Mother's Secret Chocolate Cake

Eugene's mother made the best chocolate cake in town. She never shared her secret to what made her cake so amazingly moist, and delicious. People of the town would ask her weekly to have one made for their families to enjoy throughout the week or for celebrations. Eugene was always right by his mother's side to help with her creations of chocolate cake. But was never allowed to have any. "Chocolate is not good for you Eugene", his mother would always tell him.

The older Eugene got, the sicker his mother got, until one day, she had passed away. Eugene was 22 years old. Right before her passing, Eugene's mother finally shared the secret to her chocolate cake with him, with all the details of how to receive the special ingredient. "Take this to your grave. You will be asked to make this cake and people will beg you what's in it. Never write it down. If people know what's in it, they may not understand and may shame you for it." Eugene promised his mother, the secret to the famous chocolate cake will stay with him, until the day of his death.

A couple of months had passed by since Eugene's mother was no longer with him. Eugene caught himself staring out the kitchen window, as the phone rings, startling him. "Hello, Eugene. This is Mrs. Parker from down the street. I hope you're doing well. You have been in my prayers since the passing of your mother." Eugene responds, "Thank you, Mrs. Parker. I appreciate it." "I do hate to impose, but would you happen to know how to make that chocolate cake that your mother was so famous for?", Mrs. Parker asked. Eugene had explained he hadn't made one without his mother's help, but for her, he would be willing to try. "You can be the judge, and be able to tell me if I can make it as good as she did."

In the earlier days of Eugene's mother's life, she had worked at the local hospital as an ER nurse. After Eugene was born, she quit and stayed at home to take care of him. Eugene never got to meet his father, as he died had in the war. That's when Eugene's mother began to start her baking venture. It took her some time, but with experimenting with the ingredients, she was able to perfect her craft. Her nursing friends from the hospital were a big help for her when she started.

Eugene knew all the ingredients by heart, even the added secret one, his mother shared right before her passing. As he gathered the ingredients for Mrs. Parker's cake, he knew he would have to call up one of his mother's old friends to help get the last ingredient. She was one that always helped Eugene's mother, while he grew. He picked up the phone and made the call. "Hello, Aunt Genia. How are you doing?" "Oh, sweet boy, I am well, how are you? Is there anything I can do for you?" He responded, "Well, actually there is. Some of the people are wanting me to make mother's cake, and she told me I would have to get in touch with the old hospital friends to get the last ingredient. Can you help me?" Her tone changed as she says, "Well, I don't work there anymore. The last time your mother needed it, we had to have someone break in. We just don't have the access we used to." Eugene's heart sunk as he accepted the news and hung up the phone. He called Mrs. Parker and told her he just wasn't going to be able to provide her with the cake, due to lack of ingredients. "Well, what do you need? I'm sure I can get you whatever it is that your needing. The cost doesn't matter. You don't understand. I need that cake." Eugene said, "I'm sorry", and hung up the phone.

Later that evening, Eugene was cleaning up and getting ready to head to bed, when there was a knock at the door. Eugene flipped the porch light on, to find Mrs. Parker standing at the doorway. "Mrs. Parker? What can I do for you?" She didn't say anything. Eugene noticed her eyes bright red and her face was really pale. Eugene got nervous. "Mrs. Parker! What's wrong?!" She gazes at him and says, "You don't understand. I need that cake. Since I haven't eaten any of your mother's cake, I don't feel okay. In the mirror, I don't look okay. I don't know what she put in it, but I need it." Eugene thought to himself, I'm going to have to get creative to be able to get the special ingredient. "Please, Mrs. Parker, let me walk you home. Tomorrow I will see what I can do for you." He knew what her problem was. What she was craving... If only she knew what his mother had been feeding the town, she would go mad. Well, madder than she was already going.

The next day, Eugene went to the hospital and acted like he was under the weather. "Please, I just need to see a doctor. I'm not sure what's wrong." He was able to be put in a room in the back, as he waits for the doctor. When Eugene was left alone to wait, he knew time was limited. Eugene left the room and started going through the halls, looking for the right room. "Donor Blood Bank" is what the sign said, hanging above the door. He found it, human blood. The door was unlocked, he looked around him as he opened it, then quickly went in. The room was filled with refrigerators with stored blood bags inside them. He opened one and grabbed 4 bags. He shoved them in his jacket and pants pockets, then quickly left the room. He found the closest exit and left the hospital as fast as he could. When returning home, he ran and put the blood bags in the refrigerator, and sat on the floor, and wept. "Mother! Why?!", he cries out. He gathers himself and takes a deep breath. He knows that Mrs. Parker will be arriving soon for her cake. He gets up from the floor and starts to pull out the baking goods. As he starts to mix the ingredients, memories of his mother come to him. Some of his best memories of her were being in the kitchen, whether she was baking, cooking dinner, or just sitting at the kitchen table. He starts to wonder why his mother did this; made the cakes with the donor blood from the hospital. She was such a beloved person in the community. She was so loving and so giving to everyone who crossed her path.

He begins to mix everything in the bowl, with the mixer, just one more ingredient. He pulls a blood bag from the refrigerator, and measures out the exact amount his mother had once instructed. Trembling, he mixes it in the cake batter, as he sees the color turning into a dark chocolatey color. He pours the batter into a baking pan and sets it inside the oven, sets the timer, and then started to make the frosting for the cake. His mother would make a chocolate cream cheese frosting and made sure to lather it over the chocolate cake. As he finished mixing the frosting, a knock was on the door. Eugene runs nervously, to answer it, "Mrs. Parker. I wasn't expecting you until a little later on." She had a guest with her, with the same blood-thirsty look on her face. "We were just having some tea, and Mary-Belle had mentioned your mother's cake. We were just hoping it was ready, and I may be able to share a slice of that amazing chocolate cake with her." Eugene tells the two ladies the cake won't be ready for another hour or so, and kindly asked them to come back. "Okay, Eugene. Whatever you say. We will return in a while in hopes of getting to finally have that cake."

Eugene quickly shuts the door and locks it. Miss Mary-Belle and Mrs. Parker didn't seem to be themselves at all, and it made Eugene uncomfortable. As he walked back to the kitchen, he noticed Mrs. Parker and Mary-Belle standing in the middle of the front yard, staring at his house. He quickly went to the kitchen and seen the timer only had a few more minutes until he could pull it out of the oven. He cleans up some of the mess before the timer goes off. He quickly finishes the cake and puts it in a disposable carrying box. Carrying the cake box through the house, he looks out the window, to find Mrs. Parker and Mary-Belle to be in the same place, standing in the yard. He gets nervous, but can just think, if I give them the cake, they will leave. He opens the door, "Mrs. Parker, back right on time. Here's your cake. No charge for this one." She runs across the yard, "I've got it Mary-Belle", snatching the box out of Eugene's hands and she and Mary-Belle run down the street.

At that moment, Eugene knew that the townspeople will start to come to him more and more for this cake that they have been poisoned with, by his very own mother. He felt in his heart, he couldn't do it. He ran to his room and started to gather some of his belongings. Before he could finish, there was another knock at the door. A gentleman this time. "Eugene, I know you're in there. I just want to ask you a question. It's Mr. Smith from next door." Eugene sets his things down and goes to the front door. Just cracking it open, he says, "Oh, Mr. Smith. I hope you're doing well." "Eugene, I saw you giving Mrs. Parker a cake, that wouldn't happen to be your mother's famous cake would it be? Could you make me one also?", Mr. Smith begged Eugene. "I'm sorry Mr. Smith, I had only had enough of the stuff to make one. I have to go now", shutting the door in Mr. Smith's face, and locking it. Eugene runs back to his room and finishes packing his bag. He goes to the refrigerator and grabs the blood bags, then goes to the bathroom and flushes the blood down the toilet. Then, wraps up the empty bags and puts them in the trash can. He grabs his car keys and heads out the door. Eugene isn't sure where to go, but he knows he won't be safe here much longer.

As Eugene made his way to the car, someone came up behind him stuffed a clothe in his mouth, and put a bag over his face. Then someone else grabbed his legs and the two people started to carry Eugene away. Eugene was trying to yell but the cloth filled his mouth too much. A man's voice said, "You can get away. Stop squirming." They take Eugene to a basement and lock the door. They tie him to a chair. Eugene can hear other people and asks if he can please just be let go. "Not until you give us what we need." The man takes the bag off of Eugene's face. "I know your mother's secret Eugene, and she had poisoned me long before I knew. I understand why the people of the town are going crazy. So either, you make the cakes for us all, or we will just kill you. You won't be leaving here though, Eugene. You will make the cakes in this basement." Mr. Smith pulls out a table and says, "There's an oven under that tarp. I will gather your supplies and be back. You need to write down everything you need." Eugene promised his mother he wouldn't do that. "Your mother was not the woman you think she was. Eugene, this is the only way you will be able to survive this." "What? To break my promise to my dead mother, because she wasn't good to you all? Whatever her reasoning for doing this, I will never know, but I will not break my promise to her. Nor will I be making this cake any longer. Kill me if you need to. But this is out of control and you people need help. I will not be living in this shadow of poisoning and killing, as my mother had started. And you will not make me." Mr. smith grows enraged grabbing Eugene and throwing him across the room. "You don't understand. I've tried just drinking the blood and I can't handle it. The cake is the only way." "Well, seems like you know the secret ingredient, make it yourself", Eugene yells out. Mr. Smith goes over to Eugene and tells him, "That's not a bad idea. I don't need you around after all." As he runs a knife across Eugene's throat and watches the blood start to run down. "Eugene, you will be the first to be added to my cake."