Not So Sweet Candyland

VII: Clothes

"Are you even paying attention?" Berry screamed at a half asleep Chase.

"What?"

"Ugh, I'm so stupid that I forgot to mention Lollipop Farms earlier. Guess you don't care at all."

"What was I even doing?"

"You were half asleep and I brought you to a pub so you could...."

Berry started slapping Chase.

"Wake. The. Fuck. Up."

"Ow!"

"Next time, you should wake up when I get up. I can't drag your 157 pound ass forever."

"Fine!"

"Good, because we have some errands to run for you today." She dragged Chase by the arm and they exited the Pub. She took him into a clothes store as it looked like. A bald man with a beard was just about to light up a cinnamon cigarette.

"Oh, Vanessa. Welcome." He took the cigarette out of his mouth and put the lighter down. "What can I do for you?"

"The usual." Her head slightly jacked.

The man nodded and took out some measuring tape. He went out of his stall and started measuring Chase and his body.

"Let me guess?" He said as he was finishing up. And did a head signal to Berry. Berry nodded. He nodded too. Chase did not know what was going on.

"Ok, all of his outfits should be ready by the end of the day. And let me guess, your favorite color is Black?"

Chase nodded.

"Perfect. You'll be wearing black and red clothes, I can tell those things."

"Gustav is a pro at reading people's minds." Berry laughed.

Gustav went into the back and Berry took Chase out of the store.

They spent the day at the edge of town, where there was a cafe there. A cafe that served normal foods like hamburgers and fried chicken.

Berry and Chase got an outside seat and looked through the menu. Chase noticed something very odd on the menu.

"Why are there no prices?" Chase asked.

"Candyland doesn't believe in money. That in turn means that you can't increase your ranking in life unless you marry into that class or get adopted. A poor boy will remain a poor boy and a noble will remain a noble."

Berry flicked through the menu and clicked her tongue at every page she turned.

"What are you getting?" She asked.

"I could really go for the L Horn Steak." Chase said.

"I'm getting the Blackened Burger."

They were silent even when they ordered their drinks. It wasn't until they got their food that Chase opened his mouth.

"This is a very personal question, but do people in Licorice City know about your true personality?"

Berry looked down and sipped at her drink.

"Well, only 25 do. They know me when I first came in, looking for my mother. Some of them found me and that's when they realized that I was the daughter that Marissa was talking about. They call me Vanessa though. That's at least what I call myself. I mean, you could call me Berry or Vanessa, in the end, it's just a name. And if you're wondering, only a few people know how to get out of Candyland. The people of Licorice City will tell you in a heartbeat where to go and what to do. They aided my mother in getting out, but it's a risky journey. If a hundred people escape, only about 87 of so won't make it. You have to have brains, a sharp wit, be athletic, and not chicken out at the last minute, because oh, you will not make it."

"How do you know all of this?" Chase asked.

Berry took a drink.

"I help aid people into trying to make it back to your world. Ever since I escaped, I've been part of the team and aided at least 300 people to get back home, from all around the world. Many different languages, looks, and personalities. Since I'm fluent in a lot of languages, I can help them. But in Candyland, English is everybody's first language."

"Do you know if your mother even made it? What if she passed?"

"Thankfully, my mother wasn't a weak coward like you and managed to get out of here without any physical scratches, but she was scarred for life. When a human comes, we give you shots and inject a tracker into your arm that breaks when you finally get home. The ones that die, well, their tracker eventually dies out and breaks once it doesn't receive a heartbeat. The shots can include, Perioxidixide, which is a drug that means that you'll never gain weight again unless it's muscle. Muclairon which prevents you from getting sick, and Berroclassic which is a recovery shot."

"Well then, tell me how to get out of here. I've been stranded here for about a week. You aided people, you know."

Berry hushed him.

"Telling you would be no fun and you would die, so no. You have to grow before you do. It's like learning to drive a car, you can't go places if you don't know how to drive the car."

Berry looked at the time from afar.

"Oh! Your clothes must be ready!"

Berry dragged him through the city again and they stopped at the clothing store again. Gustav was there and put a black and white suitcase on  the floor.

"One travel pack for uh.... Chase. With clothes for all regions of Candyland. The hot deserts to the freezing mountains. Clothes that can survive any weather made by yours truly." He sarcastically bowed.

"Thanks, Gustav." Berry said.

"Hope this one makes it alive. You told him, right?"

"Yeah, I did. I'll train him."

Gustav turned to Chase. "Listen. Vanessa has you in good hands. Although she can be a wild card, she'll get you home if you corporate. That means that the two of you will be going on a adventure. Anywhere and everywhere. To train you and to make sure that you can survive anything."

Chase got shocked. He turned to Berry, who was smirking.