MidReal Story

The Candy Machine Mystery

Anonymous

Feb 4
Scenario:ninth grade school girl on detective mission to uncover motives of a cosmic candy machine
Create my version of this story
ninth grade school girl on detective mission to uncover motives of a cosmic candy machine
I stared at the candy machine through the foggy glass of our school’s cafeteria hallway.
Gummy bears, sour candies, and shiny chocolates waited to be dispensed.
But that wasn’t all.
The machine dispensed something else, too.
Mysterious messages.
Cryptic fortunes.
Like the ones you might find in a Chinese cookie, except instead of being lucky—you were warned.
"Are you going to buy something or just stand there all day?"
Lily Chen asked.
She stood next to me, adjusting the black belt pouch around her waist and giving me that cautionary look she wore like a fresh coat of nail polish.
"Maybe both."
I rubbed a finger over the dusty glass.
The machine had been installed last week over the spot where our school’s soda machine had broken down.
No one claimed to have installed it or to know who was restocking its candy supply.
Some ninth graders thought it was a prank.
Others believed it was a test from the school administration.
But I knew what it really was—a mystery waiting to be solved.
I pulled my wallet out of my backpack and inserted a dollar into the machine.
"Come on, come on," I mumbled, hitting the glass front gently.
"You owe me a message, cosmic candy dispenser."
I chose the orange gummy bear and twisted the metal knob until my treat dropped into the small tray.
Next, I unfolded the white wax paper bag and—
"Is that…a fortune?"
The Candy Machine Mystery