The Swampening
Scenes from the Swampening 2022:
While it’s true that every new construction project has its share of problems, town officials could never have anticipated what would happen to the newly renovated and expanded Grafton Public Library.
The nearly 26,000 square foot facility is sinking into a swamp.
The Swampening, as staff are calling it, has drastically changed the facility. Bordered by extensive wetlands, environmental creep has always been a concern. But the acceleration at which the environment is taking over the building has been voracious. First, the non-fiction stacks seemed uneven. Then floor tiles started to dip. There was a constant sound of water dripping. The drip became a deluge. Staff were plagued by gnats and mosquitos. A UPS truck became submerged in mud.
Then the gators came.
Found throughout the library, these creatures, though small, menace patrons and staff alike by lurking in unusual places.
Tiny gators have infiltrated the Library. Can you find them all?
Is the Swampening a result of climate change, inadequate planning, or something more… paranormal?
Jerome Wheelock, Grafton Public Library’s first patron, is a local legend. Less famous was his brother Jebediah, an unsavory sort who relocated to the bayous of Louisiana in order to breed designer muskrats.
Jebediah Beyonce Wheelock, circa 1905
Jealous Jebediah was always bemoaning his brother’s success. When he learned of the library donation and the statue Grafton erected in Jerome’s image, Jebediah demanded that his adopted town of Baxlin Quag do the same. When they refused, Jebediah raged against his more successful sibling.
A missive between the brothers was found in 1989, hidden in the belongings of Ms. Cordelia Whittledower of 252 Old Farthington Lane.
“Yer library ain’t that special, Jerome.” wrote the younger man in a wild, unhinged script. “It ain’t no better than a….(expletive) (expletive)(expletive) (expletive) (expletive) (expletive) (expletive) swamp.”
Over a hundred years later, it seems Jebediah’s curse has come true.
Were officials warned about encroaching wetlands? Is the spirit of Jebediah Wheelock to blame? We may never know. Unable to stop nature from reclaiming what was once hers, residents and library officials have decided to just go with it. Thus, the Grafton Public Library has been rebranded.
It is now the Grafton Public Swamp.
The moisture-thick atmosphere and infestation of mosquitoes won’t stop GPS staff from serving their community. Sure, your favorite Elin Hilderbrand book may be a bit moist, but the community meeting room is now home to a darling family of frogs. Private study rooms are still available-except when it’s time for the weekly crawfish boil.
The former Library even announced a slew of new programs starting up this spring.
April Fools!