Closure: A Made Man · 6:59pm Nov 19th, 2021
Don't you hate it when you're invested in a story and the writer just let's it peter off and die? Does it eat you alive to know that a plot you were following closely will never get the finale you were promised, leaving you with unanswered questions and unsatisfied curiosities?
Yeah, me too. And, if you'll believe it, it feels even worse when that story is your own.
There are stories in this page that, sadly, will not be finished in the foreseeable future. I don't like to say "never", but to say that A Made Man won't have a concrete conclusion is a pretty safe bet. That said, I know there were a good few of you who actually cared about the plot, and want to know how it ends. So, in lieu of any actually new content from chillbook1 (IGO is still coming. Work has me busy), I've decided to give a few stories of mine some closure, starting with a story that was way more important to me than you may expect: A Made Man.
Spoilers below.
So, quick rundown in case you forgot: Octavia is a high ranking member of the Pie Crime Family, one of Maud Pie's most trusted soldiers. After a run in with down-on-her-luck prostitute Vinyl Scratch, Octavia is sent to work for Maud's sister, the unstable and violent Limestone, to uncover all of the family members who have chosen to side with Limestone before the inevitable Pie Sister civil war, and eliminate them. Vinyl is one such associate who needs to be whacked, but Octavia spares her out of some sort of pity and attraction.
Last we saw them, Octavia and Vinyl reported to Limestone that they were dealing with a new police task force called the High Crimes Unit. This group of police are meant to destroy organized crime by any means necessary, and, as well as being equipped with all sorts of heavy weaponry, are unburdened by the bureaucracy and rules of engagement that limit standard police work. After their report, Limestone sends them on their way, only for Vinyl to find out that the vengeful boss had her evicted and blackballed. With nowhere else to turn, Vinyl finds herself on Octavia's doorstep, who begrudgingly allows her to stay in her apartment.
The story from there is about what you expect. Octavia and Vinyl search for answers, looking for more traitorous mobsters and to uncover the identity of the head of the HCU, with intent of killing her. As the days tick on, it seems that they're running out of time, until Maud calls in Octavia, Vinyl, and The Doctor (Octavia's main partner in crime). Maud explains that she knows that Octavia is a snake. Limestone knows too much about what Maud has planned, things that only Octavia would know. Just as she is about to punish Octavia, Doc interjects, confessing to playing both sides. He says he was never truly loyal to Lime, and he was just trying to supplement his income since Maud flatly refused to trust him with any bootlegging. After his confession and heartfelt apology, Maud nods in understanding and then proceeds to shoot The Doctor between the eyes.
Her friend now murdered, Octavia wants to be done with this whole ordeal, and starts looking into exit strategies. One such strategy presents itself in the form of the last remaining Pie sister, Pinkie, who came in to attempt to talk to her sisters and broker a truce. Maud politely refused, but when Pinkie spoke to Limestone, she was brutally beaten by her older sister. Octavia and Vinyl visit Pinkie in the hospital and discover the reason why the sisters aren't on speaking terms; Pinkie had a twin, Marble, that Limestone adored and protected when they were younger. One day, when Marble was being picked on by some neighborhood bullies, Limestone attacked them, beat them within an inch of their lives, only stopping because Maud dragged her away. Unable to contain her rage, Limestone went on to attack Maud, who refused to fight her sister. Pinkie, afraid that Lime would kill Maud if she didn't do anything, scrambled for their father's gun, hoping to scare Limestone off. Limestone lunged at Pinkie, who fired the gun off in a panic, her bullet missing Limestone and killing Marble in the spot. The three remaining Pies were never quite the same after that.
Pinkie hatches a scheme. She would become an anonymous tip for the HCU, giving them information that will be used to suffocate the Pie family's business and force them into desperate action. At this point, Octavia would insert herself into the situation, claiming to have a plan to stop the HCU, but she'd need help and support from both sides of the family. This will force Maud and Limestone into a begrudging sit-down to discuss tactics. The plan goes perfectly and, once Maud and Lime are in the same room, Pinkie tips off the HCU, who, led by a woman with a burned face named Sylvia Crystal, raid the place, capturing most of the top guys of the Pie family. Instead of arresting Maud and Lime, however, Sylvia simply draws her pistol and shoots them both dead, staring daggers at an escaping Octavia all the while. That's when Octavia realizes who Sylvia is.
A long time ago, Octavia was tasked with torching a house, as collateral for a couple who didn't pay back Maud. Octavia did so, not knowing that the couple had a small daughter as well. Octavia heard the girl's screams and attempted to save her, scorching her arms in the process. That girl, then presumed dead by Octavia, was Sylvia, a woman now out for revenge.
Speaking of revenge, Pinkie wants revenge for her sister's death, and so she begins a crusade against Sylvia. Octavia attempts to turn herself in, believing Sylvia is God's wrath, a demon from her past to punish her for her sins. Only trouble is Sylvia has no interest in arresting Octavia, and is about to kill her when Vinyl swoops in for the save. As Pinkie and Sylvia both grow more violent and determined to kill, Vinyl and Octavia enact one last bamboozle; Octavia lures Sylvia and Pinkie to a church, which Vinyl burns down with all three of them inside. Octavia is the lone survivor, being horribly burned all over, and peacefully goes with the cops.
While in prison, Octavia becomes a priest, and after assisting many other criminals in their rehabilitation, is released from prison after 12 years on good behavior, ready to turn her life around with Vinyl.
And there we go. That's A Made Man in a nutshell.i kinda quick fired through the end there, but that's because this isn't the time or place to delve into the metaphors, symbolism, and biblical imagery I wanted to employ (though I'll say this: the snake in Maud's story from the farm was foreshadowing Doc; the snake on the farm survived the crop fire, and was only killed after it's greed compelled it to attempt to swallow a horse).
I hope this gives any fans if A Made Man some closure.
I'm not one of your followers that read that story, but I appreciate a whole damn lot what you just did. It pains to see a history that'll never see it's end, but knowing how it would've gone is a balm to the soul.
Ah, yes. I know this feeling very well and it has never gotten easier to swallow the realization that a good story wont have a conclusion. I must admit that it’s a bit of a bummer to hear that this story will most likely go unfinished.
I really appreciate that you took the time to inform your followers of how the story would have played out. It does help answer any lingering questions, and does bring some closure.
Chillbook, you have a lot of talent for telling a good story, had you finished this one it would have landed a spot on my favorites list without question. If I remember correctly, you once wrote a blog that said you might try to rework Crime Pays into a novel, which is something I still think you should do. However, I think you should consider reworking this story into a novel as well. I’ve read some of your other work, but I believe Crimes Pays and A Made Man really showcase your talent as a writer.
Once again, thanks for the blog.