Melona heard a cough from behind her. She turned around to see a woman looming over her.
For some reason, all Melona could think of when she was the woman was "librarian." It didn't make sense. She wasn't wearing the robes the other librarians, or indeed the other faculty members, wore. Instead, she wore what looked like a solid mass of blackness. It clung to her body, causing everything from her neck to her feet to form a silhouette against the world, like a void that consumed attention. On closer inspection, Melona could see that the void was, in fact, a tight-fitting suit, with a tie, vest and jacket so close to each other in hue that they seemed impossible to tell apart.
Melona struggled to think. This wasn't a librarian. This was somebody dangerous. This--wasn't--a--
The librarian smiled as she bent down, her seemingly-impossible height doubling over so that her face was level with Melona's. That couldn't happen, though, the human spine couldn't--
"Ms. Pearsly?" asked the librarian. Her voice was soft and low, and each syllable seemed to feel like a breath of opium, clouding Melona's thoughts. "I'm Ms. Mordra."
"Okay," said Melona, struggling to think.
"I'm a librarian here."
"You're a librarian."
"You were looking for a book, Ms. Pearsly. One that would solve all your problems."
"Yeah--yeah I was," said Melona.
"And I have it for you."
"Can you--give it?"
"Yes, but you have to promise me one thing." The librarian's grin seemed to stretch for miles in all directions, arcing past her face, towards Melona, and throughout the world. A voice in Melona screamed. She was going to die, or she was going to be--
"Anything." Tears were streaming down Melona's face. Her body quaked as though struck by electricity.
"You don't have to give me anything, don't worry," said the librarian. Her hands were on Melona's shoulders, pressing down, and it felt as though Melona's body was being molded like clay. She was turning into something strange and horrifying and unrecognizable as human and--
"I'm not worried," said Melona, and it became the truth. The librarian was fine. Melona lost herself in her bottomless eyes, devoid of iris or white or lid, and found warmth in the dark embrace that crushed her as it pushed through her skin.
"Good. All I'm going to ask you to do is read the book and follow its lessons, okay? You can't solve your problems if you don't read the book, right?" The librarian let out a chuckle, and Melona started to laugh. It was funny, of course! Melona had been such a silly young woman for as long as she could remember, but it had come to an end. She was a joke that finally had a punchline, and she trembled with wretching, guffawing bouts of laughter.
"I'll take that as a yes," said the librarian. "Good luck, Melona. You won't need it, but you deserve it. You deserve everything."
Melona twitched as she returned to reality. The librarian was gone. No traces of her were left save for a soreness in Melona's shoulders and stomach, tears soaking her face, and a curious weight in her hands.
Melona looked down, then saw--
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