Tara worked at a library. A very normal one — or so she thought.
One evening, she was locking up when a book flew off the shelf and smacked her in the head.
“Ow!”
The book opened on its own. Glowing letters appeared:
“You’ve been chosen.”
Tara blinked.
“Excuse me?! I didn’t sign up for this!”
The next day, a man in a long coat walked in.
“You saw the book?” he asked quietly.
She nodded.
“Well then,” he whispered, “buckle up.”
Suddenly, the lights flickered. Shelves shifted. A staircase spiraled downward where none existed before.
Tara hesitated.
“Go big or go home,” she muttered, and stepped down.
She had no idea what was waiting — but she knew one thing:
Things just got real.
Idioms Used in the Story
1. Fly off the shelf
Meaning: (Literally in the story!) But idiomatically: something selling very fast.
Examples:
- These shoes are flying off the shelf!
- Her new book flew off the shelf on launch day.
2. Sign up for something
Meaning: Agree to do something (often used sarcastically when surprised).
Examples:
- I didn’t sign up for this much drama!
- She signed up for the project, then regretted it.
3. Buckle up
Meaning: Get ready for something exciting or intense.
Examples:
- Buckle up — it’s going to be a wild ride.
- Things are about to get crazy, so buckle up.
4. Go big or go home
Meaning: Either do something fully and with effort, or don’t do it at all.
Examples:
- He wore a bright pink suit — go big or go home!
- We’re applying to Harvard? Go big or go home!
5. Things just got real
Meaning: The situation became serious or intense.
Examples:
- When he showed up with a dragon? Things just got real.
- The boss walked in — things just got real.
