The Hidden Library of House Mormont

Short Story- Conspiracy on Campus

COMMERCE, TEXAS- Forget shadowy government agencies and clandestine operations- the most bizarre conspiracy to rock the academic world began not with whispers in darkened rooms, but with a simple acorn spotted on a seemingly harmless textbook.

Lucy Parker, a perpetually under-caffeinated student reporter for the campus newspaper, found herself on the frontlines of this nutty investigation quite by accident. Tasked with exposing the ever-rising cost of course materials, she expected to find herself buried in spreadsheets and publisher price lists. Instead, she found herself quite literally buried- under a pile of acorns.

"My investigation led me to the old library stacks, a haven of dusty books and forgotten dissertations," recounts Parker, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I was tracing suspicious 'tree trimming' expenses when it happened- an acorn avalanche! They came bouncing down the shelves, and there I was, dodging them like some kind of academic Indiana Jones."

What initially seemed like a hilarious mishap sparked a flicker of suspicion. Parker, fueled by a reporter's relentless curiosity and a growing fear of airborne tree nuts, followed the trail of acorns. This was no random act of nature. This was… organized.

What started as a peculiar scavenger hunt evolved into weeks of covert surveillance. Parker abandoned sleep and subsisted on energy drinks, her movements blending in with those of the campus’s resident squirrels. She tracked the creatures, not to trees, but to intricate underground tunnels burrowing beneath the hallowed halls of learning.

"It was insane!" she exclaims, gesticulating wildly. "They weren't just gathering nuts; these bushy-tailed bandits were operating a full-fledged hoarding ring. And their loot? Textbooks."

Parker’s discovery was as mind-boggling as it was undeniable. The squirrels, with an efficiency that would put any supply chain manager to shame, had amassed a vast underground library of stolen textbooks.

“Imagine it: a network of tunnels riddled with tiny squirrel shelves, Philosophy stacked next to Physics, bestselling paperbacks chewed to shreds,” describes Parker, a mixture of amusement and disbelief still evident in her voice.

The university, it seemed, wasn't just facing a rodent infestation; they were up against a coalition of furry masterminds bent on self-education.

"Turns out, the squirrels weren't just hoarders, they were fiercely committed to knowledge," Lucy explains, "Apparently, they weren't happy with the acorns alone."

Further investigation revealed the grand motive behind the textbook heist. Beneath the main oak tree, in what the squirrels had dubbed "The Great Hall of Learning," Parker uncovered a scene straight out of an animal-themed cartoon:

Fuzzy paws flipped pages, tiny eyes scanned diagrams. Squirrels perched on miniature ladders absorbed Economics, while others conducted lively debates, presumably dissecting the philosophical complexities of acorns.

"The escalating textbook costs were a smokescreen," Parker reveals. "The university's hefty pest control budget? In reality, they were desperate attempts to negotiate textbook returns with the squirrels, using acorn-based diplomacy."

Lucy Parker's relentless pursuit of the story unearthed a scandal so absurd it became the stuff of campus legends. The university administration squirmed, issuing hasty apologies and blaming a rogue groundskeeper for the 'acorn-related barter agreements.'

Meanwhile, the squirrels, seemingly unbothered by the chaos, continued their academic pursuits unhindered. Students, in a mixture of awe and amusement, began leaving extra copies of particularly challenging texts at the base of the great oak, offerings to the intellectually ambitious rodents.

Lucy Parker, once an average student reporter, is now a hero of the student body. Her legacy? A renewed appreciation for the power of curiosity, a healthy dose of skepticism towards suspicious tree-trimming budgets, and the eternal reminder that even in the heart of academia, the greatest mysteries might be solved by following a trail of acorns.

Newspaper Clippings Prompt 3
Word Count: 607