Valentine's Candy (2 page)

“Candy, where are you?” She heard Kevin’s
voice call from somewhere behind her.

“No,” she panted. This couldn’t be happening.
She heard his footsteps growing closer. By the sound of them, he
would end up catching her before she made it back out of the
trees.

“No. Please, no,” she cried as she ducked
down behind a tree. She held her breath as she froze; hoping Kevin
would just go right by her. Maybe if she was quiet enough, he would
walk right past her.

She heard him draw closer, his breathing
harsh as he looked around. “Candy, where are you?” he called.
“Candy, please?”

She stayed still, trying to hold back the
tears. He couldn’t find her. He just couldn’t.

“Candy?” he called as she heard his footsteps
move away from her.

She was going to be okay. He would keep
walking and she could double back and get her car. She was going to
be just fine. A sob escaped her lips before she could stop it. She
covered her mouth and waited.

Kevin’s footsteps stopped, then headed back
in her direction.

Candy began to silently cry, the tears
spilling from her eyes. It was over. He would find her.

“Candy?” he called to her. “I’m here. It will
all be okay now.” He came closer, barely inches from where she was
hiding.

She couldn’t stand it any longer. She stood
up and started to run.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.

“Stop, please. Let go of me,” she begged
him.

“Candy, why are you doing this?” he asked her
gently. “Please, calm down.”

“No!” she screamed as her fists beat against
his chest. “Let go of me! Don’t hurt me! Leave me alone!!”

“Candy,” he muttered as he tried to restrain
her arms.

Suddenly lights seemed to flood the
trees.

Kevin let go of her and looked around.

“Freeze. Police. Step away from the lady.”
Voices shouted through the trees.

“Oh thank god,” she yelled and rushed for the
lights. “You have to help me. He’s trying to hurt me. He was in my
house,” she babbled as she neared the voices.

“Candy?” Someone spoke her name.

“Brad?” she asked as she drew close enough to
see his face. It was Officer Waters. She let out a shaky breath.
She was among friends now.

“We’ve got her, Frank.” Officer Waters called
to the other cop. “Candy’s okay.”

“Thank god.” The other cop breathed a sigh of
relief.

“Okay buddy, keep those hands where I can see
them,” Brad called to Kevin as he walked up the path towards
him.

The other cop, Candy recognized as Officer
Cooper, walked over to her. “Are you okay?” he asked her.

“Yeah, Frank. I am,” she said as a shiver
took a hold of her body.

Officer Cooper looked down at her and then
over at the other cop, who was putting cuffs on Kevin. “You okay,
Brad?”

“Yeah, I’ve got this. Take Candy to the
police station for me. I’ll meet you there.”

“I don’t know what’s going on here,” Kevin
spoke as he tugged on the handcuffs. “I was just trying to help
her.”

“Yeah, well it looks like she didn’t want
your help,” Brad told him as he led him back down the trail.

“Come on,” Frank said, leading Candy to his
police cruiser. “Let’s get you where it’s warm.”

“Thank you,” she said, smiling up at him.
Officer Cooper was always thoughtful. He always made sure she had a
hot cup of coffee when they were both at the station. “I mean it,
Frank. Who knows what might have happened if you guys hadn’t showed
up,” she told him as he let her in the car.

He looked down at her. “Don’t worry. You’re
safe now.” He closed her door and hurried around to the driver’s
side.

She settled down into the warmth as he got in
and started the car. Her heartbeat was returning to normal and she
felt as if she could breathe again. “Thank god this night is over,”
she said, as they pulled away from the curb.

Officer Cooper looked over at her and smiled.
“I have something that might make it even better.” He reached down
under the seat and bought out a box of chocolates.

Candy froze. It was the same box of
chocolates that had been on her table.

Frank’s smile grew even wider as he offered
them to her. “Candy for my Candy?”

###

About the author
:

Melissa L. Webb is a writer of dark words.
She spends her days creating new nightmares in Northern
California.

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