My name is Merrily and

Hi. My name is Merrily and I am a chocoholic.

Hi Merrily.

I haven’t had a piece of chocolate in three days. 

Oh wait.

I had a fozen cafe mocha this afternoon.  

Okay. Okay. 

I haven’t had chocolate in 6 hours and 

37 minutes.

I guess it all started on my first birthday. 

I was sitting in my high chair minding my own 

business when an enormous piece of chocolate 

cake was placed on my tray in front of me. 

I tried one little morsel of that chocolate and 

it was off to the races! I was so giddy with the 

flavor I could barely hit my mouth - I slathered 

it on my face and in my hair and up and down 

my arms. And I began my secret plotting to get 

more of this incredible stuff, this manna from 

heaven, this food of the gods.

Halloweens were always tough for me. 

My sisters and I would sort all of our candy 

to see who made the best score. We would 

negotiate and trade and bicker and eat. 

My candy would be gone in no time. 

I would steal a piece here and there from 

different sisters so as not to be discovered.

And Easter? Oh the torture. My oldest sister 

would wait until my chocolate bunny was 

devoured before pulling hers out untouched. 

Licking its ears and taunting me about my 

long gone bunny. Oh, she was relentless all 

right but when I was 12 I outgrew her (no 

doubt with a little help from my chocolate) 

and she was afraid to tease me anymore.

My mother taught me how to make her 

infamous fudge. I was the only one she taught 

because it was so hard to judge the timing and 

she knew I would stick with it. It required 

stirring for about an hour after it was cooked 

to achieve the right consistency. All the while 

I would pull the full spoon up like she taught 

me, letting the thickening elixer slowly pour  

[over my finger] into the pot. By the time that 

fudge cured my stomach would ache. 

Ah but I was sated.

When I was sixteen I got a job at a little cafe 

that made hand rolled chocolates. I walked in 

the back room and discovered the large vats 

of chocolate cooling. If I waited until just the 

right moment I could pull the long spoon out 

and break off a hunk of the stuff before it 

hardened too much. [I know my chocolate, 

yessiree] I would put it in my apron 

pocket and gnaw on it all day. Good times. 

Good times.

Well I could go on and on but it was when I 

began nibbling on semi-sweet Baker's chocolate 

squares that I knew I'd hit rock bottom. I mean 

where do you go from there - dumpster diving 

for wrappers to lick?

So I stand in front of you today a broken woman. 

I can't stop - I need help. 

It will take something greater than me to make 

this craving go away. 

Does any body have any heroin???