Desdemona

The local multi-millionaire named Mr. Curtis Landgreen approached the seventeenth semi-annual "Clashing of the Candies" competitively, coming to defend his seven-peat, which very well scared half the usual attendees away. It wasn't until the tenth installment that Mr. Landgreen got invested in the entire process, but once he did, no one could beat him, resulting in the ending of multiple highly respected competitors' runs. He arrived on the scene in a custom-made velvet tailored suit, a pair of navy blue pants that further signified his wealth, sparkling black leather shoes that shined in the sunlight, and a smooth-looking briefcase he bore in his right hand. Quite feared amongst the community for his success involving the tournament, Mr. Landgreen arrived in a manner he labeled "fashionably late," which meant he would regularly march his way through the front doors about two-and-a-half minutes after the contestants were requested to show up. The event's officials were practically forced to put up with his nagging behavior due to his reputation and wealth. This man would very clearly threaten to sue the organization if he did not get his way. The lead organizer for the event, a scrawny, blond-haired man named Bruce Parsons, who couldn't afford to dress half as classy as Mr. Landgreen, forced a smile upon his face when he arrived, regarding him in the manner a butler or maid would.

"Welcome, sir," Bruce greeted him. 

"Good morning, Bruce," Mr. Landgreen replied, fashionably, per usual.

"How are you on this wonderfully charming day?"

"I am quite well, Bruce." Mr. Landgreen studied Bruce's appearance as if he were presented to him on a breakfast platter. "And tidy up, would you please?"

"Of course, sir," Bruce Parsons replied, running his hands through his hair to check for dandruff. When none could be detected, he fixed his hair back in the place he had arranged for it to stay in and followed Mr. Landgreen inside, where multiple attendees had been waiting rather impatiently for his presence.

The townsfolk weren't too appreciative of Mr. Landgreen's participation in an event they felt they deserved to themselves. Still, here he was, fashionably late, as usual, approaching his own reserved table while overhearing a mother whisper sweet nothings of propaganda into her child's ears.

"See that man? He can afford to buy so many more M&M's than anyone else. It's just not fair. That's how he wins all the time, just like he does in the real world: cheating people out of their money."

Mr. Landgreen wanted to testify to his innocence, but seeing that any attempt to prove he wasn't cheating would lead to further suspicions, he walked past the woman that sat with her youngest daughter and went straight to his table. Sitting down in the school-styled chair supplied, he checked the time on his diamond-encrusted watch, which stated it was just barely after one o'clock, and tapped his feet, eagerly awaiting the tournament to begin. 

Another parent, this time nonchalantly glancing at Mr. Landgreen himself when he spoke, told his child, "That's a bad man, Lawrence. He cheated us out of our money, and something's got to be done about it, right?" 

"That's right, dad!" Lawrence confirmed to his father. "Are you going to beat him up for me and mom?" 

"Well, I'm not quite sure about that," Lawrence's father, former champion Greg Milton, replied. "Remember, we're planning on beating him, not beating him up." His son seemed to understand the direction, and as an awkward silence protruded from the crowd, Bruce called the townsfolk to attention. 

"Good afternoon, everyone. As you know, my name is Bruce Parsons, and this is the 16th semi-annual ‘Clash of the Candies’ event held right here in Walker, Illinois!" An explosion of voices, both from adults and their children, exclaimed at Bruce's words, as he had hoped. "Now, of course, we call it 'candies,' but, as should be known, only M&M's are to be used. Just repeating for the newcomers, I saw a couple of them come in the door, and I'm looking at a few right now," Bruce spoke, pointing at a couple of different individuals. "There aren't going to be any rule changes this time, just a little mix up with how people are going to be going through because not enough competitors signed up this time to continue the way we usually do. There's only thirty-two competitors instead of the usual sixty-four, so the sixty-four round is going to be cut off, and we'll be doing a baseline round instead. But before we go ahead and smash the M&M's together and begin the whole tournament, we're gonna let everyone get the chance to show off the M&M they're using the tournament, and then we'll get underway. Does anyone have any questions?"

Although only half the people signed up to participate, the number of onlookers multiplied proportionally, resulting in even more noise. One of the newcomers raised their hands, and Bruce promptly called on them. 

"Hi, my name's Morgan Shelley; I'm one of the 'newcomers' here. Is the prize money gonna change due to fewer contestants signing up for the event?"

"Fortunately, no," Bruce replied. "Mr. Landgreen at the far table over there added in more than a regular spot in the competition, so the prize money is still set at two-hundred and fifty dollars." The crowd turned their heads to Mr. Landgreen, who humbly smiled and nothing more. 

It wasn't long before people put their M&M's on display in a convention-like manner. Each person brought their own unique M&M that they had found in separate packages to clash with other M&M's and hopefully win the prize money along the way. The buzz around the M&M tournament helped the local candy association that was hosting the event, of which Bruce Parsons was the spokesman. Even with fewer participants, the company did well because more and more packs of candy were being bought, usually to find a uniquely 'potent' M&M among the bunch. It is rather vital to mention that only regular M&M's were to be allowed. The peanut variety of the candy was disallowed and would result in an immediate disqualification if caught. If such a label were to be distributed, the problem with the process was that the organizers didn't do much to prove whether a person was cheating. Bruce trusted practically everyone besides Mr. Landgreen, and after each event that he won, his winning M&M would be inspected to ensure a fair victory.

Deep down, Mr. Landgreen did not donate the sum of seventy-five dollars as a pure act of generosity but rather a way out if necessary. In his eyes, the organization owed him for the money he donated, and perhaps the proper payback was through slightly brushing around the rules. 'Maybe, just maybe,' Mr. Landgreen thought, 'I could steal an opponent's M&M if needed. Yes, that sounds quite like a plan.' And so it was. 

Each year the competition grew fiercer and fiercer, and with the possibility that an opponent could cheat his way to the title that Mr. Landgreen proudly held, it only fitted that he should cheat as well. It was reasonable to believe that this time around, someone would cheat, potentially one of the newcomers. He could see it in their eyes as they walked past his table, glaring down at the M&M he produced from his briefcase. When the time came, Mr. Landgreen knew it was up to him to shut down their operation and cheat for his own good, to keep the M&M title in his hands.

Suddenly, a roar of voices hailed from a table towards the front of the building, where Morgan Shelley, the newcomer who asked about the prize money, held a yellow, large-looking M&M in the air. The crowd was stunned at its massive size, and even after a quick inspection by Bruce, he determined it was eligible for the tournament and decidedly not a Peanut M&M.  

Mr. Landgreen walked his way over and stared in envy at the M&M that Mr. Shelley produced. 

"You've got a name for that thing?" someone asked Mr. Shelley.

"Yeah, I call her Desdemona. I've had her for a good month now. When I saw the ad for this competition, I immediately flocked on over." The people hung on his words. 

'Desdemona!' A couple of people thought at the same time. 'Well that's a name and a half!'

'I've got to take it,' Mr. Landgreen thought instead. 'That one could ruin me; I could lose!' An idea struck him in an instance. He smirked for the briefest of seconds, turned swiftly around, and walked right back to his table, where a similar crowd gawked at his distinctly smaller M&M.

"This could be the year your streak comes to an end, Mr. Landgreen," spoke a lady named Ms. Selene Ray, another challenger.

"Desdemona's got everything except an experienced owner, and I win this competition every time through care. We'll see how it goes."

After a short pause where Bruce and the other organizers created the tournament's official bracket, the clashes went underway. For the first round, the top left of the bracket stated that Fred Pilkens would face Desdemona, Greg Milton was set to face Monica Ritz, Selene Ray was pitted against Arthur Lewis, and Mr. Landgreen was to go against a man named Weston Ingels. Bruce and the team filled in the other portions afterward, but that top left side was the talk of the tournament. It was quite interesting, a rather peculiar coincidence, that randomly the most prominent names by far in the competition were mixed all on one side, but it clearly did make for some excitement.

To begin the tournament, each participant was tasked with defeating a regular, presumably non-strong M&M to serve as a baseline. Using their thumb and pointer finger, each contestant pressed their M&M and another against each other, smashing the two together. When the clash finished, one of the M&M's became withered in a heap of crumbs, whereas the other, the victor, remained intact. Not a single contestant's preferred candy was lost during the test, so the round of thirty-two began. 

First up was Fred Pilkens, and the newcomer of the hour, Morgan Shelley's Desdemona. 

"Alright, so who wants to go on top?" Bruce asked the pair as the proceedings went underway.

"I want mine on top," Mr. Pilkens briskly replied. Mr. Shelley complied and said he was fine with the bottom, eager to showcase Desdemona's real power. Of course, this wouldn't necessarily be an easy task, as Fred Pilkens was quite the challenger himself, although often underestimated. 

This time around, Mr. Pilkens's M&M was a fusion of two, only barely eligible for competition. And judging from the M&M's appearance and how it destroyed the baseline one, you would suspect Mr. Pilkens had a chance. But when it happened, Desdemona crushed Mr. Pilkens's M&M so quickly; he didn't even catch a glimpse of his own contender losing. If not already established, Desdemona was incredible. 

There was another bout of awe when Mr. Pilkens's M&M crumbled all over the table they clashed on, but Mr. Landgreen's voice was not in addition to the scuffle. He had his idea, his plot to continue his reign, and if he were to carry it out, at least with any chance of success, he'd have to wait just a little while longer. 

So while Mr. Landgreen waited for the perfect time to carry out his nefarious scheme, the round of thirty-two finished up, and an intermission between that and the round of sixteen began. Greg Milton, the former champion and the father of that Lawrence kid from earlier, beat Monica, thrusting the plan in a beautiful position, as Desdemona was set to face him. On the bottom half of the top left side, Selene Ray marched her way past Arthur Lewis, in a victory which seemed rather pyrrhic due to a significant dent in her M&M, and Mr. Landgreen, of course, advanced as well. 

At about this time, Mr. Landgreen found he needed to use the restroom. Thinking a minute ahead, he pulled out a packet of M&M's from his right pants pocket, took the strong M&M he was using, and switched it out with one that looked much like it, in case someone would try and steal it while he was out. And as he walked to the bathroom area, he passed Desdemona's table along the way, and Morgan Shelley stopped him in an instant, pacing over almost from where Mr. Landgreen's table resided. In the sudden rush to come over, Morgan Shelley failed to see Mr. Landgreen steal Desdemona, mixing it in with the rest of the M&M's in his packet.

"Well, hey there," Morgan said. "It's a pretty fierce competition, huh? Glad to see you, Mr. Landgreen." He stretched out his arm for a handshake, but realizing the situation and the danger he might be in if caught, Mr. Landgreen shifted his attention. 

"Sorry, I'm heading on to the bathroom real quick, Morgan," he said, rejecting the handshake.

"No worries," Morgan replied. "I was heading on to the bathroom as well but I saw you and thought that maybe I should say hello before you got too far."

"Oh, I understand," Mr. Landgreen responded, daring not to look back directly in case Morgan felt compelled to turn around as well, specifically to his table, which was now empty. He led him down the narrow hallway that went straight to the bathroom area, held the door open, and used the restroom, eating his packet of M&M's in the stall while simultaneously talking to Morgan about the tournament and his reign. He felt it only appropriate as Morgan was eating a package of M&M's as well. 

It wasn't until he left the bathroom that Mr. Landgreen decided to eat Desdemona, but he didn't pass it up when the time came. He inspected it closely, checking it for any signs of being tampered with. But by the looks of it, nothing was significantly wrong. The 'M' logo on the candy shined as brightly as his shoes, and it felt proper, although it was noticeably larger than a regular M&M. He didn't consider the possibility it could have been filled with poison or anything else; he just stuck it in his mouth and began to chew. And then he realized.

'This isn't an M&M,' Mr. Landgreen thought. 'It's a Skittle! It's a Skittle, that cheating hag!' He should have seen it coming, and he knew he should have too. For why he hadn't, he couldn't imagine. But now he knew, yes, he knew. Morgan Shelley was, in fact, more of a cheater than Mr. Landgreen, and to achieve such a title was an accomplishment in itself. Suddenly, before he even had the chance to swallow, a cluster of rage escaped the main hall, and as Mr. Landgreen arrived on the scene, with only an empty M&M packet in his pocket, he found himself in the middle of the heat.

"Desdemona's gone!" The crowd looked judgingly at Mr. Landgreen as if they were to charge at him. But then, another voice emerged.

"Don't be mad at him!" Perry Newman, another newcomer, yelled. "Mr. Landgreen's M&M is missing too!" It sent a shockwave across the masses of scattered people, but Mr. Landgreen looked unaffected. His plan was working, and rightfully so when Morgan Shelley stood himself on top of his table to address the crowd.

"Folks, I was with Mr. Landgreen in the bathroom. Desdemona was here when I left, I'm pretty sure of it, so it couldn't have been him. But I know enough about this competition to say that it must've been Greg Milton! I'm facing him in the next round. He tried getting rid of me and pinning it on Mr. Landgreen, look at him!" Greg Milton was red-faced, yes, but mostly of embarrassment rather than guilt. Still, his facial expression was perceived the wrong way and therefore was not given a chance to speak.

"But he messed up," Morgan Shelley continued. "He got greedy and went for Mr. Landgreen's M&M as well, it only makes sense!"

Greg Milton, the poor, middle-aged man he was, ended up getting kicked out of the tournament for insufficiently testifying his case after Mr. Landgreen joined in on the accusation. And after another hour or so, he successfully defended his title, securing his eighth and final victory in a row, as he moved from the city full of guilt.

For the remainder of his life, Greg Milton was treated as if he had committed a murder. When the papers got word of the incident, Mr. Milton got up and left Walker, Illinois for good as well, vowing never to return. He couldn't stand the looks he got. He would swear his innocence up and down, but no one believed him. To the public, he was a coward, a lying coward at that.

And so, for many years, the mystery of who stole Mr. Landgreen's M&M, and Desdemona for that matter, remained unsolved. That is, until about twenty years later when Mr. Landgreen's maid handed him a peculiar letter without a return address. The letter read like this:

Dear Mr. Curtis Landgreen,

It's been a while, hasn't it? Since the Clashing of the Candies, that is. Well, since it's been so long, I felt as though I should apologize for leading you on. Greg Milton didn't steal your M&M. I swear he stole Desdemona, unless I suppose you somehow did, but he didn't steal it. I did. I hope you'll look back on this and laugh. I’d say I played you pretty well, don’t you think?

Sincerely yours, 

Morgan Shelley