The Candy Shop War Vol. 1: Chapter 6

 

“So, shall we try to heal me?” Josiah asked around a mouthful of chocolaty deliciousness.

“Yeah, it’s not like we have anything better to do.” Cyboo agreed.

The five began walking towards the Nest; the ideal spot to try out Mr. Krell’s instructions.

“Hey, I want to talk a bit regarding the Minty Ice Cream,” Jalena said. “Do you think that it is more dangerous than Mr. Krell said it was? My family has been eating tons! It’s like an addiction or something: whenever I see them, they’re usually snacking on it.”

“Come to think of it. . .I don’t know when’s the last time I’ve seen my dad NOT eating Minty Ice Cream! Besides brushing teeth, that is.” Liberty said.

“Mr. Krell didn’t talk a lot about it, and I assumed it wasn’t much. But when I talked to my dad last night? I was just like...wow. The Minty Ice Cream is very, very powerful. My dad is usually more anxious and stuff: but he acted like as if everything was completely OK.” Josiah added.

“We need to ask Mr. Krell about this tomorrow.” Jay decided.

“Definitely!” Cyboo agreed.

 

The five walked the rest of the way in silence, each thinking of the previous night’s adventure, the craziness of magical candy, and the effects of the Minty Ice Cream. Before anyone knew it, they were at the Nest.

“How about you lie down, then we each grab a leg or arm?” Liberty suggested.

“Sure. Just be careful with my left arm!” Josiah said, stretching out on the ground.

“Let’s do it!” Cyboo exclaimed, pinning Josiah’s right leg to the ground.

Soon, Josiah could barely move even when he tried to.

“I think this is good enough. . .” Josiah muttered.

“Ok lah!” Cyboo carefully put one Energy Bean in Josiah’s mouth then rushed back to his leg and squashed it against the ground.

 

Josiah writhed and squirmed, trying as hard as he could to release the pent-up energy. Although he knew that he had to keep still, it was simply not happening. He felt like as if he was about to explode. The energy had to go! In desperation, Josiah lifted his head and slammed it into the dirt. Immediately, he felt completely normal. . .and regretful. His head now rested in a hole roughly feet deep.

 

“Adui!!!!! (Pronounced AH-DO-AE really quickly.) Aiyaiyai!” Cyboo exclaimed.

“Does your arm feel better?” Jay ventured.

Josiah tried to move his arm. “No,” he admitted. “Sorry guys.”

“We need to make sure your head doesn’t move. But how?” Liberty wondered.

 

After about ten minutes of thinking and preparation, Josiah was carefully and firmly tied to a tree. His arms and legs couldn’t move at all, and Jay was holding his head tight. Jalena, Liberty and Cyboo were ready to re-grab his limbs in case the ropes snapped. Popping another Energy Bean into Josiah’s mouth, Attempt 2 began.

 

It would have worked — Josiah could not move AT ALL. But about twenty seconds in, he sneezed. A violent, super-powered, nuclear-explosion-worthy sneeze. The force was so powerful that the wind produced knocked over all the stones at the opposite end on the Nest. Jay was so shocked that he almost fainted. The sound had been as loud as twenty elephants trumpeting in unison!!

 

“Sorry again. . .” Josiah apologised. “Re-try?”

Thankfully, the third time, it worked; Josiah clenched his lips tightly shut and the candy wondrously healed his arm in three minutes flat. It was like as if he had never injured it in the least, plus all the cuts and bruises were gone as well.

 

“A success!!!” Jalena cheered.

“Yeah!!!” Cyboo applauded.

Josiah grinned. “Mr. Krell is really an amazing magician. I guess I don’t need this cast, bandage or sling anymore!!!”

*****************************************************************************************

The next day, Jalena, Josiah, Jay, Liberty and Cyboo all strolled down the Presidential Estate together. They had finished their homework for the day, (although even if they hadn’t, no one would have cared) and since Cyboo was supposed to buy some groceries, the whole gang decided to go together.

“What do you need to get?” Jay asked.

“Oh, just some vegetables, bread, milk, and eggs. You know, the basic stuff.” Cyboo replied.

 

As they walked towards the Koulson Supermarket, they suddenly heard the sound of jingling bells and a catchy tune being played over a loudspeaker.

“Could that be Mr. Les??” Jay asked excitedly.

“I hope so!” Jalena cried, sprinting towards the music.

Jay and Liberty broke formation and followed Jalena, but Cyboo stayed beside Josiah.

“Who is Mr. Les?” Cyboo inquired.

“He’s the best. . .well, maybe Mr. Krell is better, but we haven’t seen him for a long time.” Josiah replied.

“Wait, Mr. Les sells candy too?”

“Yeah!!! He has a truck and he drives around selling his treats. His Rainbow-Bars are the BEST!!”

 

By the time Cyboo and Josiah reached the truck, Jay, Liberty and Jalena were already lining up. Most of the customers were children who attended the nearby Mount Diablo Elementary school, although there were also two teenagers.

 

Soon, it came to the CHTers turn.

“Well, I haven’t seen you four for a long time! Jalena, Josiah, Jay and Liberty, right?” Mr. Les chuckled. He basically looked like a friendly, grandfatherly persona.

 

“Where have you been, Mr. Les?” Jalena asked.

“Here and there, here and there. At my age, a bit of activity helps keep the motor running. I went over to Walnut Hills for a while. Why?”

“You’ve been gone for so long!”

“Not really. Maybe six months, that’s all. And I don’t think I’ve met you. . .” Mr. Les gestured to Cyboo.

“I’m Cyboo. I recently moved here from Malaysia.”

“Nice to meet you! Now, what do all of you want?”

“Anyone have money?” Josiah pleaded.

“Can’t use mine: I still need to buy groceries.” Cyboo said.

“I always bring some cash with me,” Jay boasted. “I’ll cover you, Joze.”

“Thanks! Could I have a Rainbow-Bar?” Josiah requested.

“I’ll take a stick of Trachista Gum!” Jay added.

“Of course! Good picks.” Mr. Les chuckled. He removed a brightly coloured popsicle from a freezer unit and handing it to Josiah, then gave Jay his gum.

“Anything for the young ladies?” he continued boisterously.

“No thanks.” Liberty declined.

“Umm, OK, one ice cream cone please!” Jalena said.

“Heh-heh. Remember, don’t take the Minty flavour!” Cyboo joked.

 

“You wouldn’t be referring to that new ice cream shop, would you?” Mr. Les asked, frowning. “That Tasty Treats is running me out of business! Have you eaten that ice cream?”

“No,” Jalena replied, accepting her cone.

“I think its better if you keep it that way. I don’t know what he puts in his candy, but I’m sure it isn’t very wholesome.

“We won’t be taking that ice cream anytime.” Jay assured him.

“Is Tasty Treats giving you too much competition?” Liberty gasped.

“Possibly,” Mr. Les said before adding with a smile, “but I’m not too worried. Is there anything you’d like Cyboo?”

 

Cyboo had been staring almost rudely at Mr. Les the entire time his friends had been talking, and the question seemed to surprise him.

“Wha. . ?” Sorry. Daydreaming. By the way, you do make all these candies yourself, don’t you?”

“Yes, I pride myself on that fact. You will find few that can beat my treats for deliciousness!”

“Hmm. . .” Cyboo deliberated. “Ok, I’ll take one of your Rainbow-Bars too.”

“How much do we owe you?” Jay asked, taking out his wallet.

“Three dollars, twenty cents.”

“Wow, you’re quite cheap!” Cyboo exclaimed.

“Yup! I haven’t changed my prices for over twenty years.” Mr. Les boasted.

“If Tasty Treats is stealing all your customers, I’d be happy to pay a little bit more.” Jay offered.

“Very noble, but I’m alright Jay. Nice of you to offer, though!”

“OK! Thanks for the candy! See you around!” Jalena chirped.

“Bye!”

 

As Mr. Les began driving off, playing his special music, the CHTers sauntered towards the Nest, happily enjoying their treats.

“That was really fast shopping.” Josiah commented as Cyboo exited the Kouslon supermarket after merely five minutes carrying three plastic bags full of groceries.

“Thanks. I don’t waste time.” Cyboo responded. “But these are pretty heavy. . .anyone want to help?”

“Ok.” Jay offered, taking one bag from Cyboo.

“Need me to take another one?” Jalena asked.

“Nah. I can handle one in each hand.”

 

Just then, Liberty saw the tall dude from Tasty Treats sprinting up to them.

“Look who’s coming, guys.” she warned.

“There you are!” he panted, coming within earshot. “I’ve been all over town looking for you! Mr. Krell has successfully opened the strongbox and wants y’all to come. I’ll carry your bags. Just go go go!”

 

A few minutes later found the five standing outside the “Closed” candy shop.

“Umm. . .do we knock?” Jay wondered.

Click! Click! Click! The locks unexpectedly disengaged and the door opened.

“Mysterious.” Jalena commented as she walked past the shelves of sweets and through the back door.

 

Mr. Krell was obviously in a marvellous mood today, as a huge beaming smile was plastered on his face.

“Ah! There you are, I successfully opened the chest. Guess what was inside?”

“No idea. A clue, hopefully?” Liberty asked, sitting down at the purple table.

“Yes! A minuscular clue to be precise. Seems you picked the right thing Jay!”

“What did you find?” Josiah pressed.

“This!” Mr. Krell triumphantly waved a few strands of hair at the CHTers.

“Uh, duh.” Jay said. “Hair??”

“Well, at first I was disappointed too. But then, I put these strands under a powerful microscope and found words burnt into them! What do you make of this?”

Here, he placed several paper scraps on the table. Each had a word on it.

“I wrote down the words on these papers.” he explained.

“Hidden, effigy, map, Birmingham, in.” Jalena read aloud.

“It doesn’t take a genius to realise that it clearly says ‘Map hidden in Birmingham Effigy’!” Mr. Krell exclaimed.

 

“What’s this Birmingham Effigy?” Liberty asked.

“Well, it’s a strange structure that I really don’t know how to describe. It was also in my family’s possession for a long time. It’s not very big: kind of like a model house or something.”

“That's great! Why don’t you just go and get the map, then, since you own the effigy?” Jay remarked.

Here Mr. Krell’s smile faltered slightly. “That’s the problem. My great-grandfather gave it to the Kouslon museum over seventy-five years ago. I have already contacted the museum, and they have refused to return it to me although I presented clear evidence that I was his descendant.”

“So what are you going to do?” Cyboo said with a certain edge to his voice.

“Nothing! I’m still conversing with the museum, trying to convince them that the effigy is rightfully mine. I just wanted to let you all know that the Yoona Bourga Mission was a success! I am now one step closer to reclaiming my family treasure. And as I promised, here is some reward candy that you kids can play with.”

“Yay!” Jalena cheered.

 

“These,” he announced, pulling a small freezer bag from under the purple table, “are Spider Bites. I’m giving you ten. Have fun!”

“What do they do?” Josiah asked, accepting the package.

“You will find out! And here is a different type: Camouflage Caramels. While sucking in this treat, it’ll be almost impossible to be found in any hide-and-seek game!”

“How come?”

“I won’t say. But believe me, it’s pretty awesome! Just a reminder: never ever bite any of my candies unless I have said that you may. Otherwise, the spell could harm you. Oh, and the Spider Bites only last for about ten minutes, but like Moon Rocks, the Camouflage Caramels last for roughly twenty.”

“Any new mission?” Jalena inquired.

“Nope! I’ll send Tobias or Nikki to find you if I need your help. . .or maybe you could just check in once a day? Yeah, that would be good. And here’s some of my normal ‘unmagical’ candy for free too! I made so many batches last night that I can afford to give some away. Enjoy! See you tomorrow!”

“Thanks Mr. Krell! Bye!”

 

Once outside, the doors mysteriously locked again.

“Oy vey!” Josiah exclaimed, performing a facepalm, “We forgot to ask him about the Minty Ice Cream!”

************************************************************************************************************

It was three days before Jalena found herself in the back room of Tasty Treats again. She and her friends had tried the Spider Bites (it allowed them to spit webs like Spider-Man) and the Camouflage Caramels (which changed the colour of your entire being—including your clothes, eyes, lips, skin and teeth—to match your surroundings), and were eager for a new assignment.

 

Jalena noticed that Mr. Krell looked slightly frustrated, but had a resolute look in his gleaming eyes. When they had all sat down around the purple table, he began.

 

“Well, the museum has refused my claim to the Birmingham Effigy. Under normal circumstances, I would employ more. . .how should I say this. . .civilised means of acquiring it. But these are NOT normal circumstances. Time is of the essence. Other people are actively trying to obtain the effigy, probably including the man who chased you the other night. In fact, the museum told me that LAST NIGHT, a robber broke into the room holding the Birmingham Effigy. There is no time to waste. I need that vital clue!! It shall be mine!” he ranted, before regaining his normal calm.

“What I need you five to do is to sneak into the museum, nab the effigy, and bring it to me. I have everything already planned out.”

“You want us to steal from the museum???” Josiah exclaimed.

“You can’t steal something that rightfully belongs to you! And besides, others are trying to steal it as well!”

“That’s no excuse. If they steal it, they’ll be caught and prosecuted! I don’t want to go to jail. I’m a law-abiding citizen!” Josiah insisted.

 

Mr. Krell paused a moment before continuing.

“Kids, I know that this mission may seem morally complex. However, trust that I know what I am doing, and I will bear any consequences that may ensue. Follow my directions carefully, and no one will be caught. Rather, they will most likely blame the person who crept in the previous night. Anyone who does not want to participate may turn in all of his or her candy, and terminate this relationship. I trust you with candy so powerful that most adults would misuse it. In turn, you trust me to have everything planned and under control. Agreed?”

“What do you propose?” Jay asked skeptically.

“Very simple. At midnight, sneak inside, enter the room with the effigy, take it, and get out. Of course, you will be using magic to help you, but I don’t want to share further specifics without your joining this mission.”

“If it’s so simple, how come the robber didn’t get it?” Liberty asked.

“There’s an alarm system. He accidentally triggered it, and dashed out fast.” Mr. Krell responded.

“This isn’t right.” Josiah said firmly. “We shouldn’t be even be out of bed at that time! What if our parents find out?”

Mr. Krell gave an exasperated sigh. “They WON’T find out. The timing is exactly the same as your previous assignment! Why do you suddenly have a problem now? The Minty Ice Cream will help, remember?”

“But. . .it’s plain robbery! The police won’t stand for a petty “other people were going to steal it first” argument!”

“The police will never know you did it, but if you don’t want to stay on, please leave all your candy here, and we can end this relationship.”

“Jay?” Josiah asked, hoping for some backup.

“I don’t know. . .it does actually belong to Mr. Krell, right? We’re just reclaiming it for him.” Jay murmured.

 

“I may also add that this talisman isn’t just any old bracelet or knick-knack. Rather, it holds considerable magical power, and that’s another reason that we need to find it before others steal it and use it to their ill gain.” Mr. Krell interjected.

“How do we know YOU won’t use it for bad either?” Josiah demanded.

Mr. Krell thought for a moment. “I guess you don’t. There is no proof I can give you, but then again, you have no evidence that I would use it for evil.”

“The earlier assignment to the Yoona Bourga Bay already seemed fishy. "What else will this treasure hunt involve besides stealing? Kidnapping? Blackmailing? Why do you want to use us? You are a magician, so why not go yourself, or send your people?"

"Come on, Joze, just accept!" Liberty urged.

"Forgive me if I want to clarify a few details before embarking on a quest like this one. And I have more questions. The minty ice cream seems to be addictive; my parents are eating a lot of it! You didn't tell us about that. You told us the only effect of the ice cream was to make our parents oblivious to our magical stunts, but now who knows what else your ice cream does? Why should we trust you?"

Mr. Krell sighed. "I can answer most of your questions, Josiah. Just remember, that our relationship is built on trust. This heirloom I am searching for is completely personal. I don't need your help, really. But I'm giving you a chance to earn more magical candy. Consider this an act of kindness.

Additionally, this is not really stealing: it belongs to me, and I know that we will not be caught. No way do I want to get in trouble with the law for asking kids to steal! That wouldn't be in my best interests, would it? And as for the minty ice cream, it is not addictive. It's just really, really, really yummy. Your folks are no more addicted to it than someone would be to...say...a favorite brand of coffee. I understand your concern, but rest assured; once I stop selling it, everything will go back to normal.

Have I answered all your questions? Do you still wish to join me?"

Slightly stunned by the blunt and straightforward way that Mr. Krell had responded, Josiah heard himself mumble "Fine".

 

“Good. Anymore questions? No? Do the rest of you want to participate in this assignment?”

Jay and Liberty said “Yes!” simultaneously. Jalena looked uncomfortable, but she also nodded her agreement.

“I don’t know. . .” Cyboo muttered.

“Oh, and one more thing. The moment any of you refuse a mission, our relationship will completely terminate at that point. I will not give you new candy or assignments should you decide to leave.” Mr. Krell added.

“Fine. I’m in.” Cyboo finally decided.

“Well done.” Mr. Krell said sweetly, in the kind of tone crocodiles use before swallowing their prey whole. “You made a great choice. I would hate to break up the club! Alright, let me share the details. . ."

“Here is a primitive map of the museum’s upper floors.” Mr. Krell began, showing the five CHTers a crudely drawn paper. “As you can see, I have marked this room with an “X”. Inside that room are several display cabinets, one of which contains the effigy. However, all the doors and windows are wired to an alarm system. So this is what I want you all to do.

 

“Use the Moon Rocks to get on top of the museum. There are several air vents, and one of these is large enough to squeeze an extremely thin person through. That vent also happens to be directly above the room marked ‘X’. None of you are thin enough, but it is OK.

Jay, you did a great job handling the Proxy-Doll the last time, so I’m giving you another tube of ProxyDust and. . .this!”

Mr. Krell hauled a tall, almost paper-thin wooden figure from underneath a bench.

“This guy is wooden, but has rubber soles, and can move like the smaller plastic doll. By entering this way, you won’t trigger the alarm.”

 

“What will the rest of us do?” Jalena asked.

“In case the man who chased you, or the robber, or whoever else should come, I suggest that at least two stand guard. I will equip you all much better this time. Here is a larger dose of Shock-Bits: at least 30 mouthfuls. Also, the Spider-Bites might help. Besides blasting webs, it also allows you to climb up vertical surfaces.” He began searching under the purple table for something.

 

“Aha! Here is a masterpiece of mine, that I will give to Josiah — Laser Liquorice! It is one of my most powerful candies ever. As you can see, each coil of liquorice has been segmented into 10 pieces. If you break off one of these pieces and then eat it, you will be able to shoot a small, yet effective laser from your eyes.”

“Woah! How strong is the zap?” Jay exclaimed.

“Strong enough to kill someone if you aim correctly. Everything the laser passes through weakens it until it completely dissipates. If you aim at someone’s heart, chances are you won’t kill the person because of their ribs. Of course, there’s still a chance that the laser will slip between the ribs and destroy the heart...you know what I mean.”

“Wait, you mean like that X-man Cyclops? The guys who blasts lasers from his eyes?” Liberty inquired.

“Exactly!”

“I don’t want candy that can kill people!” Josiah burst out in horror.

Mr. Krell rolled his eyes disdainfully. “Josiah, MANY things have the capability to kill people. Even Energy Beans, or an overdose of Shock-Bits can fatally injure someone. But I’m not giving you this liquorice to kill. Maybe you will need to puncture a tire, or break a lock. Or maybe you will need to intimidate an enemy. I’m giving you three coils of liquorice, which equals 30 lasers. If you eat more than one piece, then the duration and strength of the laser will be increased accordingly.

"One whole coil is the absolute max you can safely consume. For as long as the flavour of the liquorice remains in your mouth, you can voluntarily shoot the laser from your eyes. The moment you shoot, the flavour dissolves, or you spit it out, you will lose the ability to fire. Is this all clear?”

Josiah nodded and cautiously accepted the volatile treat.

 

“And I suppose Cyboo and I don’t do anything again?” Liberty huffed.

“Actually, your involvement is most important. Once Jay is down in the room, he will need to be pulled back up. I will warn you beforehand: this ProxyDoll isn’t light in the least. It will take at least two people to raise him back up through the vent.”

“Great. So we are like Jay’s servants.” Liberty groaned. “Perfect.”

“It really is!” Jay grinned.

“Of course, there might be trouble, and if so, five are harder to beat than three. I maintain that this assignment would work best if all of you participated.” Mr. Krell said.

“When do you want us to do this?” Jalena asked.

“Tonight.”

“So soon?”

“Yes. We can’t let anyone else get a chance to take the effigy.”

“Will we get a prize after this?” Jay questioned.

“Of course!”

“Ok, well, see you tomorrow morning then!”

 

 

 

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