choice but to break it and just hope he gets out of here on his first attempt. He pulls the sword out of his cane and stabs it in one of the candy links. The candy chain is much stronger than he had expected. Although not as strong as metal, it is as strong as bulletproof glass. He has to kick both of his feet against the chain as the sword cuts in the opposite direction. When the link finally snaps, the sword slams into his kneecap. If it wasn’t his candy leg, it would have created a large gash.
Franklin hobbles out of the house on his cane. He isn’t sure which direction to go in, but heads away from the territories he is familiar with. He knows exactly where the most populated areas of community are and doesn’t want to go anywhere near them. He hopes that the exit is close to Jujy’s house.
When he first entered the cavern, he was in a candy cane forest, so he goes in the direction of candy canes. Purple clouds swirl overhead as he climbs sugar frosted hills. A snake-sized gummy worm slithers across his path and hides in a bush of pixie sticks. His cane sinks into the chocolate mud when he puts his weight on it, causing his candy shell to scrape against the infected parts of his flesh.
He wanders through caramel swamplands and deserts filled with fluffy pink cacti, following twisty trails through the many hills and valleys. Because of his upgraded brain, it is not possible for him to become lost, as long as it isn’t broken. But he is realizing just how big this underground world really is. According to the area he has already mapped out in his head, this cavern is at least 15 square miles. He isn’t sure he will be able to find the exit before Jujy returns.
After another mile of exploring, Franklin decides that he will give it just another hour. If he can’t find the exit by then he’ll have to return to Jujy’s house before she realizes he is gone.
Franklin hears a scream coming from a nearby field. It is the scream of a child. Franklin decides it would be best if he ignored the scream and headed back to Jujy’s house, but he finds himself moving towards the scream anyhow. He sneaks into a clearing that is filled with large piles of jelly donuts, stacked like pyramids eight feet high.
Hiding behind one of the donut stacks, Franklin sees the screaming child. He recognizes him. It is Troy, the brat from his neighborhood. He is being dragged by his hair through puddles of custard by a large candy person. Franklin snickers to himself. He thinks if any child deserves to be eaten by the candy people it is Troy.
But the smile quickly falls from his face as he sees the agonizing expression on Troy’s face and sees the blood trickling down his forehead. The candy person is not just gripping the boy’s hair, but his fingernails are digging through the skin on his scalp. Franklin doesn’t see the little asshole who used to call him a faggot and try to kill his cat. He just sees a helpless child being dragged to his death.
Franklin steps out from behind the donut pile and approaches the boy. As he creeps up behind the candy person, he holds up his cane, ready to draw the blade and stab the man from behind. But just as he twists the crook of his cane, the candy person turns around. It is Black Licorice.
Licorice has a curious smile on his face when he sees Franklin.
“Sour Apple?” the words spill out of his lips like he is exhaling chimney smoke. “What are you doing out here?”
Franklin doesn’t know how to respond. He just stands there with his cane in his hand, staring at Troy.
“Jujube no longer has you chained to her bedpost,” he says. “I assume that means you are no longer her mate.”
He smiles.
“Your breeding was a failure, wasn’t it?” He steps closer to Franklin, dragging the boy behind him. “Very good. Now I can take her as my mate.”
“No.” Franklin lowers his cane so that he can lean on it. “The mating was a success.”
“A success?” Licorice’s smile turns into an angry frown. “Then what are you doing out of her house?”
“I—” Franklin doesn’t know what to say. “She let me go.”
“Let you go?”
“She no longer needs me,” he says.
“She didn’t want to keep you.” Licorice smiles again. “That means I can take her as my mate as soon as the child is born.”
“That is up to her,” Franklin says.
“She won’t be a dominant for much longer,” Licorice says. “I’ll show her that females are only meant to be submissives.”
Licorice chuckles in Franklins face and turns to walk away.
Franklin drops his hand on his shoulder.
“Give me the boy,” he says.
Licorice looks back at Franklin with black marble eyes. “What?”
“I want to have the boy.”
“This is my prey,” he says. “I hunted it. It belongs to me.”
“Why is he still alive?”
“I like to eat my food while it is still screaming,” Licorice says, licking his black lips at the child.
“If you give me the boy I will leave this cave and never return,” Franklin says. “If you do not I will go back to Jujube and claim her as my mate.”
Licorice’s face becomes serious. “Sour Apple . . .” He caresses Franklin’s cheek with his raven-like claws. “I am curious why you want this child so much as to threaten me. It seems unfathomable that you could possibly dominate anyone, especially Jujube who obviously was able to dominate you. Submissive males are perhaps the most pathetic life form I can name, which makes your feeble threat nothing more than a curiosity to me. So I must ask you to explain yourself. Why do you want this child?”
“Because I am really hungry,” Franklin says. It is the best thing he can come up with, even using his big fancy brain.
“That I do not believe,” Licorice says. Then he takes the kid by the throat. “Maybe if I break its neck and watch you eat its flesh right here in front of me. Then I will have to believe you and will agree to your terms.” He digs his fingernails into the boy’s neck. “How does that sound?”
Franklin’s eyes widen and he reaches out his hand to stop Licorice from going through with it.
“Just as I thought,” Licorice says. “You don’t want me to kill it. Perhaps you feel pity for this creature? Perhaps because he is one of your kind?”
Franklin considers pulling out his sword and attacking Licorice right there. He has never been a fighter. He hasn’t won a fight in his life. But he might have an edge with his upgraded brain. He knows that several professional fighters upgraded their brains so that they could calculate their moves faster. It might not improve reflexes, but being able to think quickly can make a huge difference in a fight. Still, Franklin hesitates.
“It might have never happened in the past,” Licorice says, “but I think it is very possible to give a human a candy disguise.”
He looks carefully into Franklin’s human eyes, then he says, “What do you think?”
Franklin pulls the sword out of his cane and slices it across Licorice’s face, catching the candy man off guard. Although the blade was aiming for the throat, Licorice was able to avoid a fatal cut because, unlike Franklin, he does have good reflexes. Troy screams as Licorice rips his hair backwards, stepping away from his attacker.
“I knew it,” Licorice says. “You were human all along.” He throws Troy on the ground and points his claws at Franklin. “You were the one who killed Float.”
Franklin holds his sword up, ready to defend himself.
“Now I will kill you and feed you to the lemon hogs,” Licorice says. Then he attacks.
Troy runs and hides as Licorice charges at Franklin, slashing his claws wildly. Franklin isn’t able to move as fast as his brain wants him to, but he is able to dodge the candy man’s strikes or block them with the sheath of his cane. When Franklin slashes at Licorice, his sword does not break through the candy coating. He tries aiming for the throat, but Licorice’s reflexes are too quick for him.
Frustrated by not being able to get his claws past Franklin’s defenses, Licorice uses his armored body as a weapon. He charges at Franklin, forcing his chest against the side of the cane sword and shoving it backwards. The
