Ciara Candy's Arc

Chapter 2 of 3

Ciara wheeled the golden display into a quiet corner and stepped back to look. Her cotton candy cloud sat on the top shelf, soft and shimmering. But the grand shelves stared back nearly bare. The little side shelf that once held ribbon decorations was empty now. She had used the last of them steadying the wobbly shelf. The treat looked small and lonely. Judges wanted a theme, and she had none. A cheerful chirp broke her thoughts. Her best friend, a small pink-and-blue bird with fluffy confection feathers, landed on the top shelf. The bird cocked her head at the empty spaces, then chirped again, sharp and quick, like a scold. "I know," Ciara said. "It's bare. And Elfy's shop has nothing left." She rubbed her temples. If the display looked plain, Elfy's name would suffer too. She had promised to protect it. The bird flew off. Ciara chased her out into the open air. There, past the contest tents, a bush blazed with color. Peppermint swirls, lollipops, and bright wrapped sweets tucked between green leaves. The bird pecked one loose and dropped it in Ciara's palm. "Candy," Ciara whispered. "Real candy, growing wild." She grinned. She could dress the shelves herself. She gathered lollipops and swirls until her arms were full. But as she worked, she spotted something else deep in the leaves. A single bloom of spun gold. Its petals looked airy and sugary, dazzling in the light. It matched her golden display perfectly. Ciara plucked it with care and hurried back. She arranged the wild candies along every shelf, filling the empty spaces. She set the golden flower beside her cloud, and both seemed to glow together. The bird chirped and fluffed her feathers, pleased. Ciara stepped back. The display no longer looked bare. It looked full, themed, alive. She had solved it. Relief loosened her chest. Then a runner in a judge's sash walked past and stopped cold. She stared at the golden flower. Her face went pale. "Where did you get that?" the runner asked. "From a bush," Ciara said. "Just past the tents." The runner shook her head slowly. "That's a golden bloom. They're rare. Protected." She lowered her voice. "Contestants aren't allowed to pick them. If a judge sees it on your display, you'll be disqualified." Ciara's stomach dropped. She looked at the flower glowing beside her cloud. It made the whole display sing. Take it off, and the theme fell flat again. Leave it on, and she lost everything. The bird landed on the golden petals and chirped, soft and worried. Ciara did not answer. She had filled the shelves. She had matched the theme. And she had done it with the one thing that could get her thrown out before dusk.