Chapter 1 - Part 1

Devo hadn't been to the Sea City boardwalk often. In fact, he had only been there twice in his whole. Apparently, he had been once when he was very young, too young to even remember going, much less what exactly happened. For the second time, he and his buddies immediately skipped over the boardwalk to get to the beach, completely forgetting to actually explore the walkway. He figured it had been long overdue to actually give the place a proper look over, especially since it was a relatively short drive from where he lived. So as soon as he had a day all to himself, he took off for the Sea City boardwalk. He didn't just want to visit a couple stores and call it a day, however. Oh no. He wanted to walk the entire thing. This may not sound so daunting at first until you consider the fact that the boardwalk was over four miles in length. Most people don't even see the entire boardwalk in their lifetimes, and those that do usually see it in sections over time. But Devo wanted to get the whole experience in one day to make up for the lost time.

Devo had already planned the day out, although there wasn't really much planning involved. He'd start at one end, walk down to the other, and take one of the roaming tramcars back to his car. It seemed simple enough. After finding a parking spot (which took much longer than he would've liked), Devo found himself on the far south end of the wooden walkway staring down the imposing trek before him. He wore a simple blue T-shirt and tan cargo shorts, the perfect summer attire. To his right was the beach, where most tourists spent their time playing in the waves and enjoying the sunlight. To his left was an imposing wall of storefronts and businesses. Every type of store imaginable form high-end casinos to seedy pizza shops to overpriced tourist traps was crammed together in an endless stream of concrete and neon lights spanning the entire boardwalk. Fortunately, Devo's wallet would be spared a gruesome fate; he only wanted to soak in the sights without spending a dime on anything other than the tram ride back. Well, aside from any snacks he bought should he get a bit hungry.

Speaking of which, Devo's flat stomach growled. He hadn't eaten since breakfast, and even that was a fairly light meal. Luckily, the boardwalk had just the remedy for his hunger. The very first shop on this end was a humble burger joint. Perfect! Devo walked up to the storefront and ordered a small cheeseburger with a bottle of Sprite. He wasn't a particularly big eater, which could be clearly seen by his slight frame. Still, he enjoyed a burger every now and again, and it gave him a chance to take in the local cuisine (not that he expected it to be much different from that of his hometown when they were separated by a thirty-minute drive). He knew that such a greasy meal wasn't the best for his health, but it'd be fine. He'd quite literally be walking it off anyways. It's not like he was going to be stopping at every restaurant on the boardwalk.

The sandwich was a bit too dry for his liking, but otherwise, it was pretty good. Devo's stomach appreciated the meal as much as he did. He took a sip from the Sprite bottle before shoving it into his pocket. With his hunger dealt with, Devo wiped his mouth with a napkin. He set his sights on the far end of the beach, took a deep breath, and began the long journey.

...Or at least, he was going to, but a peculiar scent caught his attention. He closed his eyes and took a deep whiff of the smell. Was that... pizza? Devo's eyes shot open. He loved pizza. The smell was coming from a shop a little ways away from the burger spot. Devo could feel his mouth watering. He hadn't had pizza in ages. Completely forgetting that he had just eaten lunch, Devo walked over to the pizzeria and ordered a slice from the pepperoni pie. It was quite a sizeable specimen, and you could see the grease on the thin slice. Neither of those qualities did anything to dissuade Devo from savoring each and every bite as he dined on the pizza. It took him a bit longer than usual to finish the slice, but seeing as how he was already full from the pizza, it made perfect sense. The last of the crust disappeared with a small burp as Devo pat his stomach. That was a little more food than he really needed to eat, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to enjoy his favorite dish. He walked away from the stand feeling a bit more sluggish as he happily patted his belly. His stomach was stretched slightly from the sudden addition, but it wasn't too much of a concern. He just needed to take things a bit more slowly, which in the long run would do little to affect his plans.

What could throw a wrench in the works was the salt water taffy storefront that caught his eye. It was right next to the pizzeria, not even ten steps away. He had never tried the confectionary treat before and now seemed as good as a time as ever. Never mind the fact that he had effectively eaten two meals by now. He happily bought a small bag of candy and popped a piece into his mouth. After such salty foods, a sweet treat was just what the doctor ordered. The soft, cherry-flavored candy danced on his tongue and leaped down his throat, joining the cheeseburger and the pizza in the pit of his stomach. He continued to dig into the candy as he walked away from the stand. As he moved, he felt a bit... off. It wasn't really anything too noticeable. His shirt felt the slightest bit more snug. His shorts were a smidge tighter. And there was a hint of extra movement on his body where there wasn't any before. But all of these changes were minuscule, and he would have to concentrate very carefully to even have the chance of truly noticing these minute differences. What he could easily notice was how full he felt. Devo wasn't quite uncomfortably full yet, but this was the most he had eaten in a long while, and his body was trying its best to process all of those calories. He chalked up any changes he did feel to the amount of food he just ate, and he figured that it'd all go away once he really got moving. Speaking of which, it was about time he finally made some decent progress.

It took half a minute for Devo to run into a corn dog stand. And a short while after that there was a caramel apple shop. And soon, a fried chicken store. And...