It was quiet, the shelves devoid of any patrons that usually browsed their works. But the silence was interrupted by the sound of frantic footsteps. Parcoon wasn't sure why this man was running so fast, all Parcoon wanted was a snack! The man attempted to run around the corner of one of the shelves, tripping as he went. Parcoon watched as the man skidded across the floor, sliding into one of the shelves. He must have hurt himself because he was bleeding a bit from a cut on his head and did not get back up as Parcoon walked closer. Watching him struggle to stand back up made Parcoon hungry. Parcoon didn't think he had ever been this hungry in all his life! Parcoon started to think of why he was always so hungry…
The one who had been taking care of Parcoon was nice. He always had tasty treats with him, too! But one day that person was busy, so Parcoon had to find his own food. His whiskers twitched as he smelled the food locked away in the mini fridge. It took some time for his paws to pry open the doors but he finally hopped into the fridge, and wound up someplace else! This new place was really big, but wasn’t anywhere near as good as the fridge. There wasn't any food to be seen, after all. Parcoon thought about finding the person who was looking after him, they might be looking for him. But he got too hungry. He decided to look for food in the meantime. This new place was super big, much bigger than the place Parcoon had been before. And after a few hours of walking around, Parcoon finally found what he had been looking for!
Parcoon saw many people sitting around eating their food! He didn't trust these new strangers, but their food smelled so good! He puffed his fur out and carefully approached these new people, looking to find anything he could munch on. Some of them tossed sandwiches while they stared at him. They were talking to themselves, confused about what he was. But that's silly, Parcoon is Parcoon! They started leaving food out for him that he would munch on, but there were times he would just snatch it up for himself. Even the trash cans here had tasty food! Some people called him “Fatass” if he ate their food. He didn't like that, usually running or growling at them until they left him alone, but as long as he kept eating, he was pretty happy.
Parcoon stayed in this new place for a long, long time. It was full of towers that held books that people would stare at for hours at a time. Parcoon met many of these new people and things along the way. Some were not nice, Parcoon left them alone. Some were very nice, Parcoon was even friends with some of them. Like this one thing, he had a weird face and was really loud, but he was pretty nice. Even if he was pretty dumb. Over time, Parcoon scavenged enough bones and sticks to make really big and comfy nests so he could nap where he wanted. Life was good.
But one day, something changed. Parcoon had trouble finding anyone. They weren't at the places they usually were, he looked really caefully too. This made Parcoon sad, he missed the people. Made him think of his owner… But they left ALL their food behind! Parcoon scampered about, happy to eat as much food as his little paws could shove into his mouth. Parcoon had never been able to eat this much food at one time before. Just to be safe, he put some food in some special hiding spots like the shelves and folding some in between the books. But mostly he just kept eating.
And eating…
But all good things must come to an end. The day came that Parcoon couldn't find any more food. The stalls and trays had been picked over. Even the trash cans were empty. The food stashes were torn asunder until not even crumbs remained. No matter where he looked, Parcoon just couldn't find anything to eat. Parcoon was super hungry, it made his stomach growl. He hated it. He hated the way his stomach sounded, how it felt when he was hungry. He twitched in hunger as he went back to his nest to nibble on the bones, eating what marrow he could scrape out, trying to appease the hunger.
It's Not The Same.
He went out one day to look for food again. But then it happened! Parcoon's ears perked up as he heard someone for the first time in a long time! Parcoon peaked over the top of a shelf to get a look at them, he had never seen this person around before. They seemed confused by all the books around them. Parcoon wondered if he had any snacks, so he ran up to say hi. This must've scared the man because when he saw Parcoon, the man started running away…
Parcoon snapped out of his thoughts and finally noticed the man’s agonizing screams.
The man's leg lay in tattered ruins, blood pooling around them as Parcoon finished taking another bite out of the man's thigh. He had been so hungry he just started eating without realizing it. Parcoon had never eaten anyone before. It was… surprisingly tasty! Before, people were throwing cookies, chips, and other stuff to Parcoon. But the taste of fresh meat was new to Parcoon. The chewy yet tough meat, the juices that gushed into his mouth with every bite, it was all irresistible. Blood continued to gush from what remained of the man's thigh as Parcoon snapped the femur, tearing the leg off. The man screamed and kicked at Parcoon, desperately trying to get away. The meat was so chewy and warm. Parcoon dragged off the leg to eat in peace, savoring this new flavor. It even came with new bones for his nest! The man tried to crawl away, smearing the floor with a thick trail of blood before collapsing. He wasn’t making any more noise, maybe that meant it was ok for Parcoon to come to get more meat?
Parcoon pounced back on the man, ravenously tearing away chunk after chunk of delicious meat. His insides were so soft and warm. Heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, Parcoon devoured them one after another. So many new flavors! It was the best meal Parcoon had ever had. Parcoon wondered if everyone tasted as good as this. Parcoon finished eating until there was nothing left, then left to go take a nap.
The Docent continued its patrol, wandering up and down the infinite shelves. The light of its lantern catching the glistening wetness from around the nearest corner. The Docent was shocked at the grisly sight before it. A gnawed-on skeleton lay in a pool of blood, the shelves and books around it stained a deep crimson. Not a speck of flesh remained on its bones.
What had happened here? A death in the Library was highly irregular. The Library had not noticed any new entries recently, either. Whatever caused this needed to be found and dealt with quickly. Order would be maintained in the library. The Docent left the scene to begin its search, a faint chittering emanating from the shelves above.
Several days later, Parcoon started seeing the people come back! He wasn't sure where they had all gone, but it was pretty nice to have some company again. They seemed happy to see Parcoon too. They started tossing him food again, and the trash cans usually had some food to munch on. But something was different. Parcoon didn’t know why, but the food tasted worse than before, it made his whiskers twitch. And no matter how much he ate, he was always a bit hungry afterward. Maybe the people just forgot how to make good food? Parcoon left the common areas behind to find some better food.
He came across a girl sleeping on a couch. Parcoon didn't see or smell anyone else around. Parcoon crawled up to her and tugged on her arm, she didn’t wake up. Parcoon was really hungry again. This person wouldn’t mind if Parcoon had a nibble, right? Just a bite…
Not wanting to be mean and wake her up from her nap, Parcoon slowly and gently bit down on her wrist. She still didn't wake up, so he assumed it would be ok to continue. In one swift motion, Parcoon bit through the bones and severed the hand. The woman woke up in a pained panic. Blood splattered across the book covers and shelves as she flailed her new stump. The terrified screams startled Parcoon, causing the hackles on his back to stand on end. He really didn’t like the sudden loudness of the girl. He leapt up, sinking his teeth into the soft flesh of her neck.
The high-pitched screams slowly turned into a soft bloody gurgle as she collapsed to the ground. The silence calmed him as he began nibbling away on the girl. Sinew, bone, muscle and blood. These were the flavors Parcoon missed. Ripping out another kidney, Parcoon sat down to enjoy his meal.
It took him a few minutes, but Parcoon happily gobbled up every bit of the girl. Parcoon was happy the girl was willing to share a snack like this with him. He hadn't been this full since the last person. And the taste of this meat was much better than anything anyone had given him lately. Did those other people not want to give Parcoon their tasty treats before? That seemed pretty mean. Parcoon left to find more tasty things to eat.
…
We have received reports of individuals who have gone missing near the common areas, as well as the markets. We understand the concerns you may have about this situation. Rest assured, we are looking into the matter. In the meantime, remain vigilant and report anything you may see. Stay safe and continue to enjoy your time here in the Library.
Best wishes,
StaffParcoon was happy, he had been eating lots and lots over the last few months. In fact, Parcoon had trouble stopping himself, he just had to eat all the tasty things he saw. There were the people, they tasted good. The ones who walked around with the lights in their hands didn’t like that he was eating so much. They always tried to interrupt his meals whenever they saw him, which was so rude. Parcoon played with them when they tried to step in, as they'd come after him often and in large groups. They tasted ok, but the metal lights were too hard to eat. There were the ones who hopped around the shelves, they were quick and hard to catch. Their outer shells were crunchy, but there wasn’t much meat. But wasting food isn’t a good thing, so he made sure to eat them too.
One time Parcoon ate a very large, long bug person with lots of legs. He took a long time to eat. Parcoon bit through his outer shell and started chomping up the inner meat. His insides were squishy like jelly. The big bug kept wriggling and screaming, Parcoon didn't enjoy how loud it was being. But he tasted too good to not keep eating! He kept eating until the insides were completely hollowed out. Parcoon thought it made for a pretty comfy nest. Many people began screaming and running when they saw Parcoon pop-out from inside the bug. Maybe they were upset Parcoon wasn’t sharing his food? It's not his fault he found it first. Parcoon dragged the hollow husk to a hole in the wall, completing the biggest nest he had ever had!
Parcoon even found a snack up in the rafters! Though he could see the person through the darkness, the person couldn't see Parcoon. The person was so surprised when he finally noticed Parcoon that he fell back off the beam, screaming as they fell all the way down to the floor. The stranger landed on the shelves so hard he burst into a squishy mess. Most of him had turned to liquid, save for some meaty bits. It wasn't quite the same as a normal meal, But Parcoon was happy to lick up all the parts that had gone splat.
There were fish and birds, their scales and feathers getting stuck in his teeth. There were mushy foods and crunchy ones. Some snacks were really really big and took days to eat! Others he could finish in just one bite. He even ate some of the people he knew from around the library. Like how he accidentally ate his friend,they just got in the way when he was looking for his next meal. He begged his ‘bestest friend’ to not do it, But Parcoon was just too hungry. He remembered that he tasted like crayons.
No matter where they were, or who they once had been, Parcoon just kept eating.
Pacoon had been having so many more snacks than he ever had before. But the more he ate, the less full he got. The hunger returned faster after each meal, so he had to keep finding more things to eat. It was never enough. It didnt matter what it was anymore, he just had to keep eating. Speaking of eating, Parcoon was hungry again…
To all Patrons
We are truly sorry for the recent turn of events. We can no longer assure your safety at this time. We understand you may wish to continue your learning. Nobody is pleased with this situation. Regrettably, we must now ask you to leave in an orderly fashion.
The Library is now closed.
Parcoon wandered the empty shelves. How many years had it been since he had last eaten anything? Nobody was around anymore. He either munched on them or they ran away. Parcoon was sad being all alone. He missed people, their sounds, their attention, their taste…
Parcoon found himself near one of the shelves he had not visited for many years. He remembered the book munchers that once lived here. They had tasted funny. And they were silly, who eats books? Are they tasty? Parcoon waddled over to the nearest shelf and grabbed a book. It didn’t look tasty. He had always been told to not touch the books. Was it because they wanted to keep a tasty treat from him? Parcoon chewed on the book for a while, hacking up wet wads of paper. Nope, not tasty at all. But it was better than not eating anything. Parcoon continued eating his book in silence.
Nothing filled Parcoon's stomach anymore. Every day the hunger gnawed at his stomach and mind more than the last day. He hated it. Parcoon kept munching on books until he choked on the ink-filled pages. Parcoon tried to eat the shelves and walls, his teeth scraping against the wood and stone. Parcoon tried to eat the ceiling and basement, only worsening the pain in his stomach. Parcoon kept eating what he could. But Parcoon was always hungry. So, so hungry. But Parcoon continued to eat…
One day, Parcoon looked around fullly noticed there was nothing around him.The place that had held so many tasty treats over the years was now completly empty. He didnt hear the sound of any new foods. The only smell left was from the few blood stained books that remained. Parcoon growled. Where was the food? He needed something, anything!
He scurried up to the top of a shelf to get a better look around. The dusty old wood creaked under his weight, rocking with each movement he made. Parcoon didn't wish to get hurt so he leaped down from the top, the final shift in weight knocked the shelf into the next. The noise the shelves made as they knocked each other over one after the other was the loudest thing Parcoon had heard in a long time. He closed his eyes as he flinched from the echoing booms and force of the falling racks. Each impact louder than the last
But when he open his eyes after the last shelf fell, Parcoon noticed something incredible! He was in a place he had never seen before. The sky was really bright, and the red grass was very comfy. But what he was most interested in was the sight of more people. There were hundreds just walking around right down the hill. How long had it been since he had seen anyone? Parcoon began to drool at the thought of having his next meal.
He began waddling his way over to these new strangers. Maybe they would make a snack for Parcoon.