CHAPTER 51: HELL ON EARTH, PART 4
Nearly a total of 6 years ago, Arnold Shortman was gifted with superhuman abilities by a race of mystical people forgotten to time, and known only as the Green Eyed-People to the select few aware of their existence. Gifted with the abilities of a select few of Green Eyed-People, elevated to a higher status of humanity known as a 'Spirit Master', his abilities are as limitless as human potential itself.
His powers are not without their limits, just as humanity itself has its limits, but its highest limit is based on his spirit; his very will to survive and drive to live. With the goal of bringing his city out from the depths of crime and debauchery that had become of it following his absence, he has never faltered in his passion or his mission, and always had his powers at his disposal.
Until now.
Tending to a bullet wound that was made in his shoulder, such an injury would not warrant much of his attention; the wound healing itself under his powers and gone within mere hours. Now, the wound still bleeds out, requiring more of his attention before returning to the field of battle.
With the aide of one doctor from the community he had saved not moments ago from a ruthless gang of outlaw bandits, the wound was bandaged up and left to heal.
"Thank you again for the help and bandage. I don't normally need anything like this, so-" Green Eye began to say.
"Think nothing of it, Green Eye. You saved our lives, the least we can do is patch you up." The doctor said.
"I appreciate it, but you could all use it more than me."
"Nonsense, you were shot. If anyone needs it the most, it's you. And if there's anything else we can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."
Leaving their conversation on polite terms, the Green Eye gave a nod and a respectful bow to his caretaker.
"Thank you. I promise, I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe, and fix this horrible mess that's come of everything." Green Eye said.
Giving his last temporary goodbyes, the Green Eye climbed his way up a fire escape, reaching the rooftop of the building in mere moments. As the man without pain had made his escape from the scene, the townspeople gave out approving cheers to their hero, once again showing their thankfulness for his actions.
Though the support was sweet to receive, it was not enough to give the Green Eye distraction enough to focus on his wound. Still not understanding how such an injury could remain following a wound he had received more than his fair share of before, it was clear that he could not solve this dilemma alone.
Moving his way across the rooftops of Hellwood to an isolated location to his own, far above the ground from any prying ears or eyes, the Green Eye sat and put himself in meditation, reaching his soul out far away from the present scene for another soul that could give him answers in his hour of need.
Once again reaching out to the kindred soul, the Green Eye made a meeting with his mentor and trainer: The Green-Eyed man and Spirit Master named Luz.
"Hello, Arnold. I am glad to see you alive and well again. I had sensed your life one foot into the realm of spirits, nearly dead if not for the intervention of others. I am sorry that I was not present to help you then, and... I am quite sorry to see what has become of the city of Hillwood. Things seem much worse than I thought." Luz said.
"It's okay, Luz, I understand. Believe me, I'm trying my best to fix things here. I called you because I need your help with something." Green Eye said.
Noticing the stain of blood coming from his uniform, Luz immediately realized the issue at hand with his student.
"Hmm, yes. Your powers are drastically reduced. This is quite an unfortunate thing to see." Luz said.
"But why? I've never had this happen before. You see how bad things are here, I can't afford to have this happen now." Green Eye said.
"As you recall best, it is the will and passion of your soul that drives your powers. The path of the Spirit Master is one that awakens the deepest passions of the soul, and breaks all limits in succeeding that goal. Your passion is to help the people of this city; to end their pain, and you have tied that passion itself to the city itself."
"And... the city's in such ruins, so... I'm losing my powers because of Hillwood? Because it's been destroyed?"
"No. Your faith has not been destroyed because Hillwood has. It is because you cannot face the challenge that lies ahead in restoring your home to its former glory. I can feel the doubt and the fear that is buried in your heart, and see how it eats away at you."
"So can you help me? Can you help me not have it take away my powers?"
"I cannot. It was not me that had brought you from your pain when your grandparents had died so long ago. I merely showed you the path to your own recovery. It is you and you alone that you have to thank for your efforts. Likewise, it is only your own efforts that can bring you out from this loss of faith. And it is your efforts alone that can save the people of Hillwood from this horrible state."
Laying the hand of his astral projection upon the shoulder of his student, Luz's motion carried with it a sense of caring and kindness to the Green Eye.
"As you continue fighting, do not forget what you are fighting for. Do not forget the people of Hillwood, and do not forget me. I am here to be a pillar to lay your troubles upon, and my ear is always open to you." Luz said.
Giving his last regards to his student, Luz's astral projection dissipated into the air, ending the conversation between student and teacher. Left back to the mission at hand, the Green Eye stood back up off the ground, turning his attention back to the rest of the city to continue it.
Leaping back onto the rooftops, moving from building to building, the Green Eye continues his mission ever so vigilantly.
Concurrent to the location of the Green Eye and parallel to his mission, the cybernetic supervillain known by the name of Lars Rodriguez, trying to make a name for himself of 'El Cucuy' as of previous, rests in the main base of the Hillwood Heroes, or what remains of the team.
Coming to bargain with the white knight of Hillwood named Valiance, offering his services in exchange for the company of sane men, the aforementioned de facto second-in-command of the team looked over a psychological profile and history of his interviewee, scanning it carefully for anything of use.
And he does not like what he finds.
"You've got quite a history of violence on your name, Lars Rodriguez. Or, as you're calling yourself: 'El Cucuy'." Valiance said.
"Look, man, I'm done with this superhero and supervillian shit. I don't wanna be 'El Cucuy' or any shit like that anymore. I just wanna be plain ol' Lars again." Lars said.
"Fine. So, Mr. Lars Rodriguez, born to Mexican immigrants in Ocean Shores, California. You have a long history of juvenile delinquency and have reports of abuse to your younger brother, Maurice. We're not off to a good start."
"Hey, man, if you had Twister for a little brother, you'd wanna whomp on the faggot, too."
"You spent most of your teenage years in and out of jail cells for stealing liquor and cigarettes, sexual assault and rape charges galore, and... performing abortions in unsafe conditions?"
"That was just one time, and only because the morning-after pill and condom didn't work, and the nearest clinic was 30 miles away. Trust me, I was careful as hell, I doused that coat hanger with as much Lysol as I could find."
"You were a big player in not 1, not 2, but the 3 biggest events brought from the Hillwood Effect. You personally committed mass murder in a Good Burger in Ocean Shores, you killed cops and hospital staff in Royal Woods, and, as of recent, you've helped bring this entire city to its knees and caused it to be disowned by the United States. Of course, that's not counting your little visit to that karaoke bar you shot up."
"Oh, my god... How many times do I have to tell you people?! I WASN'T AT ANY FUCKING KARAOKE BAR! ...But I admit guilt on everything else. As like, you know, a sign of good faith, or whatever. I think."
"Sure a good way of showing it."
"Look, what do you want, a formal presidential statement? I'm an asshole that kills people and rapes bitches. I'm not good at this hero goody-two-shoes shit."
"That's making it less likely that I even entertain the idea of letting you join us."
"C'mon, man, didn't you already make a deal with 'Little' Nicky to join with him? I was working for him, so we're cool, right?"
"The deal was with 'Little' Nicky, and you were just the messenger. What deal we had died with him. And from what I heard, he wasn't too fond of you himself."
"Ugh... You're not making me look too good right now, man. What do you want me to say? I know I'm a bad guy, but I wanna be a good guy. Or at least I can get off this island, or far away from that crazy fuck, the Freak. That dude and his friends are total psychos."
"Oh, you just now figured that out?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"All the time of a month you spent with them, you didn't learn anything about them at all?"
"Soon as this shit was over, I bailed and took my two hookers to bang to my heart's content, and, believe you me, it'll be a long time 'til I get content. What's real nice is that they actually started to get all lovey-dovey with me since this Hellwood thing started, maybe 'cause I keep 'em safe and all. I figure I can probably find some more hot bitches and start my own little commune of cunt, running my own little harem and repopulating this hellhole with my very own Lars Juniors running around-"
"FOCUS. Tell me about them."
"What, you don't already know about them? You don't have any fancy portfolio and shit on all of 'em?"
"You're a well-known criminal that's been active in the Hillwood Effect for at least a few years. All of the Freak's confederates are people I don't know anything about, save for what the Green Eye and others tell me about them. Tell me what you know."
"One's a Nazi who kinda likes me, one's a pedo Jesus freak, and one's a fuckin' cannibal that eats kids. That's what I know."
"So, in other words, you've got no morals and you're completely untrustworthy, you have a history of killing people and turning your back on your teammates, and you have no vital information about our enemies. I still can't seem to find a reason to keep you here, and our first encounter of you and I having a spar makes me think I should just finish you now and save myself the trouble of seeing you again. I know how you can survive anything, but I'll be sure to give it my all."
"N-No! Wait! I... Let me just give one good valid reason why you should let me join you guys."
Standing in silence for a brief second, Valiance replied to Lars' plea with a nod, permitting him to speak. Barely ready to give his offer, Lars let out a deep breath.
"Oh, damn, I haven't done this since high school... I will suck your dick." Lars said.
Upon hearing Lars' offer, the look of content frustration on Valiance's face under his mask turned to pure confusion.
"...Come again?" Valiance asked.
"You heard me, man, I'll suck your dick. I'll do it. I will suck your dick. I will fuck you or let you fuck me. I'll fuck someone else while you watch and jerk off. I'll watch you fuck someone else while I jerk off. I'll-" Lars begged.
"Jesus Christ, what the hell are you doing?"
"I don't know, man! I don't fucking know! But I'll suck your dick if that's what it takes for you to let me on the team! I'll go balls deep with your balls to my chin, man, I'll-"
"Rodriguez, that's enough!"
"PLEASE, MAN! I DON'T WANNA GO BACK TO THOSE FUCKING SICKOS! I'M A PIECE OF SHIT, BUT I'M NOT THAT BIG A PIECE OF SHIT!"
Falling to his knees, Lars crawled to Valiance's feet, furthering his desperate begging and Valiance's own uncertainty on how to respond.
"C'mon, man. I'm not a supervillain. I'm just an asshole! I was only in this shit to get laid! But it's not even worth it anymore! I just don't wanna be around these fucking psychopaths anymore! I'll do anything you want! I'll suck your fucking dick! I'll swallow and everything-" Lars begged.
"YOU ARE NOT SUCKING MY DICK! Now, get on your feet and stop embarrassing yourself!" Valiance shouted.
Picking himself up off the ground once again, Lars nervously stood before Valiance, while the white knight himself let out a deep breath.
"Alright. You are really willing to do anything at all?" Valiance asked.
"Yes, sir." Lars said.
"And you're willing to do whatever I say without question?"
"Yes, sir."
"And there's no need for me to worry about you switching sides on me?"
"I want nothing to do with the Freak anymore. You and him are the only real powers at hand here. I'm all in with the Hillwood Heroes."
Under his mask, Valiance finally had a smile come to his face, content with the outcome of the situation.
"Good. As long as we can agree to those terms, then perhaps something can be worked out." Valiance said.
Far out of the way of the preceding event, though never anymore far from the mind of Lars Rodriguez, the meeting between the Freak and his confederates begin coming underway. With all meeting in a VIP room meant for sports officials or other persons of interest, the group make this their place of choice for their conference.
Wiping blood off his hands, the Freak sat himself at the table, formally meeting with his 3 subordinates: The Jolly Olly Man, Wolfenstein, and Saint Lila.
"Lady and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. I was a bit in the middle of something when you were all arriving. Now, I hope everyone's been having a good time since we reshaped this world in our images? I know each of you made the most of your little slices of the pie, haven't you?" The Freak asked.
"Absolutely. As you can see, I've bulked myself up a lot since we started, and I've never eaten better." Jolly Olly Man said.
"Likewise, fuhrer. I've already cleansed out every Jew and all colors of nigger out from my own nation. All I can see in the future now is continuing to the rest of the system, just like good old Earl Turner." Wolfenstein said.
"My own land is fit to be a New Jerusalem if there ever were a new place for the messiah to come. I am sure that he will be pleased when he sees my work." Saint Lila said.
"Good, good. Glad to see everything's been working out for everybody. However, I'm afraid that I have some news that will bring some unfortunate changes to us all. The Green Eye is back." The Freak said.
The news brought by their de facto leader had brought an uncomfortable silence to the group; each member looking to one another in murmurs.
"What, are you serious? How can you know he's back?" Wolfenstein asked.
"It's a special kind of connection that I have to him. This past month, I haven't felt it at all, and I thought he was dead. Mind you, I wasn't sure he was dead, so I figured he'd be back eventually. So, here we are." The Freak said.
"What do you mean, 'special connection'?" Jolly Olly Man asked.
"It's part of my powers. I don't have to prove to you that I have my powers for obvious reasons, so it's safe for you to assume I'm not just making this up."
"Fine, fair enough."
"Has the messiah told of his plans for this place? How he plans to bring his kingdom upon Earth?" Saint Lila asked.
"Not so far. Matter of fact, I think that he's starting to lose his powers." The Freak said.
"How so?" Wolfenstein asked.
"Just a hunch so far. His presence, it's not exactly how it felt before. It's like something missing from him, or the signal I'm getting from him's not as strong. Whatever the case, he's not 100% yet. That much I'm sure of."
"So, what's the plan now? We kill him, right?" Jolly Olly Man asked.
"No. That's too easy."
"Wouldn't that be all the more reason to kill him now?" Wolfenstein asked.
"No. That's against the point. It defeats everything."
"What point? What are you talking about? Your goal's always to been to kill him, right?"
"Never. My goal was never to kill him. My goal was to break him. See, the Green Eye's not like me or any of you enlightened individuals. He thinks that there's good in everybody, and that it's his job to try to bring that out, and try to make some kind of utopia on Earth, some Mr. Rogers bullshit. That's his goal. Mine is to prove to him that he's an idiot for trying. Thanks to your help, I've already made a big mess of this city, but he's just not gonna stop until he gets what he wants."
"So, what do you want us to do?" Jolly Olly Man asked.
"Well... I've spent a lot of time and effort trying to make you into the least likable and redeemable human beings on Earth, and make it virtually impossible for the Green Eye to even consider making you into respectable citizens. After all that time and effort, it seems that all I've done so far is just cripple him, and that's not stopping him. So, I'm not going to waste my time trying to kill off any more of his friends or destroy anything else."
"Then what do we do?" Wolfenstein asked.
"Exactly what you're already doing, but do it better... or worse, depending on how you see it. As part of what I expect out of him, he's gonna go straight after all of you in his never-ending quest to bring peace on Earth. My guess is he'll try to break up what passes as your governing bodies, and try to take it over as part of the H.H.'s territory. Try to convince all your people to join the light side of the force. I want to make your people prove their faith, to reject the Green Eye and show that they want to be bad. When he sees just how low that people have sunk with this city, I want him to give up. I want him to quit. I want him to be as crazy as I am."
The group let out a chuckle at their leader's command, finding the last remnant of his comment amusing.
"Well, that's a pretty tall order you're asking on that last part, but I don't see why we can't give it a try." Jolly Olly Man said.
"Yes. I will see that the sinners in my holy land are sought out and executed at double the speed." Saint Lila said.
"Same here. I'm gonna keep going until I personally put a bullet in every last nigger, spic, Jew, and otherwise on this whole island. Hey, that reminds me, where's that beaner, El Cucuy? Thought you invited him, too." Wolfenstein said.
"Yeah, but it looks like he bailed. Guess he decided he wasn't that bad a guy anymore." The Freak said.
"Just like a spic. The second things get too much for them, they bail and become someone else's problem. Oh, well, like the old saying goes: If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
Far from this development, a group of citizens of the Farm made themselves comfortable in their land of choice; a family of 3, two parents and a boy. During the beginning days of Hellwood and its slow descent into madness, the family was forced to choose the best possible location to survive.
Their choice is not too far removed from the expression Wolfenstein has cited.
Returning home from the main processing factory where meat is distributed to the citizens, the father brings with him a package of freshly processed and wrapped ground beef, once belonging to an unfortunate man who scavenged too far near the Farm's borders.
"Hi, honey." The wife said.
Greeted by his wife with a loving kiss, the adults kept up an appearance of glee and happiness, but the son did not share their need to indulge in fantasy. Instead, the son discontently poked at a pair of action figures on the floor, finding no amusement in the objects of distraction.
The father, once again trying to keep up appearances of happiness, kneeled down to his son, rubbing on his shoulder.
"Hey, son. Having fun with your toys? I knew you'd like 'em when I found them." The father said.
"I don't like the toys." The son said.
Thinking of a way to change the subject to something brighter, the father instead decided to comment on their dinner, hoping it would bring joy to his son.
"Well, don't worry about the toys right now. I brought home dinner. I'm making burgers, your favorite. You hungry?" The father asked.
"Sure, I guess." The son said.
"Great! They'll be ready in a few minutes, okay?"
"Okay."
Utilizing a small campfire made on the back porch of their home, the father cooked hamburgers out of the meat brought home, grilling them over a frying pan over the fire and flipping it as needed. Setting sliced bread over the frying pan, the slices toasted in seconds, serving as substitutes for buns.
Placing the finished patties on the toast, the father brought out condiment choices of ketchup, mustard, jarred pickles, and other items not needing refrigeration, having no great means of preserving food in such a way yet. The parents opted for their selection of toppings, with the son opting for none.
The finished burgers tasted quite well-made considering the conditions in which they were made: Being cooked over a fire in the outdoors, served on slices of toast, and having only a limited selection of toppings to choose from with no side dish. The meal would be quite a comfortable one, and a sweet moment for this family, if not for this one fact that the parents were well aware of:
They were consuming human flesh, and making their son do the same.
Nonetheless, for the sake of keeping their remaining sanity together, the lot pressed themselves on through the meal, just as they had done before many times. At least, after so long, the parents no longer gag from the first few bites, which is more they can ask for in a slice of hell that they live in.
But even though their best attempts to cheer their child up were given, the son is still not content in this life.
"I want to go back." The son said.
"Go back? What do you mean?" The father asked.
"Before everything was destroyed."
The parents began to hang their heads in a somber emotion; neither able to give an answer to their son to cheer him up.
"Sweetie, we've been over this. Things are going to be like this for a while." The mother said.
"But I want to go back to normal. I miss the way everything was before." The son said.
"I know, honey, but we can't put it back. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
"Why did everything have to happen like this?"
"Oh, I don't know. If I could fix it all and make it all better for you, I would. I really wish I could."
"But I don't like this place anymore. I want to go home. I miss home. I miss all my friends. And I'm tired of eating all the food from this place. All we eat is meat, and it always tastes funny. Why does it taste like that?"
Reminded once again of the origin of the food that had brought them sustenance, only to trade in borrowed years for a higher moral price than they had realized they had to pay, the mother planted her face into her hands and cried hysterically; no longer able to keep up her facade of joy and content.
"Mom? Why are you crying?" The son asked.
Trying to bring peace to the situation again, the father lightly hugged the mother, all while trying to convince the son all was well.
"Now, son, your mother's just wishing things would go back to normal, too. We've all had to make some changes to make sure we stay alright... some bigger than others." The father said.
Angered with the charade that they were putting up to their child, the mother hit the father in the stomach, wishing to tell the truth about their new eating habits.
"Stop it! Just stop it and tell him the truth already!" The mother shouted.
"N-No, honey, just calm down, he doesn't need to know about-" The father stammered.
"Fine, if you won't say it, then I will! It's people, okay?! We're eating people! That's why we came to this place! So you could have something to eat and survive! Are you happy now?!"
Not sure how to take this information, the son felt a sense of dread creep in his mind, overtaking the little reason and logic that young mind such as his possessed. Being told that he had consumed the flesh of human beings for the past few weeks, the son began to cry and stammer on the discovery of the news.
"W-We've been eating people? Dad, is that true?!" The son asked.
Having no chance left to redeem the conversation, the father ventured to the task of trying to rationalize their actions for their son, hoping he would understand.
"Look... son... we were just trying to make sure you wouldn't go hungry. We didn't want to do this, believe us, but we did it because we love you." The father said.
"But, dad, we-" The son began to say.
Before the son could finish his sentence, the sound of conversation was cut short by the sound of bullets flying through the air, most of which made their way through the polluted flesh of the cannibalistic family. When the gunfire had ceased, the setting of the room had calmed down to a dead silence, broken shortly by the sound of footsteps.
Entering the dining room of the house he had just attacked, Lars Rodriguez changed his robotic arm from its machine gun mode back to its normal form, reaching to his side for a walkie-talkie to converse with his newfound employer. Pressing the PTT (push-to-talk) button, the cybernetic psychopath spoke the words...
"Yo, V, scratch 3 cannibals. Hope you won't be too mad, but one was a kid." Lars said.
The implicated white knight took his time to reply upon hearing the news of the deceased child, deciding carefully on how to respond to the situation.
"Did the child suffer?" Valiance asked.
Taking a look down to the bodies of the family, Lars double-checked for signs of life from the son, hoping to find that the child was long dead and freed from the lifelong burden of giving into cannibalism. What he sees is not a dead young boy, but instead a child slowly suffering from many bullet wounds, his labored breathing shallow.
Soon, however, the breathing came to an end, with no more signs of life from the unfortunate son. Lars was not comforted by it, but not too bothered by it.
"Not for long." Lars said.
"Good. Just... Just keep moving on. And spare me any details of children. I'd rather not know. Hit 5 more establishments, only 5, then return back." Valiance said.
"Fine by me. See ya later."
Placing his communicator back, Lars changed his arm to its flamethrower form, setting fire to the home where the family had made their foundation for themselves. With the home soon to fall under the fire damage, Lars removed himself from the burning building, moving on to complete the next part of his mission.
Though killing a family was not his preferred victim of choice, he could hardly feel bad about removing cannibals from the Earth.
"So, killing cannibals and other fucked-up people, huh? I could get used to this superhero shit." Lars said.
TALES FROM THE HARD SIDE:
"DEATH BY CHOCOLATE"
Between the war between the Green Eye and the Freak, the Hillwood Heroes and the confederates of evil that the Freak has aligned himself with, there are many caught in the crossfire of the battle of Hellwood, and others on the sidelines with their own troubles. Though it is between the fight of the heroes and villains that decide fate of the island, there is and always will be many others that suffer in the streets of Hellwood.
Our current subject is a young man named Chocolate Boy. Having gone by the nickname since his days of primary school, he has long forgotten his own name, only able to remember himself as Chocolate Boy from his own addiction to the sweet treat of his namesake.
Gifted the treat at a young age by a loving nanny, Chocolate Boy had gained a sort of high from each time he would feast on the brown treat, each sugary sweet bite of candy reminding him of the time that his beloved nanny would care for him and make him feel loved and special.
Though the treat has brought him comfort over the years, however, feasting on so many of the treats for a good number of his life has caused him to contract diabetes, making him reliant upon insulin to regulate his blood sugar levels and survive, or face a series of gruesome health effects that could ultimately lead to his death.
1 out of every 10 Americans have type 1 or 2 diabetes, leaving them dependent on insulin to survive. The cost of insulin has more than doubled in the past decade, with for-profit health insurance companies limiting the access to this necessary hormone and the pharmaceutical companies continuing to profit from the suffering of others.
As harsh as the reality of this situation is, a new fact of life has come about: It can always be worse in Hellwood.
Prior to the Fall of Hillwood, Chocolate Boy had lived a simple life of some semblance of honest work, largely in thanks to the Green Eye for granting him the chance to live peacefully. Though most of his dollars went towards buying insulin to pump into his body, he was still content with the life he had.
After the Fall of Hillwood, things are not so content anymore. With no more pharmacies open and their buildings raided for all their supplies, insulin is harder to come by than it ever was before, and worth far more than its weight in gold, especially to those who need it.
Chocolate Boy is one of those who needs it, and will do anything to get it.
Making a visit to a practician by the name of Dr. Jordan, he finds a decent supply of insulin with this doctor, and a lifeline to keep him alive. However, though Dr. Jordan is a man of medicine and healing, he is not without his costs for his services. In a world where the rule is based on the survival of the richest, the insulin comes at a high price.
Bringing in various scavenged cans of food and batteries, Chocolate Boy gave his payment to the doctor, exchanging it for his needed insulin.
"Here ya go, doc. That's all I could find." Chocolate Boy said.
Counting over the payment he was given, Dr. Jordan found some of the bounty to his liking, but most of it less so.
"Hmm, not too bad. Beets, I'm starting to get sick of. Creamed corn, that's a nice little catch. It's a good little catch, but..." Dr. Jordan said.
"But what?" Chocolate Boy asked.
"It's not enough for your insulin. Come back when you've got some more food."
"W-Wait! That's all the food I can give without cutting into my own! You've gotta take it! Please! You know I need my insulin!"
"Apparently not enough to where you can get me enough goods for it. Get out and come back with more food."
"No, wait, please! There's got to be something else I can give you!"
Thinking over the offer for but a brief moment, the doctor came to a quick decision to make of his patient's offer, coming to the choice to exploit him in a select way.
"Well... there is something else. I am very lonely here most of the time, you see." Dr. Jordan said.
"Y-You mean..." Chocolate Boy began to ask.
"Yes. You need something, I need something. Come over here and make it good."
Dr. Jordan began to unzip his pants, letting out an organ for Chocolate Boy to use to make his final payment. Just as he had done many times before to survive another day, Chocolate Boy went to his knees to substitute the price of food by prostituting himself for the insulin.
Following the pornographic act, Chocolate Boy returned to his home with his insulin, injecting it crudely to ensure his blood sugar and ensure his survival for another day again. Though his means of procuring the life-saving hormone was crude and demeaning, it was a necessary evil to ensure he lived another day.
Thus, he spent another day scavenging further to find more food and supplies to save up for his next payment. Making his way to a supermarket, one that was long since broken into and raided by others, Chocolate Boy roamed it in search for any overlooked supplies that could be traded in for his next shot of insulin.
Though most of the food and other supplies were gone and probably long since consumed, there was one object of interest that struck Chocolate Boy. In the checkout lane of the supermarket, there was a large quantity of untouched chocolate bars, all still fresh in the wrapper and left behind.
The shine of the wrapper gleamed in his eyes, the smell of the delectable chocolate within called out to him, and Chocolate Boy reached out for a bar to eat it.
Upon having a moment of realization in his moment of weakness, Chocolate Boy quickly snatched his hand away, preventing himself from eating the treat in fear of what he would do to himself if he did. The temptation to eat the chocolate still lingered in his mind to make him eat, but the reason and self-preservation in his mind strained to keep his hand back.
"No, no, no... I can't eat one... I might seriously lose something this time..." Chocolate Boy thought aloud.
Upon picking up one chocolate bar, the look of the candy continued to tempt him further; making him yearn for the sweet and rich taste of the chocolate once again. His mouth salivated at the thought of the treat, with his own reptilian mind overcoming the logical one.
Slowly unwrapping the candy bar, Chocolate Boy decided to give into his temptation.
"Oh... okay. Maybe just one. That never hurt anybody. Just one bite." Chocolate Boy said.
Once removing the wrapper from the candy, the chocolate within was revealed to Chocolate Boy at last, like a set of genitalia coming to arousal and sending the smell of pheromones to his mind to activate carnal desires. Unlike such a scenario which calls for procreation, it is this feeling that drives Chocolate Boy to hunger.
Eating the chocolate bar at last, the addictive mind of Chocolate Boy was given a vivid reminder of the strong for love for chocolate that he had gained; tasting the sweet and succulent taste of the dark, hard build of the candy, slowly melting in his mouth to slide down his throat.
What began as one simple bite quickly evolved into a devoured candy bar in seconds, and what began as a single bar moved his attention to the rest.
Moving onto the next chocolate bar, Chocolate Boy scarfed down the treat as well, taking in the sweet taste of the treat and feeling it bring his high back again. Finishing the next candy bar, he moved onto the next one he could immediately grab, then another one to go down the gullet as well.
After consuming a good amount of candy bars, something came his attention that took away his attention from the chocolate.
"Hello, my sweet boy." A voice said.
Looking up to the one who spoke the voice, Chocolate Boy came face-to-face with a woman he had not seen for years, but recognized and remembered so fondly after many years of separation. Meeting with the most positive figure in his life that he had ever known, Chocolate Boy gave a smile of joy.
"Nanny? My nanny? Is that you?" Chocolate Boy asked.
"Yes, my sweet little Chocolate Boy. It's me." His nanny said.
Running into the tender arms of the caring woman that had given him love as a child, Chocolate Boy basked in her hold once again, feeling a peace he had not known for many years. Inside the same soft and warm arms that had given him his chocolate so many years ago, they had offered him another piece of chocolate, which he had quickly eaten up with a smile.
"That's it, my little Chocolate Boy. You're with me now." His nanny said.
Soon, the moment he had heard the words come to his mind, his nanny was gone and out of sight, leaving Chocolate Boy alone once again.
Following his brief encounter with his guardian figure, a strange sort of numbness had appeared in his foot; one that he had never before encountered or known. Chocolate Boy had ignored the loss of sensation, having more pressing matters on his mind, and kept his focus on scavenging more items.
Eventually, following his neglect, the numbness moved on to rest of his leg, then his other foot, then his other leg. When the simple task of walking began to feel like a chore and prevent him from scavenging much longer, an earlier visit to Dr. Jordan was needed, and this visit had brought him bad news regarding his condition.
"There's neuropathy developing in your legs. Did you recently eat a lot of sugar?" Dr. Jordan.
"I did, I had some chocolate bars again, and I..." Chocolate Boy trailed.
"And what?"
"N-Nothing, forget it. It was nothing."
"Well, too bad it was just nothing, because the legs have to go."
"What?!"
"I have to cut the legs off. I don't know why you didn't come to me when this first started, but, if you did, we could've prevented this by at least losing one foot. Because you waited so long, I gotta cut 'em both."
"But how am I gonna keep finding stuff to get my insulin? How am I gonna pay for this?"
"Well, the amputation I have to do won't cost you anything, that's always no trouble. The insulin, though... Well, that's your problem, not mine."
"But- But-"
"Look, there's no way out of this. Either I cut off the legs, or you die here. Makes no difference to me. What's the difference to you?"
Thinking over the options presented to him, Chocolate Boy, in his simplicity, opted for the one that spoke to him as the best act of self-preservation.
"I'll take the amputation." Chocolate Boy said.
"Fine, then. Lay down on that bed and I'll get started." Dr. Jordan said.
"Uh... Don't I get some anesthesia or something?"
"That'll cost you, and you don't have anything to pay with. Don't worry, your legs are mostly dead, anyway. This won't hurt as much."
Dr. Jordan gave promises of a painless amputation, which Chocolate Boy gullibly believed, but the procedure proved to be much worse than anticipated, and Chocolate Boy gave plenty of screams throughout to prove it. Now, left without a pair of legs on his body, he is forced to roam the streets of Hellwood by rolling his remaining body on a dolly.
Wandering aimlessly throughout the streets, the phantom pain of his lost limbs is not the main focus of his mind. Instead, it is the one sweet moment that he shared with his long-lost nanny in the supermarket, and his only hope is that he can meet again with her and not lose her a second time.
Coming just outside the supermarket he had found the chocolate bars so long ago, the crippled Chocolate Boy recalled the instance more vividly than before, knowing the soft touch of his nanny and the feeling of safety he gave her. Most importantly, what he remembered from the encounter is what brought it on:
The chocolate.
"Nanny... My nanny..." Chocolate Boy said.
With little of a future left with a lack of legs, Chocolate Boy thought of nothing else but to be with his nanny again, and decided to spend his last moments with her.
Entering the store once again, tripping over his dolly and falling to the floor, Chocolate Boy crawled his way to the checkout lanes, desperate to get to the chocolate bars once again. Following a long trek across the filthy supermarket floor, he made his way to the stands of chocolate bars, reaching for the rack.
Beginning to climb his way up the rack, his weight caused the rack of candy bars to bend and break, sending him falling back to the floor. As a result of his actions, the rack fell on top of him, leaving him trapped underneath it, but this was no concern his, as he had acquired his final prize:
The chocolate bars.
Grabbing as many chocolate bars as he could off the floor, Chocolate Boy began unwrapping each one and devouring the contents as quickly as he could, desperate to feel that high once again and meet his nanny once again. Within mere seconds, he had devoured 4 whole chocolate bars, making his blood sugar spike with no insulin to regulate it.
Consuming candy bar after candy bar, Chocolate Boy had already sealed his fate with the sheer amount of candy bars he had eaten, making his death imminent as it would be sudden. Such matters of mortality are not his concern, however, as all he wished for was the chance to see his nanny once again.
At last, after so many chocolate bars, he got his wish.
"Chocolate Boy? Where's my dear little Chocolate Boy at?" His nanny asked.
Elated to hear her voice again, Chocolate Boy called out to her, not wishing to lose her again.
"Here! I'm under here! Don't go away!" Chocolate Boy shouted.
"Oh, I could never leave you, my lovely Chocolate Boy. Why don't you come on out of there and see me? I've missed you, you know." His nanny said.
"I've missed you, too! Ha-ha... I've missed you, too! Don't worry, nanny, I'm coming!"
Emerging from under the fallen rack with tears running down his eyes and breathing heavily under pants, Chocolate Boy finally emerged from the wreck, looking up to see his beloved nanny standing before him. Meeting him with a warm smile on her face, his nanny kneeled down to greet him properly.
"There's my sweet little Chocolate Boy. I've missed you so much." His nanny said.
"I've missed you, too... I've missed you so much. Everything's been wrong without you... so horribly wrong. I can't tell you how wrong everything's been without you. I wish you'd never left for Delaware. I wish I could stay with you forever and ever." Chocolate Boy said.
"Well, why don't you? Come away with me, to Delaware."
To hear the question come from his nanny was almost too good to be true, putting a large smile across the face of Chocolate Boy with tears of joy.
"Really? You'll take me with you this time? You'll never leave me alone?" Chocolate Boy asked.
"I'll never leave you again. You'll be with me forever and ever, and you'll never have to feel alone or scared again, and I'll give you all the chocolate you want." His nanny said.
Reaching out a hand for Chocolate Boy, the crippled man slowly but joyfully reached out and took it, touching his beloved nanny once again.
Pulling him out from the debris, Chocolate Boy was no longer the broken and crippled addict that he once was, but was once again the young boy that his nanny had raised and cared for. Picking the boy up from the ground, his nanny held him tightly in his arms, playfully tickling his nose and drawing a laugh from him.
"There's my sweet little Chocolate Boy. I love you, Chocolate Boy." His nanny said.
In the real world, the hallucination continued on for Chocolate Boy; his mind conjuring up events that gave him a final security in death. As his mind peacefully droned on in its dream, his body laid on the ground in a diabetic shock, slowly to slip into a coma, and soon after into death.
With one final breath departing from his body, Chocolate Boy had finally found the end of his pain, and was free to be with his nanny forever.
I love you, nanny. Chocolate Boy thought.
Chocolate Boy is dead.
[Soundtrack Cue: Body Count - The Winner Loses; Plays Out]