Hero 1--15



Well, it was just a normal day at my normal job as an artist for a new cartoon in the making. I was working for a company, whose name I will keep hidden for my own good. Well, needless to say this cartoon was never made. It was early morning, in fact about four or so on the clock. It was a job you had to wake up early for, it was worth the pay. The cartoon, much like the cartoons you saw when you were little were to be joyous. Inspiring for children, to make them strive for something better. It consisted of one main character, a youth hero in his teens. Though there were other major characters, part of his super-hero teen. We had already made, almost the whole season everything but this last cartoon was done.

I spent several hours in the office that day, finishing up the last episode. It only had a few minor touches left to put into it. In this episode the young hero was going to go up against yet another villain, and overcome his goals. He and his team together to take them down. A large amount of punchlines and flashy moves. This of course was usual for most cartoons, especially ones with fighting. It had taken the whole day, but I got the final touches done. My creation was soon to come to life on the big screen! Well, not really the big screen but on to your television! That was what I thought anyway. We would have to wait until the next day, and view the final cartoon which would end the season.

I went home, and of course did the usual. Something kept bothering me though, I couldn't really put my finger on it. I guess I didn't feel I did as good as I could have. The toon could have been much better I suppose. Oh well, I slept it off and went to work the next morning.

The next day at the job, the boss called us all in to watch the finale! The last one of the season, and I had worked so hard on it! The staff, all of the staff were seating in a theater. It wasn't the best, though it was good enough. I couldn't wait to see my creation come to life on screen. To see what the others had thought about it. The lights dimmed, and the screen was dark for a few moments. Then it flickered for a moment, but the screen went dim again. This lasted for about thirty seconds at max.

The next few went on, showing my cartoon though cigarette burns kept showing up. If you don't know what cigarette burns are, well they are cue marks I guess you would call them. The young hero and his team of mutants were fighting against a huge monster made of tar. The monster was consuming the city, it was the toughest they had fought thus far. Everything was going well so far, except for one thing. The main character was sitting upon a building, lazily staring out the opposite way. As if he didn't care for the team or anything else for that matter. I didn't remember putting that scene in there!

Next thing I know, his team starts getting brutally beaten. Blood oozing from their faces, that was until the tar monster had gotten ahold of them. Though that part didn't come yet, not at all. The screen flashed to something completely different, strange images. Some of them were of hideously deformed faces, others of mutilated bodies laying in piles. This went on for another thirty seconds, ironic isn't it? It flashed back to the main cartoon, the team of mutants were all laying on the ground dead. Though their skin had been severely burned, and dried out it had seemed. Their eyes were missing, and tar replaced where it once was. Completely dried up, and it had leaked from their ears and mouth aswell. Boss man looked over at me, as if I was the most disgusting man ever. Though he seemed to hope it was a prank, every now and then we pull this kind of stuff at work. Though it wasn't anything this messed up.

The next scene, the monster had seemed to just disappear. The image of the youth showed up once more, except this time it was a close up of his face. He just sat, eyeless and blood dripping from where they once were. No noise now, the movie was completely silent. The camera zoomed out, revealing him holding a knife in his hand. For about four minutes, he had cut himself all over his body. Not just little scratches, no deep, gruesome cuts. Which poured out blood, meaning he would soon be dead. Then a silent chuckle could be heard, as he raised the knife up. He aimed it towards his neck. At first he just made a little slit, but of course the movie had to get worse.

Over the last few minutes of the cartoon he started laughing loudly, while cutting at his throat. Spitting up blood, choking on it, and laughing about it at the same time. The bosses must of thought I was crazy. He stopped laughing for he couldn't anymore, he had already been dead. He was at the last layer of skin on the back of his neck before his body collapsed. The cartoon stopped, the screen going completely black. Then it went to static, loud static so loud that it had echoed throughout the whole building. It stopped, going back to the scene of the hero's dead body. The last thing that was shown on the cartoon, was his face once more. This time with a sweet, innocent smile. An image of happiness, yet it was so morbid.

Needless to say, I was fired and sent to intensive therapy for a few months. To this day, the image of that cartoon still haunts me. Especially since I didn't put it in there, I still have dreams of it. The images playing over and over in my mind. Constantly invading my thoughts, though this isn't your burden. It isn't your burden yet, if you ever find a container labeled "Hero 1--15", for your sake do not open it. Just burn it, and make sure it is never seen again. That's what I would do, if I could.