October 8, 2019
Genevieve often cut through one of the many city parks in order to get from one shopping area to another, it was a small park mostly some tables and chairs with a handful of trees and shrubs scattered about. There really wasn’t much to it, no swings or playground and no benches, it was just a small swatch of space made into a shady sitting area in the city. It was just called a park, for some unknown reason, it just happen to fall between two areas where Genevieve liked to shop. One one side, and across the street, were several stores she liked to go and on the opposite side were a few more. So the walk was one she made often when she went out clothing shopping - like now.
While she was walking towards the little park, which really didn’t count as a park in her mind, Genevieve spotted some kids gathering around a man who was giving out something. It wasn’t until she got closer that the brunette noticed what it was - candy corn. Why would someone be bringing candy here to hand out? It wasn’t Halloween yet, though it was October, and it didn’t seem like some sort of party. It was just a random candy giving man.
Though she normally wasn’t a fan Genevieve did go over and take some of the offered treats for herself as well. Though she put them into her pocket, for later, and continued on her way through the park and across the street to the waiting stores. She was trying to do some early, really early, holiday shopping for friends and family - mostly family.
She was, at the moment, thinking about clothing. Sweaters, coats, and other nice warm things she was sure some of her family members would appreciate. But also in thee back of Genevieve’s mind were other, more fancy and fun, ideas such as a new game system for a cousin of hers and a laptop for another who was going to be entering college. She had ideas, lots of them, she just needed time so if she started early she should be done in time.
Arriving at the store, finally, the large and heavy door was pushed open as Genevieve stepped into the welcome warmth. The place was filled with clothing and only a few people - good. She didn’t want to deal with a lot of people right now, they might get in her way or grab something she needed. The store wasn’t one she’d normally go to, she went to other stores on this strip of street, but L.L. Bean wasn’t a store she’d ever go to normally. She however had an uncle who liked camping and going skiing and she figured some winter clothing, that would handle the cold, would be perfect. Maybe a heavy coat or two and some really good boots. She wasn’t sure he had such items but with how much time he liked to spend in the outdoors, especially this time of year, she was sure more wouldn’t do any harm.
“Time to start looking.” And perhaps asking for help, as this was unfamiliar territory for her. As she got lost in shopping the candy corn, in the pocket of her coat, remained...forgotten - for now.
Word count: 547
Quote:
As you head down a very familiar route that you frequent one night, you come across someone giving away free candy corn. Whether you love it or hate it, free is free and you decide to take it home, shoving it in your pocket to be forgotten. Eventually you head to bed, only to be woken up but a soft, high - pitched snarling sound near the foot of your bed. You sit up and find that the candy corn is splayed out across the floor, and among it, in the center of what seems to be a sacrificial circle… Is a knee high gremlin shaped like a candy corn. It sees you and bites you, before scampering away. Before you can catch it, it's disappeared. Sans the strange little bite on your leg, there's no evidence this was anything more than a dream, and by morning the marks are almost completely gone. The only lingering effect is an extreme need to consume sugar for the next twenty four hours.
