One Piece: Madness of Regret

I ate.

I ate.

I ate.

I swallowed.

I swallowed.

I swallowed.

Something in me wanted to stop. 

I couldn't.

I didn't.

I wouldn't.

I ate. 

I ate.

I ate.

I swallowed.

I swallowed.

I swallowed.

I tasted more of it. 

Understanding.

Lack of it. Full of it.

None of it.

All of it.

I ate. 

I ate.

I ate.

I swallowed.

I swallowed.

I swallowed.

I bit into something hard. Something solid. Something unnatural.

I bit harder.

My teeth broke. 

I bit harder.

I ate. 

I ate.

I ate.

I swallowed.

I swallowed.

I swallowed.

I ripped of chunks with my fingers.

I chewed on them.

I ate them.

I swallowed them.

I ate. 

I ate.

I ate.

I swallowed.

I swallowed.

I swallowed.

Blood flowed around me. Blood flowed towards me.

I could hold it. I could catch it. I could eat it.

I could bite it.

I bit it.

I bit it.

I bit it.

I ripped it.

I ripped it.

I ripped it.

I swallowed the viscous blood. No, it poured.

It slithered over my tongue. It pooled behind my teeth. It tasted of iron, copper and salt — and something else. Something incomprehensible. Something waiting.

Something eerie.

I swallowed.

I swallowed.

I swallowed.

It swallowed me back.

It was winning.

It wasn't winning. 

It wanted more. More of me. All of me. It slithered more and more in me. It didn't pool behind my teeth. It flowed in me. 

It wanted more.

I wanted it even more. I slurped the blood as if they were noodles. 

I slurped it down again and again. Because I could. 

I slurped it down again and again. Because I couldn't.

I slurped.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

I wanted more. I slurped even harder. 

I slurped even more. I wanted it. I craved for it. I felt nothing. Just slurping.

This is my food.

I was its food.

I slurped. 

I slurped. 

I slurped.

I slurped till my mouth and lungs could handle no more.

I slurped till my body screamed no more.

I slurped till my body shouted more.

My body shouted for more.

My body wanted more.

I slurped.

I slurped.

I slurped.

I felt an emptiness. 

I was empty. 

I wanted everything.

I felt an fullness.

I was full.

I didn't want nothing.

I didn't want emptiness. 

I didn't want everything.

I didn't want fullness.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I heard a voice.

'How far you have fallen.'

It didn't matter.

'I already was a fallen.'

I left it unspoken.

'It doesn't matter.'

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I could see fog.

I could smell the fog.

I could hear the fog.

I was in the fog.

I walked in the fog.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I tasted it once again.

Understanding.

Full of it. None of it.

All of it.

Lack of it.

I wanted to understand. 

I didn't want to understand.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I saw a brick.

I saw the fog.

I saw a brick in the fog.

A colorless brick.

A brick of prophecy. It was screaming. It was whispering. It was telling. It was talking. It laid still. It laid watching. 

I laughed. I clawed at it. I caught it. I watched it. I understood it. 

I didn't want it.

I threw it away from the fog.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

Something in the fog.

It was there.

A second brick.

A brick of flesh.

It was soft. It was hard. It had lines. It was dead. It was alive. It was red.

It was mine.

I kept it and threw it in the fog.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I could see it.

A third brick.

Of bone. Of the color white. It was hard. It was strong. It was adamantine. It was sturdy.

It was brittle. It was frail. It was delicate. It was friable.

It was of the color yellow.

The fog swallowed it.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

A fourth brick.

One of brain.

It was pulsing. It was slimy. It was squishy. It was soft. 

I squished it.

It had nothing. It had everything. it had something.

The fog wanted it.

I ate it.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I saw the fog.

I saw a brick.

Of sanity. Of others. Of mine. Of yours. Of its.

Of limits. Of mine. Of others. Of yours. Of its.

I broke it.

The fog didn't take it.

The fog didn't touch it. 

The fog left it alone.

The brick stood still.

The fog walked away from the brick.

The brick stayed still. 

The brick stayed alone.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I could smell it. 

Insanity.

My insanity.

It wasn't a brick. It had nothing on it. It was colorless. It was transparent. It was unreplaceable.

It was replaceable. It had colors. It was opaque.

It was a window.

The fog wanted it.

I wanted it.

I gave it.

The fog gave it back.

We both held it.

None gave it to the other. 

None could take it. 

All could take it.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

Another brick.

This one of madness.

Not mine. 

The fog ate it whole.

The fog grew thicker.

The fog grew thin.

Another brick came. Again of madness.

This wasn't mine. 

The fog ate it whole.

The fog grew thicker.

The fog grew thin.

Another brick. Again of madness.

It isn't mine.

Not yet, at least.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

A malleable brick.

One of memory.

Of mine. I shaped it to my desire. 

I shaped it to shapes unknown. I shaped it to shapes known. 

It shaped itself to shapes known. It shaped itself to shapes unknown.

It knew. It didn't know.

I threw it in the fog.

The fog encircled it. It kept it as it is.

It remained malleable.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

A pulsing brick

One that screamed agony. One that screamed. 

I couldn't hear it. I could hear it.

I heard all but it. I heard nothing but it.

It screamed a screech.

I heard it. I listened to it. I understood it.

I didn't hear it. I never understood it. I never listened to it.

I broke it in half.

The fog broke it in pieces.

I ate the pieces.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

The fog grew silent.

I grew silent.

The brick was Silence.

We both were silent. 

Our footsteps were silent.

Our destination were silent.

We all went on our own way.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I could taste it.

It was a brick.

Of understanding.

Of ignorance.

I understood it.

I remained ignorant.

The fog couldn't accept it.

The fog accepted it.

I could accept it.

I couldn't accept it.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

The fog was lonely.

My mouth felt lonely.

My body felt lonely.

I was lonely.

I took the brick and kept it close.

The fog kept me close.

I kept the fog close.

I was alone.

I wasn't alone.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I was alone.

The fog was alone.

The fog didn't want to be alone.

I didn't want to be alone.

So we didn't. 

The fog came to me. The fog surrounded me. The fog took seven parts from me.

Seven cardinal sins walked from the fog.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

The cardinals watched the fog.

Pride stood its ground. Behind me. With me. In front of me. It was beneath of him to make the fog his equal. It was equal to none. It was equal to all. 

It was alone. It was silent. It was lonely.

Greed wandered around. It kept the fog. It held the fog. It never let go. It never will let go. It held it all. It held nothing.

It was malleable. It was known. It remained unknown. It remained in hold. 

Lust stayed silent. It just watched. It smiled. It spoke a word. It stayed still. It watched the fog clearly.

It tasted it. It felt it. It wanted it. It would get it.

Envy envied all. It envied pride for standing its ground. It envied greed for its greed. It envied the silence in lust. It envied itself. It envied the hunger of gluttony. It envied the wrath of its ferociusness. It envied the dreamy eyes of sloth.

It saw yours. It saw mines. It wanted it all. It wanted none of it.

Gluttony ate the fog. It ate the existence of fog. It was hungry. It ate and ate. The fog ate it back.

It ate. More came. It ate. More came. It ate. It ate.

Wrath stayed angry at the fog. It didn't shout. It stayed dormant. It was waiting. It was angry. It was silent.

It screamed for all to hear. It screamed for none to hear.

Sloth stayed awake with dreamy eyes. It dreamed of what the fog would be. It dreamed of it. It dreamed of itself in it. It stayed awake. It stayed active. It stayed rested.

It held what was thrown. It held what was held. It remained as it is. It couldn't remain as it was.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

A brick of regret.

Mine.

Only mine.

I pulled the brick out of fog.

MINE.

I hissed.

I clawed at the fog.

I ate the fog.

MINE.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I ate the fog. 

Pride didn't care. Greed held tight. Lust took a taste and stayed silent. Envy envied. Gluttony ate. Wrath looked.... angrily. Sloth remained as it is.

Sloth saw something. Wrath was angry. Gluttony ate. Envy envied it. Lust spoke a word more. Greed molded the fog. Pride didn't care.

It was a pillar.

Many of them. Only one of them.

Greed made another pillar.

It carried the fog. It took the fog in. It surrounded the fog. The fog surrounded it. 

Greed laughed. Envy envied. Wrath smiled. Lust spoke a word. Sloth moved towards it. Gluttony ate. Pride gave a gaze.

Gluttony ate the fog.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

Greed looked at me. Envy envied me. Wrath stayed silent. Lust spoke five words. Sloth stayed silent. Gluttony ate. Pride gave another gaze.

The silence said enough.

Greed kept looking. Envy envied the silence.. Wrath smiled. Lust spoke one word. Sloth became active. Gluttony ate. Pride gave one last gaze and didn't care.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I saw the pillar.

Many of them. Two of them.

One of greed. One of mine.

It supported the fog. The fog supported it. 

It was of a spine.

It was of mine.

Pride looked lonely. Greed looked and looked. Wrath suppressed himself. Lust spoke nothing but a sigh. Envy envied it all and none of it. Sloth laughed. Sloth rolled on the ground. Sloth remained active. Gluttony ate.

The pillar stayed strong. It stayed tall. The fog supported the pillar.

The pillar supported all. The pillar supported none.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I slurped harder.

I heard a bell.

The fog made way.

I walked to it. 

Pride laughed. Pride didn't look. Pride kept his head high. Pride was above all. Pride stayed prideful.

Greed looked with intensity. Greed Spoke. Greed wanted a bit more. Greed wanted to be greedier. Greed became greedier. 

Lust screamed. Lust spoke gibberish. Lust broke down. Lust couldn't handle it. Lust spoke a word more. Lust stayed in disbelief. Lust stayed silent.

Envy envied. Envy envied all its counterpart. Envy envied itself. Envy envied the fog. Envy envied the bell. Envy envied Envy.

Gluttony ate. Gluttony ate the fog. Gluttony ate itself. Gluttony ate all of it. Gluttony just ate. Gluttony was eating. Gluttony is eating.

Wrath stayed dormant. Wrath steps were heavy. Wrath was silent. Wrath was angry. Wrath was waiting. Wrath was laughing.

Sloth jumped. Sloth ran to the sound. Sloth stayed active. Sloth jumped. Sloth jumped. Sloth held my hand. Sloth pointed to the bell. 

It was my heart.

The bell was my heart.

Sloth smiled towards me. 

I smiled back. 

The bell rang once more.

Sloth laughed. The sins watched. The fog trembled.

The hunger was gone.

No.

It was never gone.

My mouth opened.

My throat swallowed.

My body screamed.

My body shouted.

My body wanted more.

I slurped. 

I slurped. 

I slurped.