Bloody Valentine

by Lucy Swing

  ―Well, that is an odd name.‖ I put the box on my desk and turned on the laptop. I was still unsure who had left it for me and was more than intrigued after seeing Felicity with the same box. It is not one of those cheap metal ones you would find in every grocery store. It had a unique quality to it. The best way to describe it would be, vintage.

  I opened the browser and searched the name of the factory and was surprised to find so many hits on it. I picked on the cupcake, dipping a finger into the red frosting and licking it off. Buttercream, delicious. I took a bite; it was a smooth and very tasty dark chocolate cake. I closed my eyes as I enjoyed its texture.

  I clicked on one of the links and was prompted with an article.

  ―‘Devils Treat‘ was founded by Benjamin Moore and his wife Cassandra in January 1935. The factory became an instant success, and their chocolates were a novelty all on their own. However, shortly after its grand opening, Cassandra Moore was charged with witchcraft.‖

  Oh, great, I thought to myself.

  It then went on to explain how many of their customers experienced physical changes after eating some of her delicacies; changes in eye color, almost always turning a deep shade of red, changes in skin complexion and some even dying strange deaths. After she was found guilty and hung for the heinous acts, Benjamin disappeared, leaving the factory behind.

  A man with a stern expression on his face looked up from the black and white picture of the married couple. The wife was small and beautiful; a wicked smile spread through her lips; and her eyes exuded power. I kept scrolling down, looking for anything else that would catch my eye, and then something did.

  The cupcake rolled out of my hand and onto the floor, making a red frosting of a mess that contrasted with the white carpet. I had finally found a common denominator. A very important one, at that. The symbol, the one on Carly‘s neck and on Jude‘s notebook, was now displayed in the screen in front of me.

  Mr. Moore‘s home had been searched after he skipped town. They had found scribbles on the walls and floors, furniture had been carved. The symbol was there, over and over again.

  Mr. Moore was never seen again, and the town fell back into their lay back kind of living. Soon after, however, women in town and in the vicinity began to go missing. Many of them had been found tied to trees in the forest with the symbol carved onto their flesh. No one would ever find Benjamin or the reason for the missing women and their deaths.

  There were a few websites of paranormal and mysterious things occurring in the empty factory. Some believed that the ghost of Cassandra Moore haunted it, baking her later delicacies known as ―Death by Chocolate.‖ Of course, a small picture showed the chocolates in its heart-shaped box.

  It can’t be real, there is no way!It couldn‘t be.

  I read on and it said that her ghost was still around the factory, making those who convicted her pay for what they had done. People also suggested that Mr. Moore had been the Devil himself and the factory needed to be burned to the ground, which the town finally did in 1951. I was unable to find anything dated after that, mostly because everyone that lived in that part of town had moved away, afraid of the lingering spirit. I jotted the address for the factory on my hand and ran down the stairs, grabbing the car keys that hung on the wall as I made my way out the door.

  My phone rang the moment I backed out of my driveway.

  ―Where are you going?‖ Maggie‘s intrigued voice asked. I looked through the windshield and found her on the porch of her house, which was two houses down from mine across the street. She was rocking herself on the white chair with a book propped open on her lap, her cell phone to her ear.

  ―I just need to go into town. Do you need me to grab you some binoculars while I‘m out? Maybe you can check on the people down the road, too,‖ I joked as I drove by, a little faster than I should have, making it known that hitching a ride was out of the question.

  ―Whatever. As your best friend it is my job to know where youare and keep you safe.‖ I could hear her eyes rolling as she said that and then hit the end button.

  Safe.

  The word lingered in my head for no known reason. As I looked in the rear view mirror, I saw her walk back into her house. I was sure that by the time I got back, she would be waiting for me on the steps to my house with a million questions. I needed to find out if I was correct in thinking the chocolates and the disappearances where connected. Had my dream been more than a dream? A vision of some sort?

  The drive to the western part of Gottsenden Hollow went by without my noticing it. I enjoyed the cool air that penetrated through the open windows and caressed my face while my favorite band blasted through the speakers. All worries vanished, if only for those twenty minutes it took me to get there.

  Once I got closer to town, I entered the address for the factory into my GPS and waited for Manuel, ―the voice,‖ to direct me. Luckily, I was only about three miles away. West Hollow was not the place to be at, especially alone. It had been cast away by the rest of Gottsenden years ago for the same reasons I found on the internet today. Witchery. Although I had never heard the story about the Moore family, all the other stories about this part of town seemed ludicrous, old wives tale to keep us from coming here, no doubt.

  I thought of how adamant Dad always was about keeping me away from West Hollow; he would have a heart attack if he knew I was here. Especially with what has been going on lately, girls from my school disappearing and all. I looked at the time displayed on the dashboard. It was 6:45. It would be dark soon; I would need to be quick.

  What are you doing? Turn back now. The voice inside yelled at me, but I simply pushed it aside and pressed forth. After a few lefts and rights, a U-turn here and there, I reached my destination or what was left of it at least.

  The building was mostly crumbled to the ground. For the most part the storefront was still intact, although decaying after the blaze sixty years ago. Through the large opening that once must have been a window, there was debris all over the ground. I searched my surroundings, making sure there were no thugs or creeps around, and got out of the car. The beeping of the alarm echoed through the gray and empty street.

  Once I reached the store, I looked through the opening and toward the back. Everything has been charred to the ground. Glass pieces were scattered in the floor, as well as some other pieces of furniture that had barely survived the blaze. In the distance, there was a steel door with a small gap on it. I could try to squeeze through to get onto factory in the back. I climbed up the big concrete blocks and steered clear of the glass under my feet.

  Halfway there, I stiffened. Frozen in place, I sniffed the cool air around me.

  ―No way-‖ I sniffed again. There it was the sweet smell of chocolate. It felt warm and enticing as I breathed it in.

  I shook my head, knowing all too well there was no way in hell this place was still functioning. I moved forward, braving the fear that was caught in my throat and made my limbs stiff. I needed to know what was going on, and if my suspicion was right, who was behind it all. I reached the gap and poked my head in.

  Nothing.

  There was absolutely nothing but darkness and nowhere to go. After ten minutes trying to push my way through the steel door, I gave up. The scent of warm chocolate was making me dizzy and arousing a wicked craving for it. I ran towards the car and gave the store a once over, this time noticing the smoke coming out from what was left of an oldfashioned brick chimney.

  I drove around the block, looking for another way in. Someone is there. Someone or something was cooking those chocolates. Cassandra, I thought. I smiled at how crazy I sounded; I would not buy into all that witch stuff. Not me.

  On the other side of the street I met a dead end. There was what seemed to be an occupied two-story house that was in poor condition as well. A couple stray or extremely malnourished dogs raced towards my car, foam coming out of their mouths and all, as they barked, their long nails scratched the side of my car. At that very same moment,
a cloaked person fell onto the hood of my car, and I let out a piercing scream. Crouching in front of me, he lifted his head and I was faced with large red eyes staring back at me.

  The air in my lungs escaped and I was knew what this would mean…

  My end.

  2 RESCUE MISSION My sweaty hands tightened around the leather steering wheel. I was holding my breath, as the slightest movement would be compromising. Fear had me frozen, and blood was pounding into my head. My insides kept screaming for me to get the hell away before it was too late.

  The person looked to the side at the barking dogs. The beating of my heart quickened, and with a slow and cautious movement I lowered my hand to the shift box. His head crooked to the other side, and I took my chance. I set the car in drive and floored the gas pedal. The car bolted forward, throwing the cloaked person onto my windshield and then over the roof of the car. The rearview mirror showed the way his body hit the pavement. In the matter of a blink of the eye the street behind me was once again empty. No cloaked person lying on the ground. No trace of anything that just happened.

  I kept my foot on the gas the whole way home, making it in a record time of twelve minutes. By the time I parked the car, it was nighttime and the porch lights were off, which meant Dad wasn‘t home yet.

  I grabbed my phone and dialed Maggie, but all I got was her voicemail. Great. I would have to get out of the car sooner or later; whether it was dark or not and whether I was alone or not. I stole a glance backat Maggie‘s house, but the only light on was the porches.

  Probably out for dinner , I thought. As great as Mrs. S is, the woman could not cook even if it depended on her life. She would never get something as simple as mac ‗n‘ cheese cooked right.

  I gathered my cell phone onto one hand and ran for the door, holding my key in position to open it at top speed. A loud noise came from the leaves of the bushes by the cherry tree, once again causing my whole being to freeze at the edge of the front steps. The leaves moved again, and I waited. I waited for him to come out and attack me, to carve his mark onto my skin.

  Moe, Mrs. Harris‘ cat, strolled out from the bushes casually, stopping a few feet away from me shooting a bored look my way.

  ― Stupid cat,” I muttered to myself as I sighed in relief. I held the key out again and turned towards the door, only to find a large body blocking my way. I screamed, my phone and keys went flying in the air.

  ―Hey, hey. Relax! I thought you had seen me,‖ Chance was out of breath, too.

  ―I‘m sorry, it‘s just—it‘s dark—and, no, I hadn‘t seen you.‖ I tried to catch my breath as I leaned on him. The moment I felt like I could move again, we walked to the door and opened it; the jingle of the keys slamming against each other covered the sound of our ragged breaths.

  Chance sat on the black leather chair in the kitchen, his chest rising and lowering at an incredible speed.

  ―Why are you so tired?‖ The scare he gave me had already begun to wean off. What was up with him?

  ―I went for a run, as you may have noticed.‖

  I looked at him, ―What do you mean?‖

  ―Since my car is not in your driveway, I thought... Never mind, I saw you pull up and thought I‘d come to say hi.‖ I moved through the kitchen, the red blinking light on the phone was blinking. A quick voicemail later, my suspicion was correct; Dad would not be home for dinner. The late emergency meetings were becoming more of a common thing lately, and I was beginning to wonder if they were more of a date thing than anything else. He could just fess up and be open about it. But instead, he seemed to be content with the sneaking around.

  My mother was gone well before I could retain memories, and Dad never spoke a whole lot about her. All I knew is that she was incredibly beautiful and sweet. The reasons for her leaving were still a mystery.

  Dad has always been there for me. For the past seventeen years I have been the only girl in his life, and he deserved to be loved by someone else a little more appropriately. He had done a great job as a single parent; it was time he lived a little.

  I had been so caught up in my own thoughts I had missed when Chance stood up and closed the space between us. He slid his muscular arm around my waist softly. My whole body and my senses went limp. When he was near me, everything faded away. He could take my will to think straight; there was nothing but him when he was around. Even in crowded spaces, like at school, I could only see him; the rest melts into nothingness.

  His arms tightened around me and with a swift movement he propped me up on the counter, pulling my legs apart with his body. His fingers entangled themselves on my black hair. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling his body closer still. He smelled so darn good.

  My heart began to beat like a drum, loud enough I felt he might just be able to hear it. That would be embarrassing. His lips met mine and they moved with purpose. We had only been dating for a couple of months, ever since the ordeal with Jude in the cafeteria, Chance seemed to have noticed me. As if he had been able to really see me from that day forth. We have been together ever since.

  I pulled away, allowing the cold air in the room cover my scorching lips. I could think once again, and all I could see was Jude in my head. What the hell is the matter with me? How could I possibly be thinking such things when… My mind was filled with images of Jude and I kissing, being enclosed in his arms.

  I felt sick to my stomach and tried to push those thoughts off my head.

  Chance was kissing my cheek, my jaw, my neck.

  ―So, umm, did you study for tomorrow?‖ The voice inside my head didn‘t say a word this time, it simply laughed at how ridiculous I was being. Chance was one of the most popular boys in school. He was in the football and swimming team and had all the girls drooling over him. So why was I asking about school and thinking of the person who may be kidnapping and possibly killing the girls from school? Yeah, something was definitely wrong with me.

  He chuckled and shook his head, eluding my question. ―Do you still have those chocolates your secret admirer left you?‖ His whole demeanor changed, and his muscles tensed up.

  It was kind of sweet that he was getting all jealous about someone leaving me chocolates. He would definitely not be feeling that way if I told him what I thought was happening. That those same chocolates seemed to be somehow connected with the disappearances. My mouth flew open on its own accord, but I opted to keep quiet. It still seemed a little far-fetched for me; he would probably drive me to the crazy institution himself.

  ―Yeah, they are in my room.‖ If they haven’t moved on their own accord again, I thought.

  ―Go get them; let‘s see what they are made of.‖ He gave me a weak smile and walked away toward the living room. He spent most afternoons hanging out here, so he knew his way around. He turned the T.V. on and began flipping through the channels.

  ―Okay, I guess I am getting the chocolates,‖ I mutter under my breath as I went up the stairs.

  I searched high and low but could not find them anywhere. They truly had feet of their own. On my way out of the room, something caught my eye. From under the dark keyboard a white paper peeked out. I pulled on the paper until it was free and found a handwritten note.

  I stole your chocolates. That‘s what happens when you try to be all mysterious and leave you best friend behind.

  BTW, I will eat them all, make no mistake about it.

  XOXO, Maggie

  My stomach turned. I had to warn her about the chocolates. I looked out the window and toward her house, it was still dark. I pulled my cell phone and dialed her. Voicemail.

  When I came back down empty-handed, his eyebrow shot up. ―What‘s up? You didn‘t leave one for me?‖ A hopeful smile crept into his face.

  I showed him the note. A different side of him emerged, a Chance I had never seen before. He threw a fit! Claiming Maggie had no right to walk into my house and do with my property as she pleased. I watched him move across the room, boggled at his reaction, so I just nodded and preten
ded I understood where he was coming from. I just wanted him to get this very unusual burst of anger out of his system.

  Maggie was like my sister. We met during freshman year in high school and had become, ever since, inseparable. Sleepovers happened almost on a daily basis, and for the past two years she had had a key to my house. She is welcomed in this house as if it were her own.

  After letting some of the anger out in the open, Chance left my house, Leaving me behind, confused and partially deaf from the slam of the front door. I sat, still bewildered at his unusual behavior, and pulled my cell phone out of my back pocket to call Maggie again. The call went straight to voicemail. ―Hey Maggie, Call me when you get this. It‘s important. Whatever you do,do not eat the chocolates.‖ I slid the phone back in my pocket and stole another glance across the street. No sign of life at her house.

  By the time I was done with dinner and doing the dishes it was late and I was tired, but the scholar in me knew I had to study if I wanted to keep my grades up. Besides, with the dance only a few days away, I didn‘t want to take a chance of Dad making me miss it as punishment. It was about eleven when I heard the front door close, and his careful steps followed soon up the stairs. Dad‘s head peeked in at my door.

  ―What are you doing up?‖ His cheeks were burning a crimson flame

  ―Studying. Big test tomorrow,‖ I raised the thick history book. ―Well, get some rest; if you are tired during your test you won‘t do any better,‖ he said as he came over to the desk and kissed my forehead, closing the door behind him as he walked out.

  My eyes were heavy. I got up and picked up my pajamas from the arm rest of my desk chair and made a mental note to remember to clean up the red mess from the floor before school. Once finished with my nighttime ritual, I walked over to the window to close the curtains, but, instead, I stared down into the darkness. Beneath the now darkened Cherry tree something moved.