One Piece: Madness of Regret

The bell rang once more.

My heart beat once more.

The sins watched. My glance never left.

My heart beat once more.

I slurped. 

I slurped. 

I slurped.

Sloth took my hand. Sloth ran toward the fog. Sloth dragged me with him.

The fog was dense. The fog was not complete.

The fog forbade entry. The fog whispered warnings. The fog whispered greetings.

Sloth laughed. Pride shook his head. Pride stayed silent. Greed looked. Greed kept on looking. Wrath stayed dormant. Wrath stayed angry. Wrath stayed silent. Lust's eyes sparkled. Lust's steps matched Sloth's. Lust didn't speak. Envy stayed envious. Envy envied.

Gluttony ate. Gluttony ate the fog.

Sloth walked faster.

I slurped. 

I slurped. 

I slurped.

Gluttony ate the fog.

The fog hid a painting. The fog couldn't hide a painting.

A painting with two figures. Both blurred. Both unblurred.

Pride stayed quiet. Pride's silence was the loudest of them all. Pride was looking at me. Pride turned around. The fog parted. Pride walked into the fog.

Lust looked on, curious. Lust looked at Pride. Lust sighed. Lust uttered a word to Pride. Lust looked at the painting.

Greed looked at all. Greed took it all. Greed watched Pride. Greed watched the painting. Greed watched Lust. Greed watched everything. Greed took everything.

Wrath wailed. Wrath groaned. Wrath sobbed. Wrath stayed silent. Wrath stared at the painting. Wrath didn't blink.

Envy envied Pride for walking away. Envy envied Lust for speaking. Envy envied Greed for taking it all. Envy envied Wrath for wailing. Envy envied Sloth for laughing. Envy envied Gluttony for eating.

Envy envied none of it now.

Sloth watched all of them. Sloth ran in circles. Sloth smiled. Sloth danced. Sloth laughed.

Sloth's laughter was the only sound in the fog.

Gluttony ate. Gluttony ate the fog. Gluttony ate the painting.

Gluttony choked. 

Gluttony gagged. 

Gluttony coughed up the painting.

Gluttony didn't give the painting a glance. Gluttony kept eating.

The paint peeled off the canvas. The paint slithered across the ground.

Envy ran to the blood. Lust caught it. Sloth ate it.

Sloth stayed silent. Sloth stayed still.

I slurped. 

I slurped. 

I slurped.

The painting was colorless.

The figures weren't.

The first figure was made of skin and flesh.

It sat on a throne of bones. It remained blurry. It remained clear.

It was looking at me.

It opened its mouth.

Its mouth stretched farther than mine.

Its lips curled wrong. 

Its teeth were broken.

It slurped.

It took something from me.

Something I never had. 

Something I always had.

It tore its face. It peeled off its skin.

It gave it to me.

I took it.

It smiled.

It blurred itself.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

The second figure stayed blurred.

"It isn't time." it spoke.

The second figure stepped out of the painting.

Its eyes were stitched shut.

The second figure gave me a glance.

The skin in my hand smiled.

The skin in my hand wailed.

The second figure walked into the fog.

The fog hid its steps.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

My heart beat once more.

Lust was sad. Lust was angry. Lust was Lust. Lust was observing.

Greed kept looking. Greed held the fog. Greed kept growing greedier.

Wrath stayed silent. Wrath couldn't stay silent. Wrath screamed.

The fog made way.

Wrath walked the way.

Envy stayed still. Envy stayed confused. Envy envied.

Gluttony ate. Gluttony ate even more. Gluttony ate a little more.

Sloth stayed still.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

My feet moved the path Wrath made.

The fog turned red. The fog became red.

The ground turned red.

The ground grew moist.

The ground grew soft.

The ground became blood.

The ground is blood.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

My feet sank.

I walked.

The blood rose to my knees.

I walked.

The blood rose to my waist.

I walked.

The blood rose to my neck.

I walked.

The blood rose above my head.

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

I walked. 

I walked. 

I walked.

I heard a hymn.

A hymn for someone.

A hymn for the Mad One.

A hymn for me.

I walked. 

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

Children, in a row, sang the hymn.

Children, in a column, played the instruments.

Children, in the pews, listened.

The hymn stopped.

The children looked at me.

The children surrounded me.

The children pointed at me.

The children had my face.

The skin in my hand smiled and wailed.

I walked. 

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

The children ran after me.

The children were always behind.

The children were always ahead.

The children never reached me.

The skin in my hand burned.

A child reached me.

I stopped walking.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

"Why did you stop?" he asked.

"If you stop, you will never continue. You will never begin."

He became the blood with his last words.

The skin in my hand burned away completely.

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

The blood dropped to my neck.

I walked.

Greed walked beside me.

Greed took the blood from me.

Gluttony ate it.

The blood dropped to my knees.

I walked.

I walked.

I could stop.

I would not stop.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

I walked.

I walked.

The blood grew harder with every step.

The blood grew hard.

The blood became the ground.

I was knee-deep in the ground.

The ground smiled.

The ground whispered.

The ground demanded a sacrifice.

I left my knees on the ground.

I walked.

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

I walked. 

I walked.

The ground stayed as it was.

The ground was as it was.

The ground became what it was.

The ground was always what it was.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

The ground gave way to my knees.

My knees walked.

My knees walked into the fog.

A figure took them.

A figure wore them.

A figure walked them.

A figure hid in the fog.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

The fog showed a brick.

A brick I threw.

A brick it did not accept.

A brick that never should have been.

A figure took it.

A figure had many bricks.

A figure took one more.

A figure disappeared into the fog.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

Wrath stood in front of me.

Wrath stayed in front of me.

Wrath stood still.

Wrath was angry.

Wrath was howling.

Wrath was silent.

Wrath jumped into the fog.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

A figure stood there.

A figure held a brick.

A figure placed the brick.

A figure placed another.

A figure placed another.

A figure placed another.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

The fog gave him more.

A figure took it.

A figure took more.

A figure took less.

A figure took enough.

A figure was building.

A figure had already built.

A figure was still building.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

A figure laid his last brick.

A figure laid his first brick.

A figure became the brick.

A figure laid himself.

A figure completed his work.

A figure had yet to complete his work.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

A figure walked back into the fog.

A figure walked with the fog.

A figure stood still in the fog.

A figure moved still in the fog.

A figure stopped the fog.

A figure moved in the fog.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

A figure returned from the fog.

A figure brought something from the fog.

A figure carried a pillar.

A figure turned his head.

A figure turned the pillar.

A figure took another pillar.

A figure placed it beside the first.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

A pillar moved.

A pillar groaned.

A pillar straightened itself.

A pillar grew white.

A pillar grew into white.

A pillar grew like a spine.

A pillar supported all the bricks.* 

A pillar supported none of the bricks.

Another pillar grew the same.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

The fog circled the figure.

The fog thickened around the figure.

A figure laughed.

A figure cried.

A figure wailed.

A figure understood.

A figure went mad.

A figure went insane.

A figure became sane.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

A figure took something from the fog.

The fog sang a hymn.

A figure pulled out a window.

The fog danced to its tune.

A figure threw bricks.

The fog shattered them to pieces.

A figure laid the window.

The fog danced a little more.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

The fog grew intoxicated with every tune. 

A figure grew intoxicated with it.

The fog grew thin.

The fog grew thick.

The fog grew colors.

The fog became colors.

A figure grew large.

A figure grew small.

A figure became many. 

A figure became one.

The fog became many.

A figure became itself.

The fog encompassed the figure.

A figure encompassed its creation.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

I walked. 

I walked.

Lust walked beside me.

Lust spoke a word.

The fog disagreed.

The fog agreed.

Lust laughed. 

Lust grew curious. 

Lust spoke again.

The fog surrounded Lust. 

Lust surrounded the fog.

Lust spoke again.

The fog listened.

Lust walked with me.

The fog grew thicker.

Lust worried.

Lust smiled.

Lust laughed.

Lust stopped.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

Envy envied.

Envy envied me walking.

Envy envied Pride.

Envy envied Lust.

Envy envied Greed.

Envy envied Wrath.

Envy envied Sloth.

Envy envied Gluttony.

Envy envied Envy.

The fog did not take Envy.

Envy took the fog.

Envy could not take the fog.

The fog could not take Envy.

Envy envied.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

Greed held the fog.

The fog held Greed.

Greed took the fog.

The fog took Greed.

Greed laughed. 

Greed became greedier.

Greed took all of the fog.

Greed could not take all of the fog.

The fog took all of Greed.

Greed took all of the fog.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

Gluttony ate.

The fog fed it.

Gluttony ate.

The fog fed it.

Gluttony ate.

The fog fed it.

Gluttony ate more.

The fog fed it more.

Gluttony ate a brick.

Gluttony could not eat a brick.

The fog showed a brick.

Gluttony ate the brick.

Gluttony grew fuller.

Gluttony grew emptier.

The fog showed another brick.

Gluttony ate the brick.

Gluttony grew even fuller.

Gluttony grew emptier.

The fog showed another brick.

Gluttony ate the brick.

Gluttony grew full. 

Gluttony grew empty.

The fog could not show another.

Gluttony showed a brick.

Gluttony ate the brick.

Gluttony grew even emptier.

Gluttony grew even fuller.

Gluttony showed another brick.

Gluttony ate the brick.

Gluttony grew emptier.

Gluttony grew fuller.

Gluttony showed another brick.

Gluttony ate the brick.

Gluttony grew empty.

Gluttony grew full.

Gluttony had no more bricks.

The fog showed a brick.

Gluttony ate the brick.

Gluttony grew fuller.

Gluttony grew emptier.

I walked. 

I walked.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

A figure came from the fog.

A figure stood before me.

A figure was still.

A figure wanted something.

A figure wanted nothing.

A figure wanted everything.

A figure wanted anything.

I walked. 

I walked.

A figure spoke four words.

I slowed down.

A figure spoke eleven words.

I stopped.

A figure showed no emotion.

A figure pointed to the fog.

A figure waited.

A figure spoke four words.

I nodded.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

The figure stepped into the fog.

I followed.

A figure revealed a structure.

A figure asked a question.

I nodded.

A figure prepared.

I waited.

I waited.

I slurped. 

I slurped.

A figure wanted something from me. 

A figure wanted nothing from me.

A figure pierced my heart.

I felt nothing. I felt no pain. I felt no relief. 

A figure moved his hand.

A figure pulled out my heart.

A figure pulled out nothing. 

A figure pulled out something.

A figure took something.

I waited.

I slurped.

A figure invited me in.

A figure invited none.

A figure invited all.

A *figure invited me to the structure.

A figure invited me to a cathedral.

A figure invited me to a Cathedral of Flesh and Bone.

A bell rang.

I entered.

I slurped.