AN: I have so much stuff to do, and yet I take time out to write this for you guys. The things I do for you. No promises on a chapter next week. Backstage takes up my writing time. Next time I update it will be a double-feature though. Two chapters in one day.
Reviews: (So many! )
BlueHelixx: Natasha is supposed to make you mad. It means I'm doing this right, so thank you for telling me.
xxJadeyCakesxx: EJ isn't going to be a large part of this story for several chapters, but he's in here somewhere. Have no fear.
Rose(Guest) On Hunter: I hope you're reading this. I love Sweet Dreams (Are made of these), but I listen to the Marilyn Manson version. I am sad to say that I don't have a facebook or any other social media. The people who control me will not allow it.
Superkassu: Well… Slender isn't fond of Mitch, but he makes an effort. I wouldn't say that Lea being gone improved anything.
JTLETSGETIT: Thank you for the compliment! I would have killed Natasha too, if it was me.
[6] Candy
Sept. 20, 9:00 pm
Chapter 12: Lea
I'm sitting at the table downstairs, frowning at the screen of the cellphone. I realized I could listen to the music on it without knowing the password. The second I turned the device on a wave of texts and missed calls rushed in. Most of the calls are from "Mom." That's what's bothering me. I didn't consider before not that I must have a family somewhere. It's a pretty big shock. I've been stupid not to consider it.
I'm overcome with a wave of directionless homesickness. I blink back tears that don't seem to be connecting to my mother.
The rest of the notifications are a confusing jumble of names. Some are clearly friends from a long time ago, people I haven't contacted in a long time. Then there's a contact called "Base," which appears to spew instructions and another labelled, "Eagle" who seems frantic.
Who are they? A friend, a boyfriend, a girlfriend? Maybe my stepfather? The possibilities are almost endless. For that matter; who am I?
The notifications finally stop and I push the headphones into my ears and press the blank "play" button. Two seconds tick by and then a song that makes my entire body shiver and blood run cold plays. It sounds like it's playing in reverse. I remove the headphones.
A new notification arrives from "base." I can't read all of it, but I see "all members are—." I flip the phone over, my chest tight.
I glance up and see three faces looking at me from the doorway to the sitting room. Janey and her brothers, distracted from the TV. The boys are grinning at me.
I look down at the textbook open in front of me, then back up at the kids and say, "What's up?"
Janey looks extremely guilty, but the twins just smile wider and—
Scars carved into white skin, ropey and raised in an ear-to-ear grin. Lips pulled back from canine teeth, appearing human, thick fur becoming patchy—
"Lea?" Janey says, and I blink as I see all three of them are right in front of me. The boys' smiles have faded slightly.
"I'm okay," I say, shaking the things out of my head.
I look at them again and see all three children are sucking on something. In their hands are brightly-colored plastic wrappers. One of Janey's small fists is closed around a wad of them.
"Where did you get candy?" I ask, thinking that their mother is going to kill me.
"Laughing-Jack," Janey says, and somehow I understand she means the clown from her nightmare. For some reason that makes me feel better about it.
I look at the boys. They're both seven and outgrowing their fairytale stage, "You too?"
They both nod.
Daniel, who I've come to recognize because his hair has slightly more volume, says, "He told us to give you this," and holds out a red wrapper, the hard ball of the candy still inside it.
Adrian and Janey both lean away, as if he were holding a spider in his palm.
I take the candy and turn it in my fingers. The wrapper is still on tight, crinkling slightly in my hand. I look at the kids. All three of them are watching me. Daniel pops a purple candy into his mouth.
I unwrap the candy. It's bright red, as most candies are. It feels hard and solid, but I roll it in between my palms, making sure one of the twins hasn't licked it. Finding it saliva free, I glance once more at the kids and see the expectant looks on their faces. I pop the candy into my mouth.
All three of them step away from me, and I start to ask why, but just then I get my first taste of the candy and complete bliss sweeps over me. I can't place the flavor, but I know it's the best thing I've ever tasted.
I close my eyes and let out an "mmm" of pleasure, letting the taste take over for a moment. I feel my body relax; it's like a drug.
I blink open my eyes, smiling dreamily, and look down at the kids. They're staring back like I'm insane.
"What?" I ask, tucking the candy into my cheek.
Instead of replying Adrian, the quieter of the twins, removes another red candy from his pocket and squeezes it out of the wrapper. He gives it an experimental lick and gags violently.
I snatch the candy from his hand as the boy fights back vomit. He succeeds.
"Okay," I say, checking the time on the cellphone, "You were supposed to be in be ten minutes ago."
Janey and Daniel groan. Adrian is still recovering. I see Janey start to pop another candy into her mouth and hold out my hand.
"Give it here,"
She hands over the brightly-covered candy, giving me a murderous look.
"All of it."
They produce three to five candies in every color from deep purple to lime green each from various pockets. I collect them all in the palm of my hand, promising myself I'll try one after they're all safely in bed.
"Now pajamas, all of you. Your mom will kill me if she finds you awake."
They all jump into motion. The thought of their mother tired and angry in a blood-covered nurse's uniform scares them more effectively than any image I can conjure, and that's saying something.
I close my eyes, sucking on the candy in my mouth. I'm not hungry. In fact I feel full. That's something I haven't felt in months.
The clothes that Kaylee bought me are already a little too small. Is it normal to have a growth spurt at 17?
I get up after a couple of minutes to check on the kids.
The twins are already in bed, Adrian in the top bunk. They pretend to be disgusted when I enter the room, even though they're both fully clothed under the blankets.
I confiscate three more candies, one of them red.
Janey is taking her time getting ready for bed. She's still in the bathroom when I walk to the hall. I head back downstairs while I wait and have to shoo Kip, the dog, away from the candies.
He leapt up onto the table and is sniffing at them. I scoop him up, setting off a growling, snarling fit of noise, and have to concentrate very hard not to throw the animal as hard as I can against a wall. I set Kip down gently, only kicking him lightly when he whirls on me with his teeth bared.
I swallow the last of the red candy in my mouth, and longing for the peculiar flavor immediately begins. I survey my options on the table. I pocket the two red candies, the third Adrian licked and so goes in the trash, and I'm just choosing a purple-wrapped treat when the house phone rings.
I pick it up, the candy still in my left hand, and say, "Hello?" thinking it's Kaylee, asking about the kids.
The voice that answers me is definitely not Mrs. Higgins, "Hey, Lea."
"Hello," I say again, wait for them to speak.
"It's Neil."
I roll my eyes; that explains everything and say, "Hello," again.
"Sorry to bug you. You're babysitting tonight, right?"
"Yes,"
I hear the distinct sound of a cough from the other end, faint. Then Neil is back on, "Awesome. Could you do something for me?"
I frown, thinking about it. I must let the silence hang too long because he says, "Lea?"
He's calling me by my name. That sets off alarm bells in my head, but I say, "Sure."
"Right; I've got some friends here who are calling me a liar for saying we've got a date. You want to set them straight?"
Not the date thing again, for about the 30th time this week. Enough already. But, for the 30th time, I find there's something in me that can't say no. Trying to place the reason brings the old ache of longing back to my chest.
"Yes," I say, "next Saturday at five, right?"
"That's the one," Neil says over the sudden clamor of laughter and whistling in the background. I feel my stomach drop; they think I'm going to—
Janey is looking at me from the top of the stairs. She looks concerned.
"Hey Janey, ready for bed?" I say, not bothering to remove the phone from my ear.
"Yes,"
"I'll be up in a little bit."
She nods like there's something bothering her but turns back into the hallway.
Into the phone I say, "Give it a rest, okay?"
"What?"
"You got what you wanted. You don't have to ask seven times a day if we're still going." I'm feeling touchy. It's a bizarre contrast to my usual lack of emotion.
"But I like asking," Neil insists.
I don't reply for a moment. Poe appears from nowhere and purrs around my ankles.
"I've got to go," I say, "see you Monday."
"Ya, see ya, sweetie,"
I hang up, wondering why it makes me feel so weird to be called pet-names.
I head upstairs, but Janey is already asleep. She has her bedside lamp on, so I shut that off.
I pop the purple candy into my mouth, but it's just a candy, almost too sweet.
Back to normal.
Until go up into my room, thinking to grab something to read. Sitting on my bed, in the center of the pillow like a hotel courtesy mint, is a small pile of the red candies.
I hear the closet door slide shut behind me.