Potato walks out of class and thinks of stopping at the Dunkin Donuts in the corner of the street. However, his backpack feels heavy, and he wants to get back home. He is carrying way too much on him to risk it. He heads towards the main entrance of the school.
(set: $Back to "His backpack feels heavy")
[[Gangsters]]
[[Bullies]]
[[The Cops]]
"You think he has the dough on him?"
"If he doesn't we can make him show us where it is."
They see Potato step through the double doors.
"Roll to the corner, it's more out of sight."
The car starts.
[[The Road]]
They're waiting for him right outside. Once you leave school grounds the school is not responsible. What they lack in brains the compensate with strong, solid, scarred arms. Potato will learn his place soon. They see him step out the double-doors. Just a few more meters . . .
[[The Road]]"You want to go get a donut?"
The other cop looks at him. "Dude, don't tempt me."
"Come on, man, there's a Dunkin' just a few blocks from here."
The car is silent for a few seconds. "Oh, alright. There's no perps around the highway anyways."
The car starts and heads into the neighborhood.
[[The Drive]]Potato walks out onto the road. He stops to decide if he wants to take the long route, which is prettier, or the short route, which goes through a bad neighborhood but he will be home in no time.
[[Long Route]]
[[Short Route]]The day seems nice, and the sun is getting ready to sleep, so he decides for the long route, and lets the October light shine on his blotchy skin. $Back.
[[Turn right]]
Potato gets jumped by bullies. Soon he is overrun by them, and is taken to the floor.
"You think you're so smart, huh?" says one of them.
"We'll show you. When we are done you will have even less shape than what you were born with, you lumpy piece of shit."
Potato wishes he could reach into his backpack and show these bastards some real heat. One of them clocks him in the face and his head pounds against the cement floor, causing his vision to blurr.
One of the kids standing on top of him spurts blood out of his arm and falls to the side. The sound of the gunshot reaches his ears after the fact. The commotion and following screams allows him to reach his backpack. He looks towards the origin of the sound and sees the thugs approaching him.
*Shit,* he thinks, *they followed*
He has little time to react, and his world is still hazy.
[[Stay and Fight]]
[[Run]]A car stops in front of him. Before he can react, (either: 3, 4, 5) guys step out of the car. They have heat on them but it doesn't look like that's what they're gonna use. Potato thinks of his own gun. He can open his backpack and reach for it, but is it enough?
[[Fight]]
[[Run]]
Potato unzips his backpack and reaches in. The weight of cold metal feels comfortable in his hands. One of the thugs reaches into his waistband, but he drops dead before he can do anything. This buys him enough time to seek for cover, and finds it behind an old oak tree.
"This is the last time you fuck with us, Potato!" says a voice.
He thinks about his family, and his eyes go to his backpack--a small thing, but carrying so much . . .
He hears footsteps approaching, and someone cocks a gun.
Should he fall back and attempt to get reach school grounds? Maybe there's help there. Can he make it though?
[[Stay]]
[[Fall Back]]
Potato turns to run. His sluggish feet struggle with his unfortunate shape. $Back. They're by his side in seconds, and his struggles are fruitless as he is dragged into the car. He is stripped of his clothes, his backpack thrown into the hands of a thug.
"Here it is," he says, a package in his hands.
"Good," says the driver. He turns and faces Potato. His face is gnarled with the little dips of skin that come from scars and poor upkeep. "You fucked us for the last time."
The thug next to him pulls out a potato peeler. Potato wails and writhes as his earthish skin slides off in thin strips.
The car pulls away and fades at the corner along with Potato's screams.
(color: #ff0000)[Potato is Dead]
[[Potato Goes Home]]
"Welcome to Dunkin' Donuts, may I take your order?"
"Ayuh, can I have a Dozen assorted donuts, two caramel mochas and a couple of breakfast sandwiches?"
"Sure thing, anything else?"
The cop turns to his partner at the wheel, "What do you want?"
After ordering they move to the next window. The lady has just handed over the drinks when they hear a gunshot coming from the school that's on the same street.
The cop at the wheel slams on the pedal, and the sudden jerks spills the scalding coffee onto his partner. "I'm sorry man, but we have to go."
He hits the button for the sirens, but no noise comes.
"God damn it, man! I told you to get that fixed!"
The officer looks at him while a caramel mixture of coffee and chocolate drips down his uniform. He had the face of a deer under headlights "I'm sorry."
His partner just sighs and turns his attention back to the road.
[[Short Route<-Godspeed Gentlemen!]]
Potato finds cover behind the walls that line his school, and bullets chip pieces of cement away from the edge. His eyes are watery from the dust that breaks off. He tries to peek but cement-shrapnel cuts his cheek. His tart brown skin hangs from his face like a thin strip of paper.
Behind a bush he spots a shape. He recognizes it as one of the bullies. Their eyes meet, and Potato feels the weight of his gun inside his backpack. He takes it out and looks at it, then at the kid. Should he? He would be defenseless if he did so, but the thugs don't know the kid is there. However, Who would he shoot? Would he shoot?
[[Slide Gun to Bully]]
[[Stay<-Keep gun]]He is overwhelmed within seconds. Despite his skills as a marksman, one bullet finds a home inside his starchy guts. His vision fails him, and he stumbles to the side and onto the street.
Another bullet hits him. He barely feels this one.
The edges of his vision blur like a kaleidoscope that only has black beads in it, and soon darkness swallows him. Just before his hearing goes, he hears the sound of sirens in the distance.
*They sound beautiful*
(color: #ff0000)[Potato is Dead]
[[Potato Goes Home]]
With one man down Potato has some space to move. He rolls out of cover, and his hand hook onto the backpack sleeve. He drops his gun in there, and travels through bushes to escape the thugs. The rough twigs and branches peel off his skin, revealing the fleshy white underneath. Bullets send leaves flying around him, but none find their mark. He is close to his temple of education.
[[Short Route<-The School]]The gun slides across the floor and the bully catches it. he looks at it shocked for a second, then looks out towards the thugs. He stands up, shoots a couple rounds, and another thug drops dead. The thugs shift their attention towards him. They're not quite sure of his location, but shoot anyways. Since his cover isn't solid, the bullets find him and Potato sees a pool of blood form under the bush.
Potato closes his eyes and swallows. He hears footsteps nearing him.
Another gunshot echoes through the neighborhood and he hears a groan near him. He opens his eyes and sees a cop car on the street, and two men using the doors for cover. One of them seems to have soiled his uniform and Potato figures he's a rookie.
The thugs and the police exchange shots, but they're scared by now and their aim fails them. Soon all of them have died.
After exchanging words with the police officers and filing a report, Potato is allowed to go home. The gun was believed to be owned by the bully, who already had a misdemeanor. As such they never searched Potato's bag, and he got away without having to explain the illegal weapon. His backpack feels heavy, and he wonders, after the events of today, if the lifestyle is worth it. Should he stop? The answer changes in his head like a glitchy choose-your-own-adventure game, and decides to leave that for tomorrow. Enough has happened today.
His legs wobble a little on his way home, but he is happy to come to a warm, nice meal.