Cascade

We're Both Fools

That night I dinned on canned alfredo with dinosaur shaped pasta. The cannibal had watched in fascination while I used the can opener. He seemed to be a little too interested in human inventions. I idly wondered if he seemed a little odd to his clan for it, but I guess it was useful if it meant he'd bring them back for me.

I'd attempted to offer him some alfredo, but he had just looked at it, head tilted, eyes narrow with a furrowed brow, and one corner of his lips pulled back from his teeth. Not a fan a pasta then? Maybe it was the sauce, it did smell a little funky.

The night had been uneventful after I'd retired to the greenhouse, the cannibal giving me space but never straying too far.

The morning had been usual, more terrible catfish, handing off scraps to the creature, lounging about, etc.

I wiped my hands off on my pants after rinsing them. I'd cleaned up and taken stock of stuff. Now it was time to head to the library again and find different book.

I glanced around, but the area was free of wildlife. After he'd finished his scraps, the cannibal had given me a bark and went bounding off somewhere. He hadn't returned, so I was on my own today it seemed. Must have had something to do.

I managed to make my way through the tall grass unscathed and to the library. And then I was faced once more with the question. What did I want to read? Well, better get browsing.

I meandered through the maze of bookcase filled rooms, looking at anything that got my attention. I looked through dusty magazines, textbooks, biographies, survival manuals; the choices were endless. I had even found my way into an entire room that seemed to be devoted to romance stories taking place around Winter's Solstice. Why would you even need that many?

After tromping around further, I miraculously found the high fantasy section. It was rotting away in the corner of one of the rooms, shelves covered in moss and half the books thrown to the floor. Many a book was chewed on, some even missing chunks.

I raised a brow at the site. Just what kind of creature had lived here before the cannibal? Whatever it was had apparently had an appetite for books. In the end, it was probably best just not to worry about it.

I looked over the books for a while, before finally just giving up and yanking one off the shelf. A dusty thing with a black cover and a glob of green slime clinging to one corner. Ew.

I pocketed it anyway. Now what?

I was here, I had nowhere to be, no cannibal to play with. I looked around, once more taking in all the endless shelves. Maybe I should just stay here and browse for a while? Why not? Who knows, maybe somewhere there's a cookbook devoted to different ways of preparing catfish on a campfire?

I shrugged to myself and headed on to search for the cooking section. Hopefully it was less destroyed, or at least less slimy.

I ended up spending several more hours than intended at the library. I had indeed found the cooking section. While it was dusty, it really had everything you could ever want. Even books on cooking catfish, if that was your thing.

I was turning through a book on how to cook with a leaf blower when I heard a loud thudding. I blinked, looking up and glancing around. The air was still here and nothing moved. Must be coming from further in?

What though? Maybe the cannibal? Should I go look?

I softly closed the book and put it back on its shelf, swallowing as I did. Well, I probably should... If it wasn't the cannibal, then it'd probably be better to know so I could avoid coming here in the future.

I meandered my way through the halls, following the sound to the center room. The drizzle of water leaking from the pipes was clear here, but the source of the thuds wasn't here. Closer though, I could make out the sound of something being dragged. It sounded like it was coming from the hallway on the other side?