Sweets, My Dearies?

Lost & Forgotten Pages

Confectioner's Nightmare

A brilliant sunset bid its routine farewell as Time lowered the celestial body behind the man-made horizon of rising high-rises. Shadows crept and crawled, emerging from every nook and crevasse, taking ghastly forms across the ground. Twilight quickly stepped into the revolving door of time—the period between now and then and took over the reigns. In a final act of insolence, Day dusted the limbs and apparel of people eager to get home with golden light. Dusk, not as headstrong as Day, took its bow as Time hurried their act to make way for the climax.

A woman, stout in stature, in an oversized tunic made of sackcloth, wearing nylon stockings and white nursing shoes exited a botanica carrying two black shopping bags. She dragged along like molasses, yet passed people in full stride. A waxing gibbous moon casted eerie silhouettes on the woman’s face, revealing dead eyes. Dogs out for their evening walk, whimpered and scurried behind their owners at the sight of the rotund pedestrian. Oblivious, owners rebuked their dogs before apologizing to the woman. Her response, a gnarled grin before once again dragging along. 

Turning the corner of Schenectady onto Bergen, the woman walked a few feet before arriving at her residence. It was a dilapidated brownstone with flower bedsheets for curtains. One would think such an ill-looking building would be accompanied by a foul odor—quite the contrary! A sweet aroma wafted from the run-down residence. Not like candles or perfume, but something edible… confections! 

The woman took respite on an old, rickety chair stationed in front of her building. As she did, an odd sound came out of her followed by a scratch of her belly. In her left hand appeared a heavily soiled handkerchief. She used the handkerchief to soak up sweat pooling down her forehead, pressing the cloth against her brow. The motion continued across the woman’s hairline. With her right hand, she retrieved a piece of candy from her front pocket. As she fiddled with the wrapper, a set of twins sat at the bus shelter across the street. Immediately, the woman’s nose twitched and she stopped her fiddling, giving attention to the siblings. She observed them for a good, long while. Finally, she popped the confection into her mouth. Her lips puckered as her tongue whipped within her mouth, thrashing the candy about. Her eyes nearly rolling back in her head, she whispered, “Mmm, such a tasty morsel!” 

Leaning forward, the woman offered the siblings each a piece of candy. “Dearies, would you like some sweets to enjoy on your long bus ride home?” she smiled but the grin never touched her eyes. 

Without hesitation, they replied, “No, thank you! We just ate.”

“And what did you eat?” inquired the woman rearing forward.

The older twin responded, “Hootery-Coot Soup!”

“What’s that?” asked the woman.

Each twin looked at one another then snickered.

“Oh, you like to play games, eh?” snapped the woman.

Matching the woman’s attitude, the younger twin responded, “We don’t know you. Respectfully, our mother told us not to talk to strangers—and you’re a stranger!”

Back and forth the woman rocked in her chair. Her movement intensified, becoming violent and erratic. Recoiled in their seats, the twins gripped each other’s arms. In one motion, the woman torpedoed from her chair towards the twins, disappearing then reappearing beside them. The bus shelter lights flickered. The woman appeared much larger up close than from across the street. In fact, she took up two-thirds of the bus shelter. Just then, she deflated, sitting in the end seat, furthest from the bus sign. She slid closer. The space around the bus shelter grew cold.

“Oh, so you two those type of chirren—little, smart mouthed sots, who need a switch to ya backside or your tongues cut out and fed to ya, eh?” 

The neighborhood peeled away like protective film from a new gadget, revealing a horrific scene. Screams of children rose from the woman’s residence, accompanied by sounds of bone breaking, hacking and sawing, as the brownstone contorted into a shack. Immediately, the door to the shack swung open. Inside was a kitchen with hideous tiles and a horrible paint job. Herbs hung upside-down, strung up on butcher’s twine rounded the 8x8 space. A wood-burning stove with multiple large pots boiled in the distance. Muffled moans came from the oven. With a slight cackle, the woman pointed to the shack, "Come in my loves, I have morsels for you—I’m not asking!” 

“You don’t scare me!” boasted the younger twin. “Oh really?” questioned the woman. Rising to her feet, the woman’s countenance became even more unsightly. The twins pressed themselves further into the bus shelter’s corner, their eyes closed. Suddenly, a brilliant light filled the bus shelter and surrounding area. WOOOOSSSHHHH! The woman was gone. There was no bus shelter. And the horrible cries ceased. 

The older twin woke. His eyes shot open like a child’s at first light on Christmas Day, except there were no presents, only a familiar room and way less scarier shadows now. Moments later, the younger twin came to. Her eyes darted back and forth, landing on the doorway which led to her brother’s room. Neither twin wanted to move. The younger twin knocked on the wall. “Are you awake?”

Still shaken by the nightmare, the older twin responded with a dry, “Yeah… Are you?” 

“How do you think I’m talking to you?” the younger twin whispered gruffly. “I had a nightmare.”

“About…” the older twin’s breath bated. 

Before the older twin could finish his sentence, he heard the sound of feet hitting the floor and moving toward him. Quickly, he buried himself underneath his covers. 

“It’s me!” cried the younger twin. “Move over!”

From a little space between his covers and the rest of his bed, the older twin peered out and saw his sister standing there. “Oh, it’s you!”

“Of course it’s me dummy; let me in!” the younger twin exclaimed in a hushed tone. Anxiously, she looked around the room at the eerie silhouettes which seemed to come alive. The older twin pulled back the covers and his sister hopped in. She rubbed the chill from her feet and nestled in. They whispered among themselves while keeping watch for whatever. They spoke about anything and everything, except their nightmares—that was reserved for the morning! Minutes later, sleep came for them and they rested soundly.