From the mountains came a loud crackling. Joy Boy was hunting.
He returned with a mountain of food, dropping it in the middle of the square.
"Eat! It's free! Fill your stomachs! Then find real joy!"
He began to dance. A strange, rhythmic dance.
The ground and buildings became rubbery. People were forced to move.
At first, they yelled. "Stop!"
But the dance brought back old memories. Warmth. Love. A mother's hug.
The anger faded. People cried as they danced, remembering what they had lost.
"I sold my mother's ring..."
"I forgot my daughter's face..."
They ate from the food mountain.
The dance lasted three days.
When it stopped, people were tired, but their eyes were clear. The poison was gone.
Rhett watched from the doorway. "This world needs fools like him."