Chester

It was a typical day for both Mendy and Chester. Mendy worked at the store—she sold sweets, met her friends at work, ate them, and tried to come up with something new. Chester, on the other hand, was full of jokes and pranks, cruel and mocking as always. Around lunchtime, when Chester wasn't quite enjoying the reactions of those around him to his brilliant jokes, he decided it was time to head to CandyLand to play a prank on the usually calm Mendy. Entering her shop, he found her missing from her workstation. He headed for the roof, thinking she was admiring the scenery again. As he got up, Chester realized he'd guessed right. Mendy was leaning against the railing, looking off into the distance. For starters, he'd decided to just scare her. Sneaking up from behind, quietly and stealthily, like a cat, and abruptly grabbing her by the shoulders, Chester cried out:

• Ta-daaam!

Just a moment. Just a second. And Chester realizes that Mandy, with a scream, tumbles over the railing, falling from the roof. Instinctively, he tries to grab her hand, catching her for at least a split second… But he hears only a crash. Stunned, Chester immediately runs to the spot where Mandy must have fallen. He saw a slight movement in the bushes… Chester froze, his eyes widening when he heard a faint, mocking laugh that seemed to pierce the silence like a knife. A wave of relief and shock washed over him as it dawned on him – Mandy was alive. But the laughter, echoing from the bushes, was laced with something dark and disturbing. Chester felt a chill run down his spine at the sight. A prank, a joke – it had all gone too far. He wanted to anger her, to irritate the always calm Mandy, but this… this wasn't the reaction he expected. Or was he? A cruel, twisted part of him felt a thrill at the sight of her wounded, at the sound of her bitter laughter. But another part felt guilt. Sadness. Chester simply froze, his face a mess. He thought… Actually, there's nothing funny about this.

• Mendy..