okay? What’s going on?” Her voice sounded frantic as Candy passed into the dining room.
She stopped in shock, taking in the scene in front of her. The phone slid from her hand and hit the floor, bouncing away. “What the…”
Candles flickered on the table, trying to entice her forward. The flowers she had thrown away were back in their vase, carefully arranged into a centerpiece. The necklace sat on the table sparkling just as brilliantly as before. The teddy bear sat in a chair facing an empty chair pulled back from the table, as if begging her to sit with him. There, directly on the place setting of the chair, was a box of chocolates. The lid was off and the chocolates sat there, demanding attention. A note laid next to the box.
She shivered as her eyes drifted over the words on the note. Candy for my Candy?
“Oh my god,” she muttered as she darted for the front door. She made it there as fast as her feet could carry her and threw the door open.
Candy stumbled out onto the porch, looking around in shock. Her whole entire porch was covered with flowers. Bouquets of flowers. Flowers in pots. Flowers just thrown on the wooden floor. Flowers were everywhere.
The smell was overpowering, cloying in her nose. She had to get away from those flowers. She fled the porch, running down the walkway to the street.
She looked up and down the street, trying to decide what to do. She had to get out of here. She turned and looked at her car. She needed to get in it and head to the police station or her parent’s house, anywhere that wasn’t here right now.
She turned and sprinted for her car. A dark shape seemed to step away from it as she got close. She stopped short as a figure came into view.
“Hey, what’s a matter?” the man asked as he stepped closer to her.
She felt the breath hitch in her throat as she looked up at his face. It was Kevin, her next door neighbor. He always seemed to show up when she was outside.
“What do you want?” she asked him.
“What’s wrong, Candy?” he asked her. “Where are you going?”
She instantly took a step back. Kevin would have had the perfect opportunity to leave those things on her porch. Plus, here he was, lurking outside her house in the dark. “I’ve got to go,” she whispered, turning around.
“Wait,” he called. “What ever is going on, I can help you with it. A girl like you shouldn’t have to be alone on Valentine’s Day.”
Her eyes grew wide. It was him. She took off on a dead run down the street.
“Come back, Candy.” Kevin’s voice seemed to follow her as she ran.
She ran faster, shivering in the cold night air. She glanced over her shoulder and saw him following. Her heartbeat kicked up another notch. She couldn’t let him catch her.
Candy darted off the sidewalk, into the woods lining the street. The path through them would take her to the next street over. There she would be safe, if she could get someone to pull over. She crashed through the trees, her shoes kicking up mud as she ran.
“Candy, where are you?” She heard Kevin’s voice call from somewhere behind her.
“No,” she panted. This couldn’t be happening. She heard his footsteps growing closer. By the sound of them, he would end up catching her before she made it back out of the trees.
“No. Please, no,” she cried as she ducked down behind a tree. She held her breath as she froze; hoping Kevin would just go right by her. Maybe if she was quiet enough, he would walk right past her.
She heard him draw closer, his breathing harsh as he looked around. “Candy, where are you?” he called. “Candy, please?”
She stayed still, trying to hold back the tears. He couldn’t find her. He just couldn’t.
“Candy?” he called as she heard his footsteps move away from her.
She was going to be okay. He would keep walking and she could double back and get her car. She was going to be just fine. A sob escaped her lips before she could stop it. She covered her mouth and waited.
Kevin’s footsteps stopped, then headed back in her direction.
Candy began to silently cry, the tears spilling from her eyes. It was over. He would find her.
“Candy?” he called to her. “I’m here. It will all be okay now.” He came closer, barely inches from where she was hiding.
She couldn’t stand it any longer. She stood up and started to run.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.
“Stop, please. Let go of me,” she begged him.
“Candy, why are you doing this?” he asked her gently. “Please, calm down.”
“No!” she screamed as her fists beat against his chest. “Let go of me! Don’t hurt me! Leave me alone!!”
“Candy,” he muttered as he tried to restrain her arms.
Suddenly lights seemed to flood the trees.
Kevin let go of her and looked around.
“Freeze. Police. Step away from the lady.” Voices shouted through the trees.
“Oh thank god,” she yelled and rushed for the lights. “You have to help me. He’s trying to hurt me. He was in my house,” she babbled as she neared the voices.
“Candy?” Someone spoke her name.
“Brad?” she asked as she drew close enough to see his face. It was Officer Waters. She let out a shaky breath. She was among friends now.
“We’ve got her, Frank.” Officer Waters called to the other cop. “Candy’s okay.”
“Thank god.” The other cop breathed a sigh of relief.
“Okay buddy, keep those hands where I can see them,” Brad called to Kevin as he walked up the path towards him.
The other cop, Candy recognized as Officer Cooper, walked over to her. “Are you okay?” he asked her.
“Yeah, Frank. I am,” she said as a shiver took a hold of her body.
Officer Cooper looked down at her and then over at the other cop, who was putting cuffs on Kevin. “You okay, Brad?”
“Yeah, I’ve got this. Take Candy to the police station for me. I’ll meet you there.”
“I don’t know what’s going on here,” Kevin spoke as he tugged on the handcuffs. “I was just trying to help her.”
“Yeah, well it looks like she didn’t want your help,” Brad told him as he led him back down the trail.
“Come on,” Frank said, leading Candy to his police cruiser. “Let’s get you where it’s warm.”
“Thank you,” she said, smiling up at him. Officer Cooper was always thoughtful. He always made sure she had a hot cup of coffee when they were both at the station. “I mean it, Frank. Who knows what might have happened if you guys hadn’t showed up,” she told him as he let her in the car.
He looked down at her. “Don’t worry. You’re safe now.” He closed her door and hurried around to the driver’s side.
She settled down into the warmth as he got in and started the car. Her heartbeat was returning to normal and she felt as if she could breathe again. “Thank god this night is over,” she said, as they pulled away from the curb.
Officer Cooper looked over at her and smiled. “I have something that might make it even better.” He reached down under the seat and bought out a box of chocolates.
Candy froze. It was the same box of chocolates that had been on her table.
Frank’s smile grew even wider as he offered them to her. “Candy for my Candy?”
###
About the author:
Melissa L. Webb is a writer of dark words. She spends her days creating new nightmares in Northern California.
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