Editor’s Choice: Social Short Story
Temptation – Social Short Story
Photo credit: Ladyheart from morguefile.com
The colors merged beautifully, creating a circular pattern, so tempting, so alluring. She stared at them, whispering to herself, the colours, red, green, yellow and blue. They sat on the shelf, wrapped in plastic, enticing her, making her want to grab, to buy; to slurp. Her eyes sparkled, her mouth slobbered, her wish aching to be fulfilled. As her mind wandered, picturing her with her own candy stick, devouring it slowly, but charily, nursing her treat, like a wounded puppy, she smiled to herself. But her dream, cannot be real, as she fished out some cents from her tattered pocket, only to realise that the sweet treat was a luxury she can’t afford. Her smile vanished; her face saddened, with feelings of envy, as she watched down the street, a parent she never had, the love she never received, and the candy she can never have, in the hands of another. She turned away, walking towards the park, to find her playmate.
She stood in front of the store, it was half past nine, but the shutters were down. She looked like she hadn’t eaten for days; her clothes were in shreds, hair in knots, and a toe sticking out of one of her shoe. She gazed at the street corner, awaiting the appearance of her luxury store owner. Picking on her nose, and nibbling her half broken finger nail, she patiently anticipated the sweet meat shop to open. She dug into her pocket, and removed a tiny purse, clinging with coins. Very cautiously, she emptied the cents into her palm, and thoughtfully counted every coin, repeatedly. She heard footsteps and stopped to look up and believe her dream was coming closer to becoming reality, as she saw the owner, opening the shutter. Very quickly, she refilled her purse with her precious earnings and walked into the store. It smelt like heaven, the sweetness in the air, was tantalizing which made her salivate. She ran towards her candy, grabbed it tight with her tiny hand and darted towards the cash counter excited. Her face gleamed with joy and delight she couldn’t hide. As the lady behind the counter, billed the toffee, the little one set her assets on the cold granite slab. With a twisted expression, the lady slowly counted the amount and found that, the money wasn’t enough for her to sell the candy. She politely refused the girl and sent her out.
She had been refused, rejected and even declined numerous times, by many, but this was tear-jerking. She felt dejected, and her disappointment converted itself to anger and frustration, which she couldn’t help but suppress. She walked towards the park, gloomy with a somber face. She sat down on the park bench, head bent low, tears dripping down her cheeks. She sat in silence till noon, and went back to the shop, pensively watching her candy sitting on the top shelf, smiling at her mockingly. She walked in again, grasped the candy, and scurried out. She heard a lady shout out, she turned as she ran, the lady at the cash counter calling at her and asking her to stop. But she didn’t, she ran like there was no end.
It all happened in a flash of a second. A dreadful scene of her blood spluttered on the tar road, brought the pedestrians crowd around the petit body, which lay motionless, her hand clenched on to the colorful and flavored chunk of sugar.
She woke up surrounded with candies, and toffees, as she happily danced along, in the most blissful and enchanting paradise.
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