Devin led me to the kitchen, where he handed me a paper with a recipe on it that read, "Locust Stew."

"Follow the instructions. This is the easy part of the stage."

That's all he said before leaving me in the kitchen by myself. The kitchen looked like one from the senior center I volunteered at. Metal surfaces, a chrome fridge that looked like it could store bear carcasses, a packaging conveyor belt, and a grill that was about as long as a Thanksgiving table spread.

I approached the counter where the massive empty pot for the stew rested. Besides the pot on the counter was a cutting board and a knife, and some exotic seasonings were laid out with everything branded as Locust "something." Mostly, that "something" was a single letter or two from the alphabet with the occasional word here and there. For example, there was a Locust S, which had flaky bits inside that looked almost like chopped dried onions. There was a small jar of Locust W that looked almost like apricot jam. There was also Locust B that looked like thyme or basil with a green-gray tinge.

After I gave up trying to figure out what these seasonings were, I looked down at the recipe and started to follow the instructions.

Step 1: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil.

That was easily accomplished. I moved onto step 2.

Step 2: Apply 2 tablespoons of Locust F to the boiling water.

I looked around the ingredients section and found Locust F. It looked like oil, probably canola or sunflower oil. Once that was done, I moved on to the next step.

Step 3: Remove diced Locust L from wrapping and add to the pot.

I couldn't find Locust L anywhere on the counter, so I imagined it was somewhere in the fridge. I opened up the fridge and found a butcher shop full of meats organized and prepared for cooking. I found a shelf with Locust L and pulled it out. It looked pasty gray and red. I'm guessing it was diced beef for the stew. I almost gagged touching it and smelling the odor from the fridge. I hated meat. It reminded me too much of my line of work. If Auntie hadn't forced me to eat that meatball sub when I first arrived here, I probably would've been going on three years without touching the stuff.

I cut open the wrapping and dumped the content into the pot. Then I looked at step four.

Step 4: Add the following seasonings to the pot: 1) One teaspoon of Locust W; 2) Three dashes of Locust S; 3) Two dashes of Locust B.

I followed the instructions and then moved onward. Step five called for me to head back to the fridge, which I dreaded.

Step 5: Remove tub of Locust Sauce from the fridge and apply to the boiling stew.

I was in and out of the fridge before the smell of death could hit me. I poured the red sauce into the pot that looked almost like dried Tomato Sauce.

Then step six told me to head back to the fridge and pull out a wrapped Locust H.

Step 6: Apply Locust H to the stew and stir.

Locust H were diced red chunks of meat that almost looked like muscular gizzards. After applying it to the stew, the recipe started to stop with the ridiculous nicknames.

Step 7: Chop half a cup of green peppers, onions, potatoes, and carrots. Apply to the boiling stew.

This part I enjoyed because it was actually normal.

Step 8: Add one teaspoon of salt, three dashes of granulated garlic, two dashes of sweet pepper, three dashes of Adobo, and stir the contents.

I did as it instructed. Now I had to wait and let the stew cook for an hour and a half, most of the time I spent on my phone catching up on How to Get Away with Murder since I was slacking ever since joining the Locusts.

After two episodes, I checked the stew and the meat seemed tender enough for consumption. I left the kitchen searching for Devin who was playing a game on his phone while sitting in a barber's chair.

"You done?" he asked without taking his eyes off the game.

I nodded but he was too distracted to see, so I said, "Yes."

He put away his phone and told me, "Alright, go wait outside. I think Ash and Auntie are out there by the tables."

I did what he said while Devin went into the kitchen to check up on my dish. When I left the parlor, I saw Auntie chatting with Ash. Her eyesight turned to me and a scowl filled her face for a brief second. Ash turned towards me with a smile. It was with his back towards Auntie that both expressions shifted. Auntie's scowl morphed into a grin with devilish eyes that looked upon me like she had something slipped up her sleeve. Ash's smile dropped into a weak frown and his eyes followed it towards the ground.

Auntie motioned for me to take a seat next to Ash. I did and as I sat down Devin emerged a couple of seconds later with a bowl of stew.

"Now the difficult part," Auntie said. "Especially for you. You must finish the stew you made."

For any other person, this might've been initially easy. But for me, someone who swore off meat because of all the flesh I've pierced in my line of work, this was difficult. I looked at the stew and smelled it. The strong odor of game still filled the air even after cooking, but it was fighting with the savory smell of green peppers. The stew was red brown. Chunks of meat were like islands surrounded by boats of vegetables.

I went for the vegetables first. Even though they were soaked in dead flesh, it was the lesser evil to consume. I could taste the fats and oils from the meat that have contaminated the vegetables as I chewed them in my mouth.

Auntie studied me as I ate. She pointed at the meat. "Don't forget your protein dear."

She was enjoying this too much. Ash meanwhile was awfully silent throughout the whole affair. Something was up.

I scooped out a piece of meat that was brown and smooth on the outside. I took a bite and it felt slimy and chewy almost like an octopus. I gagged and fought to keep the wretched meat down. Unlike the sub I had when I was first treated to a meal with Auntie, this meat was not great tasting to make up for my sin of consuming flesh.

Auntie stood there watching me eat. Ash's face was turning from silver to green.

I stopped eating and took some deep breaths to avoid vomiting my stomach up. This was the absolute worst recipe for a stew ever.

"Enjoying it honey?" Auntie smiled.

The expression on my face was clear enough that this was a mission and a half to get through this simple bowl of stew.

Ash burped and it sounded like something was knocking on the door behind that burp. "Auntie, I think she's had enough."

"A single bite of meat is far from enough. She must finish the serving and keep it down or she'll have to start over from scratch again until she can eat an entire bowl without wasting a single morsel."

"But she just got out of the hospital," Ash burped again and suddenly I felt myself doing the same.

"Ash," I held down my urge to barf. "What's in this stew? Cow guts? Chicken hearts? Pig penis?"

Ash leaped from the bench and ran to the nearest trash can where he vomited, and he wasn't even eating the damn thing. Thanks for the moral support.

That left me briefly alone with Auntie who was teeming with excitement. "Do you really want to know what's in the stew? Didn't you make it yourself?"

"Yeah, with special disgusting Locust brand ingredients," I gagged.

"Well then," Auntie folded her hands on the table. "This stage teaches solidarity Zaslay, something you and your murderous family are well aware of. The ritual was a simple recipe to follow. The action is to eat the stew, a stew made from the sacrifices of Locust members."

I didn't like where this was going.

"Everything labeled Locust was made by a Locust member," she announced loudly. "Alive or dead."

Acid started to billow up in the back of my throat. I gripped my mouth to hold it all in.

"But it's not the earwax and mucus you want to hear about. It's the protein. The diced liver of fallen Locust members—killed by your family's hands. Killed by a system that oppresses the poor and vulnerable."

I place another hand over my mouth, trying to fight the content from coming up. This was what Auntie wanted. This was what I wanted. But I couldn't give in to my wants right now. I had to fight the instinct to vomit.

Auntie leaned closer to make sure I heard her over my mind panicking. "The unbeating hearts of the dead stomped out by a greedy enemy, coated in the blood of sacrifices our people made to dismantle the pillars to your wealth—pillars built upon our own backs!"

I looked down at the stew and a vision occurred where I saw a swarm of Locusts flee the stew and leave behind a bowl of human body parts that floated to the surface.

I couldn't fight it any longer. I ran to the garbage where Ash wiped his mouth from vomiting, and I added more to the trash. He saw that and became queasy again and we barfed together. My body shook as I cursed out Auntie in between hurls.

"Dis...gusting," I fought to say.

And just when I felt like I emptied my entire digestive system through my mouth, I turned around and slid to the ground besides the garbage in temporary defeat. The whole reason I gave up animal meat was because the flesh reminded me of human flesh.

Flesh I had just consumed.

Auntie waved her hand in the direction of the tattoo parlor. Her bracelets chimed like a bell ringing for the waiter. "Oh Devin, our guest spilled half her stew. Can you please bring out a fresh bowl?"

As Devin lumbered towards the table with a fresh bowl of Locust Stew, Auntie tapped the table and smiled. "Come on girl, eat up."