For Love of Mister Cotton Tail: An Apocalyptic Fairytale (Single) (3 page)

“I will lose my life.” It was a question that Momma did not need to answer. With Vegan, it was all the way. It was why there were barely matches between Vegans and Sweets. Too risky.

Knowing Darren, she knew her mother had been right. Those were her only options. Standing up, she went to go clean on the veggie side before she confronted Cotton.

* * *

“It’s okay.” Momma Sweet turned to her daughter Poured as they continued to fix chairs into the night. “The whole
plan has moved smoothly so far.”

“I
know. I didn’t bother telling Darren everything, so it’s risky. He sure didn’t mind the Posh part,” her daughter Poured Sweet said, pushing in the last chair. “Candy is going to hate this, mom.”

“Candy will have to understand. If the business collapses, she has no one else. If the world ends though?” Momma touched Poured’s hand. “She will understand, have faith in that. We must do this.”

“I know. It’s the best thing. For the business, for the world, and for everyone.” Poured grabbed the broom and swept up the ground. “I feel bad for the guy though. This is sick what we have to do. Plus, Darren. He’s kind of scummy, but this isn’t going to be nice to him either.”

“He had Posh, it makes it fair. If he wants Sweet Meats, he’ll stick
with the plan.” It wasn’t nice but there wasn’t a choice. Posh ending up with Darren was Momma Sweet’s plan. Posh pushing Candy into Cotton was also her idea. Eventually, Darren would come back and take Candy’s hand in marriage.

But before then, she needed to be with Cotton Tail.

Their prophecy of the end of the world was just as mysterious as anything else. Momma Sweet never thought about it when she named her second born Candy. There had been many Candy’s in the family line. She never thought about it until at the age of five, Candy woke up one night screaming for her.

//“Momma!”

Momma Sweet moved to her daughter’s room. It was two o’ clock in the morning
and her little Candy was crying for her. When she came to her room, Candy’s hands were rubbing her eyes. Momma Sweet sat down next to her on the bed. “What is it, Candy? Did you have a bad dream again?” She expected to hear her daughter talk about a monster under the bed, or maybe something in the closet. Instead, she heard something that she would never forget.

“I dreamed of the apocalypse. There were these people that weren’t people, mommy. Their skin was flaky
and their eyes were light blue. They wanted me. I ran but then a dragon flew over my head and these miniature bodies were falling on me like rain. I called for you over and over, but the ground and everything faded away and I was trapped in blackness!” She grabbed onto her mommy’s shoulder.

Apocalypse? She was five, how could she know that word? Those visions. Momma Sweet held onto her tightly. “Candy, where did you hear that word from?”

“A boy. He tried to say something, but I ran away from him. I don’t like boys, they have cooties, and Michael has the most cooties. Michael always chased me on the playground, and he was chasing me in my dream. He chased me and I told him to stop it and he didn’t. So I ran. And he chased. And then all that stuff happened.”

Momma Sweet swallowed
but held her daughter tight. That was no ordinary dream. For as long as time had been, the world had a prophecy that one day healthy and sweet would meet. The terms were very prophetic, not easy to understand. In fact, it was an entire book which hardly had any complete sentences. Yet, it was the oldest book on the planet, and no one knew how it ever existed or who wrote it. The most their ancestors could make of it was that one day someone from a pure Sweet line named Candy would have a child with someone purely Vegan named Cotton Tail. As her daughter began to cry, all the strange lines came crashing back to her.

Candy
was supposed to end up with a Vegan to save the world. However, she was Momma Sweet’s only daughter. They held a magic business called Sweet Meats, and if Candy married herself to a Vegan? She would never get the Spice power she needed.

Momma Sweet would need to have one more daughter, and pray that she found someone who held the magic of Spice. Spice and Sweet created the sweet and savory
barbecue business that had been running their family line for over two hundred years.

There was no way to sell a magic business. If it went kaput, it was the end. “It’s okay, Candy, it was just a dream. Go back to bed, sweetie.”
She tucked her daughter back in, calmed her down some more until she was ready to go to sleep, and left the room.

She would have to tell Marle
n they had to have one more child for the business.

For without the business, they would lose everything. The houses, the cars, and the traditional
fame of the Sweet family. He would have to agree. Otherwise, Momma Sweet didn’t want to imagine the choice she’d have to make against her little Candy.//

* * *

Candy wiped the back tables on the veggie side. Matt had left, and only Cotton was in the restaurant. Her mom and sister were back on the restaurant’s meat side, straightening it up she presumed. It was night and the doors should have been locked, but Cotton and her still needed to have a big talk. A real big talk. She wiped down the table for the last time. They were starting to shine having been cleaned over and over just to ignore the talk, but she couldn’t stop the inevitable. Knowing that she’d have Big Bunny’s comfort when she went home, she headed over toward Cotton’s booth. She sat down on the other side and tapped her fingers on the table. “What do you want to do?”

Cotton lifted his eyes toward her. She hadn’t noticed before, but he had a beautiful set of emerald eyes like her rabbit. Hopefully that was a good sign. He unfolded his arms and relaxed his body. “What is the big problem?”

He was joking, right? No one grew up without knowing this basic information. Candy tapped the table again. “Twenty to thirty days I need to have this resolved.”

“Twenty to thirty days. Okay.” Cotton nodded. “Let’s get out of this
place, get to know each other, and you can give me the specifics.” Cotton held his hand out to her for a handshake. “Deal?”

“Get to know each other?” That wasn’t the best idea. “I’m getting married
eventually to Darren. I mean, well, I should. Somehow. I’ll get past Posh.”

“He treats you like crap and you know it. You are going to be begging and
pleading for him to take you back?” Cotton rolled his eyes. “You’re a real piece of work.”

Judg
mental. Candy stuck her tongue in her cheek. “He’s not much different than my dad was with my mom. It’s the way things are with Spice men usually.”

“So Spice pushes Sweet around?”

“Nobody pushes me around.” Candy moved further away from him in the booth, preferring the far end. “My dad is dying soon. Our business is about to fold. I have no one to take care of me, and at my mother’s age she’ll be taken away. I have no authority to start another business. My sister will be on thin ice herself. Most of all? I don’t really care for anyone. If I don’t
love
anyone, and every thing is about to be taken away, what would you do? I need to preserve the business first.”

“You could go out and get a regular job.”

“I’ve never done anything else. I’ve been groomed since birth to take over the business.” Candy wasn’t going to give in to that. “I don’t have any of the certifications children received when they were younger.” She expected him to ask about certifications or equality tests, but he didn’t.

“Okay then, let’s go
out.” Cotton stood up. “Do you need a jacket?”

“
Out.” Candy slid out of the booth. “Fine. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can go back after Darren.”

“Well that’s great ‘cause I hate that guy. Postponing him makes me happy.” Cotton headed to the front door. “Besides, you should enjoy this too.”

She should enjoy this? “Why should I enjoy this?”

“A chance to make him jealous?” Cotton looked back at her, straight into her eyes. He kept staring uncomfortably. “There isn’t an ounce of jealousy in your eyes.”

“Business.”

“Have you ever dated anyone except that guy?”

No, of course not. She needed to stay free for Darren. Only Poured dated around when she was younger, and she was exclusively taken now.

“Well, come on, I’m hungry.” Cotton held the front door open. “Your overpriced water on my shirt wasn’t fulfilling.”

“I don’t know.” Candy fidgeted. “I have a pet at home, I should really get back to him.”

“It is just a pet.”

“Big Bunny is not just a pet, he is
my
pet.” Candy sighed. “Never mind, you would never understand. “

“One drink. You’ll be back to your little guy before you know it.”

“Fine. Where are we going then?”

“You’ll see.”

* * *

Candy sat down on the
unfamiliar barstool in front of the metal counter.

“Hey, Kit.” Cotton slapped his hand against the
waiters. “Two broccoli stews.” He gestured toward Candy. “She’s never had the real thing.”

“Coming up.” Kit moved away from Candy’s sight. She turned to look at the scenery. The smells were different
than anything she’d ever smelled before. Her nose must have been changing too. “Unfamiliar world,” she muttered softly not thinking anyone would hear.

“Exciting new
world,” Cotton said from beside her. She lifted her eyes to his. “Give it a try, Candy. You already know what your future is supposed to be, always have. What’s it hurt to try something new?”

Candy didn’t respond to his question because she didn’t know how to. He wasn’t even supposed to hear her. How did he have such good hearing? She rubbed her face. “Cotton. You said you wanted to get to know each other, so tell me something about yourself already.”

“Well for one, I think your mom is kind of freaky.”

What? Instead of talking about himself he just dissed her mother? “Are you sure you date often? Insulting mothers isn’t first date talk.”

Cotton laughed. “No, probably isn’t. I don’t know, it’s a date, but not.” He shrugged. “Unlike a real date, I’m not looking to impress you. I mean, I don’t even know what you wanted to talk to me about.”

“You do not? Are you really that clueless?”
Candy felt her temperature rise. This guy just wanted to tease her for the month before he finally took what he wanted. It would be a long month.

“Oh.” Cotton winced. “This is something basic I should know, isn’t it? I’m not stringing you along to be mean.”

Why was he really doing this? “Is there any remote chance you’d choose to marry me within a month?”

Cotton just shot a surprised look her way as the broccoli
stews arrived. “What?”

Candy looked at her broccoli stew. It was nothing she
had ever tried before; he’d been right about that. “What if you start to like me toward the end? Is it going to be easy to accept me going to someone else? What is this supposed to accomplish?”

Cotton picked at his stew. “I am confused. I don’t want to jump in
to anything with someone I don’t know.”

“Would you rather jump in and lose someone you do know?” He should have known the answer to that. Any Vegan should know these answers. Everyone should. Even children knew to a certain degree that Vegan and Sweet were like oils. They didn’t mix. “I’ll take this to go.” Candy gestured toward the food. “Come by Sweet Meats tomorrow. We both need a good night to sleep on this.”

* * *

“
Ooooh!” Candy whined as soon as she came through her door. Cotton had beat her home, becoming her beloved Big Bunny. He was right in front of the door waiting for her. She put down a grocery bag so she could pick him up instead. “Big Bunny, I had the worst day of my life so far.”

Cotton enjoyed her
caresses as she moved toward the window with him. He knew what her day would be all about.

“I lost Darren Manner.” Candy
lied him on his fluffy pet bed next to the window. “Posh stole him, and then she made me kiss a Vegan. A Vegan! I can’t taste sweet anymore until the Vegan changes it. Why is he stringing me along? Do I have the words ‘take advantage of me’ written somewhere?” She checked her clothes.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Candy. Why is the Vegan stringing you along? What does he have to do to make you feel better?”

“I cannot tell you that, Big Bunny.” Candy petted him again. “I will study the books, but Spice should overtake Vegan. From the way he acted, I do not think I can get along with him. However, Darren will have a much bigger hand to deal me.” Candy lifted his ears and they drooped back down to his side. “I may not be able to take care of you anymore, Big Bunny. If I have to, I will have to drive you out far away from the city though so you don’t end up anywhere near a menu.”

Losing Candy’s physical pre
sence? Ever since the day he’d almost been gutted and killed like an ordinary rabbit, she had been his light. Mere minutes away. He got stuck in a cage on his way home, and he had wasted too much power, making him incapable of changing back to a human on that day. When she stole him away, talked to him, and caressed his floppy ears, he couldn’t leave her. Now, she would be taken away if he didn’t do
something
. He had no idea what she needed from him as Cotton, but himself as Big Bunny couldn’t waste anymore time.