Unwanted

It’s a damp Halloween night as the rain falls bitterly from the sky and drenches everything around me. The bowl I’m laying in is opressive and crowed, despite the fact that it’s filled with colourfully wrapped sweets unlike myself. While the popular candies like KitKats and Skittles are always quickly scooped up, I’ve never gotten a chance to feel wanted. Why? I am simply a lowly piece of salted black licorice.

It's so fucking cold out here. I heard other candies get to stay inside on nights like this. At least I'm near the bottom, so the rain isn't hitting me quite as bad as the ones on top. Some of the others get to stay together in bright, pretty packaging. Not me. I'm here by myself, in a clear, boring plastic wrapper. I guess a single piece of salted black liquorice just doesn't get the same amount of love and craving as a goddamn package of fuzzy peaches. Whatever, it won’t matter in the end anyways.

The children continuously snatch candies here and there greedily from this cheaply made orange and black plastic bowl. I feel little hands of costumed children grab as much candy as they can from where I am currently trapped. The bowl was left outside by the lazy people that purchased me in the first place, giving candies like me zero hope of trick-or-treater’s picky candy selection. I’m so lonely. The longer I lay here, the greater the threat of being left behind and forgotten becomes; but I wouldn’t expect anything better at this point.

Then it happens. A little boy comes up to the porch and reaches into the bowl to grab a handful of us candies when I suddenly notice a warmth I’ve never felt before. I’ve been chosen! The boy inspects the goodies he acquired and spots me among the others.The rush of wind that surrounds me as I fall through the air and back into the bowl takes away any hope I’ve had of being carried off and wanted. I watch as the boy turns away and smiles with joy as he eats the good candy.

The concept of time evades me and the seemingly endless hours go past, countless gleeful children taking the every last bit candy around me, leaving me cold and alone. I watch in agony and disappoint as a light begins to crest above the now nearly empty bowl. I guess it’s over, I’m not wanted.

As I begin to wonder what will become of me I hear something in the distance. It sounds like gasping or heavy breathing or maybe... panting? It’s quiet and small but I can hear it getting louder as the distance separating us shrinks until there is practically nothing in between. I listen as the sound of the small footsteps walking up the concrete stairs stops before me. Looking up towards the edge of the bowl, I see the silhouette of a small dog. It peers above the bowl, and almost looks as if it's smiling as it's muzzle dips below the edge of my confine and grabs me by my wrapper. The dog trots its way down the stairs and continues up the street, towards the breaking dawn and my freedom at last.