He wants to see blood. He wants to see flesh bleed. He goes to the bathroom with a razor blade. He cuts off his left nipple with hardly a wince. Yes. That's nice. He cuts off his right, index finger. He holds the finger in his left hand. He stares at it, his mind a blank. He holds it up to the mirror, gazing at its reflection. He wanted to see flesh bleed. There is blood is pooling on the floor. He takes a bite of the meat of the dismembered finger. He wanted to see blood. He cuts out his left eye. He wanted to see flesh bleed. He cuts out his right eye. He wanted to see blood . . .

One year the sterility of New York's stone and metal caused Manhattan's ecosystem to collapse: dead rats and roaches lay everywhere; birds no longer dotted the skies; Central Park was turned to desert. There was much discussion about what to do with the situation. One solution was to reintroduce hearty South Asian cockroaches, as of all Manhattan's various species, roaches were the most adaptable, and the South Asian stock was especially strong. Another idea was to cultivate weeds, as these seem to need little help to grow. Finally, it was decided to spray the city with various bacteria, which could break down trash into fertile soil. It was hoped the situation would take care of itself, given the proper starting influences. But finally it became apparent that even human beings were dropping off because of these ultra-sterile conditions, and the city was evacuated. A perimeter was set up to keep the sterility from spreading, and it was decided containment was the best policy till the emergency was past, and an assessment could be made as to the most effective way to reintroduce an ecosystem to Manhattan.