of accessories, some hanging on the side of the shelves, but certain ones neatly in small wooden boxes with velvet under; what were the most there was all kinds of crystal balls, all showing different things in them, some only a mist, others with images twirling around... There was no way Kitty just missed this store! Kitty was afraid that her probing question about the store would scare it to disappear in front of her, so she held down her curiosity and simply just began to explor

For days like these, there were, also, maurium lamps and floor lighting provided for convenience and style. The shelves, which were designed with a grid of individual tiny compartments like shadow boxes, were filled with holodexes, technologically advanced units resembling scrolls and used for storing holographic virtual copies of books and information, each embossed with a symbol and lettering denoting its priority level, title, and usage. The place was peppered with students, many of whom were about her age, if not a little older, young men and women dressed in the uniform of their respective academies.

"Quick, I'll take you to the infirmary now." "It's okay, I can go by myself," A smile flashed in Cole's eyes. Helma was now filled with anxiety. She led him outside the warehouse, feeling anxious and angry as they walked. "Who put this on the shelf? How can you put such a heavy thing on top? There were just fragrances below! The shelf is top-heavy; wouldn't it fall over?!" She was angry that she accidentally bumped into the shelf, but the shelf was stacked wrongly. It could endanger anyone who accidentally bumped into it.

I sign at the bottom, and have somewhere to stay. He shows me around the shop next, and teaches me how to operate the cash register. There isn't a stock room. If it isn't on the shelves then it isn't in stock. Most of what's there is prepackaged groceries, candy, chips, soda, beer, liquor, tobacco, magazines and newspapers, along with a few cheap plastic toys. The top shelf of magazines has a lot of front-cover pictures of naked women, with a few naked men for variety. I feel myself blush, and look away.

Maya stands inside for one whole minute with the rolling door open and the light slanting in across the floor. Then she gets to work. Shelving along the left wall. Water at the back, stacked low. Food middle shelves, oldest in front, newest behind: tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, peas, asparagus, powdered milk, vacuum-sealed rice and instant oats. Calorie-dense, long shelf life, nothing requiring a tin opener she hasn't already packed three of. Medical in sealed boxes. Tools on the right. Batteries sorted by size, because chaos is how people end up trying to power a radio with rage and two mismatched AAs.

But if I let him know that I know, I may never get another chance at seeing where this leads. The metal shelves are stacked with bath salts, extra shampoos and conditioners, toilet paper, but mostly towels, which have been depleted. I quickly move everything off the shelving so I can move it out far enough for me to sneak by. I just need enough room to slip through the door. Seems like Oisin uses this door often because the selves are on wheels. I didn't notice them until it was time to pull the shelving from the wall. This makes my decision easier: I have to open the door now.

It kind of made her smile. “Things are stored on shelves by where they come from, and then stored by name. Of course some items are out of order if they can’t sit next to certain items in case of a reaction. There is an inventory list in that large tome over there.” He said pointing. She just briefly glanced at it. The room went up about fifteen feet and then was as long as a football field. There were a lot of items stored in here. It looked like a place where one would practice alchemy.