"Welcome to your new eternity!" Raisins cheered, excited with the new addition to their little group.
"No way! I can't be stuck in this stupid clam forever, I've got places to be!" Choco got up, wanting to leave the room. Raisins ran up to the exit, blocking his way.
"Hol' up, kid. There's lotsa things you need to know before you step outta here. We've got rules around these parts, and you wouldn't want to anger the clam master." She warned.
"Listen old lady, I'm not going to stay here my whole. Just tell me the way out this clam and I'll leave with my friend without a ruckus."
"But once you enter the clam, there's no getting out!"
Choco's eyebrows furrowed at this stubborn old woman, he's starting to get impatient being stuck inside a clam. And so, he thought it's better to meet up with Marsh and figure out a way to escape by themselves. "Okay then, can you just show me where Marsh is?—the marshmallow dude, he's my travelling buddy. Yeah, I need to see if he's doing alright."
"The soft one? I'm afraid he's being examined by the clam master. Your friend is found to be in a reeeaaally bad condition." As Raisins emphasized Marsh's state, Choco turned serious. "What do you mean?—Did you do something to him!?" He aggressively grabs Raisins by the neckline of her dress, ripping its thin cloth.
Raisins gasped and pushes him away, "This was my one and only dress, you monster!"
"Tell me what happened to Marsh, or I'll rip it that dress to shreds!"
"Ohh, kinky." Raisins uttered, "Relax! Your buddy's been taken care of by the clam master. Nothin' to worry about."
"Clam master?" To Choco, that title sounded ridiculous.
"The clam master, the master of this clam, our leader, duh..." Raisins pointed out, "He's an all knowing guy, and I'm one of his followers. For now, I'm ordered to keep an eye on you until further notice." She raises an eyebrow, intensely staring at Choco with one eye.
"Nobody can ever make me stay put, move aside!" Choco exclaimed, pushing aside Raisins as he ran out the room.
"No, kid, wait!!" Raisins tried to run after him, but her old body won't let her move so swift and nimble like before, "Damn brat... get back here, damn it!" she panted, holding onto her knees while catching her breath. "Ugh, clam master is sooo gonna kill me for this."
Now that Choco was free from that old woman, he finally saw the extent of this clam from the inside. He was surprised to see how big it was, especially when there was a whole VILLAGE built inside it. "What the CRUMB!?" He gasped.
It'll probably take a while before he can find Marsh in this huge place. He ran past through the little built houses and saw other people that looked a lot like Raisins, dark wrinkly skins with those dark huge creepy eyes.
Every person he ran past would stare in shock at the sight of him, bewildered to see a never before seen young man passing through. Choco was freaking out to see all these creeps, but he eventually stopped running to ask one of them.
"E-Excuse me! Do you know a marshmallow guy around here? H-He's with a guy called... clam master, I think." Choco asked.
"The clam master?... you're not allowed to see him without proper appointment, young man." Said the woman, "And aren't you supposed to be with Raisins? You should go back and stay put!" She started hitting Choco with her cane, forcing him to go back but he continued to run.
"Argh, where are you Marsh?" Now he was starting to feel desperate searching for his friend in this village full of creepy raisin people.
He soon entered the biggest place built in the village, and within that building was several rooms filled with more raisin people.
Choco searched each room, disturbing the people inside doing some kind of ritual activity. "Excuse me!... Pardon me!... Marsh!?" And the more he see, the more creeped out he feel.
"MARSH!? WHERE ARE YOU!?" Choco yelled aloud, "Err, these weirdos are creeping me out!"
"Who the hell is causing all the ruckus!?" And old man complained.
Everyone went out their rooms and gathered to see Choco, they were all mad for all the trouble he was causing inside their temple. "You boy are a disturbance to the people in this temple, be gone!" The old man added.
"I'm just looking for my friend, nobody won't tell me where he is!" Choco pressed, but the elderly won't listen to him.
"Seize that boy!" Ordered the old man, and the other old people started surrounding Choco to hold him captive.
He struggled getting out of their grasp but there were too many of them restraining him, "Argh! Let me go! Stop touching me with your wrinkly gross skin!"
Then someone put a stop to the situation, "Fellow raisins! Unhand that young man!" Unlike the others within the temple, the voice comes from a young man who seemed to have authority and power over the others.
They all turned to see this figure and bowed, all the raisins fell silent except Choco. "You!" He exclaimed, "Do you know where the clam master is!? I need to find him and get my friend back!"
The old raisin man nagged Choco, "Don't you dare disrespect the clam master!"
"You're the clam master!?" Choco asked in disbelief, looking at the clam master who appeared to have smooth skin and normal eyes.
"Calm down, everyone." The clam Master said, holding both his hands up, "Let's not make this anymore difficult for our guest, I'll take this one and you all can go back to your daily activities." He announces.
Everyone had gone back as the clam master ordered, the old raisin man shot a glare at Choco before returning to his business.
"Ugh, what a bunch of creepy weirdos." Choco muttered under his breath, "And you! Where did you take my friend!? I swear, if you've done something to him I'll—" he was about to grab the clam master, but his hand was quickly blocked.
"Your friend is doing alright... for now. You can see him inside that room." The clam master points to the room behind him, Choco went ahead and entered the room to find Marsh laying on some kind of altar table, tucked in a blanket.
"Marsh!" Choco ran up to Marsh's side and leaned close to whisper something, "Dude wake up, this place has a bunch of freaks. We need to get out of here now... Marsh? Hey, wake up... Dude, come on!" He gave him a nudge, then proceeds to shake him, but Marsh won't wake up.
"N-No! Marsh, what happened to you!?"
"Worry not my friend, he is just in the process of recovering." The clam master spoke behind him.
Choco turned to glare at him, "Recover from what!? And for your information, I'm not your friend!"
"Feisty..." the clam master uttered, he approaches Marsh and pulled off the thin blanket covering him up. He exposed to Choco the truth about Marsh's condition, "Recovering from this... or do you perhaps not now about what he's suffering of."
Once Choco saw Marsh's shirtless body, he gasped at the sight of his chest with dry and deep cracks. "T-This can't be! All this time, Marsh is..."
"Suffering from the infamous crumbling sickness." The clam master continued his words, "he probably didn't want you to know of this."
"Marsh... dude..." Choco looks to his friend with great concern, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were having such a hard time..." He holds on to Marsh's hands tightly, "I-Is there a cure for this? Is there anyway we can cure him!?" He asked the clam master desperately.
"It is known that there is no cure for this wretched sickness..." The clam master smiled, gently putting his hand on Choco's shoulder. "But fear not, for I am with you."
"And how's that going to help?" Choco asked in an annoyed tone.
"Do not be dismayed, for I am the master of the clam!" He runs his hand on top of Marsh's chest, and with one swipe, and the cracks in Marsh's chest was all gone. "Ta-dah."
Choco's eyes widened in shock, "H-HOW!? WHAT DID YOU DO!"
"The master shan't speak of his secrets, but I'll leave you with your friend to share this moment." And as the clam master leaves the room, Marsh wakes up and sat up right. "...Choco?"
"Marsh!" Choco gave him a hug, "Thank goodness you're alright!"
"Huh, where are we?... what is this place? And why don't I have my shirt o—OH!" Marsh quickly pushed Choco away, and look at his chest that was all smooth and cured, "IT'S ALL GONE!? WHAT THE CRUMB HAPPENED WHILE I WAS ASLEEP!?"