Candy corn

Chapter 1

My phone buzzed for the tenth time today. "Ugh..." I say to myself. I hesitantly grab my phone and read the text. "Anastasia! I know you haven't been yourself lately ever since your breakup with Adam. Please just come with us to the Fall Fest. It'll help you take of your mind off him. I'll buy you all the candy corn you'd ever want. - Skylar xoxo". She knows i'm a sucker for candy corn. I text her back saying do i really have to and of course she instantly says yes so I reluctantly get up from bed and groan. I mean she isn't wrong. I haven't been myself since the breakup. I rarely step out the house anymore and i'm not the cheerful person I once was. Maybe going with my friends will help me. I walk over to my closet and start to pick out my clothes. I pick out a red flannel, a printed t-shirt of wolves howling at the moon, and a pair of black jeans. I begin to look for my mini bookbag that I can almost never find. I look around the house until i see my corgi puppy chewing it up. "Maple!" I yell at her as she gets startled knowing she's in trouble and quickly runs away. I chuckle while going to grab it. I wipe down any smudges on it. Ew puppy slobber. I grab my car keys and head to the door, but before I do I take a handful of candy corn from the jar. I open the door and lock it then make my way to the car.
I hesitate to start the car. Is this a good idea I think to myself. What if I see him? "C'mon Anastasia pull it together. You need to stop letting this get to you." Trying to give myself a mini pep talk. I eventually make my way to the Fall Fest and text Skylar. "Where are you?" A couple minutes go by and nothing. She's somewhere around here but god who knows where. I decide to walk around and see the festivities. I try to enjoy myself but constant anxiety is preventing any sort of fun. "Maybe a hot chocolate will do the trick." I think to myself. I walk around looking for the stand but jeez this place is huge. Slowly but surely I find it and get in line.
"Next!" A tall slender boy with hazel eyes and tan skin says in husky voice. "Hi! I'd just like a regular medium hot chocolate please" I hand him the money as he takes it.
"You're extremely pretty, did anyone ever tell you that?"
"Yes, my mother did."
"And the pretty little lady has jokes. How cute."
He serves me my drink along with a small piece of paper. It has his number and his name. "Well Shane I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now" as I mutter under my breath and throw it away. I begin to walk around and look at my phone but still no texts from Skylar. I hope she's okay as I began to worry. I look at the decorations that were set up and they're very beautiful. All of the sudden I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand. Someone's watching me. My mother always told me when they stand to trust it. I look around but all I see are families smiling a having a great time. Maybe I'm just paranoid. I keep walking but in a faster pace. I feel my paranoia building up and I start to regret coming here. I take a breather and finish up my hot chocolate. I throw it away and check my phone again. It's been 20 minutes and she hasn't texted back. I'm sure she's just having too much fun. I walk around even more and I find myself in front of the haunted house. "Oh heck no" I walk the other way as I faintly hear "1 2 Freddy's coming for you. 3 4 lock the door. 5 6 grab your crucifix..." I look behind me to make sure no one is following me. "Rah!" A little kid jumps out of nowhere scaring the living daylights out of me causing me to jump back. The little kid giggles and runs off. "Ugh kids..." That has to be the worst timing in history.
Ding! My phone goes off and it's Skylar. "Meet me at the pumpkin patch" I look at the text and make my way there. She sees me before I see her and throws herself at me giving me the biggest bear hug. "Where were you?! I've been waiting at least 25 almost 30 minutes for your response!" I say in concern. "I'm so sorry but I was in the haunted house with Nordan!" She says, trying to reassure me. "Who's Nordan?..." I ask in curiosity. "Oh shoot that's right I forgot to tell you about him. He's a friend I brought along. I thought you two might get along." She begins to look around trying to find him. "And I lost him." I laugh as she frantically starts looking for him. She takes me by the hand and we make our way to the haunted house. "No, no, no! I hate this place!" I frantically say trying to escape her grasp. "You know I hate scary things, Skylare!" I somehow manage to break free. "Don't worry so much, I'm here. But yes I'm sorry. We'll leave as soon as we find Nordan." She starts to yell out his name like someone had the biggest scare of their life. Nordan makes his way from the shadows.
"Yes m'lady?"
"Nordan where were you?!" Skylar says practically yelling at him
"I was getting something to eat. All the scares made me hungry"
Me and Skylar shoot him a "are you being serious" type of look.
"Anywho, Nordan meet Anastasia. Anastasia meet Nordan." He reaches out his hand to greet me "nice to meet you." I shake his hand. "Nice to meet you too" I say not knowing I'm smiling like crazy. He looks like a nice, sweet guy. Tall, curly hair, dark brown eyes, tan skin and he has such a great smile. He's actually kind of cute. We all go walking around until I stop dead in my tracks causing Skylar to bump into me. Candy corn. The biggest jar of candy corn I have ever seen. "Hey! Why'd you stop?!" She yells at me. "What cha looking at?" Nordan comes up next to me and puts his head next to mine to see what I'm looking at. I try super hard not to blush. "Ah I see it now. Need you say no more." He walks to the gaming stand with me at his side and Skylar not to far behind. I plead him not to waste his tickets but it was too late he handed over his tickets. Ugh...guys can be sweet jerks sometimes. The game? ring toss. One of the most impossible games this planet has to offer. He starts to toss them at the bottles and of course they all miss. He has one more but before he tosses he kisses it for good luck. He is the strangest person I have ever met. He lines up for the big toss. He throws it and holy cow it actually went in a bottle. My jaw must have dropped cause I felt a hand go under my jaw to close it. It was Skylar. She whispers in my ear "you should tell him my hero." I feel my face slowly heating up and I push her face away as Nordan comes towards us with the jar of candy corn. "You okay?" He says as he inspects my face from being all shades of red. "U-uh huh I'm fine. Thanks." Trying not to seem suspicious as if I committed murder. He hands me the jar, almost causing me to go flying towards the ground. "I think I'll carry that for you" Nordan says laughing to himself as he takes it from my hands. "R-right thanks again." Why do I keep stuttering?! I must seem so stupid!
We unanimously decide walk around a bit more until we see absolutely everything. It starts to get late so Skylar suggests we should start going home. I agree and I tell Nordan to hand me the jar. "Nah I got it. I don't want you falling all the way to your car. Lead me captain my captain. Skylar can you wait for me as I take Anastasia's precious cargo to her car?" He says in the silliest voice he has. "Of course." She says and walks over to me for a tight hug as a goodbye. "See you later Anastasia. Take care and text me when you get home." She instantly grabs me by the arm and leans me towards her. "I think you two would make a great couple. Plus I think he started to taking a liking to you." I hate when she does this. "Go home. You're drunk on apple cider" I laugh then we make our final goodbye and I began to walk to my car. It's super late and I begin to worry. I'm not the type person to stay out late. I click the button on my car keys and open the door. "There ya go. You can just put it in the front seat." I tell him as he begins to do so. He closes the door shut. "Thanks Nordan. You're a lifesaver" I tell him. "Pshaw. It's no biggie. Especially if it's for you." My eyes widen as Nordan catches what he did wrong. I slowly see him blushing. "Anyway! Um...do you think I can have your number? So we can keep in touch and hang out one day. Not as a date!" I snicker at what he says. We exchange numbers and we hug goodbye. I go around the car and I notice something strange on the floor. I take a closer look at it to find...candy corn? Huh? I shrug it off and think to myself it's the people who passed by my car.
I begin to drive home and there's no sign of life anywhere. It's kind of creeping me out. I park my car and step out then grab my jar full of candy corn. I walk to my house alone in the dark. The hairs on the back of neck begin to stand. "No, no please god no..." I say to myself as I fumble around with the keys to the house. I hear crackling behind me. I'm too afraid to turn around. I take a deep breath and turn. Nothing. I hear it again but there's nothing there. I must be hearing things. I feel uneasy. Something's wrong. Just then a cat pounces out hissing at me. I got scared because of a cat. I'm so dumb I swear. I turn back around and open the door. I place the jar on the sofa also turning on the lights. Then I quickly go back to lock it, but just before I do something catches my eye. I see mini triangles at the door mat. I take a closer peek at it and of course it's candy corn. I must have dropped some before I left, although I'm pretty sure I would have known if I had dropped some. I shrug my shoulders and go back inside making sure I locked the door.
"Umbreon I'm home!" I say walking to the living room. He would be running at me by now. He must be asleep upstairs. I walk into the living room and right there and then my heart drops. "This isn't real. This is not real..." I say somehow managing to speak. "Oh but it is. Happy to see you again, darling" he says smirking and holding Maple on his lap. "H-how did you get in, Adam?..." I say as I gulp.
"I found your spare key. You really do have to hide this better." He throws it at me. I pick it up and put in my pocket.
"Please put Maple down. She didn't do anything to you so please don't hurt her."
"I'm not here for the dog, idiot. I'm here for you." He puts Maple down. She trots away going upstairs.
"Now then. Who's Nordan? He says looking at me with fury in his eyes.
"H-how do you know about him?..."
"Don't answer a question with a question Anastasia! Who the hell is Nordan?!"
"He's a friend! He's just a friend!" I start to become scared.
"That's not just a friend. I saw what he did for you. Back at the Fall Fest"
"Wait, how do you know that?..." it starts to hit me. He was watching me.
"I saw you. I saw everything. To when the guy was flirting with you at the hot chocolate stand all the way to you and Nordan exchanged numbers. I can't wait to get my hands on him. Oh and those candy corns that were left behind? That was me. Surprise!"
"Leave him out of this, Adam. He didn't do anything to you" I start to become aggravated and mad.
"Aw now you're protecting him. How sweet. Looks like all this candy corn has really gotten to you." He smiles warmly sickening way. "If I can't have you then nobody can..." He says in almost a demonic voice as he begins to get closer to me which causes me to go a few steps back.
"Get away from me!" I try to yell but I feel my throat starting to give out on me.
"You're getting scared of me. You should be cause I would be scared too if I were you." I notice a small knife come out from his sleeve. "You know I really did mean it when I say if I can't have you then nobody can. You're a smart girl. You can piece it together."
"I'm dying tonight, aren't I?..." I begin to feel weak knowing my final moments are coming to an end.
"Ding ding! We got a winner!"
"Adam please...I'll do anything I swear."
"It's a little too late for that, darling."
At the moment I knew I had to do something. Fight or flight. I run to the door and quickly try to unlock it but a pair of arms grab me by the waist and throws me against the wall. I see the whole room starting to spin as I groan in agonizing pain.
"You're such a fool but kudos to you for trying." He kneels down beside as I start to feel the knife tracing along my neck while moving my hair out of the way. "So pretty...so beautiful...too bad it's coming to an end. That's when I feel it. He jabs his knife into my back as I let out a painful cry of pain. "Adam please stop! I beg of you! I say bawling my eyes out. "No! You took my life away the second you left me so now it's time I return the favor!" He says as he drives the knife deeper into me. I feel the blood exiting my body. He's extremely furious. I can sense it. He takes out the knife and drives it in me again causing me to scream in pain. "You did this to yourself. Don't start crying cause you knew this was going to happen. You brought this upon yourself. You started everything!" He takes out the knife again and stabs me going for the final kill. I couldn't even talk anymore. My energy, my life, and my soul is finally leaving me. A pool of blood starts to form around as I begin to feel cold. I feel his hand go in my pocket getting my phone. "Where's Nordan? I know he's in here somewhere" he's still in a furious killing mode. "No please...stop..." I say very faintly. "Ah I found him!" He says in excitement while he kicks me in my side. "I'll go pay him a visit as soon as I find out where he lives." He steps over my lifeless body. "See you in the other life, darling!" He leaves out the front door making sure he locked it. "I'm so sorry Nordan..." and with that are the last words that ever left me.