The Wellerman Comes and Goes

"There once was a man who came to be,

The name of the man was the keeper, you see.

The pages flipped up and dipped down low,

Oh, come, dear adventurers, come, come."

The librarian hummed along to a local tune, diligently dusting away at books with no dust.

"Cling-cling-cling."

The librarian didn't look back because there were barely any who remember the quaint little library tucked away in the forbidden forest.

"It might be time for the library to go,” pondered the librarian. The bells had been ringing all day, and though this time they were louder, he didn’t think much of it. And for the first time, since forever, he would have been wrong. A strong creaking sound emerged, moving in an unfamiliar pattern, and to the librarian, it was a dead giveaway that the person who had just entered was a newcomer this time around.

"Welcome, how may I help you?" The librarian flashed his signature smile in front of the rude customer who didn't have the manners to hang his wet coat on the coat hanger next to the door. It was there for a reason, and it always infuriated the librarian when the hanger wasn't used.

The man who entered was soaked from head to toe, his face concealed by a raven-dark hat with sides that stretched so far that his bottom chin was barely visible. His gait exuded the confidence of a young man brimming with vigor and vitality. Green veins outlined parts of his tightly clenched fists that were not covered by a long drape, which still dripped with water.

"I'd like to see the head librarian here," a rough, dusty voice echoed in the room, its intonations crackling and smooth in all the right places. If the librarian hadn't witnessed the same fear in the eyes of those who came before, he might have been enthralled by the sound of the man's voice.

"That would be me... sir," the librarian responded, his voice demanding yet still somehow soft-spoken. He caught a hint of skepticism in the man's eyes, which peaked out from the sides of the hat. Were they a beautiful deep blue or a cool grey pair? In the dim light, it was difficult to tell.

"So, what would you like to find?" The librarian asked again in a stronger tone to steady himself. To the librarian, he felt like a child standing before this towering figure of a man.

"There have been many who have attempted to find it, but few who return sane. I trust you've heard the stories," the librarian's voice served as the only indicator of his location, growing both larger and smaller in size.

"Now are you prepared to gamble what’s precious in hopes of finding what you believe you lack?" A book materialized out of thin air, containing everything and nothing all at once. There were pages, but they were devoid of any written words, nor did they make any sounds when flipped.

It served as a warning.

Unfazed, the adventurer accepted the book and, without hesitation, took the whale-patterned pen offered by the librarian, inscribing his initials "WM" onto the pages. Was it an act of bravery, necessity, or curiosity? The glint in his eyes didn’t give way to a definite answer.

An air of silence filled the room.

— —

“Cling-cling-cling”

"What a rundown library," the adventurer mumbled to himself. 

He lingered near the entrance.

No response.

He could feel his heartbeat ringing in his ears, the wooden flooring creaking beneath each step he took.

Suddenly, a set of teeth greeted him with a smile. 

Fear slowly crept upon him, initially starting like water trickling down the sides of his clenched fists, then engulfing his entire body, causing his whole body to stiffen, his breath to quicken, and his eyes to tremble.

The mouth moved, however, the ringing sound still echoed in his ears, and out of fear, he quickly mustered, "I'd like to see the head librarian here." The mouth responded, revealing that "it" was the librarian. This being truly embodied the epitome of darkness itself, its existence as mysterious as that of the library. After what felt like an eternity, a book emerged from the curtain of darkness. The adventurer was instinctively drawn to the blank page that flipped open, a whale head adorning the end of the pen, taunting him to write on it. Without thinking, he inscribed his initials on the page before it swiftly flipped, disappearing as abruptly as it had appeared. Suddenly, the room was illuminated with a light that could only be described as holy.

Was it holy in a way that exuded purity, goodness, and all things nice and beautiful? Or was it holy due to the promise of unraveling the long-held secrets of the library? The adventurer wouldn’t be able to tell you.

"The rules will be repeated once and only once, so listen carefully my dear," the librarian's face emerged into the light, finally visible, evoking an aura that was both evangelical and mystical. It was the face of an angel or perhaps the devil himself.

"This library houses every secret, every knowledge there is." The voices that emerged was both masculine and feminine, or perhaps they were a collective, a symphony of voices echoing.

"Only when you seek what you have sought will you break free from the endless cycle. Henceforth, 'I' can only respond with yes, no, and perhaps—nothing more, nothing less. I wish you luck, dear adventurer." The librarian stepped back, their face once more engulfed in the sea of darkness, leaving only their signature smile hanging in the veil of shadows.

"So, all I need to do is find what I lack, right?"

"Perhaps."

"Is there any tip you could offer me?"

"No."

"Has anyone ever found what they lack?"

"No... yes... perhaps."

An air of silence filled the room.

——

The adventurer stood motionless, seemingly lost in deep contemplation. The librarian wondered if the man regretted acting too hastily, but it was only a passing thought. Without delay, the man swiftly dipped into one of the hallways filled with endless books, and before long, a deafening shriek pierced the air.

All the librarian could do was close his eyes before returning to dusting, and the familiar ringing of the bell came once again.

——

Unsure of what to do, the adventurer ventured headfirst into one of the library's countless hallways.

Oh, and how he regretted looking up. The sight before him could only be described as an unspeakable horror. It seemed to scream for any man to scream out their most primal instincts, and that's precisely what the man did—he let out a scream in the face of pure terror. 

He wasn't sure how, but when he opened his eyes, he stood again in front of the entrance to the library.

"So, this is the endless loop that the rule spoke of, huh?"

Unlike his initial arrival, the damp coat that had draped over his broad shoulders was no longer present. Instead, what remained was a new cane in his hand, which he gripped tightly.

——

Dusting, dusting, and dusting.

"Cling." The man burst in, sounded by an ear-numbing bell ring.

"Where should I go?"

...

"Can I escape from this?"

"Perhaps."

"Has anyone ever left the library after entering?"

"...Yes."

This time, the adventurer appeared considerably more haggard and fatigued. Still, he bravely took a step forward and ventured into another hallway.

Not looking back once at the librarian

——

"Crack, crack." 

Each step the adventurer took, echoed the sound of shells breaking underfoot.

The more he steeped forward, the more wrong it felt, the more inhumane it was, it was like he held the power to the lives of who knows how many insects, with a flick of a finger, or the stomp of his leg.

Yet, he couldn't stop moving onward, for what he yearned seemed to be just beyond the shelves, another flip of the page, another unexplored hallway awaiting his exploration.

But must he walk forward, one might ask. What keeps him driving forward? Did the adventurer need to rescue a desperate heroine and restore his fallen kingdom? Or was it just the insatiable curiosity of man? What was it that he lost that he had to look for? What was the man seeking?

No matter what it was, the adventurer simply trudged forward. His once imposing figure gradually diminished, until his stature was no taller, but instead was shorter than the librarian.

——

"‘If I give more effort, will I be able to solve this riddle?’

“Perhaps.”

“Do you believe I can attain what I lack?”

A moment of silence followed. “...Yes.”

“Should I continue exploring?”

“Perhaps.”

A sigh resonated. Was it the librarian, the adventurer, or both? The librarian passively stood as the adventurer confidently strode into another hallway. The act had become so ingrained that it was impossible to tell whether it was the second, third, or hundredth time they had repeated this process. It all felt so natural.

To the dismay of both us and them, we hear the seldom-heard cries and sobs of a once-confident man, that went on for days and days.

Until it didn’t.

——

Repeat and rinse again, it moved like clockwork; he came and went, came and went, each time a little less himself and a little more different.

Initially, subtle changes occurred—a shift in the colors of his clothes, the addition of new equipment, or the loss of certain articles. Then he lost his proudest features, his muscular build, his raspy voice, and even his captivating eyes, and suddenly the man who had initially entered the library became less of what he once was.

And the adventurer no longer asked the librarian questions, and just went for the hallways in search of more knowledge, more answers.

Unable to bear it anymore, for the first time, the librarian attempted to stop an adventurer from going forward. With a disproportionately long arm, the librarian gently impeded the adventurer's path and shook his head, his eyes conveying a story his mouth could not express. 

How much the librarian wished the adventurer would halt! But his eyes, although lacking their former sparkle, now burned with a raw and primal intensity, ferocity, and hunger. The librarian could only gaze passively, feeling powerless.

——

At this point, the adventurer grew weary of repeating similar sets of three questions, he knew would never receive the answers he sought. Both the adventurer and the librarian understood the inevitable answer that awaited those questions.

At this point asking was just to sustain his sanity.

So he chose to let go of that last string of sanity.

A shroud of darkness loomed, attempting to obstruct his path. The adventurer longed to halt, he truly did, it could be an addiction or just pure fear of not knowing what would happen next. Either way, he knew deep down, that the only way he could go was forward.

Such was the resolution the adventurer came to

——

"LET ME GO!"

"YOU mONSTER!"

"THiS IS FRAuD, FrAUD I TELL YoU!"

The adventurer relentlessly unleashed a torrent of atrocities upon the librarian, each time more vile and unhinged than the previous. It appeared that all hope was truly extinguished.

No longer did a sane man remain in that husk of a body, 

——

"Is there a way out of here?"

"Yes."

"Do you think I can escape in one piece?"

"Perhaps."

"Have I been good company?"

"No... perhaps yes."

The adventurer let out a sigh, but it carried a different tone compared to when he first arrived. He now stood at the same height as the librarian, finally seeing the librarian as more than just a figure who held power over him or as the cause of his misfortunes. Instead, he saw the weary shadow of a gatekeeper who had attempted to warn him but had been deprived of his means of communication.

His words.

For the first time in who knows how long since entering the library, the adventurer gently brushed away imaginary dust from the ground and sat beside the librarian, their eyes meeting at the same level.

"The library stretches on forever, doesn't it?"

"...Perhaps," replied the librarian.

A faint glimmer of light flickered in the hands of the librarian.

"Could I have that pen?" The adventurer asked.

The librarian passed the pen to the adventurer, and the whale that had once taunted him now seemed to regard him with pity, reflecting the face of not a dashing man in his prime, but of a hunched and weary old man. As the adventurer touched a mere echo of his former glory, he shivered, reminded of what he threw away in his pursuit to gain something he thought he lacked.

——

The librarian handed the pen to the adventurer, feeling a mixture of heartbreak as he witnessed the man look at his own reflection with such despair, yet also felt elation that the man had finally recognized the extent of his losses.

One can only visit the library so many times before losing themselves. The librarian had borne witness to countless adventurers who came, initially drawn by the allure of pages, knowledge, and wealth, only to succumb to lose themselves within the vast expanse of this sea of knowledge.

Perhaps not every book had to be read, nor every hallway traversed within this infinite library. The librarian held the role of the keeper of the library's secrets, yet even he knew that despite his efforts, he might never fathom the origins or purpose of this secret library.

Perhaps there are some secrets we can never understand or ever need to understand completely.

All the librarian could hope for was that this time, the adventurer would grasp this realization sooner rather than later, before it became truly, irreversibly too late.

——

It was the first time since the adventurer first came in that the thought of sitting next to the librarian crossed his mind. To his surprise, it was peaceful.

The librarian no longer appeared as large and mysterious as the vague memory of their first encounter might suggest. The sight of a set of teeth speaking to him then even now, was scary. Yet, amidst all the experiences within the library, the librarian had become a welcoming presence, and sometimes even served as his line of sanity when he was on the brink of collapsing, with a light tug, a simple shake of the head, or even his simple answers in yes, nos or perhaps.

The adventurer had grown to appreciate the details he had previously swept over, and he wondered if the librarian had felt the same. For once, he found himself thinking not only about his journey or the circumstances he faced but also about the companion who had accompanied him through the highs and lows, the “comes and goes”.

——

A spark of light renewed in the adventurer's eyes. Sure, it wasn't the same pair that had entered the library, but they carried an unmistakable fire that survived. The adventurer lightly reached out and sank the librarian into a full embrace. "Thank you," the adventurer softly whispered, as he stood up, in the same way, he did so many times before he traversed through a corridor.

——

Since the adventurer’s arrival at the library, this was the first time he halted at the entrance. It was a quaint cottage from the outside, and in no way could it house the breadth of books and stories he had seen inside.

For the first time, in a long time, he took a deep breath and savored the gentle breeze of wind that caressed his now-weathered face, as he stepped on soil that was still wet from the storm that blew past.

To you who can never see the end of this story, trust me when I say that there is no definitive end to this tale. Trust me when I say that there is no secret to this library, no secret to the librarian, and no secrets about the adventurer who comes and goes.

Just know a little song plays in the distance.

——

Every adventurer has their own story, yet not every adventurer is satisfied with their story’s narrative.

Some individuals believe their tale to be predetermined, while others believe they have the power to shape their own story. Regardless of your take on the matter, there is an undeniable truth – within the library, there exists a space dedicated to holding your unique tale.

Does it truly matter if your story was written among the stars or if it is a fresh addition among the countless existing ones? Will your star shine the brightest? Perhaps not. Is it necessary for it to shine the brightest? Perhaps not.

This is the question that countless adventurers who roam this library seek to answer. And to the countless lost souls who yearn for this library, lend an ear as the librarian sings again.

“There once was a man who set out to see,

The name of the man was unknown, you see.

He flipped through pages high and low,

Oh adventurer, please come and go.

Soon may the Wellerman come,

To bring us sugar and tea, and rum.

One day when the search is done,

He'll take his leave and go.”

——

A familiar dusting swept the dustless books, and when the bell rang again, the steps that came through were somehow familiar and foreign. A little creak was heard as a wet coat was hung on the clothing rack. 

Maybe it was a faint hope, but maybe this time, the story might unfold a bit differently than it did before, for the little secret library lies at the ends of the forbidden forest.

——