A Little Character
Renninger the Candy Corn Monster
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Renninger the candy corn monster and george the candy corn.
The days that surrounded Halloween in candy coated sweetness, brisk air and costumed festivities, were Renninger's favorite. That time, when monsters could walk freely amongst the human world, mingling with ease, was the highlight of their year. All other days were just bits of time, passing with near agonizing slowness, all leading to the Halloween season.
When the nights grew darker, the days colder, the bright colors of autumn splashing every where Renninger grew impatient. The cravings became their strongest. No longer dulled by the padding of time, knowing that what he most desired was so close, sent his taste buds tingling. His skin itched, his eyes watered, the heavy stump of tail at his back quivered uncontrollably at the mere thought of the ambrosia that would soon be his.
Candy corn.
Such a sweet and simple thing, but for a creature like himself it was as essential as air. Water and food be damned, he wanted, no he NEEDED candy corn.
Halloween welcomed him, the embrace of the spookiest holiday protected his monstrousness, cloaking him in the veil of fun and frivolity that the human world explored. He could walk the streets with ease, getting smiles and nods from humans and monsters alike...some of them costumed people, some of them real... Living breathing, other wordily creatures like himself out for a stroll on the sidewalks, sipping coffee in the cafes, nibbling donuts elbow to elbow with the very humans who made it necessary for them to hide the rest of the year. It was how things were, and most monsters had long since accepted it.
Renninger loved this time of year with a passion that most humans will never know. A gut deep gnawing at his soul, memories of candy corn from seasons past teased his tastebuds with phantom flavors. The last piece long since slowly dissolved many nights ago.
But now, the stores the humans created all but groaned under the weight of candy filled shelves. Chocolates of course, shiny lollypops in every color of the rainbow, sour bits and tangy bobs, all nice...all sweet...but none of them were as perfect in form and flavor as his beloved candy corn.
Bright colors, rich flavor, like a little burst of pure sunlight in his mouth.
A moan escaped Renninger's lips, his belly roared in agreement. The tri-colored horns on his back shivered, he'd fall over in a dead faint if he didn't quench his cravings soon. He rubbed one green hand over his candy-corn-less yellow belly and promised it, soon. Soon.
He quickened his pace, eyes scanning the ground in front of him, the youngest of humans were constantly dropping things. Things like sweet, sweet candy corn. One of Renninger's blue eye's twitched, the other narrowed as he searched the ground in front of him. The tell tale sounds of a near by party drifted through the late afternoon air. Hoots and hollers, music and laughter drew him closer. Parties meant candy.
He'd tried the human stores, memories of that disastrous attempt made him sigh. Even during this magical time of year, when monsters blended so well with the costumed humans, walking into a brightly lit store and devouring fistful after fistful of candy corn, assuaging the hungry beast inside the beast, had led to trouble. The sort of trouble that led to screaming, to running, to laying in the shadows of the bushes, stomach only half full, trying to catch his breath as uniformed humans crept by with scary looking weapons and not a single piece of candy corn between them.
Renninger half smiled, remembering the ordeal, remembering the sweet taste of candy corn....but the price was too high. So he searched, looking for it in places it wouldn't be missed. Scattered across the ground where children walked, shining like gold in beautiful glossy piles in bowls and dishes at the parties that popped up every where. Sometimes humans just handed it to him as he strolled by, chuckling, complimenting his "costume".
If by "costume" they meant his shiny golden green skin he kept polished to a shine, or his many horn bumps on his back that had long ago faded from monster green to candy corn colors, he had to agree. He looked pretty swank if he did say so himself, it was unfortunate humans only shared that opinion during Halloween season. A monster in February didn't garner as many compliments.
All of this thinking, reminiscing while his eyes tracked over the faded green grass of an empty playground did nothing to distract his stomach. It roared again, hungrier than before.....and then his heart leapt. One eye widened in joy while the other narrowed, focusing in on the treasures that lay tucked amongst autumn grass. A cache of candy corn.
Renninger didn't think, he moved, rushing forward swiftly on narrow feet and dropped down on his bottom, fingers already grabbing at the corn. Stuffing piece after piece into his eager mouth with all the joy of reckless abandon and craving fulfillment. Later he'd think about stashing some away to get him through the year, later he would be practical and responsible, but for this moment as the sky darkened and the candy corn caught the dying rays of sun, glinting like perfect little jewels, Renninger didn't think. He ate. He feasted. He gorged himself on this find, blessing the silly soul who'd abandoned what looked to be half a sack's worth of precious candy corn. For a half moment, a clear bit of thinking between the hazy fogs of sugary pleasure that coated his brain, he wondered about the circumstances that had led to this treasure trove.
He crawled further along, quiet but for the sounds of lip smacking and the occasional grunt of pleasure. His eyes were only for the next piece of candy corn, all other details of the park faded away. He took no notice as he crawled further away from the mowed lawn and into the dark shadows of the trees. His monster eyes, sharing that same quality as other monsters, night vision, continued to search the ground. Ignoring pine needles and pretty moss, ignoring dried leaves that crunched under his knees, ignoring brightly colored toadstools that sprung up from the ground like a tiny forest themselves. He ignored all but the candy corn, dreading the moment the trail of sweets ended.
His breath caught when he saw the torn bag, laying against a tree where it had landed after some ignorant fool had thrown it. Some beautiful, ignorant fool, some kind and crazy human who didn't realize the awesomeness of such a treat...... Renninger sighed, happily, sadly, humans were strange. Who could ever fully understand such creatures that could create glorious works of edible art like candy corn but could abandon a half full bag of it in the woods by the park.....
Renninger blinked. First one eye, then the other....half full? The joy erupted from him in a dark and greedy howl of delight. He grabbed the bag and held it close, cradling it as a mother monster does her beastly child. And as if that weren't enough he spied yet one more piece of candy on the ground, right in the middle of a circle of toadstools, framed by fungi as if waiting for Renninger himself to arrive and pluck it from the ground and......
"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" The startled cry filled Renninger's ears even as his hand filled with that last piece of candy corn.
His ears pricked, his tri colored tail stump quivered, on alert. His legs tensed in case those uniformed humans who'd chased him from the store last year had some how tracked him down.
But the forest was dark behind him, the dull yellow glow of street lights illuminated the park in the distance, empty but for the shadowy shapes of playground equipment.
Renninger listened, still as can be, absentmindedly raising the newest piece of candy corn to his lips only to hear the same shrill cry of terror again.
"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Coming from his hand.....
Renninger stared in disbelief, holding the candy corn carefully, staring, staring, endless time passing as the candy corn stared back at him, it's little mouth seemingly frozen on it's last cry of "Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo".
Time passed, Renninger's sugar coated brain fog eased, his stomach was forgotten, the half full bag of candy corn slipped unnoticed to the ground, but still that one last piece stared back into his own startled eyes....with eyes of it's own...
"Did you just scream?" Renninger finally asked, saying the words slowly and carefully and with great effort on his part.
The candy corn seemed to gulp, drawing in a breath, eyes wide and unblinking before it answered.....it ANSWERED, shocking Renninger even further....
"Were you about to eat me?"
Renninger lifted his other hand and gently, tongue poking from between his lips in concentration, poked the little candy corn, listening with fascination as it squealed. "Yes, I was. I was......" Renninger said, slowly again, choosing his words carefully. Eyeing the strange discovery the entire time, eyes still unblinking. "I was.......but I don't think will now."
Silence descended upon the startled duo once more and after a moment the tension eased, the little candy corn seemed to draw in a huge breath and release it with a sigh of relief that could be heard in it's voice.
"Thanks."
There was more to be said, but for the moment silence seemed most comforting to both Renninger and the living candy corn. Neither knew what bit of magic had created this moment, this reality. Neither saw the faint shimmer of power that glittered like a starry sky in the middle of the ring of mushrooms.
Renninger continued to hold his new acquaintance carefully and began to wonder, finally, if it would offend him if he ate some of the other candy corn, the non-screaming, non-faced treats still in the bag......he didn't even know it's name. So he asked.
The candy corn gave it great thought and finally answered, "George, I think. I feel like a George."
Still more time passed, and Renninger eyed George who eyed him back, and both were pleased when the candy corned horned monster casually ate a piece of his beloved treat from the bag and it didn't scream.
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