Three Idiots and a Ghost

Because you can better yourself (Part 03)

Ever rushed to the front door the second the new man closed it behind him. She leaned her ear right against it and focused hard on trying to hear what was going on inside.

"...These kids are my neighbors."

Neighbors?

"Is it organ harvesting season already?"

"No way..." Ever said under her breath. No wonder that man seemed oddly familiar. She had seen him justearlier today.

"...Like you said, we're your neighbors."

"Yeah, so you'll let us go."

"...You may live next door to me, but we're still going to eat you."

"Shit," Ever whispered.

She started looking around her for anything she could pick up to use as a weapon. Sure, she could just forget about the two boys and run away. She would probably be fine taking the open path now that the cannibals had her replacements to feed on. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to leave the twins behind. Though she had only known them for a day, perhaps it was one day too much. They did save her life once, after all.

"I'm only doing this to repay them," Ever rationalized.

But before she could figure out a plan to rescue her rescuers, a huge commotion arose within the cabin, followed by a rather pained shriek from one of the cannibals.

. . .

"Does your wife know you're doing this?" Walt asked sternly. "What about Sophie?"

Tom froze for a moment. "Don't you bring my little girl into this."

"How can I not? Little Sophie's going to have two less neighbors after tonight. What are you going to tell her? Daddy ate them?"

"N-No, I can't tell her that..."

"It'll be a bit hard to hide it forever though, don't you think?" Walt could see Tom starting to crack. He just needed to push him a little further. "What is she going to think once she learns her dad's a cannibal?"

"No, she can't find out... She'll be so disappointed..."

"Oh, so you know she'll be disappointed? Yet you continue to disappoint her like this?"

"No, no. I'm not trying to..."

"What do you mean you're not trying to, Tom? You came out here tonight, didn't you?"

"I-I did..."

"And why did you, Tom?"

"I-I..."

"Answer the question, Tom!"

"I...!"

"Why the hell did you come here?!"

"BECAUSE I HAVE AN ADDICTION!" Tom shrieked at the top of his lungs.

The room fell completely silent, only for the silence to be broken by a "Damn, Walt," from an astounded Warrick. He made a mental note never to get addicted to anything in fear of his brother giving him an intense intervention like this.

"I'm so sorry, Maddie and Sophie! I'm so, so sorry!" Tom said, breaking down into uncontrollable tears.

This got Peter crying, too. "At least your wife and kid are still around. After my wife found out, she immediately took my sons and left. Honestly, I'd give anything to not have to live all alone in this cabin!"

"I still haven't been able to come clean to my family," Ross painfully admitted.

"My parents disowned me," Bradley confessed, shedding a few tears of his own.

Though the four men were bawling their eyes out, Walt wasn't quite done with them yet. It wasn't just about his brother and him coming out of this alive. He wanted to make sure no one else would ever have to become their victim, either.

"Cannibalism is an addiction," he said. "Repeat after me. Cannibalism is an addiction."

"Cannibalism is an addiction," the four men said together.

"But I can overcome it."

"But I can overcome it."

Walt reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pamphlet of his own. It was for Camp I Can't Nibble on My Friends. Passing it to Tom, he explained, "This is a rehab program specifically for people struggling with cannibalism. I want all of you to give that number a call and start your treatment plan by next week. Do you understand?"

The men looked hesitant, some even scared.

"Don't let addiction get the better of you. You should be in control of your life, not your desire to cannibalize. You can get better."

"...You're right," Tom eventually yielded, to which all his friends nodded in agreement. "Untie their feet, Bradley."

Bradley got the scissors from the kitchen and cut the zip ties around the twin's feet. Like that, the two boys were free to leave, and the four men took their first steps toward recovery.