Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-1306136-20140404154657/@comment-24841494-20140404184610

Noothgrush wrote: I never got the impression that he was just some common killer. I mean, the way he describes his ligaments and muscles and his woody hands, knotted. I actually got the impression of a tree-like creature. Which is fairly poetic that he's killing people and chronicalling their lives.

I think you're onto something, making it seem bored with the task. Like I said, a worker of fate, this is just what he does. He has to do it, it's his task. I think maybe having someone find Harvey's book defeats the purpose. I mean, if you keep it as like a secret archive under the library or something, that could be neat. Maybe have another librarian come in, like an older lady or something, and she sees that Harvey is gone and she knowingly sighs, like she knows and understands the creature's task. Or like she finds a scrap of the ancient paper or some other sign or token that'd he'd been there once again.

That could work as the epilogue. Even like "The old librarian, Gertrude, opened up the library. The crisp smell of the volumes of books welcoming her, but it's contrasted sharply with the smell of rotted fish, slowly dissipating. She reaches her desk and finds a single scrap of sharp yellowing paper. She sighs, and knows she'll have to find more help again. She knows that soon, she will have to task someone else with the job of bringing people to the creature. She's old now. She wonders if he has a little volume reserved for her as well." That could work very well and give some closure, although I would omit "She knows that soon, she will have to task someone else with the job of bringing people to the creature." As that kind of ruins some of the mystery.