Haunted: A Collection of Frightening Tales

To Fear and Forget

"Where will you be waking up tomorrow morning?"- Brendon Urie, Panic! At The Disco

Candy Alpine whistled a tune she's had stuck in her head for days now. It was a funny little German song she'd heard some little kids singing on the side of the road while she was cruising up to the store. It wasn't much more than a few lines repeating themselves, but Candy liked it anyway.

She wheeled her squeaky shopping cart down the dairy isle and wrapped her slim, tan fingers around the handle of a half-gallon of milk. Her eyes darted to the left, catching her neighbor Gloria burning a hole in the side of Candy's head. Gloria had her grubby paws on a package of shredded mild cheddar and a box of margarine.

Candy hit a high note and heard Gloria nearly drop her groceries. A chuckle bounced around her lips when she heard Gloria stomp her cane off toward the checkout.
"Dirty American southerner ... always eating those grapes... greasy blue hair... she needs to grow it out she looks like a boy!" Candy glared down at the whipped yogurt and nearly chucked one. I wish assault was legal right about now. The old bat needs to mind her own business!

Candy rolled her cart to the deli, picked up some Bratwurst, and headed to the checkout. She loaded her things onto the conveyor belt and moved the cart down to the end to get the bags. She paid her favorite cashier with a twenty and, in return, he handed Candy her change along with the paper bags filled with groceries. She put them in the cart, said goodbye, and squeaked out to her little gray Volkswagen.

She popped the trunk and loaded the groceries, moving the cart to where it's supposed to be before climbing into the leather driver's seat. She turned to her favorite station and hummed along to words she barely understood. Candy chuckled. Almost two years and I still can't understand a lick of German. She smiled, driving out of the store's parking lot and onto the forest-edged road that lead her back home.

"Oh, holy mother of pearl, what was that?!" Candy nearly knocked herself out with the steering wheel when she slammed her foot down on the brakes. "Was that a deer? Wait a second, I don't think there's any deer in this area." I don't think they wear suits, either, unless I'm goin' crazy. She scrunched her eyebrows together and collected herself with a shake of the head.

Candy popped her door open and edged her way to the front of her car. "I could've sworn... I thought I hit something." She scratched the back of her neck and examined the grill. She placed her palms on the ground and looked underneath. No dents or even any scratches in the paint. No poor animal stuck to her undercarriage. No blood anywhere, really. Maybe I am goin' crazy. Candy got up and did a quick once over, just to make sure. Satisfied, she slid back into the front seat and checked the rear-view mirror. Nobody in the back. Not like there would be anyway. Living out in the middle of nowhere has its perks, I guess. She gripped the wheel tightly, eased her foot on to the gas pedal, and crawled.

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"What is it, Clyde? I'm tryinna sleep." Candy said, batting away her Rottweiler's cold, wet nose. Clyde nudged her again, almost rolling her over. He whined and pawed at her, which seemed to do the trick. Clyde did not make it a habit to whine.

"What's wrong? Where is it, Clyde? Show me," she said and rubbed her sleep-caked eyes. Candy latched onto Clyde's collar. He led her out of her bedroom and down the stairs. Candy watched him shake a little, the short hair on his back raised. When he took her to the front door she looked out the peep-hole... and froze.

Candy yelped. Her stomach started doing somersaults on a roller coaster ride. There was someone out there. She slammed her hand over the peep-hole and rattled the chain into place. She locked the handle and the lock above it. Candy didn't get visitors. Her only neighbor within walking distance was Gloria, and, nosy as she was, hardly even spoke about stopping by.