The Candy Shop War Vol. 1: Chapter 1
Prologue
Peeking around the corner of an abandoned warehouse, MGleason surveyed the scene. Two sleek, black cars with tinted windows were driving slowly and noiselessly up to the unopened candy shop. Clearly the vehicles were transporting the owner of the candy shop; and MGleason had strict orders to find out exactly who the owner was.
To a normal person, this would not have been a big concern: two cars driving in the dead of night. But MGleason knew better. When a candy shop like this one opened, so did large sky-vaults of trouble that would inevitably come raining down, consuming anyone and everyone in the way.
The driver's car door opened and a tall wiry man stepped out. He quickly strode to the passenger door, opened it and escorted another man wearing a black jacket into the candy shop. Meanwhile, a young woman got out of the second car, got into the first, and the two cars quietly drove away.
MGleason figured that Black Jacket was the owner, probably meaning that the wiry man, the young woman, and whoever was driving the second car were all his engineered apprentices. Fortunately, MGleason had managed to discreetly take a photo while the three were in the open. Unfortunately, he had not managed to see any of their faces.
With a grimace, MGleason retreated back into the shadows. Perhaps his employer would recognize the owner, but whichever the case may be, MGleason knew that his job had only just begun.
A light clicked on in the candy shop.
Chapter 1
Liberty, Jay and Jalena walked together to the creek, chatting as they went along. Upon arriving at the small brook that separated Koulson from Trinceton, they turned left and strolled down Maine Street, bumping into Josiah.
"Hey guys! Heading over to the Nest?" Josiah asked.
"Yeah," Jalena replied, "we’re going to pick up Cyboo first, though."
"What time did you finish your homework, Joze?" Jay inquired.
"About ten minutes ago."
"I finished like two HOURS ago," laughed Liberty, "you gotta work faster!"
"Hey! I had to dissect a —" Josiah began defensively when Jalena interrupted him.
"Please don't tell me. I'm still freaked out from that frog stomach you showed us the last time!"
"Hey, would you look at that!" Liberty remarked, pointing at the new shop just opposite Maine Street. "A candy shop!"
"Must be new, I’ve never noticed it before." Josiah mumbled before adding: “There’s nothing wrong with dissection....”
"Wow! Look at all the confectionary! So many types!" Jay exclaimed. "Next time, I’ve got to bring some ice cream money!"
"'Tasty Treats' isn't a very imaginative name, though," Jalena observed, "Maybe 'Candy for the Soul' would attract more customers."
"Don't be ridiculous." Liberty scoffed.
The foursome soon reached Cyboo's place, but no one answered when Jay rang the bell. So they decided to go to the Nest and wait for Cyboo there.
The Nest was really a small hiding spot in the forest adjacent to Koulson. Jalena has discovered it while exploring one day, and since the only way in was through a small tunnel that was barely visible from the outside, it was the perfect place for secret CHT meetings. It was also kind of like the CHT headquarters. If you couldn't find someone, it was most likely that they were either at the Nest, or had left a note there.
Sure enough, Cyboo was at the Nest munching on some Malaysian prawn crackers.
"Hey! Thought you guys would never come! Want some crackers? They're still ultra-crispy."
Cyboo offered around the bag of savoury chips as everyone sat down.
"Thanks, Cyboo. Did you notice the new candy shop?" Liberty questioned..
"No, where is it?"
"Opposite Maine. It's called 'Tasty Treats.’” Jay said.
"We should go try it out! Maybe they have an opening discount or something."
"The owners aren't really advertising the shop," Josiah mused. "Perhaps not all the candy is ready to be sold yet."
"Well, then we'll get a head start on the yummy stuff!" Cyboo pointed out. "Who's got cash?"
No one had brought any money.
"OK...tomorrow then. It can be our, you know, thing for tomorrow."
"Fine by me," Jalena agreed.
"Me too!" chorused the Brickwoods in unison.
"Me three." joked Josiah.
The next day, the five met at the front of the candy shop.
"Everyone brought Ringgit... I mean dollars?" Cyboo asked. He still hadn't gotten used to the change in currency.
Altogether, the five of them had a grand total of twelve dollars and twenty-five cents.
"I hope it isn't too expensive," Josiah said, "or this will probably be the last time I come here."
With a ding, the candy shop door opened, releasing the intoxicating fragrance of chocolates, sugared treats and other goodies.
"Smells awesome!" Liberty announced, hopping through the doorway. "Come on everyone!"
As Jalena, Jay, Liberty, Josiah and Cyboo stepped into the candy shop, they unknowingly stepped into a huge adventure... one that they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
The candy shop had a most intriguing interior design. The floor was an orange and green chequerboard, the ceiling pink with bold, swirling lines of blue, red and yellow (making it look like a ginormous lollipop). Ice cream coolers took up about a fifth of the floor, while tables and chairs were sparsely scattered all over the place. A large table stood at the back wall of the shop, obviously operating as the payment counter. Narrow wooden shelves lined the left and right walls, each displaying a unique type of candy. Glass jars filled with even more goodies stood under the checkout table and on a few of the chairs: probably because there was no more space on the shelves.
A tall, broad-shouldered man in a black jacket stood behind the counter, rolling small hard cubes in chocolate. When the Liberty and the rest entered, he looked up and smiled.
"Why hello there! You five are my first customers! Sorry about the general untidiness; I'm still organizing everything."
His voice was deep and friendly, matching his tough build.
"Yeah, hi, we're just checking things out." Josiah replied, moving to the left wall to examine the confectionary.
"Hey! What are these brands?" inquired Cyboo who was examining the right wall. "Peanut Syzygy? Barilla Jarilla? Chocolate piñata? I've never heard of those before!"
"Dobbledooky, Minty Memoir, Blackfire bars," read Jay, "Woah! Stellar Shells?"
"I want a Snicker, but I can't find one anywhere!" Jalena jokingly complained: "Just more weird candy!"
"Oh, I forgot to mention that I personally make each and every type of candy in my store. Every single brand is my own. If you want a Snicker, you should try my Rocket Chocolate over on shelf eight. However, you will find that my version is much more delicious, rich and desirable! I pride myself on making only top-quality candy." the owner explained.
"How much do these cost?" asked Josiah, pointing at a jarful of small pieces of candy that looked like chunks of crystallized rock.
"Uh, those or not for sale yet." The man hurriedly said. "But those over there are similar, and happen to be quite affordable!" he added, pointing at a different jar of yellow candy.
Liberty walked over and exclaimed loudly as she read the name of the candy: Penny Candy.
"One piece for a penny?" she asked incredulously.
"That's right! As you can imagine, it is one of my best sellers."
"I'll try one," Liberty said, giving the man a penny. With all the others watching, she popped the candy into her mouth. It tasted like no candy she had ever eaten before; the perfect blend of sour and sweet, with a chocholatey aftertaste. The candy was the kind where it dissolved in your mouth, and for about ten seconds, Liberty's tastebuds were in heaven.
"Do you like it?" the man asked, smiling at Liberty's ecstatic expression.
"I think I'll buy... three hundred!" Liberty declared, holding out three dollars. "It's super yummy guys! You'll have to try it!" she continued.
"Sorry. The rule with the penny candy jar is one per person per day. Otherwise, I'd go stone broke!" The owner chuckled.
"So no more for me?" clarified Liberty.
"Yes, but your friends can each buy one."
Altogether, the CHTers spent a dollar and five cents. The five cents were for the penny candy, and the dollar was for a medium-sized container of ice cream which they all shared. Once again, they had been blown away by the sheer deliciousness of the homemade treat, and they had all promised the owner to return the next day.
As they exited, Cyboo said, rather triumphantly, "See? I knew it would be worth it!"
"Everyone meet in front of Sweet Treats tomorrow. Maybe we can get some candy for our parents too." Josiah instructed.
Jay sighed a happy contented sigh. "I'm never going for Snickers again."
The next day, everyone rendezvoused in front of the shop as planned. Today, everyone was only bringing two dollars, since the prices were so affordable. Jay had been appointed as the treasurer, so everyone had given him their money. Together, they stepped in.
"Hello, hello! You five again! Going for the penny candy again, or something else?" the man asked amiably. This time, he was wrapping small, colourful spheres in golden foil. The store looked much neater now, with most of the jars that used to be on the floor on the counter instead. Jay went straight for the penny candy jar, while the rest looked at all the other types of confection.
"Five please, one for each of us." Jay said, giving the owner five cents.
"You're putting up the money today, eh?" The owner chuckled, motioning for Jay to take the penny candy.
"Hey..." said Josiah as he slowly examined all the jars on the counter, "What happened to that candy you said wasn't ready?"
The man seemed temporarily lost for words, but then regained his composure.
"Well... I do have some special candy that I don't sell normally."
"You mean like secret candy?" asked Jalena.
The man winced slightly. "Yes. Emphasis on the secret."
"Well," Cyboo said cheerily, "I'm afraid it isn't so secret anymore! Could we buy and try some?"
"How about you forget I ever mentioned it?"
"No way!"
The man sighed. "Perhaps you don't understand. The monetary value of my special candy far exceeds whatever you kids could possibly offer. There is no way you can buy it."
"I have more than $300," Josiah offered.
"I mean, in the millions." the man rephrased.
"What?????? What kind of candy could be that expensive????" Jalena demanded.
"Not so loud! Only you five have seen it. It's still a secret to everyone else! Whether I explain anything to you kids or not, please honor me and my shop by keeping the details private."
"Hey, we weren't going to spill. No way." Liberty assured him. "So how about enlightening us now?"
"It doesn't matter whether I tell you anything. You can't afford it anyway. Or maybe..."
"Maybe what?" Josiah pressed.
"Well, perhaps if you all would be willing to do some odd jobs for me, then I'd share some of my special candy with you five."
Jalena, Jay, Liberty, Cyboo and Josiah all looked at each other in glee.
"Deal!" the five chorused.
The next day, the five met again in the candy shop to receive their first assignment.
To their small surprise, there was one other kid there, buying a Rocket Chocolate: the first other customer they had seen. The owner waited for the kid to leave, then addressed them.
"So, basically I'll ask you to do something, and if you deliver, I'll share my special candy with you." he said.
"Wait a second," Jay interrupted. "What is this 'special candy' is just a ruse? How do we know that you are really genuine?"
"You don't," admitted the man, "but I refuse to share specifics before the job is completed. Don't worry, it isn't something like buy some groceries with your own money, or something stupid like that: I will provide all the necessary materials, so there's nothing for you to lose.
"What do you want us to do?" Jalena asked.
"Well, as part of my candy-making process, I require a certain kind of snail."
"You put snails in the candy???" Josiah cried in horror.
"No no no no no no no no no no, my confused friend. They are required in the process, but none of the snails get into my candy." The owner said.
"That's good...or else I'm never coming back." Liberty muttered.
"Are you asking us to collect snails?" Cyboo inquired.
"That's right! This snail is quite a rare kind of snail, but it can be found in these parts. If you follow my instructions, you should have no problem securing at least 10 for me."
The man disappeared through a back door labeled 'Employees Only', then returned a minute later with a small metal container, a bigger plastic one with holes poked all around the lid, and a green bottle.
"I suggest looking in the small forest near the creek," he began. "Then, wait until it is dusk. Once you see the sun disappearing, go to a secluded spot and open the metal container. There is a substance inside which will draw out the snails. They will come for the metal container. When they do, squirt them with the liquid from this bottle. They will freeze, and you can put them into the container without any trouble. Picking up a snail actually wouldn't be hard, but this particular kind of snail suctions itself to the ground when it senses danger, making it immovable. The liquid mitigates this, allowing you to store them in this plastic container. I'd prefer if you all did it before Saturday. Any questions?"
"Today is Thursday, right?" Jay checked.
"Yes." Cyboo answered.
"Doesn't sound to hard," Jalena shrugged. "I say let’s do it!"
Everyone agreed, so the man passed the equipment to Josiah, who was closest.
"No snails in the normal candy?" Liberty asked again.
"Absolutely no snails at all."
Outside the candy shop, Cyboo began making plans. "How about Friday night?"
"Can't, Lib and I are going to visit some friends with our parents." Jay fretted.
"I guess it should be tonight then!" Jalena exclaimed, rubbing her hands excitedly. "I wonder what's so special about the special candy!"
"If you ask me, it isn't really anything special. Maybe it uses really rare and expensive ingredients or something, but I don't think it's like so awesome. Still, our task seems very easy, so if he was telling the truth, let's do it tonight, and get some million-dollar candy tomorrow." Josiah said.
"Do you think he's crazy? I mean, who needs snails for candy?" asked Jay.
"Maybe he's insane and thinks that his 'special' candy is worth millions!" suggested Liberty.
"After all, his instructions are kind of weird...although it certainly sounded like he knew what he was doing. I mean, come on! The metal container says 'shoe polish!'" Jay said.
"Really? I didn't notice." Josiah took the metal container out of his pocket. "Hey yeah, it really does say shoe polish!"
"Well, tomorrow we'll learn if he's mad or not. But before we label him, let's put his words to the test." Jalena intoned wisely.
"Ok, I gotta run. So, 7pm later at The Nest! See you guys there!" Cyboo waved, then dashed down Maine street towards his house.
The "Comment Box" button below is slightly finicky. In order for it to function properly, you have to read the comments first, then scroll up to the button. I don't know why. But if you use it that way, it is quite helpful.
