Like Kids in a Candy Store







“It isn’t fair, Xander!” Emma said, stamping her Mary Jane clad foot. “You always get to go first!” Several nonpareils skittered off the counter to join the larger mess of candy on the floor. One of the few unbroken fluorescent lights in the store flickered and died, which would have made it difficult for the average person to navigate around the shambles. Emma scowled at the light, as if it too was part of a larger conspiracy to make sure she was last, but easily made her way to stand beside her brother without so much as a stumble.

Xander looked at his little sister smugly. “It’s very fair. You didn’t get up right away when I knocked so I went hunting alone. I caught it and I get to go first. You’re lucky I came back to get you. What if it had gotten away?”

Emma crossed her arms over her polka dotted dress and pouted. “I hate you,” she hissed.

The teenage boy circled the bound and gagged man struggling on the floor. He nudged the man with the toe of his designer sneaker. “Aw c’mon, look at him Em. He’s bigger than the last one. Plenty for us both.”

“If you waited for me I could have gotten a bigger one, maybe even two or three!” A sly look crossed her face. “I know where some big ones are and I know how to catch them,” she said in a sing song voice. Emma picked up a sprinkle covered candy apple. She started picking off the sprinkles, tossing them at the man one by one as she circled him. “I’m still going to be hungry right after we’re done here.”

“Oh alright,” Xander said, looking at the man appraisingly. “If you're still hungry, we’ll go after the ones you were talking about right after we get done here. You can even lead the hunt. Happy now?”

Emma tossed the apple at the man’s head, clapped her hands and ran over to hug Xander.

“Get off,” he snapped. “God, do you have to do that all the time? You’re such a baby.”

She giggled, pleased that the hug irritated him. Xander dusted himself off and ran his hands through his blonde hair as if to remove some dirt that had gotten on him.

“Can you take out his gag,” she asked, still giggling. “I like to hear the screams.”

“Do it yourself brat.”

Emma stuck her tongue out at Xander and removed the gag. Immediately the man began to plead. “Let me go kid. Please. All that stuff I said before. I was just kidding. I wasn’t going to hurt you. We were going to have fun. We could still have fun, all of us together.”

“Emma, cover your ears,” Xander said.

Emma recognized the face he made meant business and covered her ears right away.

Xander started kicking the man. “Don’t - you – ever- talk like that around my sister! She’s still innocent you fucking asshole!” He grabbed one of the few unbroken glass bins filled with gumballs and smashed it over the man’s head.

Emma uncovered her ears, looked at the dead man and then looked over at Xander. “You said swear words!”

“You were supposed to have your ears covered. And who are you going to tell? Mom? She taught me how to swear.”

Emma looked at the pulpy mess. “He’s not going to scream anymore. It’s not fair.”

Xander shrugged, then smiled for the first time that evening, long incisors gleaming. “There’s still plenty to eat.  And maybe the next ones will scream a lot.”

“You always cheer me up. I love you Xander.”

“Geez Em, make up your mind. You said you hated me a few minutes ago. C’mon. Dinner’s getting cold.”

“You mean appetizer,” Emma said happily, revealing her own set of fangs. She picked up a bright yellow gumball, swirling it in the remains of the man’s head and popped it in her mouth. “You have to try one like this – it’s so good!”

“You are just too weird Em. Can’t you do anything normal?” Xander said before biting down on the man’s neck.

“You’re too scared to try anything new. I’m going to save more of these to dip in tonight’s dinner,” Emma said, grabbing a handful of gumballs and stuffing them in her pocket.

And with that, she settled down and ate.





32 comments:

  1. Every playground needs a few Emmas and Xanders. Assuming they only like the big ones.

    Emma is fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  2. LOL, indeed. This was a fun story to write. I may revisit them again at some point.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you should. I really want to see Emma's hunting skills in action.

      Delete
    2. I see her as being more random, compared to her methodical sibling, because there is just as much fun in the chase as in the eating.

      Delete
  3. These two almost seem like some of the kids I grew up with. Imaginative story!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I some flashbacks to a few of the neighborhood kids I grew up with when I wrote it too.

      Delete
  4. THis was delightful. I so know Emma and Xander, or their non vampire equivalents. Super story. Loved the read......and the Donny and Marie just made me giggle even more. Thanks. Hope you'll come by and read ours, Oma Linda http://yeoldecronesgazette.blogspot.com/2014/02/vampire-soiree-2014a-bit-of-switch.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When Donny and Marie crossed my mind as I was thinking for a song to go with this post I laughed so hard I knew I had to use it. LOL, glad I'm not the only one who got a giggle from it.

      Delete
  5. I love this story!!! I love the characters! Fantastic! Great lines! “You were supposed to have your ears covered. And who are you going to tell? Mom? She taught me how to swear.” I actually read your story twice! I really enjoyed it! I will never look at gumballs the same! LOL! I still can't stop laughing with the Donny and Marie song! Happy Vampire Day ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  6. LOL, glad you enjoyed it! Donnie and Marie were a natural pick for this post when I thought of their famous grins. Xander and Emma's grins could be equally seen as defining, in a manner of speaking!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well done, Kestril!
    I do hope to not meet these two down a dark alley.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You'd be alright if they were full already. But if Emma were bored or Xander was in a bad mood, I'd suggest a different alley...and a wooden stake

      Delete
  8. Yes, I know I'm echoing above comments, but Emma is indeed a wicked pleasure. This needs more words. Delicious read. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Their world is too much fun to leave alone for too long. I plan on revisiting it.

      Delete
  9. Gumballs, Donnie & Marie, oh my, awesome freaking combo & goodness so NOW, even with D & M, and kid's DO THAT, maybe not with blood, but drag whatever they want to eat through the tasty sauce LOL, LOVED it :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kids love to dip don't they? LOL, it's how I got my children to try stuff as toddlers. I am going to have to suppress giggles the next time I see a small child doing that.

      Delete
  10. Hahahahaha......love the vid linked to the story...and a Marvellous story it was....would love to read more about these two siblings :D XXX

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm delighted that people want more. But, yes, this was so much fun to write, I think I want more too!

      Delete
  11. Great story, but I can't open the video for some reason.
    Happy Bloody Valentine's!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw! That stinks. You could try copying and pasting this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k60n61zFrms

      It's really not necessary, but more for giggles. Glad you liked the story!

      Delete
  12. I love this! It's the perfect addition to a Vampire's Day soiree.
    Gumballs swirled in bloody remains, now that does sound appetising! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ha! I adored all the little twists in this tale. Just when you think you know what's going on, you get another surprising little piece of information that makes you reassess your opinion of the situation. I loved the detail of the candy apple and tossing the sprinkles. Awesome imagery. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! LOL, I'm glad I was able to get across enough of a feel for my characters with those details.

      Delete
  14. I love the gumball swirling around inside the skull! You got those childish voices just right and the bickering between brother and sister. A treat to read!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad I got the bickering and just a bit of (reluctant) affection between the two the way I wanted it.

      Delete
  15. There is an award with your name on it, at my blog. Well, with the name of your blog on it, same difference: http://www.magalyguerrero.com/2014/02/of-muse-narcissism-melted-witches-and.html

    ReplyDelete
  16. Creepy. I can imagine embedding the Brady Bunch song in the post above into in this post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! This particular story is my creepiest, but if I write more stories with these characters, that will likely change!

      Delete