Chuck is released from prison after 50 years. He returns home to his wife Daisy and they reconnect physically. The next day, Chuck decides to write a children's book to give back to society. He comes up with an idea about a boy who creates an imaginary character that gains followers who do his bidding, eventually leading them to kill people. Chuck arranges a meeting with a publisher, who is excited to publish Chuck's book despite its disturbing content about starting a cult. The publisher assures Chuck she will take care of everything.

1. Chase Bates
Darren Dean
Eng 2005
A CultClassic
His name is Chuck, greyness surrounds him. This cell feels smaller every day, as if it
were eventually going to disappear into the nothingness. His asshole is sore. They take
advantage of him in here. But hey, he would do anything for a pack of cigarettes. The sweet
taste of death makes him happy, Chuck enjoys knowing that he will die sooner than others,
others who don’t inhale this stick. Sometimes he misses back in the day, whenever he could
get high, pot was Chuck’s go-to anything. You’d be lucky to catch him without a joint in his
mouth, touching the sky like Neil Armstrong would. Trying to sleep, he looks up at the
concrete ceiling placed above his head, he thinks of nothing but what Ezra was talking about
yesterday in the courtyard. He was rambling on about how the prison was soon going to
release one of the most insane, fucked up prisoners in this joint. Joint… man he could go for
one right now. Especially after listening to this fool ramble on. Ezra was just like any other
prisoner in here, except for the fact that he enjoyed Chuck’s company. He doesn’t know why
this is, Chuck pays no attention to what Ezra has to say. Maybe that’s what he enjoys about
him. Maybe because other people actually give a shit about what Ezra is saying, though
meaningless.
“Chuck, you’re free to go. On account of good behavior, the California state prison
hereby releases you and you’re free of all charges.” This is what he heard at his fucking cell.
“What?” Chuck asks in response, as if he were dreaming… or maybe all the thoughts
about the reefer are making him stoned. The guard says nothing, but opens the gate. Chuck
then proceeds to the guard, cautiously, as if he were going to get hit. He peeks his head
around outside his cell, nothing suspicious. He could believe it, how easy it was to just follow

2. the man in all grey to the outside of a prison, where a taxi waited upon his arrival. What was
going on? Why is this happening? Chuck took it as nothing but a sign from God. He decided,
on the most beautiful damn taxi ride he has been on, that for now he is a changed man in the
eyes of everyone around him. Or at least he hopes for it.
He arrives home to his wife who has been waiting for this day for over fifty years.
Daisy brings him her open arms, and he accepts them with the upmost joy. They cry and run
into the house, with thoughts of sex on their mind. Though Chuck got his anal cavity filled a
few times in jail, his libido is still there. It actually opened up a new realm of sex for the both
of them. Butt stuff. They tried out some butt stuff. That entire day was actually dedicated to
butt stuff. The next day however, Chuck decides to write a children’s book, as his way of
giving back to society. Of course stoned now, he takes a minute to sit down with a note pad
and think of ideas to write about.
“Maybe like a dog, and he can’t read well. So he gets glasses, and now he can’t figure
out how to put them on, because he only has paws with no opposable thumbs.” He was rusty.
Chuck used to write before he got locked up, but once he was in prison, he had put it to an
end. He has no idea what to write about. “Oh yeah, I got it now,” Chuck says as he writes in
his hazed sense of mind. “Giant trees that can talk, tell us what life is as a creature of the
forest. But they can only speak Latin.” He began to make no sense. Another drag of the joint
pulls the THC across his lips, into his lungs and his blood. This reminded him of the days
back before he was incarcerated for… what did he do to get locked up?
An idea hits him! He crumples up the paper of the legal pad he was just writing on,
and starts on a new, fresh, yellow sheet. The paper almost tears to the pressure of his
aggressiveness, but it is only because he knows and is thrilled about what he is writing about.

3. His confidence is too much for the paper and the pad breaks. Looking around for another pad,
he finds his wife staring at him.
“What is going on, honey? Why did you just break that note pad? Are you upset with
something?”
“No, it’s fine. I’m fine. I’m not upset with anything. I just found the idea for my
book!” Chuck says in return.
“Oh! Well g...”
“…it was a legal pad by the way. Not a note pad.”
Feeling his attitude and showing it with her face, she finishes what she was going to
say, “Well good job. I hope it goes alright.” Of course their marriage wasn’t going to be
perfect just because Chuck has been released. It wasn’t perfect when he left. Daisy had
accused him of cheating on her back in ’61, not to say that her claim was true. She was just
going based off of poorly fed information, just as how many accusations are created. Friends
of Daisy loved doing this to her, they knew how gullible she was. Chuck knew this as well,
he also knew to never take advantage of it, even if he did it anyways.
A few hours later, he has a good bit chapters written down. The confidence in his
writing is unbelievable. Never as Chuck been so sure of what he was writing. Already
thinking of publishers that he has in mind, he wonders if the same publishers as of 50 years
ago will be available. What a predicament, he knows not what to do so he reaches for the
nearest phone book, which is all the way in the back on top of the fridge. Curious to why this
is, he grabs it and starts searching! Thirty seconds later, Daisy walks in with a screen filled
with all these publishers, with a board of keys attached to… OH! It’s a computer, I see now.
Chuck doesn’t catch on, but notices the quantity of different publishers. The phone is
nowhere to be found and he is feeling rushed. Daisy, once again hands him some sort of

4. devise with a number appearing on it. Chuck picks up the phone, “Hello?” Never has he been
more confused in his life.
The phone replies, “Fincher Paperbacks. How may I assist you this day?” Chuck finds
the way she said that odd, wondering if it were another generation of information that he has
missed out on. But alas, the phone operator had mixed up her words. She wanted to say “this
afternoon”, but she was not certain whether it was still morning or not. Coming up with a mix
of “today”, which she normally doesn’t stray away from, and “this morning/afternoon.”
“Yes..,” he says, uncertain of what he is calling about. Then he regains concentration,
“Could it be possible to set up a meeting with someone? I am wanting to get a book
published, but I am pretty naïve to the process currently. You see, I have just been released
from prison, after fifty years. Could you understand the confusion now?” Chuck chuckles, as
if almost flirting with her.
“Sure thing Mr.… what was your name sir? First and last please.”
Nervous, he spits out “Charles Manson. But please, just call me Chuck.” He recoils as
he thinks about the lady on the phone’s shock.
“Yes then. Mr. Chuck. Well let me see what I can do?” What? She doesn’t seem
shocked at all? What is this? He sits down, puzzled, baffled, struck. “We have a spot open at
any time of your convenience, Mr. Chuck.” The meeting was scheduled for 2 days from now,
Tuesday, at 1:30pm.
In the 2 day period, he manages to have perfected his children’s book. Every sketch,
every word, was created by his own two hands, this was the first time he has ever felt so
proud. Walking to the building where the publisher is, Charles feels like everybody in the city
was staring at him when he walks pass them. It could have been for a few things; his face
tattoos and his crazy look on his face developed in prison, before he left him and Daisy

5. shared a joint. But could it of been something else? The stares where not those of fear, but
blank, agreeing, stares. Someone opens the door for him as he walks in and heads to the front
desk. The same lady, not as good looking as he had hoped, shows him to the office where the
meeting between him and the publisher will be taking place. The door opens and the chair in
the office swivels around to face Charles. The nameplate on the desk read “Fuck Off”, as the
woman in the chair looks at Charles with a grin. He sits down.
“Thank you for having this meeting with me,” she says. “I was so excited when I
heard that YOU, Charles Manson, wanted to get your book published here!” She recognizes
the money that could be made in this. Who wouldn’t pick up a copy of THE Charles
Manson’s children’s book?
“Oh really? Well that’s great.” Still confused by everything, but going along with it.
“Do you want to know what the book is about?”
“Yes. Yes! Tell me all about it.”
“Well it starts off with this little boy. This little boy’s name is Seth and he never gets
the attention he wants. What he does is he makes up a character and tells people about this
character. Not in a descriptive way, but a persuading way. Some of the others start to follow
this character that Seth has created. He just goes along with it and figures out this could really
be useful. All these kids were idolizing and bowing before this character that they have never
seen, yet. Seth promised them that if they spread the word of the character that they can meet
him soon. Using these other kids to his advantage, to do his bidding and such, he gets crazy
with it. Now ordering these followers of the character to kill specific people, he enjoys the
power. At the end of the book, everybody he wished could be dead is, and now the remaining
people of earth listen, and do Seth’s bidding. Finally the attention he wanted.” Saying all this

6. out loud now sounds insane! Oh my God. What is the publisher going to do? He worries and
she stares him down and begins to slowly clap.
“Brilliant. Just brilliant. Let’s get started with this, shall we? Now first, we mu…”
“Wait! You’re cool with this? You’re just gonna let this book about a kid starting a
cult go on shelves? Are you mad?”
“No Mr. Chuck. I’m not upset at all.” She stands up, “I’ll take care of everything,
don’t you worry.” She extends her arm out to shake his hand, he stands up after but then she
takes her hand back and does a salute. This is what has been going on, he realizes. The cult he
got imprisoned for must have continued to grow over the years, finally to the stage Charles
had dreamed of. Most of the American population was under his command. The books were
to be published worldwide. The next day, 500 million copies were sent to China, then 500
million to all of Europe. A week later, Charles had made it to where he wished to achieve
from the very beginning of his life. With the control of all the world, our leader now starts to
think of what to do next. Daisy offers up the option of Space.