FILLED WITH LOVE
by
Hope Collom
Every Valentines day Nana's Cookies runs their famous promotion in return for the chance to win a grand prize. Most people will buy a pack of the February limited edition sweets only to win an additional one free. One lucky couple, however, gets the chance to “ Come to the bakery and enjoy Valentines while basking in love”. Every year there have been two winners, generally a boy and a girl, who are taken to Nana’s small town bakery in the closest town to celebrate. Rivaling that of Girl Scout Cookies mania, the addictiveness of the treats are beyond compare.
Hannah leaned against Ezra, the line shuffled forward, moving a snails pace. By the time they reached the counter to pay, three hours elapsed, and the store displays were nearly emptied. 1 per customer, both slid their cookies across the register and held their breath. Ten dollar cookies really were that good they insisted.The contest was simple, cut the individual bar code and fill the slip in the back, mailing it to the P.O box listed. Winners would be notified immediately.
“What are our chances of clinching this thing? It feels like we have been filling these forms out for years just to lose” Ezra shook his box of cookies back and forth, trying to notice anything special or promising inside. Hannah carefully filled out her form, cutting the bar code and slipping it into an envelope.
“ Now give me yours and we will try our luck, no promises!” she held out her hand expectantly and stuffed the remaining pieces inside.
A representative reached out informing Ezra of the winning entry. To expect an all paid tour to the factory with a guest and meet Nana herself. Everything was already taken care of. Winners were never publicly announced, and everything would be confidential.
“Of course we accept!” Hanging up the phone Ezra stared at it in awe. Hannah gaped expectantly “ You’ll never believe this, but we won, we actually did it!”
Not far from the airport, Hannah spotted Nana’s Cookies mini Bakery. “ Look there it is, it looks so much bigger in person” She pushed her way into Ezra’s lap, rolling his window down to grab a better view.
Shaking with excitement they stepped towards the building, Nana stood front and center waiting to greet them. Small and sturdy with snow white hair and crinkly lines across her face, she smiled warmly and invited them towards the door.
“Please come in, welcome! We have a little bit of a meet and greet before we get started, my dears, I hope you don’t mind?” She guided them across the floor to a small booth and seated them in the velvet chairs. Everything inside the bakery appeared as old as she did. She placed a questionnaire in front of each party. “This is a little get to know you, and don’t forget to include extra love” she winked. Ezra finished his first and was led into the kitchen portion of the bakery to start the tour, they mentioned they would be back. Hannah finished hers, waiting for someone to retrieve her.
She anxiously checked her watch, ten minutes passed and no sign of Nana or Ezra. She took it upon herself to catch up to them, maybe they had just gotten caught up. She gasped, stepping into the kitchen, noticing Ezra suspended upside down. Tubes and lines protruded from his head, neck and chest. A scream escaped her lips as she stumbled backwards into a vat of dough, catching herself on the edge. The mixture inside squelched and bubbled, thick burgundy globs floated to the surface and white discharge foamed the edges.
“I’m sorry dear, that batch isn’t quite ready yet” Nana appeared at the corner of the room nearest Ezra’s body. We're still working out the kinks, but you came at the perfect time” her face contorted into a menacing smile, reaching towards her eyes. Skin flaked, cracking and peeling, sloughing away from her chin. “My mask is failing, I can only keep the skin fresh for so long before I need a replacment, a younger subject. Your face will do perfectly.”Reaching up she ripped the dangling flesh and threw it towards the ground, revealing a mass of lumpy rotted muscle. “Call me monster, I’ve heard worse” She examined her fingernails “It only gets easier for me.”
Hannah grabbed a slab of metal from the floor swinging it violently overhead, attempting to knock Ezra down. “Let him go” she shrieked as panic laced her words “You won’t get away with this you psycho!!!” She picked up chunks of metal and lobbed them at “Nana”, trying to increase the distance.
“ Don’t you see, I’ve already won?” Nana uttered a deep throaty laugh.” Winners come in and I get their love, their endorphins, their serotonin feeding that into my dough. I use last year's winners to feed this dough, and keep this year's winners for next. The longer it sits, the more potent the love and longer lasting my appearance.” locking eyes with Hannah she continued “Why do you think we never announce the winners? The best part is this concoction includes a little short term memory loss to sweeten the deal” chuckling at her own cleverness she closed the space between them “No one will remember you, no one ever does, I’ll rebrand and move on”
Hannahs features twisted into horror. The more she heard the more unsettled she became, fearful, lashing out on all sides. The last thing she remembered, being the sharp jab in her side body as her face grew flushed and limbs heavy. Dropping to the cold metal floor,consciousness leaving her, silent tears pooled beneath. The bakery soon sat empty, no memories here, no evidence of occupancy.
At a nearby home, a commercial plays across the television, bright colors and enthusiastic tones draw you into the ad. “Aunties Cookies, come and grab a box on us, They’re always filled with love”