ALINA LEFFEL - RED VINES

Alina Leffel is the author of Demon High, a young adult gothic fiction novel available at Barnes and Noble and on Amazon.com internationally. Follow her on Instagram @alinajadebooks or on Facebook at Alina Leffel Books.

Red Vines
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​It was a winter day at Beech Creek Park, the playground’s newly renovated structure creaking beneath the wind. Amelia scaled the ladder, her Mary-Jane clad foot slipping on a spare layer of sleet, sending her toppling onto the mulch below with a shriek.
A man appeared by her side and held out his hand. “Need a lift?” he asked, eyes shining under his glasses. He had a handlebar mustache, a tuft of dark hair on his mostly bald head, and his teeth had traces of red, which made sense, with the pack of Red Vines he was clutching in his other hand.
            Amelia hauled herself up, brushing the dirt off of her clothes. “Thanks, Mister,” she said bashfully, staring at the floor.
            “What’s your name?” he asked.
            “Amelia.”
            “Where are your mom and dad?”
            The girl shrugged. “Dad’s at work so he didn’t come. Mom probably went to the dog park with my brother.”
            The man nodded, glancing around the playground, his thin hair blowing as a gust of wind trailed by. “Would you like a Red Vine?” he asked, arching the opened packet toward the girl.
            Amelia reached to grab one and pulled it back. “I can’t,” she said, tapping the shiny metal lining on her teeth. “Braces.”
            The man frowned, arching the sweets toward her again. “Go on, I won’t tell.” He winked, and Amelia grinned, taking a couple from the bag and biting them hesitantly so they wouldn’t stick too much.
            “What’s your favorite candy?” he asked.
            “Gumdrops,” she replied, fidgeting. “But Mom says I can’t have those either.”
            “You don’t say!” he beamed. “I think I’ve got a box or two of those in my car. You see, I’m delivering a candy shipment to my pal Dean over at the Westside Cinema, but I don’t think he’ll miss a couple.” He winked again, wiggling the Red Vines. “I can get you a box if you like, as long as you keep it a secret.” He brought a finger to his lips and smiled. Amelia giggled, glancing around at the unbeknownst children, and distracted mothers chatting about yoga or clacking away on their phones. The rest of her family was still nowhere in sight.
She nodded and the man grinned, leading her to a black car that was parked beside the playground, a little way down the street, away from the hustle and bustle of parents pushing oversized strollers up uneven sidewalks.
            He unlocked the car and rummaged through the backseat, out of Amelia’s view behind the door. “Whelp, not in here,” he said, closing it. “Must be in the trunk.” She followed him to the back and he revealed the contents to her. “They’ll be in those boxes,” he said, pointing. “Go on, take a look.”
            Amelia arched forward, desperate to get her hands on the forbidden sweets, but all she found when she opened the cardboard were more packs of Red Vines. She turned to the man in confusion and he grabbed her shoulders roughly, shoving her into the trunk.